By: Lisa Timmerman, Executive Director

“So on March 5, 1904 he opened his office on Main Street in Dumfries. His first patient was a man with a fever of 106 [F] malaria and chills. Next was a delivery, a baby girl born to a family who had a general store in Dumfries. His first $10.” While today we face different challenges, Annie Keys Cline Shumate’s reminiscences demonstrated how the medical community in Northern Virginia worked tirelessly on the medical front lines.

Dumfries had numerous needs for medical services in the early 1900s. Besides for childbirth deliveries, illness, and accidents, doctors traveled to the Cabin Branch Pyrite Mine, which operated from 1899-1920, encompassing the communities of Hickory Ridge, Joplin, and Batestown. By 1917, the military established Marine Corps Base Quantico drawing additional people to the area. Mrs. Shumate recalled a smallpox “siege” in 1912 along with the 1918 flu pandemic. As with COVID-19, there was “…no rest for the doctors any where.” She stated, “Dr. Cline worked with the Marine Corps but the young marines were dying because this was [a] new disease and no real remedy was then known…Activity brought on pneumonia and death. During the winters he had 14 cases in his home. Dr. Cline had little time for family or rest, for so many needed attention.” Although Dr. Cline died in 1931, Dr. B.F. Phillips and Dr. A.J. Ferlazzo continued to serve the community.

Midwives were crucial to the community. Annie Thomas Williams took over her mother’s practice and recalled assisting both Dr. Phillips and Dr. Ferlazzo, even noting how they filled and signed the birth certificates for her, necessary as she temporarily worked without a license. She recalled, “There were so few doctors, women about to deliver often had no one to help.” Mrs. Williams first worked as a housekeeper in Dumfries earning $1 a day. During the 1920s and 1930s, Mrs. Williams became essential to the local area, as she delivered children and worked for Major General Harry Lee, Commandant of Quantico Marine Base, as a nurse for his children and the children of other Marine families. Although the flooding and destruction of Hurricane Agnes wreaked havoc on her home leading to the loss of her medical records, former Dumfries Mayor Sam Bauckman estimated that she delivered well over 300 babies. In an interview with The Potomac News celebrating her 100^th birthday in 1993, she recalled how she rode out usually in the “dead of night” despite weather hazards. “One time I woke up and didn’t know where I was…Fredericksburg, Accotink, Manassas, Garrisonville – I just didn’t know, I was gone so much.” “Some nights were so bitter cold. They’d come knock at 12 or 1. I’d say no and I’d lay in bed. Then I’d get to thinking that they might suffer or die.”

(HDVI Archives: Annie Williams, Charter Day, 05/11/1990)

Mrs. William’s oral history did not record active opposition from local doctors, instead noting how they trained and supported her. Advancements in medical treatments, a growing reliance on hospitals for deliveries, and racism towards the black and immigrant communities all contributed to the decline and public opinion regarding midwifery. Some obstetricians deliberately led a campaign against midwives, ignoring data that supported the quality care received and instead focused on racist stereotypes. While this campaign focused on white families with the necessary income, black families often did not have a choice, especially if white physicians refused to deliver black children. The popularity of midwives trended longer in the South until expanding access to health care, a shortage of obstetricians, and an increasing demand for natural birth led to expansion in the nurse-midwifery practice in the 1940s.

Today our medical practitioners continue to put their lives on the frontline as those did in the early 1900s, whether Dr. Cline was treating infectious patients at his home or Mrs. William’s mother, Nancy Thomas, was entering homes to deliver children. According to these oral reports, the Dumfries and surrounding region were unique in that physicians and midwives, regardless of race, worked together for the health of the people.

Note: The Weems-Botts Bibliophiles will be meeting for the first time on Saturday, 01/23! Join us as we discuss three short sci-fi stories from Isaac Asimov, Allan C. Clarke and Clare Harris, focusing on the historical context, the authors, and surprising conclusions to these fantastic tales! Click here to purchase a ticket for the tea, stories, and link to actively participate or to enjoy later!

