Scottsville Museum: News and Events

Highlights, April 2008

Museum in a Trunk Visits Central Elementary School, 30 April:

Connie Geary and Gwynne Daye visit Central ES with the Trunk

Connie Geary and Gwynne Daye presented our Museum in a Trunk to fifth grade classes at Central Elementary School. The school is located on Central Plains Road in Palmyra, VA. Hosting our visit were Gloria Scharer, Brenda Grant, and Brenda Melton, 5th grade teachers at Central ES. The Trunk is a traveling, interactive exhibit is geared for upper elementary students studying the Civil War as part of their Virginia Studies curriculum. Central's fifth graders actively participated in the Trunk's learning activities and asked most insightful questions. We want to thank its teachers and students for your hospitality and the opportunity to study Virginia history together!

Feedback from Ms. Scharer: "Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! You are both awesome! My students truly enjoyed the Museum in a Trunk. Both Ms. Melton and Ms. Grant expressed their appreciation as well. I sent the Trunk brochures in my pack to our 4th grade team leader, but I will also remind them near the end of next year about your wonderful lesson!"

To see more photos of the Trunk's trip to Fluvanna on 30 April, visit Central Elementary School.

"Small Town, Big War" Opening Reception, 06 April:

Sunday was the opening reception for Scottsville Museum's 2008 season which features the WWII exhibit entitled "Small Town, Big War." Dedicated Museum volunteers and an enthusiastic community worked incredibly hard for months to put together this wonderful exhibit which focuses on the impact of WWII on the people of Scottsville. It features the stories of several local veterans and families plus the military service records and photos of 147 veterans in total. The opening ceremony turned out to be a highly emotional event.

Ten of the featured veterans and the families of others attended the ceremony, which made the exhibit personal and heartwarming. Many people spoke about their vivid memories of the home front and walked through the exhibit, pointing out toys and foods remembered from their wartime childhood. Reenactors from the All-American Honor Guard walked about the Museum in costume and character, adding an impressive military touch from the WWII era.

In the photo above, WWII veterans Raymond Grandstaff and Milton Cohen sat with wives and families of other local veterans. As they listened to Mayor Steve Phipps read the names of the 147 local WWII veterans, there was a palpable sadness as the museum guests remembered their friends and family from this small town. A ceremonial bell tolled twenty-one times to honor those veterans and their service to our country. It was such an honor to witness this moment.

To see more photos of the Opening Day 2008 at Scottsville Museum, visit Opening.

Thomas Staples Martin: Senator, Leader, Virginian:
One Virginian who has unfortunately fallen through the historical cracks is Senator Thomas Staples Martin, a Scottsville-born, twenty-six year Senator, whose career only ended with his death in 1919. Although changing political winds and accusations of corruption blemished his legacy, Martin proved to be a prominent political figure on the national scene, ultimately becoming the figurehead of the conservative wing of the Democratic Party during the early part of the twentieth century. Despite their political differences, Martin worked harmoniously alongside Progressive Democratic President Woodrow Wilson during World War I to protect the Commonwealth and nation.

For the full feature article about Senator Martin by Rob Manoso, visit Thomas Staples Martin.

Feedback from Museum Fans:
a) Ann and Kirby Lloyd of Star Tannery, VA: "Our family is so appreciative of the work of the Scottsville Museum, especially as it pertains to World War II and all of the many young men and women, who served our country. We feel very honored to have our family included -- Dad and his brothers would be proud!"
b) Don Brown of Rochester, NY: "Thank you for sharing the spring newsletter -- fascinating articles! The 'e' communications are an excellent means to maintain a feeling of real connection with Scottsville -- KUDOS!!! My anticipation is to have a return visit this summer. I am anxious to see the changes and improvements!"
c) Keith and Mollie Anderson Van Allen of Richmond, VA: "We just got the newsletter about Senator Martin. The newsletter is very well done, and we enjoy it very much. The slick paper, color photography, and graphics are especially nice. Scottsville deserves to be seen in color!"
d) Marv Baber of Colorado: "The things you have done for the community with keep the history of WWII and the community's contributions to the war alive for a long time. I’m really surprised how a lot of the folks have no idea what took place in WWII. Thanks again to you and your team for all you do."

Highlights, March 2008

Museum Expands Exhibit for 2008
Scottsville Museum will open for the 2008 season on the weekend of April 5th and 6th (Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m - 5 p.m). An opening-day reception will be held on Sunday at 2 p.m. All are invited; admission is free. "Small Town, Big War," an exhibit about the sufferings and triumphs of Scottsville during World War II, is being held over for a second season, with some new additions. For one example, information on 72 area veterans has been added to the exhibit in the past several months, and their portraits will be featured on a new poster. The exhibit honors those who served and those who died in the war, but also those who served at home as farmers, defense workers, civil defense volunteers, and everyone who bought savings bonds and recycled war material.

