2026-04-22T14:35:37-04:00 Zend_Feed_Writer http://shenandoahstories.org/ Shenandoah Stories http://shenandoahstories.org 2018-06-07T11:59:08-04:00 2018-12-18T12:14:39-05:00 http://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/308 The Shenandoah Stories Team Chapin and Sachs, sometimes known as Chapin and Sacks, Manufacturing opened a plant in Woodstock Virginia in 1910 following the purchase of the A.W. Nicodemus & Sons Creamery building on what is now East Court Street which had opened in 1903. At the time Chapin and Sachs, headquartered in Washington DC, was one of the largest ice cream manufacturing concerns in the United States. Their trademark “Velvet Kind” ice cream was sold in the District of Columbia, Virginia, Maryland, Florida, and Michigan. The Woodstock plant was one of eight facilities operated by the company. Woodstock was selected as the site for a plant due to the abundant supply of milk supplied by local dairy farms and the area’s rail connect to Washington DC markets. In 1908 Chapin and Sachs constructed a new creamery on North Street. This brick facility totaled just over 30,000 square feet, was three stories tall, had two cold storage rooms, and contained a 10 ton ice plant. A large trucking fleet collected milk from throughout the valley, travelling throughout the valley to collect milk and to distribute ice cream. Over 500 farms contributed milk. Distribution points were established as far south as Timberville and as far north as Stephens City. Over 12,000 gallons of milk were handled each day. To meet their needs a well of over 200 feet was constructed to fill a 50,000 gallon reservoir and a sewer line of over one mile in length was laid between the plant and Pughs Run south of Woodstock. Chapin and Sachs would continue to operate its Woodstock plant until around 1930 when it was sold to Southern Dairies who continued to process milk here until the 1950s. The plant was then closed and purchased by the Town of Woodstock who converted it into their public works facility. When that service moved to its current home on Moose Road in the early 2000s the former creamery was sold to a private developer and is today vacant. For more, 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.