(HDVI Archives: View of Dumfries in the early 20th century)

(Sources: HDVI Archives: Abstract of an Interview with Annie Thomas Williams at her home, 07/18/1988; HDVI Archives: “Doctors” Oral history of Annie Cline Shumate submitted by her daughter Mrs. Hilda E. Brown Ammerman; Potomac News: Lifestyles, LaSonde, Chris, Marking a Century of Faith, Work, 07/07/1993; National Library of Medicine: National Center for Biotechnology Information. Dawley, Katy. Origins of nurse-midwifery in the United States and its expansion in the 1940s. Journal of Midwifery Womans Health, Vol. 48, No. 2, March/April 2003).

By: Lisa Timmerman, Executive Director

As summer vacations wind down, we join the local Works Progress Administration (WPA) agent Susan R. Morton in 1937 as she visited the Fleetwood Site near Nokesville, Virginia. The Historical Inventory Project asked workers to record the less well-known homes and workplaces of ordinary citizens, which differed from the Historic American Buildings Survey aim to record and document the significant architectural and historic landmarks. WPA field workers took to the streets across Virginia looking for these less significant sites and their work greatly varied. Morton usually recorded every scrap of information she could find, from local ghost stories to deed books to tombstones. Follow her down the path and imagine the site as she brings it to life with her impressive storytelling abilities.

(Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission Survey Form: Fleetwood, PWC, File no. 76-8, 1959)

“John Gibson bought of John Tayloe 724 acres in the year 1798, this being part of the Brenton tract. There is a record of “quit rents” on this property being paid by Alexander Ball, in the early part of the 18^th century, but nothing else can be found concerning the ownership prior to Col. Gibson (In spite of the fact that he was not of age at the time of this transfer date, it appears the same one of Orange, Virginia). Colonel Gibson left it in trust for his wife, and she in turn left it to her trusty slave, William Chinn. At his death it was sold by E.E. Meredith, Special Commissioner, to E.S. Bear. There have been several deeds of trust in the meantime, but no transfers out of the family. The heirs of Kate S. Bear, her three children, Harry E. Bear, Clifford Bear and Carolyn Read are the present owners.

“Fleetwood” stands on a hill with Cedar Run at the foot, and it can be seen for miles around the fertile countryside. Formerly there was a terraced garden, compost almost entirely of roses, which extended from the house to the water’s edge. In those days the road led in another direction, and what now appears to be the back of the house was then the front entrance. There are some find old trees left, a few coffeeberry, locusts and oaks, but the garden is gone, and turned into a pig pen, but in spite of that there are a few old roses which persist in coming into flower each spring to tell of past glories.

There are but a few of the old outbuildings left, a smoke house and one cabin, but there are ruins of numerous other outbuildings.

The house was once plastered over and painted white. It had fine old Venetian blinds, and a lovely entrance. It still has dignity. The interior woodwork is very fine, especially in the hall and drawing room. The windows at either end of the second floor are rather unusual, in that there is half a sash on each side of the chimney.

Colonial John Gibson was a rising young lawyer of Dumfries, and with the turning tide of population towards the middle and upper end of the country, came to this spot and added the large part of the house to the small wing then composing the old place. This old wing was known as the “Office Wing”. It was in this wing that Jack Gibson was burned to death in a drunken sleep, as he lay on the hearth rug, which it is supposed was ignited by a spark. Naturally this tragic death would give rise to the story that the wing was haunted. It was in this same wing that Jack Muschett, a nephew of Mrs. Gibson met an early and tragic death. The Gibson’s had no children, and following the death of Colonel Gibson, and the nephews, Mrs. Gibson was left alone. She was a Miss Muschett, of Dumfries, one of the Muschetts of “Rose Hill,” a family of Scotch merchants who were very prominent there. She was also very proud of an ancestor who had fought at Culloden. She was a character much beloved in that section, and was known as “Aunt Fanny” to her friends. “Fleetwood” was the scene of much hospitality, and was one of the noted homes in the enviorns of Brentsville.