For more information and a glimpse at the Museum's rich World War II offerings such as this 1943 photo at right of Ernie L. Baber, US Army Air Forces, visit WWIII on our website.

Docent Reception, March 16:
Gwynne Daye, Co-President of Scottsville Museum, will host an appreciation tea for Museum docents at Haven Daye Farm on Sunday, March 16th, at 3 p.m. Each year over forty volunteers volunteer their time each month to serve as docents at the Museum. Our docents' donation of time allows the Museum to continue our free admission policy for the public from April through October each year.

If you would like to become a Museum docent, please call Scottsville Museum (434-286-2247) or contact us via e-mail at: smuseum@avenue.org

Feedback from Museum Fans:
a) Ann Lloyd of Star Tannery, VA: "I cannot tell you how thrilled I was to open the Museum website and see my Daddy looking at me! Thrilling , in fact, doesn't begin to touch it. Thank you and the Scottsville Museum for all they have done to create this awareness of your community's life during WWII. I have found it to be amazing as well as informative."
b) Gregory Baber of Louisiana: "My father was Hay Norvell Baber, and I am very touched and thrilled that his home town is recognizing the service of he and his brothers. They were colorful individuals, and I have fond memories of their gatherings at my grandmother Bessie Baber's house. Thank you so much for doing this!"

Highlights, February 2008

Museum Summer Interns Visit Scottsville, February 29:
Sarah Brummett, Evelyn Edson, and Jack McQuarrie Shown at right with Scottsville Museum's Evelyn Edson are Sarah Brummett and Jack McQuarrie of the University of Virginia's Institute for Public History, who met with our Education Committee Friday morning to discuss the museum internships that each student will be undertaking during Summer 2008. Sarah is an undergraduate student at UVA, majoring in Architectural History, and this summer she will begin work to compile the architectural history of Scottsville homes and the history of the families who lived in them. Jack is also an undergraduate student at UVA, majoring History and Secondary Education; for his internship, he will conduct oral history interviews of Scottsville citizens that focus on their WWII, Korea, or Vietnam military service as well as on the memories of those citizens who supported the war effort on the Scottsville home front.

If you have information about Scottsville houses and their families that you would like to share with the Museum, or if you can participate in the oral history project, please call Scottsville Museum (434-286-2247) or contact us via e-mail at: smuseum@avenue.org

Museum in a Trunk Visits Agnor-Hurt Elementary School, February 26:
Connie Geary and Gwynne Daye Gwynne Daye and Connie Geary presented our Museum in a Trunk to fifth-grade classes at Agnor-Hurt Elementary School in Charlottesville, VA. Hosting our visit was B Maxwell, one of three fifth grade teachers at the school and their social studies team leader, who invited our museum team to support his students' study of the Civil War. An exciting morning of history began as the students examined Civil War and 19th century artifacts, photographs, and replica items during a fun, engaging presentation. We were most impressed by the enthusiastic, bright students at Agnor-Hurt, who engaged in each trunk activity with keen interest. These students later wrote us thank-you notes with wonderful feedback:

--"I learned a whole lot, and the artifacts were really cool! I never knew so much about the Civil War. My favorite thing was the shot bag. I thought it was a bullet pouch, and the rest of my group didn't! I sure told them!"

--"Thank you for visiting our school. I learned a lot more about the Civil War than in a text book."

--"I enjoyed your presentation. I thought life in Scottsville during the Reconstruction Period was a very hard life.

--"Thank you for coming to our school and talking about the Civil War. I was really interested in the artifacts that you brought - I had never seen Confederate money. I love history!"

--"I enjoyed your presentation alot! My favorite part was when we went around and looked at all of the displays -- especially looking at the lady's jewelry and the Confederate coat."

--"It was neat to see the photo of the cuff links that General Sheridan gave the little girl for her kindness. I hope you can come back soon so that we can learn even more. I would really enjoy that!"

Thank you, Mr. Maxwell and your students and fellow fifth grade teachers for your hospitality and the opportunity to study Civil War history together!

Black History Month Program, 25 February 2008:

As part of Scottsville's Black History Month celebration, Southside Fellowship and Scottsville Museum co-sponsored a potluck dinner in the Fellowship Hall of Scottsville Methodist Church on Monday evening, 25 February. Over 45 members of the community were in attendance. Reverend Jeane Dunkum led grace for attendees, who sat down to a bountiful supper and wonderful camaraderie. Shown at right are Dorothy Woody and Gwynne Daye of Scottsville, as they enjoyed dinner and conversation together.

