Genealogy

Shiloh Cemetery Graves

Robert Hodge reported in 1981 that this is from a report prepared by a students of Germanna Community College in circa 1979. Report is not verified and was unsigned. Indeed, there is a variation in the name Bumbrey - represented as Bumbray here, but there are stones with Bumbrey in the cemetery. The original list was accompanied by the following statements:

"The following list of names is a list of people buried in an all black cemetery in the City of Fredericksburg at the corner of Monument Avenue and Littlepage Street.

Marlborough Point: In the Stream of History

Follow Marlborough Point Road down to the eastern tip of Stafford County, and you will pass by lots of new housing mushrooming into the forests and fields that were once favored by both the Native Americans and colonial settlers.  This section of the county is home to not just centuries of local history but millennia.

The A. P. Hill Book!

 The mysterious powers-that-be have shipped over a few more boxes of that remarkable new book Wealthy in Heart: [An] Oral History of Life Before Fort. A. P. Hill. Those books will be distributed FREE, on a first come-first-served basis, until the boxes are emptied.

Come pick up your FREE copy at the Adult Reference Desk at the Headquarters Branch, or have one held for you by calling 540-372-1144, ext. 233.

About Ancestry Library Edition

You can search genealogy collections from North America, Europe, Australia, and more with Ancestry® Library Edition. There are over 4 billion listings for individuals found in more than 4,000 databases. Ancestry® includes many censuses, vital records, immigration records, family histories, military records, court & legal documents, directories, photos, maps, and more.

Accessing the Old Newspapers of Fredericksburg

There have been newspapers published in Fredericksburg since 1788. (The only gap came in 1862-65, when the city was devastated by war.)  Fredericksburg has been a one-newspaper town – the Free Lance-Star –- since the 1920s, but before that many newspapers were published locally…. 

Mapping the Past

With Google's now infamous detailed photos, it's rather easy to see how a town is laid out today. But what about 50, 100, or 150 years ago? Where are the maps that show how the towns and counties grew through the years? One excellent source of information, the Sanborn fire insurance maps, is available online to our patrons at no charge.

Helping with History

Volunteer demonstrating a drop spindle at George Washington's Birthplace

The library's Virginiana Room and other historic research centers, sites, and organizations need volunteers. Come to the Fredericksburg Area Museum's 2009 Volunteer Job Fair on Monday, April 6, to learn more about volunteer opportunities in history and other fields such as health and human services, education, environment, and the arts. For more information on opportunities to volunteer your time to help with preserving the past, check out our article, Helping with History.

Mary Ball Washington: "His Revered Mother"

Fredericksburg's Mary Ball Washington was an intrepid 18th-century woman who raised five children alone. The oldest became the first President of the United States.

Mary Washington's name and heritage are alive and well in the Fredericksburg area and beyond. Her home is at the corner of Lewis and Charles streets; the Mary Washington Monument is on Washington Avenue, which was originally Mary Washington Avenue.

Medal of Honor Winner Was Spotsylvania Native

The huge boulder rolled deliberately in the middle of the road was the first sign of trouble. On May 11, 1889, along a dusty trail in Arizona, an unlikely bunch of desperadoes made off with $28,000 in gold from U.S. Army Paymaster Major Joseph Washington Wham. Buffalo Soldiers from the 24th Infantry were part of the 12-man escort that would go down fighting that day.

Use HeritageQuest to Discover Your Family History

By Nick Nelson, CRRL Intern

History scholars and genealogists can find much grist for their research mills with the HeritageQuest database. The full text of scholarly articles, state and military records, lengthy family reference books and more can be searched and saved for later contemplation.