After the War between the States, which had caused great devastation on this place, Mrs. Gibson was very poor, and at least became entirely dependent upon the labors of a faithful servant, William Chinn, a former slave (The Gibsons were large slave owners) who had refused to leave her. He found work wherever he could, and managed to keep things going until Mrs. Gibson’s death. She willed the place to him, Rev. Mr. Towles, the rector of the Church at Brenstville., and Haymarket being a witness to the will. William Chinn never lived in the main part of the house, as he said he did not think it “fitting.”

Colonel Gibson, his wife, and the two nephews are buried about four hundred yards southwest of the house. There is only one grave in the enclosure that has an inscription. The walled enclosure is now almost completely filled with a clump of poplar trees, lilacs and other shrubs.

“Sacred to the remains of Col. John Gibson. Here rests the Remains of John Gibson, formerly of the County of Orange. Settled in the County of Prince William, in the year 1807, aged 21 years, Son of John and Ann Gibson of the County of Orange, Virginia, who departed this life September 21^st, 1846, in the 62^nd year of his age.”

Informants: Mrs. H.B. Hibbs, Grant Avenue, Manassas, Virginia; Mrs. Celestine Brown, Nokesville, Virginia; Miss Maud Ewell, Haymarket, Virginia.

PWC Court Records: Deed Book Y, folio 359; Deed Book 33, folio 462; Deed Book 3, folio 298.”

Architectural Building Notes: Rectangular with cellar, two stories with attic noted as ½ story, gabled roof, three chimneys, plain wooden cornices, 19 windows – 15 panes – 8x19, some slats & Venetian blinds, large semi-enclosed portico now used as front entrance with a former piazza on opposite side, Doric columns, 12 large and 12 small rooms with 10 ½ feet ceilings, winding walnut balusters and rail with Wall of Troy decoration on woodwork, papered walls with wainscoting in drawing, uneven wide floors, two very fine & beautifully carved mantels, assessment: in bad repair, but could be restored to original beauty.”

Our files on the Gibson family includes Frances B. Muschett Gibson’s will written in November 1872. She desired to be buried next to her husband at Fleetwood noting she wanted a “marble slab” for her grave cover. Some other notable and interesting object mentions include portraits of Col. John Gibson, her portrait, a piano chair stool and music, large black lace shawl, mourning ring, gold watch, thermometer, silver tumbler, and snuff box. I did not see a mention of William Chinn in our copy of her will.

As Morton noted, the Gibson’s owned enslaved persons. The 1788 will of Jonathan Gibson (died 1791), mentioned the following persons divided among the family: Joe, Charles, Eugene, Ben the son of Polly, Milly & her two children & their increase, Tom, Isaac, Will, Rose & her two children, Jacob, old Lucy, Dinah, Ala, Polly, Sarah, Judah & Polly’s Joe, Davy, the son of Sarah deceased called Ben, Milly, Bethlehem, young Lucy, Nicholas, [Larger Minny or Larger, Minny], Ned, Cate, the children of Larger, Nanny, Celia, Robbin, Sharlett, and Linna.

For possible family tracing, please contact us at info@historicdumfriesva.org or 703-221-2218.

Note: Interested in folklore from our very own Lee Lansing Research Library? Join me virtually on Saturday, 09/10, 10:00am as I read stories and discuss our fascinating regional folklore! Free tickets here.

(Sources: WPA Historic Survey: Town of Dumfries, 1937; Library of Virginia: Foundations of the Past: The WPA Historical Inventory Project in Virginia by Edward D.C. Campbell, Jr. and Stacy Gibbons Moore)