Graham Paige (shown at right) introduced the evening's program and led attendees in a spirited singing of an old hymn, accompanied by Ruth Brooks on piano. The Road to Freedom: The Vernon Johns Story, a film which dramatizes the life of Farmville native, Vernon Johns, a pioneer in the Dorothy Woody and Gwynne Daye

civil rights movement, was shown. Johns was born in 1892, one of seven children in a farm family, and he struggled to get an education. Johns attended a local one-room school, the Bluestone Academy in Keysville, Virginia Seminary in Lynchburg, and Oberlin Theological Seminary. He was pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, from 1947 to 1952. The congregation found him too "radical," and Johns was eventually succeeded by Martin Luther King, Jr. He served two stints as pastor of Court Street Baptist Church in Lynchburg and died in 1965. A historical marker near his birthplace describes Johns as a "blunt-spoken opponent of segregation and a champion of civil rights. Graham Paige

Recent Donations to Scottsville Museum:
a) Raymon Thacker of Scottsville, VA, donated a 1975 pamphlet and map, entitled The Constitution Route, commemorating Route 20, and the Scottsville Flood Management Plan, a 1974 study by Balzer and Associates.
b) Keith Van Allen of Richmond, VA, donated a thumb back chair made by an unnamed slave at the plantation called 'The Home Place' (later known as Albevanna Springs) which was owned by Capt. John Bowles Anderson (1843-1911); Nettie Anderson's (1855-1922) personal memoir describing The Home Place; the genealogy of Rev. Nathan B. Anderson and descendants, which was updated by Mollie Anderson Van Allen, Keith's mother.
c) Bessie Carter of Charlottesville, VA, donated a 2-volume set of A Goodly Heritage, A History of the Carter Family in Virginia by B. Noland Carter II.
d) Robert E. Tapscott of Albuquerque, NM, donated a copy of his book, Henry, the Immigrant: The First Tappscotts of Virginia (2006).
e) Graham Paige of Esmont, VA, donated a copy of New Green Mountain Baptist Church: Centenary Souvenir Journal, which commemorates the 100th anniversary of the church.
f) Robert Spencer of Scottsville, VA, donated a copy of Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church - 140th Anniversary, which provides a history of the church and some of its leaders.
g) Bill Emanuelson of Scottsville, VA, donated a brass model of a WWI military hat, made from a 75mm shell casing by his father, Edward Emanuelson, a member of the 111th Field Artillery, 29th Division, from 1914-1919.
h) Robert Hunter of Richmond, VA, donated a 1907 postcard entitled Bridge over James River, Scottsville, VA; copies of the WWI Army service documents of his father, Sergeant Albert C. Hunter of Scottsville; and copy of Bob's own Army service documents for WWII.
i) John J. Clemmer of Sebastian, FL, donated a wooden chair belonging to Major J.C. Hill (1831-1906), a Confederate veteran and newspaper editor of Scottsville.

Highlights, January 2008

WWII Web Archive Online:
Over the past three years, the Scottsville Museum and the University of Virginia's Institute for Public History have attempted to record Southern Albemarle County's involvement in World War II. We have gathered photographs, letters, and, perhaps most importantly, interviews with surviving veterans and home front citizens. The aim is to provide as complete a picture of one rural southern community's experiences in World War II as possible. In many ways, Southern Albemarle is a microcosm of the American war experience, illustrating the intricate relationships between small town life and the world-changing campaigns in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Thus, we chose "Small Town, Big War" as the title of our project. In other ways, though, these are the intimate stories of unique individuals from a distinctive area. A web archive, presenting our findings, has just been put online.

To learn more about Southern Albemarle's contributions to WWII, visit "Small Town, Big War".

Feedback from Museum Fans:
Heather Bernard, Staunton, VA: "This weekend I stopped in Scottsville (Rt 20 south of C'ville) with a friend. We found a truly wonderful small museum as well as a great town for visiting. This place is really worth a family trip. The Scottsville Museum has an exhibit on WWII from the Scottsville perspective. I cannot say enough about what a professional and meaningful exhibit this is. It overflows with unusual hands-on, child-friendly information on the WWII experience of families from Scottsville - both on the home front and overseas. There are tons of vintage posters, photos, uniforms, furnishings and personal items plus binder books that you can just pick up and browse through which document the personal stories of Scottsville people who served both at home and on the various fronts."

"There is a terrific portion on communication displaying letters to home from soldiers, stamps of the day, censorship, and propaganda. There is an amazing example of a German stamp forgery printed by the US government for distribution to Germany and Austria which shows Hitler with a skeleton superimposed on his profile. Apparently propaganda letters stamped with these skillful forgeries were dropped amid the wreckage of bombed German mail trains with the idea that they would be picked up and distributed among the population to lower morale... it's estimated that several thousand of these creative messages made their way to the homes of Austrian and German families."

If you would like to arrange a special tour of Scottsville Museum for your students or family, please contact us via e-mail at smuseum@avenue.org.

Highlights, December 2007

Happy Holidays, 2007:
Happy Holidays to You! As the 2007 holiday season begins, Scottsville Museum wishes to thank you all for your support this year. Your generosity and continued support makes it possible for the Museum to maintain our buildings, build new historical exhibits, and develop and implement educational projects for Albemarle students. We are most blessed to have you all on the Museum team. And may you be blessed with the warmth of family and friends at this beautiful time of year. Happy holidays to you, and we hope to see you at Scottsville Museum when we reopen in April 2007!

