Henrico County Historical Society
PO Box 90775   Henrico, VA 23273   (804)501-5682   hchsinfo@yahoo.com
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Henrico County Historical Society's motto, which is Preserving the Past in the Present for the FutureSkipwith Academy in Three Chopt District, Henrico County, Virginia.Log Cabin in Tuckahoe District, Henrico County, Virginia.Mankin Mansion in Fairfield District, Henrico County, Virginia.Dorey Barn in Varina District, Henrico County, Virginia.Bethlehem Church in Brookland District, Henrico County, Virginia.


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News 2007 - Fourth Quarter

Henrico History Month October 2007

Three Chopt Supervisor David Kaechele presents Gail Davis (HCHS Second Vice President) and Linda Dickerson (HCHS First Vice President in Charge of Programs) with the Board of Supervisors' proclamation designating October as Henrico History Month.

It's official. Three Chopt Supervisor David Kaechele presents Gail Davis (HCHS Second Vice President in Charge of Membership) and Linda Dickerson (HCHS First Vice President in Charge of Programs) with the Board of Supervisors’ proclamation designating October as Henrico History Month.

At their meeting on Tuesday, September 25, 2007, the Henrico County Board of Supervisors proclaimed October as Henrico History Month. The proclamation recognized the Henrico County Historical Society for its work in promoting the study of history of Henrico County and its work to discover and collect materials that illustrate Henrico's past. The proclamation reads as follows:

WHEREAS, the County of Henrico has as significant history, which includes English exploration and settlement, Native American heritage and culture, Revolutionary War activity, and Civil War battles; and

WHEREAS, there are many houses, buildings, and sites of historic, archaeological, and architectural value that are an important part of the cultural heritage of the County; and

WHEREAS, historic preservation has relevance for the entire County, both urban and rural areas, and for Henrico citizens of all ages, all walks of life, and all ethnic backgrounds; and

WHEREAS, the education of current and future generations will continue to be enhanced through the identification, interpretation, and preservation of the County's history and historic resources; and

WHEREAS, Henrico County Historical Society promotes the study of Henrico's history while working to discover and collect materials that illustrate the County’s past; and

WHEREAS, the Board of Supervisors supports the Society's ongoing efforts to promote the County's history and heritage.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT PROCLAIMED that the Board of Supervisors of Henrico County, Virginia hereby recognizes October 2007 as Henrico History Month and calls upon the citizens of the County to recognize and participate in the special observance.


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President's Message

Throughout this year of 2007, I have commented on what an exciting year it has been celebrating the 400-year anniversary of Jamestown.

Leading up to this year was the opening of the Archaearium Building at Historic Jamestown where the artifacts from the most archaeological significant find of this country are displayed.

Then there was the reenactment of the Washington/Rochambeau March. Community sponsored events cheered the participants along the way, leading to the 225th anniversary celebration of the Revolutionary victory at Yorktown. The American Civil War Center was opened, the State Capital building renovations were completed, and Queen Elizabeth visited Richmond. The official Jamestown anniversary celebration was held and the replica of the Godspeed visited the City of Henricus and Richmond’s Intermediate Terminal Dock, as well as other ports along the Atlantic seaboard.

Thousands of people came to experience history.

And if that's not enough the Henrico County Board of Supervisors proclaimed October as Henrico History Month, and what an exciting month it has been! Three historic sites had been officially dedicated: the Armour House surrounded by Meadowview Park, the Clarke-Palmore House, and the Henrico Theatre. As our hearts break with the destruction of every historic site, so our hearts soar when historic sites are saved and brought back to life. Karen Mier, Director of Henrico County Recreation and Parks, and a dedicated staff have done an unbelievable job and every one of them, along with the Board of Supervisors and the County Manager, deserves a great big round of applause!

Also in the news within the year has been the decision to not move the White House of the Confederacy from its original site. The Museum of the Confederacy, located in the building behind the White House, will eventually divide the collection to be displayed in three separate locations. We hope you will join us in our quarterly meeting to view the collection in its original location.

Included in this issue is information about the 2008 calendar offered for sale by the Society. This is the first in future efforts to raise funding for scholarship program. We hope you will support this program by making a purchase of the calendar.

May you have a blessed holiday season.

Sarah Pace
President, HCHS


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Happy 155th Anniversary, Shady Grove United Methodist Church

Shady Grove United Methodist Church.

Located on Pouncey Tract Road, Shady Grove United Methodist Church has recently celebrated its 155th anniversary. The Henrico County Historical marker at the site tells the church's story:

"A group of neighbors, meeting in a cooper shop near the present site, organized a church in 1852. With five dollars, they purchased one acre of land from the estate of Thomas Maxwell and elected the first building in 1855. It was used as a school during the 1880s. The present sanctuary, which dates from 1900, now has several editions. The church grounds had increased to more than five acres through gifts and purchases. Until 1954, when it became a separate station, Shady Grove was one of four churches on the Goochland Charge."


