2026-05-07T19:28:15-04:00 Zend_Feed_Writer https://shenandoahstories.org/ Shenandoah Stories https://shenandoahstories.org 2017-10-24T10:55:09-04:00 2018-10-19T11:46:22-04:00 https://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/290 The Shenandoah Stories Team When Europe went to war in August of 1914 the residents of Fort Valley Virginia could have scarcely realized how important their small community would become to the US economy. During the late 1800s a manganese mine had operated in Fort Valley to provide ore to the country’s steel industry. However, cheaper manganese imports from Russia had closed the operation during the first decade of the 20th century. The beginning of the World War and the subsequent blockade of Russian ports eliminated this supply. This led to the reopening of the Fort’s mines. Starting in 1915 a national consortium of businesses would operate the site and employ hundreds of locals. Their enterprise was named the Powell's Fort Mining Company. Ore was shipped from the area to steel mills in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Manganese would also be used to create batteries, vehicle starters, and other items. The site was so essential to the war effort that the US government would exempt its employees from the draft after the nation entered the conflict. When the war ended and Russian ports were reopened, the local mines were no longer profitable. The Fort Valley manganese mines were shuttered on November 18 1918 throwing 275 men out of work. For more (including 3 images), view the original article. 2016-05-27T12:24:11-04:00 2018-10-19T11:46:21-04:00 https://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/80 Shenandoah County Library In 2008 a second building, Trinity Brethren Church, became part of the Fort Valley Museum. The trustees of that congregation were no longer able to support the building due to a decline in membership and transferred ownership top the museum to ensure its history was preserved. This church had originally been founded in the brick church in the 1830s and followed the German Baptist Brethren Doctrine, which is often referred to as the Dunkards. In 1871 they built their first church building, called Oak Hill Brethren Meeting House. However, the church soon divided as members debated in the 1870s and 1880s whether the congregation should follow more progressive or conservative trends. In 1883 the progressive Brethren left Oak Hill to form their own congregation. They eventually built Trinity Brethren Church in 1904. At the time they had over 100 members. By the time it closed in 2008, it had fewer than 20 and was affiliated with the Conservative Grace Brethren Churches International. For more, view the original article. 2016-05-27T12:20:06-04:00 2019-11-27T12:17:29-05:00 https://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/79 Shenandoah County Library In 1830, Fort Valley resident Daniel Munch donated two acres of land to house a school and church. He required that the church be available for all Protestant denominations. The one room church building that was constructed there was made of locally fired red bricks and featured an upstairs gallery. Over the next century, five different congregations used the church for their worship services. The last of these built their own building and departed the Union Church in 1949. After which the building became a community meeting place. By 1972 the building was deteriorating due to a lack of use. That year the building’s trustees decided that the space should be used for a museum. They transferred ownership of the structure to the new Fort Valley Museum which opened on July 4, 1974. Today the museum continues to gather, preserve, and showcase the history of the area. It maintains a wide variety of exhibits and hosts an annual ice cream social which attracts large crowds. For more (including 2 images), view the original article. 2016-05-27T12:03:39-04:00 2018-10-19T11:46:21-04:00 https://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/78 Shenandoah County Library Dry Run Christian Church was born around 1841, when a small congregation began meeting at the Union Church at Dry Run in Fort Valley. In 1879 this congregation joined the American Christian Church which followed the tenants that Christ was the head of the church, no human authority can dictate how the bible is used, that each believer is free to make their own judgments about interpreting scripture, and that the true measure of a Christian was their character and piety. The semi-independent nature of this covenant would have been attractive to local residents who were determined to follow their own beliefs, not ones determined by outside organizations. The congregation continued to worship at the Union Church until 11921. Services were conducted by ministers from outside the area, so the church’s core was maintained by lay members. In 1899 a spilt occurred over whether the church should remain more conservative or progressive. This schism ended in 1908 when the groups remerged. In October 1921, the congregation was able to dedicate its own church. As a result, membership grew drastically. This group voted to join the United Church of Christ in 1957 when the old Christian Church and the Evangelical and Reformed Churches agreed to merge. However they withdrew from this national denomination in the 1990s. This decision, taken while the church was under the leadership of the Rev. Alfred Lawrence, reflected the congregations decision to follow an independent pathway that differed from the U.C.C. church. Today, they remain the independent, Dry Run Christian Church and highlight their rural roots and family atmosphere. For more, view the original article. 