By: Lisa Timmerman, Executive Director

On 2/19/1979, the Town of Dumfries held a dedication ceremony for Cecil W. Garrison to honor his lifelong support towards the Dumfries community by both naming a Park for him and declaring a “Cecil W. Garrison Day”. Born on 08/27/1895, and proudly raised in Dumfries, Garrison was instrumental to the community. Not only did he work in the historic Cabin Branch Pyrite Mine until 1917, but he also had a lengthy career with the local and regional U.S. Postal Service employed for 41 years. From 1961-1974, he served as a Dumfries Town Council Charter Member, and eventually joined various committees such as the Dumfries-Triangle Sanitary District Advisory Board and the Dumfries Planning Commission. He proudly served as a Member of the Independent Odd Fellows Order and volunteered as a life member of the Dumfries Triangle Fire Department. He witnessed incredible change and growth in Dumfries and was even referred to as the “town historian” by Lee Lansing, one of the kickstarters and founders of Historic Dumfries Virginia. One thing that never seemed to change was his quirky and “feisty” humor with countless newspaper articles recording his legendary quips and folklore. While he claimed to have joined the Dumfries United Methodist Church to marry his sweetheart, Genevieve Brawner, he served as Superintendent of Sunday school at the church from 1918-1953, often lighting the fires to warm the children on cold days.

(HDVI Archives: Cecil Garrison, 2nd person on the left. Quantico Marine Corps Base: Quarter Master Building, 1917)

While we discussed the fires at Quantico Church in Dumfries Cemetery in a previous blog (click here!), we never delved into the interesting exchange between Hilda and Lee Lansing as they recorded their Dumfries memories. In honor of Garrison’s purported “feisty” character, let’s take a trip down to Quantico and back as we search for moonshine.

Arvilla Jackson and Sue Taylor’s interview with Hilda and Lee Lansing, 1998

A: Did we ask you about the moonshine business?

L: What about the moonshine business? We had [it] right here until 1944, a sheriff that wouldn’t go down Cherry Hill Road. He was scared to go down Cherry Hill Road.

A: Why?

L: Because the revenuers were not welcome down there, and people in Cherry Hill that had the stills make it known just not to come down there.

A: What about in this area? The Park area?

L: Same thing.

A: Who owned the stills?

H: I don’t know about the still, but they had bootleggers up there. During the war, there were gangsters.

L: That’s what burned down the last church in the cemetery. The church had stopped being used as a church, and somebody went over there, I think Cecil had something to do with it. But they were making moonshine in the church building.

A: Which church?

H: Episcopal, and that was in the cemetery. It was there when I was a kid, but it was burnt. I always heard that they were smoking.

L: Well you have to go by what Cecil says.

H: He’s dead, I’m living.

L: Cecil Garrison, he was our resident historian. He lived to be 95 years old. He told me, “Granny, you’re not being funny about this are you? I heard that it was a man named Cline that had the still over there.”

So, what did Cecil say? He recorded his oral history with The Weems-Botts Museum in 1988. Below are two transcribed sections documenting his conveyance of alcohol and his “involvement” in the church fire.

Ann Hoagland’s interview with Cecil Garrison, 1988

H: Where would they get the liquor? Was it sold here in Dumfries?

G: No, they’d buy it in Alexandria and ship it to Quantico. They’d ship the whiskey to Quantico by express. And, then they’d bring it up to [Dumfries]…

H: They would sort of order, you mean, somehow?

G: …in big gallon jugs.

H: They would ship it from Alexandria?

G: Yes.

H: And, it was shipped up on the train.

G: To Quantico.

H: To Quantico, and then someone would pick up up there. There’s how most of the supplies came into your father’s store also, wasn’t it?

G: I used to haul groceries from Quantico. You see, they sho[[ed everything by freight to Quantico for the stories. I used to haul the stuff that was my daddy’s.

H: Yes.

G: And, they hired me to haul the booze up to them.

H: Even though you were under age?

G: Well, I didn’t know. I wasn’t drinking anything, They used to come in boxes.

H: Yes. But, they would come in boxes. Did your daddy know what you were doing?

G: Yes. They’d give me 35 cents a box to haul it up here for them.

H: But, your father knew it was liquor?

G: Yes!

H: And, he let you…

G: And, my daddy didn’t drink!

H: Yes, I know. You had said your father was against alcohol.

G: Yes.

H: But, he let you transport that up there.

G: I was getting 35 cents a gallon out of it.”

H: Okay. How much would a gallon have cost at that time? Do you know?

G: I think it cost around $2.50 to $2.75.

H: Yes. Was it good whiskey, or would it have been…

G: I don’t know. I never did drink any of it.

