Pride of Place

THE BEAUTIFUL SHENANDOAH VALLEY

The Shenandoah Valley stretches for some 200 miles across the Allegheny and Blue Ridge Mountain ranges, and it encompasses a stunning variety of natural wonders. The Valley’s dramatic vistas have inspired much poetry and song, but in addition to its renowned beauty, the Valley has been the scene of developments significant to the history of the United States.

Beginnings

The word Shenandoah is a Native American term, thought to mean “river through the spruces.” The area was a migratory path for native tribes for thousands of years, until the first European settlers arrived in the early eighteenth century. Frontiersman Daniel Boone is known to have traversed the route. The first permanent settlers were German and Scotch-Irish immigrants. Virginia’s government encouraged settlement to provide a buffer against the potential threat of hostile Indians. After the French and Indian War (1754-1763), the presence of Native Americans in the Valley was greatly diminished. From the beginning, farming flourished in the fertile soil of the Valley. Tobacco was an important crop, some cotton was grown as well, and Shenandoah was also part of the “wheat belt.” Towns grew up around agricultural centers. Winchester was established on land donated by James Wood, who had made a success of farming the land (be sure to visit the Glen Burnie Historic House – among other artifacts, it displays a miniature replica of Wood’s house and its furnishings).

Water flow, earthquakes, and thousands of years combined to form massive underground caverns in the Shenandoah Valley. The caverns are of course a work in progress. The Luray Caverns are best known in the Valley, but the Crystal, Shenandoah, Massanutten, and Dixie Caverns also impressively display the natural artifacts of time. Madison’s cave was mapped by Thomas Jefferson and visited by George Washington.

The Skyline Caverns were found because of a sinkhole. Once the mud was cleared away, anthodites, a rare form of crystal, were found here, and these are now protected under Virginia law. Endless Caverns, discovered in 1879 by two boys hunting rabbits, was the first of the caves to have electric lighting.

Grand Caverns are America’s oldest show caverns, with tours operating since 1806. The cave was inhabited at various times by both Confederate and Union soldiers during the Civil War. Nearly four miles long, it has both stalactites and stalagmites. Some 230 soldiers signed the walls during the time they spent here.

The Civil War

The Valley is famous as the scene of Civil War battles. Over 325 military engagements and 14 significant battles took place during 3 years of fierce fighting. Some Valley families had sons fighting on opposite sides.
The Shenandoah Valley was important as a stronghold for the Southern armies, but it was also a provisions route for both Confederate and Union armies. Farmers fed and housed both Union and Confederate soldiers and treated the injured from both sides. Farmers’ fields, churches, and homes were overtaken for battles or for housing wounded.

Throughout the war the area changed hands several times. However, once the Union reduced their farms and fields to ashes, the Confederacy lost the agricultural bounty that had sustained it and, in turn, lost control of the Valley and the war.

Shenandoah Natural Park

During President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, the Shenandoah National Park, which now covers 8 counties and more than 100 square miles, was completed. Its development was the peacetime equivalent of the Civil War, causing furor, disagreement, and bad blood between preservationist and developers. Their dispute lasted 30 years and then some, extending after the park’s completion.

The idea of the park had been around since the beginning of the century, but formally became a cause in the 1920’s. Those in favor pointed out that millions of people who couldn’t afford go west for outdoor adventure could travel to the Shenandoah Valley, and that such a park would bring tourist traffic to support local businesses. Opponents protested the uprooting of hundreds of residents, mostly poor, and the deforestation of some parts of the land in order to build access roads.

It took ten years to get the acreage and the needed approvals. Much privately held land was taken by eminent domain. The Skyline Drive came into being when Herbert Hoover, an avid fisherman, expressed interest in the Valley’s trout streams and established a hunting-fishing camp on the Rapidan River. A paved road was needed to bring the President to his fishing camp. Some thought this an inappropriate use of taxpayer money, but others argued that access would publicize the park and provide work relief for poor families. And so the road, a major engineering feat in its time, was built, but not before some 450 families were relocated.

Agriculture

The fertile regions in and around the Shenandoah Valley are home to numerous vineyards, and wine making is a major enterprise. The first vineyards were started in 1976, when over 5000 vines were planted. Many wineries offer tours and tastings, and these are favorite destinations of both near-by residents and travelers.

Fresh produce is available at farmers markets and today, as in the past, apples provide income for area farmers. The Shenandoah is known for a wide variety of agriculture products, especially apples, sheep, poultry, and hay.

Eighty years ago, the apple harvest set in motion the now-legendary Apple Blossom Festival, an annual event which still draws thousands of visitors. Though the years, the honor of being Grand Marshal of the Winchester event has been enjoyed by the likes of Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Ed Sullivan, James Cagney, Lucille Ball, Diahann Caroll, Billy Graham, Mickey Mantle, and Willie Mays.

The Shenandoah Valley nurtured dreams for decades and its history predates America. It is a major part of a deeply ingrained -- and uniquely American -- pride of place.