2016-05-20T13:24:34-04:00 2018-10-19T11:46:21-04:00 https://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/65 Shenandoah County Library In 1965 the Lutheran Congregations of St. Davids and Mt. Zion Churches agreed to end the 75 year old dispute that had separated them. This effort was a result of several decades of improved relations that had led to joint Sunday Schools and Youth Programs. At a joint meeting, the two churches approved a merger. The churches agreed to name their new congregation Faith Lutheran. This congregation continued to use the old Mt. Zion building until 1974 when a new church was built. C.E. Thompsons out of Edinburg served as the general contractor while several church members provided labor and materials. In 1993 the church became home to the Faith Lutheran Preschool which is one of only a few such institutions to serve the people of Fort Valley. A new addition consisting of a preschool building, parish hall, and kitchen was added in 2000 to meet the needs of this organization and the church. This structure also serves as the Fort Valley Senior Center which serves the area’s growing population of retirees. For more, view the original article. 2016-05-12T13:54:45-04:00 2018-10-19T11:46:21-04:00 https://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/45 Shenandoah County Library According to local legends, an individual named William Powell settled in the northern end of Fort Valley during the mid-18th century. A wide array of stories has emerged about his life. Some of these are: -He was a stage coach robber who used his ill-gotten gains to create counterfeit coins -He was a fugitive from justice who squatted on the land and avoided local authorities -He was an impoverished English nobleman who moved to the area to escape his creditors and eventually discovered a lost silver mine. Each story claimed Powell left behind either a hidden mine or a buried pot of gold in the area. Thousands of individuals have unsuccessfully traveled to the area over the past two centuries to search for this elusive treasure. These tales have had a powerful impact on Fort Valley. So many people associated him with the area that it became known to some as Powell’s Fort or Powell’s Fort Valley. A post office bearing this operated in the late 19th century. Some community organizations even embraced the term over the more traditional Fort Valley. For more, view the original article. 2016-05-12T13:28:53-04:00 2018-12-18T12:14:17-05:00 https://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/44 Shenandoah County Library In 1850 Noah Burner, a native of Fort Valley, built a resort on this location. Known as either Burner’s Sulphur Springs or Shenandoah Springs, it was known for its hospitable welcomes, blazing fires, and delicious food. The true attraction though was the local mineral waters. Around that time numerous Virginia businessmen were developing spas and resorts that capitalized on the supposed healing properties of various mineral waters. Noah Burner, who had made a fortune in land speculation, found one of his properties had six different mineral waters. A seventh was located nearby. So he laid pipe to bring that water closer and created a resort that boasted seven different healing springs. Constructed in a "bowl-like hollow" the resort featured a main hotel, detached cottages, bathhouses, and pavilions. The hotel, a three story affair that was over 12000 square feet, was probably the largest building in the area. All construction was done on site by local carpenters and a large group of slaves. The resort was extremely popular in the years leading up to the Civil War. Stage coaches filled with visitors arrived daily from Strasburg, Woodstock, or Page County. A Brass Band was maintained that played for departing coaches and in the hotel’s ballroom. Families often came for the entire summer and lived in one of the cottages. In 1851 Burner was charging occupants $6.00 per week, $20.00 per month, and $36.00 for two months. Horses, servants, and slaves could also stay for an extra charge. Often between 300 and 600 guests were served in a season. A community also developed around the resort. This included a tavern, several stores, the area’s first post office, and a commercial garden. A large staff of slaves also lived in the area to tend to the guests. Despite his success in attracting guests, Burner was not able to achieve financial success as a hotelier. In 1852 he was forced to sell an interest in the resort for $12,000 to pay off debts. Five years later he was forced into court by creditors. The court ordered him to sell another portion of the property to satisfy this debt. The following year Burner turned the resort over to Solomon McInturff and left for the west. The resort however continued to thrive until the Civil War when the hotel was closed for the duration of the conflict. After the war it reopened but was unable to regain its former prominence though some families to continue to visit. In the 1880s the hotel was demolished and the resort closed. Today only the materials from the original structures, used to make several buildings and houses on the site, remain. For more, view the original article. 