Christmas on a cold December evening at the historic 1854 Burkholder-Myers house in Harrisonburg, Virginia, with twenty-first century lights and a football field in the distance. Martin and Rebecca Burkholder would find it a challenge to recognize their own house.
Mountains in the George Washington National Forest to the west of Natural Chimneys, Mt. Solon, Virginia, are ancient, rugged, and beautiful. They reflect the historic grandeur and inspiring views seen regularly by travelers in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.
The Historian found this small poster taped to the shelves in the Virginia Mennonite Conference Archives, Harrisonburg, Virginia. May we never be indifferent to our past.
The Historian discovered this rare photo of the Bishop in the Archives the other day. This photo was a total surprise. The only other photo of Bishop Shank is a grainy uncomplimentary photo. Nice to see a better photo.
A hundred and seventy-five years worth of materials are stored in these archives. Like a detective, the historian searches through these boxes for the stuff of history: letters, journals, diaries, receipts, advertisements, photos, and scrapbooks.
In 2001, the good folks at Crest Hill Mennonite Church, Wardensville, West Virginia, invited a group of gospel bluegrass musicians to their church for an outdoor summer performance. The church invited Daphna Creek band in 2002 and 2003, the last performance during Sunday morning worship. Daphna Creek went on to play in over 200 venues, but the first show was at this church in West Virginia.
Mennonites migrated into the Shenandoah Valley as early as the 1730s, though not until after the Revolutionary War did the trickle turn into a steady migration from points north. Most 18th century Mennonites farmed, whereas in the twentieth century many diversified their economic pursuits into other areas of work. The farming heritage in the western part of Rockingham County near Clover Hill, Virginia, with the Allegheny Mountains as a backdrop, is still strong and deep.
Trent Wagler explained that Red Wing is an old traditional mountain tune, which the Steel Wheels band has updated and added new lyrics to for their shows today. Wagler learned the song from his grandfather over thirty years ago. A nice tribute to the past with an eye towards making meaning out of the present. Congrats to the Steel Wheels who are making great music!
On a crisp July Sunday evening after a thunderstorm erupted across the Shenandoah Valley, a group gathered in the Cove schoolhouse at the CrossRoads Heritage center to listen to stories about 19th century Martin Burkholder documents. “Grace is a treasure,” Burkholder wrote in 1853, a fitting description for any era, including ours today.
Joseph Funk’s Harmonia Sacra, his print shop, and his progressive attitudes towards church music made Singers Glen the genesis of four part singing for Mennonites and good music throughout the United States. Funk deserves this sign.
