All US Route 11 North Today

 

Correction, we actually spent the night in Walnut Hill, not Staunton … KOA just adds Staunton to their name to be sure that you know you are close to a “big town!”

We traveled through Mint Springs and Folly Mills and wondered just what is in a name? Mint Springs, did the water taste like mint? Did mint grow near the springs? The names of the two founders? What about Folly Mills? Lumber Mills owned by the Folly family? Or did crazy people work in the mills? When you start to think about it … it really makes you go hhhmmmmm?!

Ingleside Resort is located on the south side of Staunton Virginia. The history of Ingleside Resort dates to 1928, when it was constructed as part of Stonewall Jackson Hotel's private golf course. The clubhouse was designed by the firm Davis Brothers, Loth and Breeden, Inc., and was to be "the best in Virginia, regardless of cost." During its heyday, the clubhouse boasted a massive porch, 32 guest rooms, 400 acres for horseback riding and a private stable. Now Ingleside offers an 18-hole golf course. Ingleside's property didn't always serve as a resort. In 1942, a group of hotel owners in Staunton and Waynesboro offered to lease Ingleside to the federal government for "general purposes. The purpose of the sale was to have the property serve as an internment camp, which existed until 1944. In the early 2000s, the golf course had its members invest thousands of dollars for time shares through a national organization called RCI. Depending upon the package, the plan guaranteed free golf for life at Ingleside plus five to 10 years of free cart use, room accommodations and privileges at other resorts.




 

Driving along US 11 in Verona Virginia you can see the 116^th and 29^th Infantry Museum. Being from a sister Division, we had to see it. The 116th Infantry Regiment is the oldest continuous service regiment in the Virginia National Guard and seventh oldest in the United States Army, dating from 1742. The 1st Virginia Regiment was raised July 17, 1775, in Williamsburg as a state militia unit and later for service with the Continental Army, and its lineage lives on today in the 116th Regimental Combat Team. 116th Infantry “The Stonewall Brigade” Regimental service dates from 1742, and “Ever Forward” through the French and Indian War, the American Revolution through the War of 1812, American Civil War, Spanish American War, Mexican Border Service in 1916-1917 then to World War I and II continuing today to Operations Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn. The 116th Infantry, part of the 29th Infantry Division, saw service in World War I, and Soldiers of the 116th Infantry spearheaded an attack in October 1918 during what was known as the Meuse Argonne Offensive. During this attack, Sgt. Earle Gregory of the 116th Infantry earned the Medal of Honor, the first Virginia Guardsman to receive the award. Virginians all, they formed a division of troops under the command of General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia in 1862. In March of 1862, they numbered about 10,000 and had orders to defend the Valley from Northern forces four times their size. Maj. Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson’s   famous spring campaign through the Shenandoah Valley employed audacity and rapid, unpredictable movements on interior lines. Jackson’s 10,000 men marched 646 miles in 48 days and won four battles as they engaged three Union armies, preventing them from reinforcing a Union offensive against Richmond. Then the Brigade boarded trains and marched to reinforce General Lee near Richmond. During World War II, Soldiers from the 29th took part in the massive invasion of Normandy France that began the morning of June 6, 1944, to be known forever as “D-Day.” More than 800 members of the 116th Infantry were killed, wounded or missing during the assault on Omaha Beach, but their courage and bravery helped create a foothold that allowed follow on forces to continue the assault. Two days after D-Day, Tech. Sgt. Frank Peregory of Company K, 116th Infantry from Charlottesville, became the second Virginia Guardsman to earn the Medal of Honor when he single-handedly killed or captured 30 enemy soldiers defending a trench line. More recently, the 116th Regimental Combat Team and other Virginia Guard Soldiers and Airmen served during The Sinai Peace Keeping Mission, Operation Desert Storm and since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, more than 15,000 Virginia Guard Soldiers and Airmen have served on federal active duty in support of Operation Noble Eagle, Operation Enduring Freedom, Guantanamo Security Mission, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn. Soldiers of the Regiment help maintain security in the United States and further the cause of freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as serving in the NATO peacekeeping mission in Bosnia and Kosovo. Ten Virginia Soldiers have lost their lives to hostile enemy contact during the Global War on Terror.

Rockingham County – Turkey Capital - Two Turkey statues, one at either end of Rt. 11 in Rockingham County, signalthat you are in the "Turkey Capital." Rockingham tops VA in poultry production. The turkey statues, erected in 1955.The County is proud of its deep agricultural heritage. It leads Virginia in poultry production, and two turkey statues, one at either end of Route 11, indicate that the county is the "Turkey Capital" of Virginia. The annual Rockingham County Fair is one of the top fairs in the nation, and the county has a sizeable old-order-Mennonite farming presence, supporting numerous farmers' markets.

 

In downtown Harrisonburg Virginia, you can find lenn’s Fair Price Shop, as opposed to “Glenn’s Over Priced Shop?” A staple in downtown Harrisonburg. They have everything from costumes to cameras, if you cannot find it there, they don’t make it anymore! Stop by to see why Glen's Fair Price is considered "Harrisonburg's Most Unusual Store." They offer a wide variety of costumes for any occasion, party supplies, holiday decorations, doll house furniture, Hummel figurines, Madame Alexander dolls, balloons, clown supplies, theatrical make-up, toys, Virginia souvenirs, cameras, camera supplies and so much MORE! You never know what you might find at Glen's! After 74 years in business they are dipping their toes into online selling. 

