Legends of the Skyline Drive and the Great Valley of VirginiaWillis, Carrie Hunter
History
Legends of the Skyline Drive and the Great Valley of Virginia
Willis, Carrie Hunter
Shenandoah National Park (Va.); Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- History
The men traded first in Baltimore, Hagerstown and Cumberland. They also
took along a cow and a calf, which was what they paid for one bushel of
the much needed salt. While the salt was being weighed, no one was
allowed to walk on the floor.
Woodstock
First called Muellerstadt after its founder Jacob Miller, Woodstock was
granted its charter in 1761 by the General Assembly of Virginia. Miller
was farsighted in his plans for the community and provided adequate
building sites for homes and businesses.
The historian Kercheval tells an interesting account of the appearance
of Indians around Woodstock:
"In 1766, the Indians made a visit to the neighborhood of
Woodstock. Two men by the name of Sheetz and Taylor had taken
their wives and children into a wagon, and were on their way to
the fort. At the narrow passage, three miles south of
Woodstock, five Indians attacked them. The two men were killed
at the first onset, and the Indians rushed to seize the women
and children. The women, instead of swooning at the sight of
their bleeding, expiring husbands, seized their axes, and with
Amazonian firmness, and strength almost superhuman, defended
themselves and children. One of the Indians had succeeded in
getting hold of one of Mrs. Sheetz's children, and attempting
to drag it out of the wagon; but with the quickness of
lightning she caught her child in one hand, and with the other
made a blow at the head of the fellow which caused him to quit
his hold to save his life. Several of the Indians received
pretty sore wounds in this desperate conflict, and all at last
ran off, leaving the two women with their children to pursue
their way to the fort."
When Lord Dunmore came to govern the colony of Virginia in 1772 the
citizens passed a resolution endorsing his administration. They
requested that a new county be formed from Frederick which would be
called Dunmore County. Five years later, when he began to have trouble
with the colonists the people of Woodstock instructed their burgess to
get the name of their county changed to Shenandoah. This name is
retained to the present time.
About six miles from Woodstock a Mr. Wolfe erected a fort on Stony Creek
years and years ago. He had a fine hunting dog and at the time of our
story Indians were lurking in the neighborhood. This was during the
period when the savages were endeavoring to rid the Valley of the white
men.
Mr. Wolfe went out hunting one morning and had not gone far before his
dog began to run around and around him, blocking his path. Then he
jumped up in front of his master, put his feet on his shoulders and
seemed to try to stop Wolfe's progress. When the dog found he could not
stop his master he ran back towards the fort, then back to his master,
all the time whining a warning.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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