What We're Reading Now:

Murder at Green Springs by J.K. Brandau Murder at Green Springs by J.K. Brandau tells the story of Victor Hall, a young railway depot master at Green Springs Depot in Louisa County, Virginia, who was shot dead in his store just hours after someone torched his competitor's business. Hall was married to Elizabeth, an older woman and the widow of Hall's former employer. The sheriff, state investigator, and railroad detectives suspected Hall's business rival until strange circumstances, rumors of poisoning her first husband and of a freakish love interest fixed suspicion on the innocent widow.

In a recent e-mail to us from the author, Ken Brandau wrote:
"I've enjoyed the Scottsville Museum's evolving website for years. Your posted photographs fired my imagination during my long research of the 1914 Hall Murder Case in Louisa County."

"The Harrison murder of 1913 in Scottsville proved important to understanding the Hall Case. The two crimes were similar, though unrelated, except for the shared involvement of an unscrupulous railway detective (Special Agent Myer S. Angle, Jr.), who helped frame Elizabeth Hall and, months earlier, tried to have an innocent drifter executed for the murder of Richard Wheat Harrison."

"Over the years, your web site posted period photographs of Scottsville, its depot, victim Richard Wheat Harrison, Mayor Beal, and Herbert Faulconer, who was the Scottsville telegrapher that discovered Harrison's body the next morning and was a witness as the trial. There is also a picture of Alexina Harris and her son, Richard Wheat Harris, the victim's sister and her son who was the deceased brother's namesake. Students of Scottsville history will be interested that Chapter 3 of my new book, Murder at Green Springs: The True True Story of the Hall Case, Firestorm of Prejudices covers in detail the mysterious shooting at the Scottsville Depot, the investigation, arrest, near lynching, and trial."

"Thanks for providing such valuable resources in preserving Virginia History." Ken (J.K. Brandau)

A Guide to Historic Charlottesville & Albemarle County, Virginia by Jean L. Cooper provides a useful guide to historic streets, buildings, and neighborhoods in Charlottesville and surrounding Albemarle County. Pages 29-51 of Jean's guide provide walking and driving tours of 47 historic buildings and locations in Scottsville and also contains thirteen photos from the archives of Scottsville Museum. Jean imparts a wealth of information, revealing fascinating details of our local history from the colonial era to the early twentieth century.

These two books by Brandau and Cooper are available for purchase online (Amazon.com) and at local bookstores in Charlottesville. We highly recommend them to our readers as well-researched and fascinating reads. Enjoy!

Highlights, November 2007

Photos from Veterans Appreciation Weekend, 27-28 October
Veterans' Appreciation Weekend (October 27-28) was exceptionally well-received at Scottsville Museum and Canal Basin Square. Over 400 visitors visited the Museum those two days to tour our featured WWII exhibit, "Small Town, Big War." A canteen at the Museum's Barclay House dispensed free doughnuts, hot coffee, and apple cider to event participants and spectators. Thanks to the canteen's enthusiastic marketing by two teen aged Museum volunteers shown at right, our visitors happily satisfied their hunger and desire for warming beverages on these two crisp autumn mornings.

Across the street at Canal Basin Square, over forty reenactors of the All-American Honor Guard (AAHG) provided living history exhibits covering American military conflicts from the Civil War through the current Afghanistan-Iraq engagements. On Saturday firing of weapons could be heard on Main Street as AAHG demonstrated firing of military weapons loaded with blanks. The Monticello Guard (29th Division) conducted tactical exercises to demonstrate house search techniques currently employed by the U.S. Army in Afghanistan and Iraq. Reenactors from the American Armoured Foundation reenacted WWII tank battles at the Canal Basin with 1/16 scale remote-controlled tanks. And a host of military vehicles, including an Army ambulance, HumVee, and jeeps and a British Ferret (armored scout car) lined the road from the old Canal warehouse to the basin's pumping station.

Sunday afternoon, Sergeant Bob Slaughter spoke to a large audience at Canal Basin Square about landing on Omaha Beach on D-Day with the 116th Infantry. Among the Scottsville veterans and family members listening to Sergeant Slaughter was Robert Whitbey, a WWII veteran, who landed on Utah Beach on D-Day. To see more photos of the Veterans Appreciation Weekend in Scottsville, visit Veterans Appreciation .

Highlights, October 2007

Veterans Appreciation Weekend, 27-28 October
Dwayne Tooley on a 1943 jeep as Les Barnett cleans weapons Veterans' Appreciation Weekend is scheduled to go off with a bang in Scottsville on 27-28 October 2007. This tribute honors veterans, who have served in our country's military throughout U.S. history, and is co-sponsored by Scottsville Museum and the All-American Honor Guard (AAHG) of Charlottesville. The weekend celebrations will occur in two locations: at Scottsville Museum and just across Main Street from the Museum at Canal Basin Square. The event runs from 10 AM to 5 PM on both Saturday and Sunday; admission is free.