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Two Generations of Veterans

Robert E. Hawkes, Sr.
1920-1981

Corporal Robert E. Hawkes, Sr. and wife, Eunice Sheppard Hawkes.

Robert E. Hawkes, Sr., was a veteran of World War II and served the rank of Corporal with the Engineer Corp., Third US Army under General George S. Patton. After having just married in July, Robert Hawkes, Sr., reported for duty at Fort Belvoir in September 1943. On June 10, 1944, 4 days after D-Day, and the new father of young Robert, Jr., Corporal Hawkes landed with his unit at Normandy and began an arduous trek across France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany. The Battle of the Bulge blocked communication with home, and from December to February of 1944, his family had no word of his safety.

Interestingly, two of his friends from Glen Allen, Virginia, went into the Army at the same time as Robert, Sr., stayed together throughout the war, and came home together on the same ship. After the war, Mr. and Mrs. Hawkes (left) raised a family of three children in the Lakeside area. Wartime couple, Corporal Robert E. Hawkes, Sr., and wife Eunice Sheppard Hawkes and (below) two Christmas cards he sent home.

1944 Christmas Card Picture. 1944 Christmas Card Greeting.

1944 Christmas Card Picture. 1944 Christmas Card Greeting.

Robert E. Hawkes, Jr.
1943-2007

Robert Hawkes, Jr. and son, Robert Hawkes, III.

Colonel Hawkes began his military experience while attending the University of Richmond and participating in the ROTC program.

He graduated in 1965. He had to leave his wife, Marguerite and small son (left with his father), when he went on his first tour of duty with the US Army, on May 15, 1968.

He worked in military intelligence in Vietnam and Germany, and his family did not know too much at that time of his military activities because of the operations in which he was involved. It is known, however, that in Saigon, he did not wear his uniform but dressed in civilian clothes with it only a military-issued pistol in his possession for protection.

It is said that many civilians who knew him in Vietnam did not know he was with the military and that he possibly was a minister.

Robert Hawkes, Jr. in fatigues on his way to R&R.

Robert E. Hawkes, Jr. in fatigues on his way to R&R.

The following is a note written to his mother while there:

Sunday
8 September 1968,
Saigon, Vietnam.

Dear Mother,

I hope you enjoy using your tablecloth. I think it is very lovely. The scenes embroidered on the cloth remind me of the farmers in Phu Tay Provence.

Today I finally got a chance to go to the PX and purchase these cards. The last two weeks have been busy. Today at the PX outlet at Tay Son Nhut it was as if everybody was there.

Mother, I hope you can understand why this card is delayed. I feel bad about it, but everything that I have ever learned has taught me that duty comes first, then personal life.

I wish you a Happy Birthday! I am as always,

Your loving son,
Bob

Colonel Hawkes received the Meritorious Service Medal, Defense Service Ribbon, and the Vietnam Service Medal with four stars. He returned from Vietnam May 6, 1969, and continued his career with the US army until discharged January 24, 2003.

He was buried with honors at Arlington National Cemetery on August 27, 2007.


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Scenes from the Citie of Henricus, May 19-23

The Godspeed, seen from Meadowville Farm, navigates the James River on its way to the Citie of Henricus. HCHS President Sarah Pace and Recording Secretary Diane Brownie pose before the Godspeed docked at the Citie of Henricus.

(Left) On the river. Godspeed, seen from Meadowville Farm, navigates the James River on its way to the Citie of Henricus. (Right) Ready to go aboard. HCHS President Sarah Pace and Recording Secretary Diane Brownie posed before the Godspeed docked at the Citie of Henricus.

Governor Tim Kaine and his wife join the audience to observe the day's festivities. Native Americans participate in the May activities at the Citie of Henricus.

(Left) Honored guests. Governor Tim Kaine and his wife join the audience to observe the day's festivities. (Right) The original inhabitants. Native Americans participate in the May activities at the Citie of Henricus.

County Manager Virgil Hazelett presents Godspeed Captain Eric Speth with a coverlet donated by the HCHS depicting historic sites in Henrico as Varina Supervisor James Donati looks on. Events included a reenactment of the wedding of John Rolfe and Pocahontas.

(Left) Presentation. County Manager Virgil Hazelett presents Godspeed Captain Eric Speth with a coverlet donated by the HCHS depicting historic sites in Henrico as Varina Supervisor James Donati looks on. (Right) Solemn vows. Events included a reenactment of the wedding of John Rolfe and Pocahontas.


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What's in a Name? Native American Origins of Henrico Place Names

James River: Obviously, King James I, for whom the river was named, was not a Native American, but prior to settlers naming the river, the Indians called it “Powhatan's River”.

The Kanawha Canal: Kanawha meant “river of the woods.”

Quioccasin Road: This road’s name derives from Indian usage and could have evolved from the Indian name, Quiasosough, meaning a lesser deity of the Indians. Another possibility is that the name comes from the Indian word translating into a temple or meeting place, a gathering spot. A paragraph from a 1705 for work concerning the Virginia Indians says, “The Indians have posts fixed around their Quioccasin which have men's faces carved upon them and are painted. They are likewise set up round some of their other celebrated places and make a circle for them to dance about on certain solemn occasions.

