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On Sale:
Daisy Turner's Kin
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On Sale:
The Circle
Unbroken
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Newly Acquired Collections
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Can you help identify this photo?
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Central Rappahannock Heritage Center
Newsletter
A place that loses its history loses its soul
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Message From The Chairman
The 7th Annual Rappahannock Repast was held on Sunday, October 8, at beautiful Braehead Manor. In spite of the "not so ideal" weather, those who participated stayed dry under a large tent, and food and beverages were plentiful. Once again, innkeeper Mary Windsor Cline and events coordinator Deborah Johnson went above and beyond to make our guests feel truly welcome.
Many, many thanks to our corporate sponsor:
and to our individual sponsors:
Barbara Barrett
Meredith and Jon Beckett
Dan Bender
E. Gerald "G" Brown
Barbara Cecil
Kitty Farley and Vic Ramoneda
Lucy and Wayne Harman
Mr. and Mrs. William J. Lynch, Jr.
Donna and Nat McCague
Mary and Thomas Rumora
Barbara and Thomas Segar
Because of their generous support, and through donations and ticket sales, The Center was able to keep 100% of the proceeds from the event. The net amount was $6,570 and all of the money will be used to continue The Center's mission to preserve our local history. On behalf of the Board of Directors and all of the volunteers at the Center, I'd like to express our sincere appreciation to all who sponsored, donated and purchased tickets!
Because of the Thanksgiving holiday later this month, please note that The Center will be open normal hours on Tuesday, November 21, but will be closed on Wednesday, November 22, and Thursday, Nov. 23, so that our volunteers can enjoy time with their families and friends.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Meredith Beckett
CRHC Chairman
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Welcome New Members
Nick Seay
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Tracey and Jose Ramos
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Heritage Center memberships support the important work done by The Center.
The Central Rappahannock Heritage Center is a non-profit, all volunteer archives whose mission is to preserve historically valuable material of the region and make it available to the public for research.
Please join us as part of the Heritage Center's preservation team. As a member, you will be helping to preserve our priceless local history.
Click here to become a member today!
Thank you for your support,
The Central Rappahannock Heritage Center
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The First Automobile in Fredericksburg
So, who owned the first automobile in Fredericksburg?
An item in the Daily Star (Newsy Nuggets, Many Minor Matters Merely Mentioned) on April 5, 1907 stated that "Mr. Spottswood Foster has purchased an automobile." On April 16, the Star reported "Mr. Spottswood Foster, electrician at the Rappahannock Electric Light Plant, is the owner of an automobile, and attracted much attention as the machine sped along our streets Tuesday morning. It is the first one here owned by a citizen of Fredericksburg." However, the following was published by Robert A. Kishpaugh in "Forty Years of Traveling": "April 26, 1906 First Fredericksburg owned automobile arrives - a Single Cylinder Cadillac. Brought trouble as horses did not like automobiles and several times driver just missed going to jail."
On April 24, 1929, the Free Lance-Star published "First Automobile Arrived Here 22 Years Ago Today. With "Bob" Kishpaugh as Pilot and Late "Tony" Buck as Passenger. Car Does Well Until Put In High and Low at the Same Time. The curiously constructed mechanical craft. . . chugged and coughed its way along the length of several blocks. . . and then emitting a harsh, grinding sound came to a sudden and unexpected stop out of which the best mechanical genius of the town was unable to coax it for the period of one whole year." Mr. Kishpaugh had purchased the one-cylinder Cadillac in Washington. Kishpaugh and Buck picked up the car at the freight depot the next day. They headed up the Prince Edward Street hill toward Trinity Church. Not going fast enough, Kishpaugh shifted into high and low gears at the same time creating Fredericksburg's first automobile service call. Since there was no one in Fredericksburg who knew how to fix the car, it remained at Val Dannehl's shop for a year. The article goes on to say that Mr. Spottswood Foster bought the second car, a steamer, which he backed into the Rappahannock Canal.