2016-05-12T13:06:50-04:00 2018-12-18T12:14:17-05:00 https://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/43 Shenandoah County Library In 1836 this area had been home to Elizabeth Iron Furnace. This was one of many small iron producing furnaces that existed throughout Fort Valley and Shenandoah County. Elizabeth utilized the power provided by waters of Passage Creek. Initially the furnace was only open seasonally. Operations were conducted during the winter months when the local slave population was idle and available to be used as a labor force. Later, as demand increased, the furnace operated around the clock. Shifts of approximately 50 individuals operated the furnace. This work was often difficult and dangerous. Laborers worked long hours, medical care was non-existent, and wages were low. A community emerged around the furnace. Over time a company office, store, post office, barracks, carpenter shop, blacksmith, stables, and company houses were constructed. Often immigrant furnace workers mingled with, and married into, the local community. The furnaces would not operate long after the Civil War. Larger more efficient iron furnaces emerged in other areas of the United States and small producers were forced to close. In 1913 the site became the property of the Federal government. The Elizabeth Furnace Recreation area was opened in 1960 on the site of the forest camp pictured above. It is home to the educational “Pig Iron Trail” which interprets the history of the area’s iron furnaces for visitors. For more, view the original article. 2016-05-11T11:23:47-04:00 2018-10-19T11:46:21-04:00 https://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/41 Shenandoah County Library In January 1896 a group of dissatisfied Lutherans finally made the decision to break away from St. Davids Lutheran Church and start their own congregation. That year they completed this structure and named it Mt. Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church. The debate over whether the church should be progressive or conservative mostly likely caused the Fort Valley Lutherans to split. For the next 80 years, the church would support services, Sunday Schools, community events, socials, and church synod meetings. In 1965 the efforts of Pastor Lawrence Roller facilitated the merger of Mt. Zion and St. David’s. They created the new Faith Lutheran Congregation and built a new structure in 1974.Aftwards the Mt. Zion structure was sold and is today a private residence. For more, view the original article. 2016-05-11T11:12:13-04:00 2018-10-19T11:46:21-04:00 https://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/40 Shenandoah County Library In 1816 the Reverend Paul Henkel, a notable Lutheran minister in the valley, noted Lutheran residents of Fort Valley formed their own independent congregation. Their meeting house stood on land donated by Jacob Golladay near the mountain road. Many of the names associated with the church's early years are still in Fort Valley. Members came from the McClanahan, Fravel, Golladay, Munch, Lichliter, Bushong, and Ritenour families among others. The church appears to have been very successful. Paul Henkel continued to lead the congregation until 1823. It was an active member of the conservative, German based, Tennessee Synod. During the middle of the 19th century it was named St. David’s Church in pastor records and local correspondence. The original building, and all its records, was destroyed in an 1873 fire. In February of that year the Golladay family deed two additional acres to the congregation and a new church, also named St. David’s was built. It was completed in August 1873. However, internal strife would soon tear the congregation in two. Progressive ideology was sweeping the nation in the 1870s and members of the congregation who supported these thoughts soon broke with more conservative members. The two congregations would meet in the same building until 1896 when the more conservative members dedicated Mt. Zion Lutheran Church a half a mile away on Sibert’s Spring. These churches would operate separately until 1965 when the efforts of Pastor Lawrence Roller facilitated their merger and the creation of the new Faith Lutheran Church. This congregation built a new structure on land donated by Carl Golladay, a descendent of Jacob Golladay, St. David’s original sponsor. It was completed in 1974. Afterwards St. David’s Church was sold and is today a private residence. For more, view the original article.