Three Chopt Road: We’re sure you know that this road began as an Indian Trail marked by three notches on the trees. The road was called the Three Notched Road. This ancient roadway began at Powhatan’s Village, a few miles east of Richmond, and ran westward into the mountains. An 1819 map of Henrico County shows the road marked as Three Chopt Road. Years later the spelling of the road change from Three Chopped to Three chopt, as the latter spelling is used on the map of 1853.

Tuckahoe: Tuckahoe is a word used by the Indians to denote a plant whose edible root served as a food source. Tribes from New Jersey to Virginia fed upon these plants and often named the waterways on whose waterbanks they grew, Tuckahoe. Examples include the Tuckahoe River in New Jersey, a town named Tuckahoe in New York, the Tuckahoe Creek in Maryland as well as the Tuckahoe Creek and District in Henrico. In the 17th century, near where the Tuckahoe Creek flows into the James River, William Randolph of Turkey Island granted a tract of land to his son Thomas Randolph. The estate became known as Tuckahoe, taking its name from the creek and a nearby Indian town.

Williamsburg Road: While it is, of course, not of Indian origin, it is said to have been a trail used by the Indians before this country was settled. It was called the “Pocahontas Trail.”

You can find out more about the origins of place names in the county by visiting:
http://henrico.us/about-henrico/history/government/names-places-in-henrico/


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Deco Landmark Reopens

Invited dignitaries, celebrities and guests gathered at the newly restored Henrico Theatre to celebrate its reopening on Thursday, October 25. The 400-seat art deco movie house at 305 East Nine Mile Road, which the county bought in 1999, first opened in 1938, and now, after a $5.8 million restoration, renovation and expansion, it will open again for cultural events.

Recreated wall sconce in renovated Henrico Theatre. Bright lights and red neon of Henrico Theatre's marquee.

(Left) Attention to detail. Aside from recreating wall sconces, the renovation also includes a pattern carpet that matches the theater's original. (Right) Neon at night. Guests entered the theater beneath the bright lights and red neon of the marquee.

(Lower left) Commission member. Elaine Eberly, appointee to the Parks and Recreation Commission, poses before the restored 1937 simplex projector on display in the lobby.

(Lower right) Supervisor, Jim Donati, mingled with the crowd celebrating the grand opening of the Henrico Theatre in his Varina District.

Commission member Elaine Eberly, Supervisor Jim Donati mingles with the crowd.

Local radio personality Harvey Hudson.

Celebrity attendees. Local radio personality Harvey Hudson samples the refreshments at the reception.


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December 2007 Fourth Quarterly Meeting


HCHS Events - Fourth Quarter
Sunday, December 2nd, 2:30PM

Postcard of Museum and White House of the Confederacy.

Our meeting will be held at the Museum and White House of the Confederacy. As most of you already know, the Museum of the Confederacy houses the largest and most comprehensive collection of Confederate artifacts in the world! How fortunate we are to have this wonderful museum in our own backyard. We are pleased to support the Museum and White House of the Confederacy by holding our meeting at this wonderful landmark.

Even if you’ve been to the Museum and White House of the Confederacy numerous times, you won’t want to miss the special new exhibit to celebrate Virginia’s 400th anniversary - “Virginia and the Confederacy: A Quadricentennial Perspective” which opened on March 23rd. This exhibit showcases the Museum’s rich object, photograph, and library collections relating to Virginia’s history. Highlights of the exhibit include such things as a signed copy of Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s General Order No. 9, a frock coat and portrait of Colonel and Governor Charles T. O’Ferrall, the swords of General J.E.B. Stuart, his father-in-law General Philip St. George Cooke (USA) and his brother-in-law General John R. Cooke (CSA).

We will begin at 2:00 with a business meeting in the Stuart Room, during which time we will have light refreshments. Following our meeting, we will have the opportunity to explore the Museum on our own until approximately 3:45 when we will take a guided tour of the White House of the Confederacy. The cost of the combination ticket for Museum admission and the White House tour is only $8.50. The arrangements for our tour are dependant on knowing how many people will be in our party. We look forward to seeing you!

Please RSVP to Linda Dickerson no later than November 26th to let us know if you’ll be able to join us. You can call Linda at 364-3492, 225-4338 or e-mail ldickerson@oag.state.va.us.

How To Get There: The Museum and White House of the Confederacy is located at 12th and Clay streets in Richmond's historic Court End neighborhood. From I-95 take exit 74C to Route 250 West (Broad Street). At 11th Street turn right and go two blocks to Clay Street. Turn right on Clay.

Where Do I Park? Parking is available in the MCV Hospital Visitor Patient Parking deck at the end of Clay Street. Due to construction, the parking deck is currently using the 12th Street entrance. So follow the blinking signs for parking in the parking deck. Bring your parking ticket to the front desk and the Museum will gladly validate your ticket!


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