New Market Battlefield has one field that is remembered as the "Field of Lost Shoes." In the spring of 1864, Union commander General Ulysses S. Grant set in motion a grand strategy designed to press the Confederacy into submission. Control of the strategically important and agriculturally rich Shenandoah Valley was a key element in Grant's plans. While he confronted General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia in the eastern part of the state, Grant ordered Major General Franz Sigel's army of 10,000 to secure the Valley and threaten Lee's flank, starting the Valley Campaigns of 1864. Sigel was to advance on Staunton, Virginia in order to link up with another Union column and destroy the Virginia & Tennessee Railroad and other Confederate industries in the area. Receiving word that the Union Army had entered the Valley, Major General John C. Breckinridge pulled together all available forces to repulse the latest threat. His command consisted of two infantry brigades, a cavalry brigade, and other independent commands. This included the cadet corps of Vermont Military Institute, which had an infantry battalion of 257 cadets and a two gun artillery section. The two forces made contact south of New Market about mid-morning, with the main Union line west of the town near the North Fork of the Shenandoah River. Additional Union regiments arrived throughout the morning and deployed between the North Fork of the Shenandoah River and the Valley Turnpike, with the main line centered on Manor's Hill. Once past the town of New Market, the Confederates halted to dress ranks, shift units along the line, and reposition their artillery units. They resumed the attack as the Confederate line formed near the Bushong farm, massed Union rifle and artillery fire disorganized the Confederate units in the center, forcing the right wing of the 51st Virginia Infantry and the 30th Virginia Infantry Battalion to retreat in confusion, while the rest of the Confederate line stalled. They reluctantly ordered the VMI cadet battalion to fill the gap; while the battalion was moving forward to the Bushong orchard, At this time, Sigel launched two counterattacks. After the repulses of the Union attacks, they started their advance again with an infantry force; while crossing a field near Bushong's orchard, several VMI cadets lost their shoes in the mud, which led to the field being called the "Field of Lost Shoes". The civil war history is rich in this area and we could talk about so many battles, heroes and unique areas. But, we won’t fill this blog with that.

As you drive along US 11 and on Interstate 81 for that matter, you see countless roadside signs inviting you to see the caverns … you can see the Dixie Caverns, the Natural Bridge Caverns, the Grand Caverns, the Endless Caverns (you might not come back from that one, if they are really endless!) The Luray Caverns, the Shenandoah Caverns, the Skyline Caverns and the Crystal Caverns. Wow, seeing all of them would keep you underground for a long time! Most of Virginia’s more than 4,000 caves are in soluble carbonate rocks (limestone and dolostone) in 27 counties in the western portion of the state. Virginia’s caves range in size from a short crawlway up to miles of interconnected passages.

Our Soldiers Cemetery is located in Mount Jackson, Virginia. It was established in 1861 across the road from the Mount Jackson General Hospital, which was operated by the Confederate Medical Department. During the war graves of the soldiers were marked with their names, units, and death dates. But after the war the graves were neglected, and by the time the United Daughters of the Confederacy erected the Monument To All Confederates in 1908, 112 had been lost. The monument To All Confederates is topped with the statue of a Confederate soldier contemplating his comrades was placed in the center of the cemetery. Behind it the monument to the Confederate Hospital lists the names, units, states and death dates of the 359 Confederate soldiers buried in the cemetery. A bench in between the two monuments commemorates D. Coiner Rosen.  It is dedicated to the Preservation of Confederate History. This bench was dedicated May 12, 2007. Today only three of the original 359 graves still stand. The three surviving marked graves in Our Soldiers' Cemetery are those of: 1st Lieutenant Daniel C King, Company C, 16th North Carolina, died Jul 27 1863; Private John Hackett, Company E, 60th Georgia Infantry, died Aug 1 1863; and Solomon Shrader, Company C, 62nd Virginia Mounted Infantry, died Aug 11 1863.

In yesterday’s blog we talked about Washington’s trip to Red Hill. So, today we will explore Washington’s long relationship with Winchester. There is a marker on US 11, across the street from the Fort Collier site that speaks to George Washington first visited Winchester in 1784, then known as Fredericktown, as a surveyor for Lord Fairfax. Washington purchased property in Winchester in 1753 and was an unsuccessful candidate for a House of Burgesses seat here in 1755. Winchester served as Washington’s headquarters from 1755 to 1758 while he commanded Virginia troops on the western frontier during the French and Indian War. He was also involved with the construction of Fort Loudoun here and a series of other frontier forts authorized by the Virginia General Assembly during this period. He represented Frederick County in the Virginia House of Burgesses from 1758 to 1765.

We drove through Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and into Pennsylvania today. We ended our day outside of Mechanicsburg Pennsylvania at Western Village RV Park. It is a Good Sam park located not far off US 11. It is a bit chilly up this way; we have the small ceramic heater running. Should be a good night for snuggling! Good Night All!