H: Ys. I’m glad of that.

G: I started to steal a jug, but didn’t…

 [Unrelated content skipped for this blog]

G: Yes. The Episcopal Church, they had a nice church out there. During prohibition, a couple of guys went out there. They hadn’t used it for a long time. But a couple of guys went out and put a still in the vestry room.

H: Oh, they did!

G: And, the still blowed up and burned the church down.

H: Oh, my!

G: I know [illegible]. You see, how I knew it, I was cutting grass in my back yard, and I saw the smoke. I arrived there, and when I did, these two guys were running up through the woods. And, I look in the vestry room; it was all on fire.”

The ribbon cutting ceremony for Cecil W. Garriosn Park was held on 10/10/1981 with the Marine Corps Band performing throughout the ceremony. I think we can safely declare while Garrison was certainly a robust figure in the community with much lore, he kept his fingers out of the stills.  

Thanks to Shirley Peterson for donating many of her memories, photographs, and documents over the year!

Note: Working on holiday craft projects or desperate for ideas to start? Join us in the Weems-Botts Annex on Saturday, 09/17/2022 at 2:00pm to enjoy an hour of social networking and crafts as we relax and support our local history and non-profit! Donation - you decide the price - tickets here.

(Sources: HDVI Archival Records: Hoagland, Ann. Transcript (Draft) of Interview with Cecil Garrison. Prince William County Historical Commission Oral History Project, 02/1988. Note on draft: Due to editing for clarification purposes, this document cannot be classified as a true verbatim transcription of the conversation with the aforementioned persons; Jackson Arvilla and Sue Taylor. Oral History Transcript with Hilda and Lee Lansing, 10/08/1998; Town of Dumfries Cecil W. Garrison Park Dedication Ceremony, 02/19/1979 Program)

By: Lisa Timmerman, Executive Director

Folklore encompasses everything from urban legends to writings in public restrooms! It can also capture fantastic family reminiscences as well. Grab a cocktail (it’s 2020 – you probably have one on hand around the clock) and join me as we read how Town of Dumfries residents unsuccessfully resisted the lure of fizzy drinks.

(Source: Chatting After Preaching - Forest Hills Methodist Church, HDVI Archives, Keys Collection)

While prohibition ended in the United States in 1933, not all people immediately embraced their access to liquor. Temperance in America began moderately, allowing people to enjoy wine and beer in moderation. However, total abstinence eventually took hold as society began to classify all types of alcohol together. People viewed alcohol as the source of societal problems, supporters using it to fight against domestic violence and even immigration. People coined the phrase “teetotalers” to indicate their total abstinence, often taking pledges and carrying cards. While the actual origins of the word “teetotalers” are not definitive, ranging from the preference of tea to an emphasis on the capital “T”, people still identify themselves as teetotalers today.

Fast forward to the 1940s, and we find Dumfries families and friends celebrating the Keys 25^th wedding anniversary. Jeanne Martin recounted this tale both orally with a written record for HDVI.

“Myrnie and Elvan were tee-totalers. Most Methods in Dumfries a half century ago were still card-carrying members of “The Temperance League”. The use of alcohol was not totally forbidden and was sometimes used for medicinal purposes. In a small cupboard we kept a bottle of Mogen David wine and a whisky filled with rock candy called Rock-and-Rye. A teaspoon of whisky in tea for colds and flu and a small glass of wine for cramps were considered legitimate uses. The bottles were sequestered in a cabinet with shot and rifle shells, rat poison and other dangerous items. So the first story I want to tell you is something shocking considering how my Aunt and Uncle regard alcohol as a general rule.

Myrnie wanted to have a beautiful party for her twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. She was famous in the town for entertaining and she wanted this one to be very special. She wanted to celebrate a quarter century of a happy marriage in a big way. Someone told her that it would be lovely to have Champagne punch, they had a recipe and, “no it wasn’t strong at all she need not worry about that, and wouldn’t the guests want to toast the happy couple?” Myrnie was convinced, though Elvan was not, and Champagne punch was included in the plans.

