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As part of an incredible grant opportunity through Virginia Tourism Corporation involving some Federal ARPA dollars, we have been able to kick off a number of initiatives in our community.
One of those is the creation and installation of up to 10 total interpretive historical markers throughout the City of Winchester and Frederick County that are focused on underrepresented stories in our community, specifically those regarding Native American and African American history.
There are at least 65 Civil War related interpretive markers in our community, and while the Shenandoah Valley Battlefield Foundation is installing several new panels that will focus on African American history, we are excited to be able to expand the narrative to move beyond just the lens of the Civil War. We have a number of local partners who are helping with the African American historical markers and look forward to utilizing their input on the project.
That brings us to the Native American historical markers. While the complex history of the original inhabitants of our area dates back about 10,000 years, we have very little recorded and archaeological research to tell these related stories. There no longer exists a state-wide Native American Indian organization, and the majority of the tribes that used to live here pre-contact are either gone completely or relocated out of our area.
We have had the good fortune to connect with Rene’ Locklear White of the Lumbee Tribe, who lives nearby in Clarke County and has been researching Native American Indian history for years. We have also connected with professors at Shenandoah University and James Madison University, and someone from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources. The majority of the existing research and history is focused on the eastern shore tribes around Jamestown, likely due to the significant amount of recorded history still available from early settlers.
We know that the Shenandoah Valley was a rich and fertile land, and many artifacts have been discovered here. Most of those are related to hunting and gathering, however some more settlement-type artifacts like pottery have potentially been found. This area was very transient in nature, with numerous tribal territories from the south, west, north and northeast all overlapping here through the centuries.
We are VERY interested in local stories from residents in the area. Whether you have Native American lineage and have family stories or knowledge, or you maybe live on land that has been passed down through the generations and there are land formations or buildings or artifacts that have been found.
If you would like to share your stories with us, please reach out to us via email at director@visitwinchesterva.com.
We would love to start by just talking and please know that we have no intention of putting up any markers on private land or directing people to private land without permission! Our primary intent here is to gather information and be able to tell a more holistic story.