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.
Virginia Mennonite Bishop Lewis Shank, Broadway, Virginia
Virginia Mennonite Bishop Lewis Shank, Broadway, Virginia, a photo by MennoniteArchivesofVirginia on Flickr.
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.
Lincoln Hall at University of Illinois
Abraham Lincoln’s father lived for a few years as a boy in Rockingham County, Virginia. While attending a graduate seminar at the University of Illinois, the historian was pleased to meet for class in a newly furbished Lincoln Hall, dedicated to the memory and legacy of one of our nation’s greatest presidents. The University of Illinois is located in Urbana-Champaign, Illinois.
Virginia Mennonite Conference Archives shelves, Harrisonburg, Virginia
Virginia Mennonite Conference Archives shelves, Harrisonburg, Virginia, a photo by MennoniteArchivesofVirginia on Flickr.
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.
Crest Hill Mennonite, Wardensville, West Virginia, 1993
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.
Agricultural Heritage
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.
Red Wing Roots
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!
Massanutten Mountain 2013
Mennonite Bishop Lewis J. Heatwole wrote an article for the Daily News Record, Harrisonburg, Virginia, in 1921, in which he explained the meaning of the word Massanutten. From his research he concluded that Massanutten is from two Indian words for “ground” and “potato,” which when put together mean “Potato Ground.” Today the old peak still towers over the valley, easily seen from a jumbo jet descending on a Washington, D.C. airport from the south, and visible from about any point in the Shenandoah Valley. The encroachments of civilization have not dimmed the spectacle and grandeur of a mountain that has provided a visual feast for ancient Indians and modern travelers.
Burkholder house with Massanutten Mountain 2013
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.
Historians Collaborate in Phoenix, Arizona
Historians met at Mennonite Church USA Convention in Phoenix Arizona. It’s clear there’s a new era of regional collaboration among Mennonite historians rather than the former centralization of historical resources in one place. The Historian sat next to Jake Buhler, President of the Mennonite Historical Society of Saskatchewan, Canada. He shared stories about Russian Mennonites and in turn he heard stories of Swiss-South German Mennonites in Virginia. Buhler and others publish the Saskatchewan Mennonite Historian periodical, similar in name and format to the Shenandoah Mennonite Historian of Virginia.