…The house hummed with activity for two months before the party…The day arrived and it is a day that “will live in infamy” in the hearts and minds of those who attended. It started at four in the afternoon and was expected to last several hours. However when the tee-totaling Methodists started drinking the delicious punch the party lasted much longer. At nine, Mary Williams, Myrnie’s best friend, ended it by standing on the table and reciting the poem “The Sinking of the Titanic”, She followed that by singing, through tears, all the verses of “Nearer my God to Thee”. “I just felt”, she blubbered, “and I had to make a tribute to all those poor souls that perished”. Then she passed out and someone caught her as she fell of the table. That broke up the party. Luckily everyone took this as a good joke., Mary laughed about it the next day through her headache though never drank anything stronger after that than coffee or tea.”

(Source: Thomas, Jerry.  The Bar-Tender’s Guide and Bon-Vivant’s Companion. New York: Dick & Fitzgerald Publishers, 1862; Digitized by the Internet Archive)

Craving Champagne punch? Jerry Thomas’ The Bar-Tender’s Guide or How to Mix Drinks (later How to Mix Drinks or the Bon-Vivant’s Companion), published in 1862, could help. According to Thomas, “Whether it is judicious that mankind should continue to indulge in such things, or whether it would be wiser to abstain from all enjoyments of that character, it is not our province to decide. We leave that question to the moral philosopher. We simply contend that a relish for “social drinks” is universal; that those drinks exist in greater variety in the United States…and that he, therefore, who proposes to impart to these drinks…is a genuine public benefactor.” This highly regarded book introduced a variety of recipes, included Champagne Punch (lemon, slices of pineapple and orange, raspberry or strawberry syrup, sugar, and wine) and a variation named Rocky Mountain Punch (champagne, Jamaican rum, maraschinos, lemons, and sugar to taste) recommended for New Years celebrations.

Note: October is almost here, meaning the return of our popular Ghost Walk programs along with a new Virtual Halloween Tea! Whether you would like to indulge with an evening walk, sit in the house after midnight, or learn about the history of Halloween with frightfully tasty recipe recommendations, we thank you for your continuing support! Please note that tickets for the “Locked Inside” Ghost Walk must be purchased 7 days in advance for health monitoring/tracking. Click here to see our current programs.

(Sources: HDVI Archival Records VCU Libraries: Social Welfare History Project: Campbell, A. (2017). The temperance movement. Social Welfare History Project.  Retrieved from http://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/religious/the-temperance-movement/temperance-movement; Food Science, History, and Much More: Teetotaler: Why are People Who Don’t Drink Called This?; EUVS Digital Collection: Miller, Anistatia. The Bar-Tender’s Guide or How to Mix Drink by Jerry Thomas; Thomas, Jerry. The Bartender’s Guide, Price $2.50”, 1862)

By: Lisa Timmerman, Executive Director

Many of our narratives and collected oral histories of Dumfries indicate a prosperous “moonshining” industry operating throughout the region. Unfortunately for the 3^rd Quantico Church in Dumfries Public Cemetery, this robust activity allegedly fueled a devastating fire.

As the title of this post suggests, the Episcopal Church had a penchant for destruction. People first constructed a Chapel of Ease of Overwharton Parish around 1667, which served as a satellite church to the community. As more people populated the area, it became a Chapel of Hamilton Parish (established from Overwharton) until Dettingen Parish formed (from Hamilton) encompassing most of the PWC area. In 1751, Church officials ordered the construction of “a new brick church, 30 feet by 60 feet” to replace “the old and indifferent church”. William Waite constructed the church and by 1756 it was operational. During the Revolutionary War, soldiers potentially received smallpox inoculations at the church and Baron Ludwig von Closen noted a “very fine Presbyterian church” along the banks of Quantico Creek – possibly the 2^nd Quantico Church. By 1813, the 2^nd Quantico Church burned down, and the town people may have temporarily used Dumfries Courthouse for their religious services. In 1837, Bishop Meade recorded, “…the old courthouse in this place has been converted into a very comfortable place of worship and is the joint property of Episcopalians and Baptists.” The 3^rd Quantico Church was then built in 1878 on the site of the former, “measuring 28 feet by 50 feet” and remained in place until 05/08/1934. Records indicate the interior was paneled with boards measuring 12” to 14” wide, utilizing different native timbers.