Throughout the weekend, Scottsville Museum will feature its popular WWII exhibit, "Small Town, Big War." This exhibit presents the story of our town during World War II and the contributions of our soldiers, who served during the war, and the sacrifices required of all the civilians on the home front. The exhibit includes photographs of veterans and their stories, a WWII Army command post, a parlor and a kitchen from the war era, examples of veterans' letters sent home, an excellent collection of airplane models made by a boy during the war, and many other items reflecting this period in Scottsville's history. On Saturday and Sunday, free doughnuts and cider will be served at the Museum to our visitors.
Andrea Wilson at her WWI American Red Cross canteen

Across Main Street at Canal Basin Square (CBS), a living history program will feature AAHG re-enactors with period displays from almost every era in United States' military history from Jamestown through WWII. These exhibits will be arranged about CBS grounds so that visitors may walk from one era to the next and engage the re-enactors in discussions about each U.S. military conflict. Also included will be displays of military vehicles as well as tactical and weaponry demonstrations. AAHG is a non-profit organization of military re-enactors whose mission is to "Honor Those Who Serve" through educating area residents about America's military past; they are all volunteers who personally research and finance the military characters they represent.

Do come to Scottsville on 27-28 October to salute all veterans, who have protected our American freedom since this country was born. It's a great opportunity also to learn more about U.S. military history at Scottsville Museum and with the AAHG re-enactors at Canal Basin Square. See you there!

"Bloody Omaha" Survivor Speaks at Canal Basin Square, 28 October 2007:
Bob Slaughter, author of Bob Slaughter, noted author of Omaha Beach and Beyond, will speak about his WWII experiences at 2 p.m. on Sunday, 28 October, at Canal Basin Square. Desperate for a paying job, Slaughter enlisted in the Virginia National Guard in early 1941 at the age of sixteen. After Pearl Harbor, Slaughter was shipped as a member of the 116th Infantry to England. Late in 1942, Slaughter volunteered for ranger and amphibious training as the Allies geared up for D-Day. On June 6, 1944, Slaughter led a platoon of men as they landed on Omaha Beach under withering enemy fire. At 6'5", Slaughter miraculously escaped the landing with only a bullet in his helmet; over 70 of his company were killed on D-Day. And that was only the beginning of combat for the men of the 116th Infantry as they fought the Germans across France, to Holland, the Bulge, and on into Germany.

"It is an honor to have Sgt. Bob Slaughter as a guest speaker on 28 October. Anyone who has served in the military should find something of a common experience to share. Sgt. Slaughter's story is an amazing telling of an amazing time in the world's history. He does not glamorize the horror of war. It is gritty." Colonel John E. Bowers, US Army Retired, Scottsville, VA

Join us at Canal Basin Square (just across the street from Scottsville Museum on Main Street) at 2 p.m. to meet Sergeant Slaughter and hear his riveting account of D-Day. Admission is free, and Sergeant Slaughter will be available after his presentation to sign copies of his book. Copies of Omaha Beach and Beyond will be available on site for purchase from the author, too.

Highlights, September 2007:

More Scottsville Area Cemetery Listings Online:
Scottsville Museum continued to record and publish the gravestone inscription information from local cemeteries this summer. The Museum's goal for this project is to make such information more readily available for research use by historians and genealogists. Thanks to the Summer 2007 efforts of Robert Manoso, an Institute for Public History intern at the Museum, the gravestone information from Centenary United Methodist Church, New Hope Baptist Church, St. Stephens Episcopal Church, and Union Baptist Church are now available on our Museum's web site and in hardcopy at our Barclay House Resource Center. Latter this fall, Robert's gravestone photographs from New Green Mountain Baptist Church will also be added to the Museum's web site. To see the available Scottsville cemetery inscriptions, visit Cemeteries.

2008 Membership Drive -- We Need YOU!
Our Museum has become an example of what a small town museum can accomplish. In order to continue the preservation and promotion of our local history, we need your help. Please renew your membership today for 2008. Even a $25 donation will help, but $50 will help twice as much. Thank you again for your continuing, generous support. You are our strength. For additional membership information, visit Application (PDF). (download Acrobat Reader)

Highlights, August 2007

Trunk Visits Scottsville Seniors, 29 August 2007:
Wednesday morning, the Museum in a Trunk traveled to Scottsville's Senior Center for a presentation of "Seizing Scottsville: Sheridan's Final Raid." An attentive audience of over 60 area citizens listened and interacted as Gwynne Daye and Connie Geary retold the story of the Union raid into Scottsville in March 1865 to destroy canal locks and supplies supporting the Confederacy. This traveling, interactive exhibit contains Civil War artifacts and photographs from the Museum's collections, including military and domestic items, Confederate money, historic photographs of soldiers and Scottsville as well as replica items such as a Confederate officer's coat. Shown above are Gwynne Daye and Rev. George Reynolds as they discussed the raid's long-lasting impact to the Scottsville's economy.

