2026-05-17T06:48:42-04:00 Zend_Feed_Writer http://shenandoahstories.org/ Shenandoah Stories http://shenandoahstories.org 2018-06-19T15:35:29-04:00 2018-12-18T12:14:39-05:00 http://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/309 Logan Olszewski- Shenandoah County Library<br /> Located next to the Deary Tavern, this two-story building was built in 1855. It is constructed with wooden weatherboarding on the outside, a heavy embossed metal on the inside, and a layer of brick in between. The building was first owned by Henry Theis. Henry ran a furniture company making cabinets with his brother, Christian at this location. When the Civil War began, Henry enlisted in the Staunton Artillery. He fought in many major battles in Virginia, as well as Gettysburg, was wounded at Cold Harbor, and was present at Appomattox when Lee surrendered. After the war, Henry, his brother, and Wiegen Ruhl continued to run their business, but at Henry’s home. The furniture and cabinet company remained open until 1889. The building was then sold to the Cushman Brothers. The Cushman’s were carriage and wagon makers. As the brothers got settled, they renovated the house to accommodate their business by adding double doors that went all the way to the ceiling of the ground story to allow the removal of completed carriages. Slanted wooden tracks were also added for the carriage wheels and can still be seen today. After the Cushman’s sold the house it was briefly a blacksmith’s shop. For more (including 3 images), view the original article. 2017-10-05T14:35:33-04:00 2023-09-08T11:29:17-04:00 http://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/253 The Shenandoah Stories Team Sometime in the 1880s Lin Irwin's Drug Store opened on the first floor of the Irwin Opera House located at the corner of Main and Court Street in Woodstock. In 1906 Clyde E. Walton and Dr. James H. Smoot purchased the drug store and changed the name to Walton and Smoot. It became one of the town's two major drug stores, the other being Schmitts two buildings down. Besides creating and providing medicine, Walton and Smoot was, and still is, a multipurpose store. It served food, sold a wide array of goods, and for a long period operated a bar and sold beer. An early postcard showing the interior had the hand written notation "Beefstew-Bar-Cold Beer added before it was sent. Soon after purchasing the business, Walton and Smoot moved the drug store to the Magruder Building which was located on North Main Street at the corner of Court Square. In 1935 H.A. Moore and George Clower purchased the business from Dr. Smoot who had previously become the sole owner of the drug store. They continued to operate it under the Walton and Smoot name. Milson S. French purchased George Clower’s share of the business in July of 1952. French, a graduate of the Medical College of Virginia, later became sole owner of the store. He moved the drug store moved to its current home, the former site of the Geary and Woodstock Hotels, in 1968 when the Magruder Building was demolished to make way for a new brick office building. A fire heavily damaged the building in 1975 but the store reopened. It operated until 2019. The building stands vacant as of 2023. For more (including 6 images), view the original article. 2017-09-07T11:13:55-04:00 2018-12-18T12:12:50-05:00 http://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/153 The Shenandoah Stories Team In the summer of 1939 Charles Bowman, a Mt. Jackson Orchard Owner, and his two sons Gordon and Courtland traveled to New York State to purchase the bankrupt Gilbert Apple Products plant just north of Mt. Jackson Virginia. This 80,000 square foot, two story facility processed fresh apples for sale and also canned applesauce. It was secured for approximately $3,000 and Bowman Apple Products was born. Over time this business would grow to become a major grower and producer of apple related products in the state of Virginia. The company expanded its products to include not only apple sauce but also canned apples, apple butter, juices, and other beverages. Many of the products are packaged for private labels including Wal-Mart, Safeway, Gatorade, Arizona Tea, and Dr. Pepper. Bowman also owned and packaged the Old Virginia Brand of apple products. The company was managed by the Bowman family from the time of its founding until its sale to Andros Foods in 2011. Gordon Bowman and his wife Martha were instrumental in ensuring the company survived and thrived during its early years. They were joined by their son Gordon Bowman II in the 1960s and he managed the company as president until the sale. Their Mt. Jackson Plant expanded to over 26,000 square feet of production space, 53,00 feet or warehouse storage, 80,000 square feet of cold storage, and 6,000 square feet of office space. It produced approximately 12.7 million pounds worth of apple-based products in 2017 and employed several hundred persons. For more (including 8 images), view the original article. 