(Source: HDVI Archival Files, Interior of 3rd Quantico Church)

In an interview conducted in 1988, Cecil Garrison indicated the reason for the fire along with the Church’s fate, “The Episcopal Church, they had a nice church out there. During prohibition, a couple of guys went out there. They hadn’t used it for a long time. But, a couple of guys went out and put a still in the vestry room…And the still blowed up and burned the church down…You see, how I knew it, I was cutting grass in my back yard, and I saw the smoke. I arrived there, and when I did, these two guys were running up through the woods. And, I looked in the vestry room; it was all on fire.” “Burned down completely…And, they had some wonderful furniture in there, too…Everything was lost.” In 1998, Lee and Hilda Lansing discussed the fire as well, “The church had stopped being used as a church, and somebody went over there, I think Cecil had something to do with it. But they were making moonshine in the church building.” Hilda: “It was there when I was a kid, but it was burnt. I always heard that they were smoking.”

Moonshine, the illegal process of distilling liquor, has a long history in Virginia. Transportation, remote locations, and taxes were important factors when considering the practice. Prohibition inadvertently led to a booming illegal operation even after the ban on alcohol ended in 1933. The Blue Ridge Institute & Museum identified three different popular stills: the Turnip, the Blackpot Submarine, and the Steam. Mr. Garrison did not identify the type of still he observed. Three bushels of dried corn or seven bushels of apples could distill about two gallons of alcohol and the “slop” leftovers could be fed to livestock. You could judge the strength of the alcohol by the bead of bubbles formed after shaking the product. The flammability of the process is obviously a problem, but the actual finished product can contain toxins depending upon the type/materials of the still used. The expression “lead burns red and makes you dead” stems from the practice of lighting a sample of the product on fire with a blue flame indicating it was lead free – certainly not a reliable test for safety. Unregulated moonshine can also be too potent and toxic, leading to alcohol poisoning, among other health hazards.

Today you can visit Dumfries Public Cemetery and see a marker near the remains of the church. Whether the fire resulted from moonshine or something else in the 1930s, the three Quantico Churches experienced incredible times in American history – from the Revolutionary War to Prohibition, these buildings survived war, rebellions, but apparently not unaged whiskey.

Note: We have a fundraiser ongoing for our Halloween programs! The Maskatorium is offering two different facial coverings with either the Weems-Botts or Dumfries logo. Click here for the order form and here for the PayPal link.

(Sources: HDVI Archival Records: Hoagland, Ann. Transcript (Draft) of Interview with Cecil Garrison. Prince William County Historical Commission Oral History Project, 02/1988. Note on draft: Due to editing for clarification purposes, this document cannot be classified as a true verbatim transcription of the conversation with the aforementioned persons; Jackson Arvilla and Sue Taylor. Oral History Transcript with Hilda and Lee Lansing, 10/08/1998; Sipe, Boyd. Cemetery Delineation and Phase I Archaeological Investigations of the 11.3 Acre Dumfries Elementary School Property, PWC. October 2009; The Blue Ridge Institute and Museum of Ferrum College: Moonshine – Blue Ridge Style, The History and Culture of Untaxed Liquor in the Mountains of Virginia (online exhibit); Prince William County: A Past to Preserve. The Prince William Historical Commission)

By: Lisa Timmerman, Executive Director

Many of our oral history and narratives from Prince William County, c. 1920s, describe Dumfries as a small, segregated town with a few stores, businesses, and community spaces. While people traveled to Quantico and to Washington, D.C., the traffic on Route 1 was much lighter than it is today (2020). This is very important if you are a child (or adult) eyeing your sledding options.

