2026-04-24T14:42:51-04:00 Zend_Feed_Writer https://shenandoahstories.org/ Shenandoah Stories https://shenandoahstories.org 2019-05-10T11:39:28-04:00 2019-05-10T11:39:28-04:00 https://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/321 The Shenandoah Stories Team On October 22, 1869 the Shenandoah Herald newspaper noted Samuel Bowman was “laying in a large supply of goods” and would soon open his new store on the “main street of Hamburg.” This building included the store originally included the store facilities on the lower level and a large meeting room with kitchen on the second floor. This upstairs space was used by both local chapters of the Modern Woodmen and the Grange. The 1885 Lake’s Atlas notes this building was both a store and the site of the Hamburg Post Office. Samuel Bowman is listed as living next door. In 1896 Samuel Bowman moved to Woodstock Virginia and opened a store in that town. The Hamburg store remained opened. Its last operator was John Eckard who operated the store until sometime in the mid-20th century. The store building still stands and is privately owned. For more, view the original article. 2017-10-03T12:31:31-04:00 2018-10-19T11:46:22-04:00 https://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/238 The Shenandoah Stories Team On May 27, 1877 this church was dedicated by the local Christian (Disciples of Christ) congregation. Locally it was known as the Campebllite Church in reference to Alexander Campbell who helped found the Disciples of Christ denomination. This congregation would only remain active for a few decades. By 1898 they were no longer operating in this building and it was sold to George W. Minnick who in turned donated it to local Lutherans of the Tennesee Synod. They organized a congregation under Rev. J. Paul Stirewalt in 1898. The building became associated with the nearby Bethel Lutheran Church sometime in the 20th century and services were held on alternate Sundays at these two locations until Salem was closed in 1944 due to declining membership. It was sold to the Bowman family in 1946. While operating as a church for the Christian Denomination, the Salem Church became the headquarters for the Hamburg Temperance Council. The first recorded meeting of that group happened in February of 1882 when 8 members congregated here but did not officially organize. Two years later this local group did organize at a meeting in the church on March 1, 1882. At that time the group officially became the Hamburg Union of the National Temperance Union. Fifty members signed the initial roll and N.B. Painter was elected president. How long this organization continued to operate is unknown. For more, view the original article.