2017-07-20T10:51:45-04:00 2018-10-19T11:46:21-04:00 http://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/150 The Shenandoah Stories Team Sometime in the late 19th century Joseph Russell Miller opened a tailor shop on Main Street in Woodstock. A native of Hardy County West Virginia, Miller had moved to Woodstock as a child and was trained as a tailor in a Frederick County shop. Throughout the first half of the 20th century, his business would have been a popular place for individuals looking for suits, shirts, ties, and other custom made clothes. The popularity of his shop made Miller a wealthy and prominent member of local society. He owned a large home on the intersection of Spring and Muhlenberg Streets in Woodstock, was a member of the local Masonic Lodge, and according to his obituary was “actively involved in community issues.” In 1947 a fall that fractured his hip forced Miller to retire. In died in 1953. Today, the site of his shop at 118 N. Main Street houses Old River Creative. For more (including 2 images), view the original article. 2017-07-13T13:37:40-04:00 2018-12-18T12:15:33-05:00 http://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/149 The Shenandoah Stories Team In 1821 Walter Newman purchased approximately 900 acres in the western part of Shenandoah County and one year later began mining and refining iron ore in the area. He called his production facility “Liberty Furnace.” Newman, and later his son Benjamin would operate Liberty until 1874 when it was sold to the Wissler family who had also purchased Columbia Furnace. The Wisslers, Frank and John, were responsible for expanding the two furnaces. Until then, iron production had been on the level of other, small family furnaces in the county. Under their direction both Liberty and Columbia grew until over 300 persons were employed there. They were responsible for mining ore, refining it, transporting it to rail centers, harvesting lumber to feed the furnaces, and maintaining a wide array of company structures. From this time onward the operations at the furnaces would be economic center of this area of Shenandoah County. Unfortunately, it also led to some problems as locals clashed with individuals brought in to fill vacancies, especially when the company began to hire African Americans. In January pf 1880 a race riot broke out and the owners and black workers were attacked. This two day event ended when the Wisslers agreed to hire only white workers. This eliminated a major employment source for local African Americans and forced many to emigrate or settle for lower paying service jobs. In 1884 a group of Philadelphia businessmen purchased the furnaces and named it Columbia Liberty Iron Company. They continued both operations until 1891 when the company was sold again to H.H. Yard of Philadelphia. He closed the Columbia Furnace and built a narrow gauge railroad, nicknamed the “Dinky” to haul the ore produced and goods to the furnaces and surrounding communities. However, making a profit proved to be difficult. Legal battles between Yard and the previous owners compounded the sites problems. In 1905 the company was again sold and reorganized as the Shenandoah Iron and Coal Company who hoped to turn a profit by modernizing operations. Their efforts proved to be unsuccessful and the furnace the closed in 1907 and the land sold to Joseph T. Jackson who used the railroad to transport lumber from the area. It closed in 1917 after the area hills had been stripped. Today the area bears little resemblance to how it would have appeared during the mining era. Nature has reclaimed the pits, former railroad grade, depot sites, and many related buildings. Only the main house and other structures survive. The Truban Archives at the Shenandoah County Library maintains a large collection of items related to this furnace. For more information on it go to countylib.org/2017-0005 For more (including 3 images), view the original article. 2017-06-15T16:50:09-04:00 2018-12-18T12:15:33-05:00 http://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/148 The Shenandoah Stories Team In the late 1940s a Gulf Station opened in New Market at the intersection of Routes 11 and 211, two of the region's major highways. Before the introduction of the Interstate Highway System, this area would have been filled with cars travelling to Luray Caverns, Washington DC, and many other points. A gas station here would have certainly been a profitable business. Based on the photograph, the New Market gulf was a full service business that offered car washes, maintenance, parts, and of course, gasoline. The original station design reflects the clean, sleek, art deco design popular in the period. Today, this site continues to serve the community as a gas station, though its name has changed to Liberty and the building is remarkably different. For more (including 2 images), view the original article. 2016-06-15T12:52:57-04:00 2018-10-19T11:46:21-04:00 http://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/129 Shenandoah County Library The original Lantz Mill was constructed in the early 19th century by the Holler family. They had received a land grant from Lord Fairfax in the late 18th century and moved here to farm the land. The existence of Stoney Creek provided them with an ample power source and they were soon able to build a mill here. In 1815 the Hollers sold the mill to Samuel Stuart who sold it to George Lantz nine years later. He and his family would operate the mill for the next 72 years. In 1863 Jacob Lantz purchased the mill from his father. Jacob was already a partner in the mill and a leading businessman in the area. He participated in the Edinburg Manufacturing Company alongside the owners of the Edinburg Mill. This group marketed and sold the