Staunton Archives - Our Changing Life

Loving Virginia – Our First Taste Of Old Dominion

Jeff & Crystal — Fri, 21 Jun 2024 04:30:00 +0000

Over the years, Virginia has had a lot of nicknames. King Charles II dubbed it “Old Dominion” due to his loyalty to the crown. In recent years the title “Mother of Presidents” seems more appropriate. After all, eight U.S. presidents were born in this area. With so much history, we knew it was a state we needed to add to our growing list. As we hit the road, we aimed to experience various adventures across the state. As we passed through the Appalachian Mountains, we knew we’d be loving Virginia and all it has to offer.

Staunton - Our First Stop

Heading east from West Virginia, it was hard to notice a difference. We were still enjoying the Appalachian Mountains, as we tooled along I-64. About an hour after crossing the state line, we discovered the hills were fading. This signaled that we were approaching our first stop. We are huge fans of living history sites and the Frontier Culture Museum would be the first of a handful we would see while loving Virginia. While paying our $12/person admission, we decided to add a golf cart rental for a small upcharge. We would usually walk an entire site, but time constraints required we limit our stop to two hours.

Farming Around the World

Fortier Culture Museum is dedicated to farming around the globe. We also discovered that the exhibits represent life in farm households during the 1600s and 1700s. Our tour began with farms from four foreign regions; West Africa, England, Ireland, and Germany. In each, we found an interpreter who imparted the life experiences from that period. The next section of the museum focuses on the Virginia region. Here we found Native American farmlands, followed by European homesteader structures. At each, we were guided through the exhibit by an interpreter.

Exploring Jamestown

Our main target for this trip was the Historic Triangle in eastern Virginia. We arrived in Williamsburg at the early evening and spent a few hours exploring the souvenir shops. In the morning, we made our way to Jamestown Settlement. We purchased combination tickets for Jamestown and Yorktown at $30/person. Our visit started in the museum that details the arrival of the English colonists. There are plenty of displays to spend a couple of hours. Our experience continued with a walk around the grounds, which has three distinct sections.

Foothold in the New World

It begins in the Powhatan Village, where costumed interpreters demonstrated native skills. Farther down the trail we landed at the docks. There are replicas of the three ships that carried those first settlers to America. We enjoyed exploring the inside and out of each ship. Our final stop was James Fort, which was inhabited during 1610-14. Here’s where we found a high concentration of costumed staff. They were all happy to provide details about life in this region. Time slipped away from us and it was mid-afternoon by the time we departed.

Williamsburg - Our Home Base

Our original plan was to spend the second half of the day at Colonial Williamsburg. With time running short, we decided to spend the rest of the afternoon exploring the shops at Merchant Square. The next morning, we were prompt with our arrival at the visitor center. We chose the single-day passes, which were $50 per person. These gave us access to the guided sites, trade shops, and performances. Colonial Williamsburg is available to view 24 hours a day, but the living history portion runs from 9 am to 5 pm. We knew it would be hot, but we were determined to see as much as possible.

Colonial Eats

By the time lunch rolled around, we had made a big dent in visiting the trades and shops. Our heads were swimming with all of the colonial life information we had heard. We wanted to stay with the period, so we ducked into King’s Arm Tavern to check out their menu. The original version of this tavern opened in 1772. This recreation was attempted to stay as true to form, as possible. One notable addition was air-conditioning, which was a huge bonus in the hot summer weather. We lingered over our meal, as much to take in the ambiance as to prolong our delay back to the heat.

Visiting Yorktown

Our third and final day in the historic triangle would lead us east toward the coast. The first stop was the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown. Here we found an in-depth view of the fight for independence. Similar to Jamestown, this two-part site also features a living history portion. The museum, which is packed full of exhibits and artifacts, was our focus. Being fans of the movie “The Patriot”, we were eager to learn more about the final English stronghold in Virginia.

Beach Adventure

After two and a half days of stuffing our heads with names and dates, we were ready for some R&R. There was no way we could be this close to the ocean and not make a visit. Virginia Beach was only an hour away, so we hightailed it east. Here’s where the hot weather worked to our advantage. It was a weekday, so crowds were thinner than usual at the beach. We soaked in the sun for a couple of hours, before deciding to see what we could find in the way of tourist traps. One block back from the beach we discovered an assortment of eateries, souvenir shops, and games. It was a perfect way to remind ourselves how much we were loving Virginia.

Blue Ridge Parkway

The next morning we packed the car and began meandering westward. We planned to double back the way we came but diverted when we came upon the northern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Our visit to Gatlinburg allowed us to see the southern start of this iconic roadway. Now we had a chance to explore the other end. (Someday we hope to drive the entire length.) We took our time cruising the parkway and pulled off frequently. When hunger hit, we exited and found Gertie’s, a cute burger joint along the path back to the interstate.