Come visit the Center and see how far we've come in 110 years!
Beth Daly
CRHC Member
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The Heritage Center Volunteer Spotlight
Wanda Deitemeyer
Hometown: Arcadia, Ohio
What brought you to Fredericksburg, and how long have you lived here?
My husband Bob, joined the USAF Band in 1971 and was stationed at Bolling Air Force Base in Washington, D.C. We lived in Dumfries for several years, eventually purchasing land in Spotsylvania County and building on the land. I was hired as the music teacher at Spotswood Elementary School in 1995 and worked there until my retirement in 2012. I was also choir director at two churches in the area from 1990 until 2011.
Why did you choose to volunteer at CRHC?
Through the years I became interested in family history and became a member of the Spotsylvania Chapter DAR, the James Monroe Chapter Daughters of 1812, and the George Mason I Chapter of the Colonial Dames of the 17th Century. When I retired, working with local history seemed a logical choice.
What project are you currently working on at The Heritage Center?
I am currently working on the Bradley Collection of the Powell family ledgers, account books, and scrapbooks. They date back to the mid to late 1800s.
How do you like to spend your free time?
I have two daughters. One lives in North Carolina and the other in Maryland. I have 5 grandchildren. Three were born in October 2015 within 9 days of each other. Much of my free time is spent visiting them. I am also registrar of my DAR chapter and the State Chairman of DAR Schools. My husband and I enjoy traveling and will make our second trip to Alaska soon.
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Volunteer Update
The important preservation work of The Heritage Center would not be possible without our dedicated volunteers.
The Center would like to recognize the following volunteers who have each logged over 1000 hours as of October 2017:
Diane Ballman
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Barbara Barrett
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Meredith Beckett
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Jo Ann Brown
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Judy Chaimson
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Beth Daly
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Barb Davidson
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Kathy Habel
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Cooky Harpold
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Donna McCague
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Sharon Null
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John Reifenberg
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The Heritage Center currently has a staff of 52 volunteers and would like to welcome our newest volunteers:
Danielle Arens
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Janie Cudworth
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Emily Gendrolis
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If you are interested in becoming a volunteer at The Heritage Center, please contact Donna McCague at dmccague@crhcarchives.org.
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Newly Acquired Collections
Acquired collections for the month include:
- North Stafford High School Yearbooks; 1980's and 1990's
- Hawkins Estate photographs and assorted documents and memorabilia, some pertaining to F. W. Woolworth and Chancellor School
- Club records of the Civil War Round Table of Fredericksburg, dating from 1957
- Documents from The Committee For Responsible Government, beginning in the early 1990's
- James Monroe High School class reunion pamphlets; 1945, '46, '47, and 1971
- A 1941 newspaper carrier contract with the Richmond Times-Dispatch for a Fredericksburg resident
- A 1948 certificate for the Teen-Age Canteen
- A 1921 article in The Sunday Star describing the 250th anniversary of Fredericksburg.
John Reifenberg
CRHC Collections Manager
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Can you identify this photo?
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George Rawlings and others plan his campaign
(click on picture to enlarge)
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The Heritage Center gladly provides research services. Please contact the center for rates.
Hours
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
10:00 a.m. to 4 p.m.
First Saturday each month
10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. or by appointment
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Location
900 Barton Street #111
Fredericksburg, VA
22401
(540) 373-3704
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Click here to join the CRHC mailing list and stay up to date with what is happening at the Center!
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The Circle Unbroken: Civil War Letters of the Knox Family of Fredericksburg
On sale now at the Heritage Center
$29.70 for members
$33.00 for non-members
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Daisy Turner's Kin
An African American Family Saga
Jane C. Beck
On sale now at the Heritage Center
$25.00
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Central Rappahannock Heritage Center | contact@crhcarchives.org 540.373.3704 | crhcarchives.org
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