We greatly enjoyed our visit with Scottsville Seniors. If your organization or school wishes more information about the Museum in a Trunk or to schedule its visit to your site, do call us at (434)-286-2247 or E-Mail: smuseum@avenue.org

Wood-Jones Family Visit, 11 August 2007:

On Saturday, seventeen members of the Wood-Jones family visited Scottsville Museum as part of family reunion activities organized by Deloris Jones Thomas of Virginia Beach (far left, Row 1). The Wood-Jones reunion included grandchildren and great grandchildren of Deloris' paternal grandmother, Alice Bransom Jones (1873-1959), and maternal grandparents, Cornelius Wood (1868) and Mary Martin Wood (1873) of Scottsville Three sons of Cornelius and Mary Wood served in World War II, namely Arthur Jenkins Wood, Francis Wood, Gordon Wood. Arthur was killed in action in Italy in 1945 and is represented in the Museum's Gold Star Honor Roll of Scottsville soldiers, who gave their lives in the U.S. military during WWII. Deloris donated digital photos of the three Wood brothers in their WWII uniforms for addition to the Museum's current exhibit, "Small Town, Big War." Scottsville Museum is delighted to include these photos in a new photo collage of Scottsville's WWII servicemen currently in design for 2008. Deloris and all of the visiting Wood-Jones family made it a very fun morning of local history discussion at Scottsville Museum. Do come back soon!

If any of our readers has a photo of a Scottsville veteran in WWII that has not been included in our current exhibit, we would love to scan it and add to our photo display of local men and women, who served in the U.S. military. Let us know either via phone (434-286-2247) or E-Mail: smuseum@avenue.org

Our UVA Interns Brief Museum Board, 02 August 2007: L to R: Rob Manoso, Gwynne Daye, Steve Knepper, and Charlie Fry
Steve Knepper and Rob Manoso briefed Scottsville Museum's Board of Trustees about the work they have completed on Museum projects this summer. Both interns are sponsored by UVA's Institute for Public History and are shown in this photo (L to R: Rob Manoso, Gwynne Daye, Steve Knepper, and Charlie Fry)

Steve Knepper is a doctoral candidate at UVA in English, specializing in Southern and rural literatures. He undertook our World War II oral history project and conducted 8 interviews of WWII veterans and local home front contributors to the war effort. Steve's interviewees included Bessie Carter, Andrew Collins, Austin Easton, Norman Graebner, George Howard, William Schneider, Mollie Van Allen, and Hunter Woody. Steve also designed and developed web pages focused on the Scottsville area's contributions to WWII that includes photographs, oral history transcriptions, war journals, and many other war-related materials. These web pages will be added to our Museum web site this fall for all to enjoy. Stay tuned for an announcement here when Steve's WWII web pages are available for online viewing.

Rob Manoso is a rising third-year UVA student, majoring in history and politics, who has tackled our genealogy project with great vigor. In July, Rob recorded and photographed the gravestones at five local cemeteries: Centenary United Methodist Church, New Green Mountain Baptist Church, New Hope Baptist Church, St. Stephens Episcopal Church, and Union Baptist Church. These 5 cemetery listings will be added to the Museum's web site this fall for online genealogical research. Currently, Rob is organizing our McCue collection of documents and photographs on Senator Thomas Staples Martin, who was born in born in Scottsville (1847) and practiced law here after graduating from UVA in 1867; he went on to serve as U.S. Senator from Virginia from 1893-1919. Later this month, Rob will conduct some original Martin research at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., and at Duke University in Durham, N.C., before writing a biographical paper on Senator Martin for Scottsville Museum.

Feedback from Museum Fans:
a) Nancy Koenig of Scottsville, VA: "Thank you for your wonderful work!"
b) Denise Davis of Scottsville, VA: "Thanks for all the Museum did honoring my Dad and all of our Scottsville citizens." Denise is referring to her father, Ivery Davis, who served in the 90th Seabees, USNCB and is one of the featured servicemen in our exhibit, "Small Town, Big War."
c) J. K. Brandau of Virginia: "Museum staff and supporters: I’ve enjoyed the Scottsville Museum’s evolving website for years. Your posted photographs fired my imagination during my long research of the 1914 Hall Murder Case in Louisa County."

"The Harrison murder of 1913 in Scottsville proved important to understanding the Hall Case. The two crimes were similar, though unrelated, except for the shared involvement of an unscrupulous railway detective, who helped frame Elizabeth Hall and, months earlier, tried to have an innocent drifter executed for the murder of Richard Wheat Harrison."