Loving Virginia

Our visit to Virginia may have only lasted a handful of days, but we created memories that will last our lifetime. While our country may not have the centuries of history found in other parts of the world, we have a closer connection with American history. We hope that you enjoy our memories of the region and will consider exploring it for yourselves someday. We believe you will be loving Virginia as much as we do. It has so much to offer visitors and we barely scratched the surface.

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Frontier Culture Museum – Where Cultures Blend

Jeff & Crystal — Fri, 05 Jan 2024 04:30:00 +0000

Traveling to Virginia gave us our first views of the Shenandoah Valley. As pioneers poured into the region, during the 1600s and 1700s, many passed through this area. With an agricultural-based economy, farming was key to almost every family. Our first Virginia stop landed us at the Frontier Culture Museum, in Staunton. We were eager to interact with the costumed interpreters who tell stories about the past.

West Africa

The first exhibit was just a short drive down the path. We parked near the turnoff for West Africa and walked a short distance to the display. The structure is a reproduction from 18th-century Igboland, now part of Nigeria. The West African people of that region focused on agriculture and trade. By the start of the 1700s, the slave trade was already well established. Estimates are that about 30,000 Igbo slaves were shipped to Virginia during the first half of the century. From the 1400s to the late 1800s, more than 10 million Africans were sold into slavery.

Germany

Moving through the museum grounds, we soon found ourselves in 1750s Germany. This Frontier Culture Museum exhibit included a wood-framed home and barn, which was originally located in Rhineland. By the time of the Revolutionary War, hard times in their homeland had forced about 100,000 Germans to migrate to the colonies. This was only about one-tenth of the total number who left Germany during the Great Auswanderung (emigration). After a dozen weeks on a crowded ship, they were eager to see dry land.

A Look Inside

We stepped inside the house to listen to the interpreter. She was in the middle of describing some of the leisure activities of the farmers. The Germans were adept at pottery, lavishly decorated furniture, and long-rifle construction. We were surprised to learn that these early inhabitants often wore wooden shoes, like the Dutch. (We found a lot of those during a visit to Pella, Iowa.)

England

Back to our cart and up the road to 1650s England. Here we found another timber-frame structure. This particular building came from Worcestershire, England. The Dark Ages ended in England by the start of the 16th century. As the lands became enclosed, many citizens chose to flee across the ocean to the New World. We’d learn more about this when we make it to Williamsburg and Jamesport, later in this trip.

Life Lessons

We joined a small group that had assembled inside the house. The interpreter was in the middle of detailing life in the Shenandoah Valley during the earliest days of English immigrants. The modest bedroom would have had to handle a small crowd, as these early homes had limited space. Behind the home was a small garden, which represented the types of plants that would have been grown during that time period.

Ireland

As we pulled up to the Irish exhibit, we were discussing how much work must have been involved in relocating so many structures. Here we were facing a complete farm and forge. Most Irish immigrants came from Ulster to the Pennsylvania region in the early 1700s. With plenty of competition for space, many moved south toward the Appalachians. Most of these Protestant families were tenant farmers who leased land from wealthy English landlords.

Farming Life

After exploring the barn and grounds, we headed inside the house. Two interpreters were engaged in daily chores. We listened as one described how weaving was used to supplement the farms. With selling linens being their major sustenance, most of the food crops were strictly for family use. By the Revolutionary War, more than 100,000 Ulster immigrants had arrived in America. They often settled in the lands that served as a buffer between the native Tribes and the older English settlements.

Native Tribe

We wrapped up the European farms and made our way to the American exhibits. All of these are focused on the Great Appalachian Valley beginning in the 1600s. The first we came to was the Eastern Woodlands Indian display. When Europeans first arrived, there were dozens of native tribes along the Eastern seaboard. American tribes were helpful to the ill-equipped immigrants. As English colonization expanded, it spelled disaster for the lifestyle of the natives.

Virginia 1760

By the late 1720s, settlers had made their way into the Appalachian river valleys. We came upon this one-room log cabin that represents the typical home of early settlers. They quickly learned farming and hunting techniques from the natives. Corn was a mainstay of their diet but hemp would become a cash crop grown for its fiber. Clearing the land for crops was exhausting work, as noted by the two interpreters we found resting in the shade.

A Virginia Homestead

By the 1850s, homesteads were well-established across Virginia. The version represented at the Frontier Culture Museum would have been owned by “everyday folk”. A road system was being developed, which allowed farming families easier access to markets. The individual ethnic distinctions were declining as intermarriage blended the lines. By this period in history, America had already expanded westward. The Louisiana Purchase more than doubled the size of the young nation. Many Virginians poured into these lands to establish new communities and seek wealth.

Frontier Culture Museum Details

The Frontier Culture Museum operates seven days a week, except for major holidays. At the time of our visit, in 2023, tickets were $12 per person. We tossed in a golf cart rental for around $5 for our visit. Many visitors managed on foot, but we were on a limited timeframe, so the cart came in handy. The museum is well-designed and took us about 1 1/2 hours to see. We could see extending this to about 2 1/2 hours for a more in-depth visit.

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