Page News & Courier
Heritage and Heraldry
Virginia Civil War Trails and marking Page County history
Article of July 4, 2001
One-hundred-forty years ago this year, the American Civil War was well into its second month. In the nearly four years that remained, the landscape of Virginia and other states would show the stress of a devastating war.
While Page County had no large-scale battles, it was very much a part of the war as an avenue for armies. By 1863, one topographical engineer for the Confederate army mentioned the deplorable state of the roads in the county � roads that, only twelve years before, had been the pride of the county in the midst of a major development of turnpikes.
Fortunately, Page County is a part of the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District and has benefited from grants from the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation. With the financial help from these grants (covering 80% of the overall costs of markers), there are presently six markers in Page that point out the relevance of individual sites to historic activities.
You can find these markers at the sites of Red Bridge, White House Bridge, Price�s Mill or Verbena, Luray/New Market Gap, Graves� Chapel and Willow Grove Mill.
As indicated in the accompanying story, the latest round of grants allow us to continue to tell the story of the county�s role in the war through the addition of three more markers and preservation/restoration of Graves� Chapel as an historic site.
The first of the three new markers will deliver the story of the May 7,1862 clash between elements of Gen. Richard S. Ewell�s men and Federal forces under Gen. Jeremiah C. Sullivan. The second marker, to be located in the vicinity of Pass Run, will identify with the Confederate retreat from Gettysburg and the engagement at Wapping Heights/Manassas Gap near Front Royal in July 1863. The third marker will tell of the engagement of Yager�s Mill (near the old Redwell Furnace) and the significance of that action and the fight at Milford (on the Page/Warren County line) that saved Gen. Jubal Early�s Confederates total destruction in the wake of the Battle of Fisher�s Hill.
So what does this mean for Page County? A few years back the Virginia Tourism Corporation reported that of the tourist that come through the Commonwealth, nearly five million people annually are drawn to Civil War attractions. Certainly this does not mean that Page would receive that many visitors. However, it will tap into this number and will ultimately benefit economically as visitors add the county to their tourism itinerary - either making their way through Page on the way to other major battlefields or making Page a �base of operations� for outreaching tours. In addition to this, the Shenandoah Valley was recently rated in Money Magazine as 12th best tourist destination in the United States, specifically mentioning the Valley�s Civil War sites.
Along with economic benefit, by purchasing Virginia Civil War Trails (actually a non-profit organization)signs, historic preservation conscious organizations in the county tap into a program that offers a premier, self-paced, free mobile history experience.
Through colorful images, maps and sidebar information, signs introduce travelers to personalities, historic structures, troop movements and battles at nearly 300 sites statewide. By heightening awareness to the particular significance of historic activities, the signs also focus tourists on the importance of preserving historic structures that may stand before them.
The Virginia Civil War Trails logo is seen on highways and interstates throughout the Commonwealth is one of the most highly recognized signs in Virginia tourism. The distinctive bugle-logo was recently added to the VDOT�s official state map.
Most recently, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has heralded Civil War Trails as one of the most sustainable heritage programs in the nation.
The program has also recently expanded into Maryland and will receive funding in that state to continue to expand the story of the war. Future expansion into West Virginia and Pennsylvania is also anticipated.
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