Learn about your community by participating in our What Happened Here? local history project. 

 

Most of us know what goes on in the community around us. Yet most of us know little about the history of the area we live in. 

The  Shenandoah County Library invites you to change that. Take some time to answer some of the questions below. Inspired by The Slate Local History Project, this quest helps you discover something new about the place you call home. Don't worry if you get more intrigued by one question than another, go deep and explore your interest.

One you're done,  share what you find with those around you. Be sure to tell your family and neighbors, then send your answers to our archivist at 514 Stoney Creek Boulevard, Edinburg VA 22824 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Don't know where to start looking? Talk to a community elder, visit your local museum, or stop by the Shenandoah Room and Truban Archives. Good luck!

 

-Which Native American tribes lived in your area? What happened to them?

-Why was your area settled? Who settled it? Historically, what was it called?

-What did most people in your community do for work 50/100/150 years ago?

-What forms of transportation served your community that are now gone?

-What major local controversies occurred in the past? (Things that had people going to meetings or campaigning hard for political office?)

-Did your town ever suffer a serious economic downturn? What happened?

-When did women get the right to vote in your area? What's the history of women'€™s political participation in local governance?

-Were there ever any major disasters, tragedies, or famous crimes in your area? What happened?

-What about more everyday crimes? What were the most common offenses 50/100/150 years ago, and how were they handled?

-Was there ever a time when your community had a large population of some ethnic or minority group, that's now gone? When was that, and who were they?

-Was slavery ever legal in your area? When? If it was, how many enslaved people lived in the area, and what kind of work did they do? Why did the law change when it did?

-What is the name of the road you live on and how did it get that name?

-What is the history of building you live in? Who built it and when? Have people always lived in it or did it have some other purpose?

-Where did you find the answer to these questions? Who did you talk too?