"Over the years, your website posted period photographs Scottsville, its depot, victim Richard Wheat Harrison and an image of Mayor Beal. Interestingly, the young Boy Scout identified as Herbert Faulconer was later a Scottsville telegrapher and witness at trial. There is also a picture of Alexina Harris and her son Richard Wheat Harris, the victim’s sister and her son, the deceased brother’s namesake."

"Students of Scottsville history will be interested that Chapter Three ('Firestorm of Prejudices') of my new book, Murder At Green Springs: The True Story of the Hall Case, covers in detail the mysterious shooting at the Scottsville Depot, the investigation, arrest, near lynching, and trial. The book is due for release December 1st, 2007."

"Thanks for providing such valuable resources in preserving Virginia history."

Highlights, July 2007

Institute for Public History Discussions, 19 July 2007: IPH Visit at Scottsville Museum: (L to R) Connie Geary, Steve Knepper, and Dr. Phyllis Leffler
On Thursday, Scottsville Museum hosted an on-site visit by Dr. Phyllis Leffler, Director of UVA's Institute for Public History (IPH). IPH's mission is to form partnerships with public history organizations such as Scottsville Museum that provide UVA student interns with opportunities to work and learn. This summer, Steve Knepper and Rob Manoso accepted IPH-sponsored internships at Scottsville Museum to conduct World War II oral history research and genealogical/local history research. During the meeting, Steve and Rob briefed Dr. Leffler and members of Scottsville Museum's education committee on the progress of their projects. Shown at right in the photo by Gwynne Daye are Connie Geary, Steve Manoso, and Dr. Leffler. Scottsville Museum wishes to thank Dr. Leffler, IPH, Steve, and Rob for their exceptional support to historical studies at Scottsville Museum.

The World Map, 1300 - 1492:
We've just received word that Evelyn Edson's new book, entitled The World Map, 1300-1492: The Persistence of Tradition and Transformation has just been published by Johns Hopkins University Press. According to this book's publication release, "Evelyn Edson uses maps of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries to examine how the discoveries of missionaries and merchants affected the content and configuration of world maps. She finds that both the makers and users of maps struggled with changes brought about by technological innovation—the compass, quadrant, and astrolabe—rediscovery of classical map making approaches, and increased travel. To reconcile the tensions between the conservative and progressive world views, map makers used a careful blend of the old and the new to depict a world that was changing—and growing—before their eyes. This engaging and informative study reveals how the ingenuity, creativity, and adaptability of these craftsmen helped pave the way for an age of discovery." For an interesting read, look for Evelyn's latest book online at Johns Hopkins University Press or at Amazon.com.

Evelyn is also the author of Mapping Time and Space: How Medieval Mapmakers Viewed Their World. She serves as a Trustee of Scottsville Museum and is a recently retired professor of history at Piedmont Virginia Community College. Congratulations, Evelyn, on your latest literary success!

Howardsville History Online, 10 July 2007:
We received word from Alan and Nancy Bruns of Fredericksburg, VA, that they have placed Alan's extensive collection of Howardsville history online. Alan (shown at right) wrote: "My pile of Howardsville xeroxes has come to life again, with some fresh interviews, some with with folks even older than my 80 years. This material is on our web site, primarily due to hard work on the part of my wife, Nancy. Down the road, I hope to put together something that could also serve as an index to The Algoma Logbook. We hope soon to have interviews with Bill and Alice Giannini, done by Nancy recently. Bill has provided most of the Howardsville pictures I've used over the years."

To visit the Bruns' website of Howardsville history, visit Howardsville.

Independence Day in Scottsville, 4 July 2007:
Kids, parades, fireworks, concerts, ice cream -- some words belong together. The Fourth of July is a day for family fun, and Scottsville once again was the place to be. Beginning at 9AM on Wednesday, festive crowds began forming on the museum's front lawn. Lawn chairs, vivid colors, and happy voices were in abundance as spectators positioned themselves along Scottsville's July 4th parade route. Visitors flocked up the museum's staircase to explore our featured exhibit, Small Town, Big War. Over 70 visitors viewed the exhibit while the parade was still going on in front of the museum! A special treat for Docents Gwynne Daye, Peter Granger, Connie and Bill Geary was the annual bike arrival of the John S. Davis family from Charlottesville. For the past fifteen or more years, Dr. Davis, his sons, and grandchildren bike to Scottsville Museum to tour our exhibit and toll the Scottsville School bell in our collection. Another Scottsville 4th of July tradition to be cherished by us all.

For more photos of the festivities in and around Scottsville Museum, visit July 4th.

