2026-04-19T00:49:27-04:00 Zend_Feed_Writer http://shenandoahstories.org/ Shenandoah Stories http://shenandoahstories.org 2019-10-15T11:33:26-04:00 2019-10-15T11:33:26-04:00 http://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/324 The Shenandoah Stories Team The Powhatan Lime Company of Strasburg Virginia dates to 1902. It was founded to quarry some of the area’s plentiful New Market limestone and to convert it into lime for use in construction agriculture, and numerous other industries. Powhatan Lime Company was on what is now Powhatan Road, near Junction Road just southwest of the Town of Strasburg corporate limits. Its location was not only near limestone deposits, it was also adjacent to the major rail lines that made up the Strasburg Junction. Rail power allowed the lime produced at the Powhatan plant to be shipped to markets around the country and internationally. In a May 10, 1918 edition of the Strasburg News Powhatan Lime Company is listed as one of five local lime plants. Collectively, these businesses employed over 250 persons and had a monthly payroll of over $12,000 or approximately $235,000 in today’s currency. The newspaper noted this income helped support local merchants and “without these plants, Strasburg would lose much of her life.” With the prosperity brought by these companies came risks. Lime production was, and is, and dangerous industry. Numerous locals lost their lives in accidents at plants in the Strasburg area. Included among these are Jack Renner, Hunter Boyd, Ashby Mitchll, George Huffman, and Cecil Alonzo Rinker. These five men were killed when a lightning strike detonated a buried dynamite charge at the quarry. The date when Powhatan Lime Company closed is uncertain. A 1945 National Labor Relations Board case noted the company was in operation, manufactured “chemical lime, fluxing lime, building lime, hydrated lime, agricultural lime, and crushed stone,” and produced approximately $125,000 worth of products annually, 80% of which was shipped outside the state of Virginia. A 1976 Virginia Division of Mineral Resources Report listed it as an abandoned quarry meaning the plant closed sometime between those two dates. Today, only the former quarry, now flooded, remains. For more, view the original article. 2017-10-06T15:05:01-04:00 2018-12-18T12:12:07-05:00 http://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/263 The Shenandoah Stories Team Starting in the 1920s, clothing and textile manufacturing became prominent industries in the Shenandoah Valley. One group that operated in the area was the Casey Jones Work-Clothes Company. They opened plants in Woodstock, Mt. Jackson, Shenandoah, Luray, and Elkton which produced denim overalls and provided steady employment to hundreds of locals, including women who had previously been excluded from many industrial jobs. During WWII, their operations expanded and the Woodstock plant on E. Court St. became a major producer of dungarees for the Navy. Business was so good weekly payroll often exceeded $5,000, or approximately $90,000 in today’s currency. In September 1943, that plant was awarded the Army-Navy “E” Award of Excellence presented to companies who achieved “Excellence in Production” of war equipment. Only 5% of the more than 85,000 companies involved in producing materials for the US military’s war effort earned that honor. Not long after they received this award, Casey Jones was purchased by Blue Bell Inc., who later introduced Wrangler Jeans. They continued to operate the plant on E. Court St. until 1956 when a new factory opened on the south end of town. Over the next several decades this building would be a realty office and retail shop. In the 1980s and 1990s it was home to a radio station and Channel 10 TV which covered Woodstock area news. Today it is home to the Woodstock Brew House. They produce a wide array of local brews and maintain a series of 12 beers on tap at all times. In addition they serve food on weekends and utilize locally grown products when possible. For more (including 2 images), view the original article. 2017-09-13T14:25:54-04:00 2018-12-18T12:15:33-05:00 http://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/154 The Shenandoah Stories Team In 1977 the Johns Manville Corporation opened a new manufacturing plant between Edinburg and Woodstock. It was listed as being just over 330,000 square feet and contained three rail spurs, an emergency power supply, and its own water and sewer systems. The Manville Plant produced commercial roofing material and insulation systems that were created from a wide array of natural products imported to the county via the Norfolk and Southern Railroad line adjacent to the site. Approximately 250 persons were employed here at the height of production. Over the next thirty years the local John Mansville site would survive the company’s 1982 bankruptcy, several fires, and economic shifts. Its role in the local economy, along with other manufacturing plants, could not be overstated. However, in 2007 the company made the decision to close its Edinburg Plant as part of an effort to streamline production following an economic downturn. In 2009 the site was sold to a firm in Luray Virginia who planned to process wood products there. However, that organization sold it at a foreclosure sale three years later. Today the former plant is owned by Andros Foods who uses it as a warehouse. For more (including 7 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. 2017-05-01T09:46:36-04:00 2018-12-18T12:12:50-05:00 http://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/147 Shenandoah County Library In 1944 the Holler family of Edinburg Virginia founded a small poultry processing plant along Stoney Creek west of Edinburg. Over time this operation grew to become Blue Ridge Poultry and Egg Company, a regional poultry processor. In 1971 Rocco Farm Food purchased the poultry plant from the Holler family and operated it until 2001 when it was sold to George’s Inc. They still maintain the expansive facility on Stoney Creek Road and are the second largest employer in Shenandoah County. As the poultry plant grew, its workforce changed dramatically. Originally most employees were locals seeking wages to supplement their farm related income. However, in the 1970s this began to change as immigrants from Central America began arriving in the area to fill job openings. Originally these Hispanics came for jobs in the valley’s apple orchards which had attracted migrant workers from across the US and South America for many decades. However they quickly found that the poultry industry, which paid high wages, provided job security, and which had a growing demand for labor, provided more opportunities. Many went to work in this Shenandoah County plant. Over the next several decades the Hispanic population grew as processing expanded. Initial immigrants were of Mexican background. They were joined in the 1990s by Salvadorans and Cubans fleeing conflict. By 2003 an estimated 50-75% of the workforce at Georges and other poultry plants were Hispanics. This influx has dramatically altered our local communities. In 2010 approximately 7% of the local population identified as Hispanic. This number is expected to grow. The Census Bureau estimates that by 2040 they will account for 25% of the county’s citizens. When immigrating, Hispanics bring with them elements of their culture. Membership in local Catholic Churches, which offer Spanish services has expanded exponentially. Latino grocery stores and restaurants have opened in several communities, including adjacent to the George’s poultry plant. In addition other retailers such as Wal-Mart have dramatically expanded the number of Latino related food and cultural items they sell. The relationship between the existing predominantly white population and immigrants has been strained at times. This has been exasperated by the presence of a serious gang culture in the early 21st century and by the economic status of many immigrants. Tensions caused by language barriers and the growing number of English Language Learners in local schools have also caused periodic political issues. However, many of these issues have receded and relations are generally positive. As George’s and other local businesses continue to grow and hire Hispanic immigrants, the impact they have on Shenandoah County’s history will only continue to expand. For more, view the original article.