agricultural surplus and manufactured goods of the county. Jacob also ran a sawmill and several shops in the area. When the Civil War began Jacob, a slave owner and presiding justice of the county court, was a strong supporter of the Confederate cause. His position with local government meant he helped lead the county’s decision to support secession in 1860. It also meant he was in charge of the county’s finances during the period, and every piece of script issued by the county during the war bears his signature. When Union forces arrived in the area, Lantz’s position made him a target. His businesses were burned and so was his home after he refused to arrest local guerrillas. By 1867 the mill had been rebuilt and Lantz was recovering. It was one of the first local mill to be rebuilt and played a role in the area’s recovery. The 1870 census noted the mill had a 30-horsepower water-drive mill with two stone grinders. It was valued at $7,500. However Lantz had not been able to recover from the war. In 1879 he declared bankruptcy. His wife Elizabeth Whissen Lantz was able to obtain enough funds from her father to purchase the mill when it was sold to clear her husband’s debts. Jacob assumed position of manager and operated the mill for her until his death in 1871. Elizabeth sold the mill fifteen years later to Joseph Tisinger who updated the mill to a “roller” type. This replaced the original stone wheels with metal rollers that produced better quality flour more efficiently. Tisinger sold the mill in 1898 to Erasmus Smith who operated it until 1930 when he sold it to William Wilkins who changed the name to Lantz Roller Mills. Wilkins would go bankrupt in 1959 due to the availability of cheaper flour produced by large operations. The mill was sold to several members of the Sine family. They changed operations and began producing animal feed instead of flour for human consumption. Their “Shenandoah Breeder Mash” and “Sine Hog Finisher” were popular throughout the region. They closed in 1980 as large feed mills began to replace smaller operations. In 2006 it was purchased by its current owners who were determined to restore the mill. Two years later they added the site to the National and State Register of Historic Places. They have been able to complete emergency shoring projects, a cleanup day, replacement of windows, reconstruction of damaged portions, and removal of later additions. Their efforts continue today. For more (including 8 images), view the original article. 2016-06-15T10:53:58-04:00 2018-10-19T11:46:21-04:00 http://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/127 Shenandoah County Library Around 1900, this two story, frame house was constructed in Conicville Virginia. Attached to the house is a single story structure that once served as the Conicville store. Oral history indicates the house may be one of the oldest in Conicville. It predates the store addition and in 1885 was owned by J. Ryman, a local businessman. He constructed the store addition in the early part of the 20th century. It also served as the community’s post office at various times.For decades it was one of the central commercial establishments in the community. Sometime in the late 20th century the store closed. Today the house is a private residence and the store is abandoned. For more (including 2 images), view the original article. 2016-06-13T17:09:22-04:00 2018-10-19T11:46:21-04:00 http://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/121 Shenandoah County Library Just before the Civil War, a group of Mt. Jackson residents built this structure to house a local hotel. While the war interfered with their plans at first, an 1871 map does indicate that the building housed a hotel and post office. At that time, it was owned by Joseph Moore. By the 1920s, Moore’s daughter was living in the structure and had converted the second floor into a private residence. The first floor was occupied by commercial space. Several resturants, operated by the Hepners, Hansbergers, and Alexanders were located here. In 1936 the Mary Lee Beauty Parlor also operated inside. Like most other town buildings, its porch was removed when Route 11was widened in 1934. In 1944 the Coffman family acquired the property and converted it into apartments which it remains today. For more (including 2 images), view the original article. 2016-06-09T16:31:40-04:00 2018-10-19T11:46:21-04:00 http://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/119 Shenandoah County Library and Mt. Jackson Museum Around 1886 this building was constructed in the center of Mt. Jackson. It was designed as a typical downtown structure, with commercial space on the first floor and apartments on the second. Eventually it became the Hawkins restaurant, operated by Joe Hawkins. The community gathering space featured a soda fountain and family dining facilities that were popular in town for several decades. By the 1970s, the restaurant had closed. The building was abandoned and over time became dilapidated. However Washington DC philanthropist and Strasburg patron Leo Bernstein bought the building in the early 1980s and completed a renovation. In 1989 it was sold to the Padoll family who opened the Nostalgia Mart inside. Today, this business continues to sell books and collectors items inside while the restaurant’s soda fountain is still in place. For more, view the original article.