Hill-Patteson Descendant Makes History Abroad, 1 July 2007:

Guatemalans line up outside local clinic for USS Comfort medical help

We received a wonderful e-mail from Captain Bruce Boynton, who is the great grandson of Scottsville's Mollie (Harris) Hill (1837-1909) and Richard Allen Hill (1842-1902) and a frequent contributor to our museum publications. Bruce currently is serving as the commander of all medical staff aboard the USNS Comfort, a mercy class hospital ship deployed by President Bush in June 2007 on a four-month humanitarian mission to Latin America and the Caribbean. The USNS Comfort medical crew is providing free health care services to communities in need and is expected to treat tens of thousands of patients on this deployment. Bruce writes:

"We’re a long way from Scottsville, anchored a few miles off the coast of Guatemala where we’ve been conducting humanitarian operations for the last few days. Every morning we send over 200 people ashore in small boats and helicopters to set up clinics and do construction projects. Patients who need surgery or special tests are brought back to the ship. The picture above shows some of the crowds, sometimes numbering over 1,000 who are waiting for care. The surgery picture (not shown here) shows two Guatemalan gynecologists who joined to work with our surgeons. Tomorrow we discharge our remaining patients and head for Panama! Regards, Bruce"

We applaud Bruce, a son of Scottsville, who continues to make history and positive contributions wherever he travels. Well done, Bruce and the USNS Comfort!

Highlights, June 2007

Batteau Night in Scottsville, 20 June 2007: Batteaux at the Scottsville campsite
The 22nd Annual James River Batteau Festival began on Friday, June 15, and ran through Saturday, June 23rd. The batteau was a flat-bottomed boat which was used to transport tobacco from areas of central Virginia to Richmond during the late 1700’s. Each year, the James River Batteau Festival celebrates these boats and the important role they played in Virginia history.

This year's Festival began in Lynchburg in low water conditions with the launch of about fifteen batteaux headed down 120 miles of the James River to Maiden's Landing in Powhatan County eight days later. The batteau crews arrived in Scottsville in the late afternoon of Wednesday, 20 June, and tied up at the Ferry Street public boat landing. The public came in droves to see the boats and talk with the crews. Some of the crews ended up at the Dew Drop Inn on Scottsville's Valley Street that evening to sing into the wee hours with a fellow batteau man, playing guitar. On Thursday morning, the camp at Scottsville slowly came to life. The fog on the water was beautiful as the batteau crews pulled out on a clear sunny morning headed to the Slate River by late afternoon.

Highlights, May 2007

Museum in a Trunk Visits Central ES, 24 May 2007: Gwynne Daye arrives with Trunk at Central ES
On 24 May, Gwynne Daye (shown at right) and Connie Geary traveled to Central Elementary School in Palmyra to share the Museum in a Trunk with three fifth grade classes. The Trunk is a traveling, interactive exhibit which contains Civil War artifacts and photographs from the Museum's collections, including military and domestic items, Confederate money, historic photographs of soldiers and Scottsville as well as replica items such as a Confederate officer's coat. We thank Gloria Scharer for hosting our visit at Central ES and for the most productive efforts of Central's fifth grade teaching staff to prepare their students for our presentation. We truly enjoyed the opportunity to study history together with Central's fifth graders and staff.

Peabody School and Fluvanna Middle School Visit Museum, 11 May and 16-17 May:
Visiting the Museum's World War II exhibit, Small Town, Big War, were 16 middle school students and teachers from Peabody School (Charlottesville, VA) on 11 May. While at the Museum, Mayor Raymon Thacker addressed the students on the topic of town government matters, including productive town partnerships with state and federal governments. The students also visited Canal Basin Square for a self-guided tour of this exhibit about the economic impact of the James River, canal, and railroad transportation on Scottsville.

Connie Haislip and grandson Sixty six-grade students from Fluvannna Middle School (Fork Union, VA) and their teachers visited Scottsville on May 16 and 17. They were greeted at Canal Basin Square by a costumed docent, who oriented them for the self-guided tour down the "History Walk" towards the levee. Students learned how transportation on the James River, the James River and Kanawha Canal, and the railroad contributed to making Scottsville an important shipping and industrial town before 1900. Tim Small and John Bowers also explained the design and construction techniques being used to build a canal packet boat for eventual display at Canal Basin Square.

The Fluvanna students next toured the World War II exhibit at Scottsville Museum. The exhibits contain artifacts of the war era which the students had recently studied about in history class. Many students had family members in the photographic collage of WWII veterans. Pictured at right is Connie Haislip and her grandson, a student at Fluvanna. Connie is the daughter of Alice Glass, a Scottsville WWII veteran, and the young man is Alice's great grandson. It was a busy day for the students as they finished off their tour with a picnic lunch at Dorrier Park, a lively ball game, and a walk along the Town's levee.

The Museum likes to share its exhibits about the town's rich history with visitors and special groups during its regular hours (Saturdays, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Sundays, 1-5 p.m.) or by appointment. For additional information, please contact the Museum at smuseum@avenue.org or call 434-286-2247.

Events Calendar

To view calendar events for the 2008 season, visit Calendar.

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