Whether you have memories of grabbing a cafeteria tray or an actual sled, sledding is still a popular activity. While historians identified the first sledders to be the Egyptians using it to transport rocks and other heavy materials, the Romans purportedly rode their shields as sleds during the Cimbric War, 113-101 B.C. Russians and eventually the French embraced sledding for entertainment, and the activity became more popular in America in the 1860s when Henry Morton began mass producing wooden sleds with metal runners. By the 1910s, safer sleds, those with some actual steering, hit the market calming the public’s alarm over their children’s safety. While we do not have specifics on the types of sleds used in Dumfries, a white woman in her 80s remembered tying their sleds to actual vehicles:

“She’d take the children. All the people would take their sleds and hang on to one sled and she’d have about a dozen sleds pulling them all around these streets. Then we could get up on top of the hill, which was 234 then, which is Duke Street now, but it was 234. And go from the top all the way down to the bridge that was Number 1 Highway. Someone would be down there at the crossroads, where Number 1 came, and made a turn to go across the bridge. It didn’t go straight through there to stop the traffic…They’d stop and maybe it was one or two car cars until we came through on the sleds.”

(HDVI Collections: Ice Skate Sharpener, 20th c., owned by Cecil Garrison, gifted by Jack Garrison, currently not on display)

If travel were possible, you could enjoy ice-skating with your friends. The earliest documented ice-skating can be seen in a 1539 Map of Scandinavia, but the earliest skates date to 1800 BC made from bone. While the oily nature of bone helped gliding when gaining momentum, you needed to use a stick to help “jumpstart” your fun. By the 13^th century through the 18^th century, ice-skates evolved using wood with a metal blade attached underneath. Skating became more popular once more affordable and mass-produced skates hit the market, and designers trimmed and lengthened the blades for speed and transportation, helping to evenly distribute a skater’s weight. According to one oral history, children enjoyed skating at Gibson Mill Dam:

“…[W]e used to ice skate in the winter time out there. They built big fires and ice skated. The blacks and the whites. It was a copper dam. The timbers that shorn up the dam itself were mostly chestnut, and the couplers were mostly 8x8 ft and these were continuous all the way across the stream and the couplers were filled with stone.”

(HDVI Collections: Leather Skates and Cotton Socks, early 1900s., owned by Cecil Garrison, gifted by Jack Garrison)

Dewitt Bates reminiscences of early Prince William County included methods to keep your food cold if you had access to a well:

“I don’t know how that they paid the heating bill, but, when you got through eating, there wasn’t nothing left…If they have anything left, if they have a well, they put it in a bucket and put it down and rest. And I’ve seen milk in a well that way…Then finally, they would get a icebox. They’d get a piece of ice…Yeah, we made one one time. We took a great big box and put the ice inside. Yes, Sir. I’ll tell you, the old people, they come on, but they had a good time though.”

These reflections give us a glimpse of life in Prince William County from risky wintry fun to methods of food preservation and safety. The next time you drive through Dumfries on Route 1, imagine the shocked faces and expressions people must have had to see an adult willingly tie sleds onto the back of their car.

Source Note: The three narratives are available in the Lee Lansing Research Library. The National Park Service record, “Prince William Forest Park: The African American Experience”, included the African American Oral History Project in an attempt to recreate “…the history of African Americans residing on land that is now part of PW Forest Park…creating a microhistory of ordinary people’s lives by exploring the circumstances of daily living within the context of the larger society.” This record captured both black and white person’s experiences. In 1999, The Eastern Prince William Ministerial Association sponsored an event titled “Breaking the Legacy of Racism: Honoring the Displaced Families of Prince William Forest Park”, which sought “…to address through repentance, prayer, and fellowship the hurt caused by the displacement of families when the Federal government took the land for PW Forest Park and by the racism inherent in the design of the Park (that is, separate, non-connecting entrances for whites and blacks).”

Note: Our last program of 2020 is this Saturday, 12/19, @ 10am! Sign up with your family and enjoy our Children’s Day at the Museum Sponsored by Walmart presentation on Winter Weather Myths! Not only will we talk about a winter favorite, the woolly worm, we will also suggest activities for your home! Click here for free tickets.

(Sources: Payne-Jackson, Arvilla and Sue Ann Taylor. Prince William Forest Park: The African American Experience. National Park Service: National Capital Region, June 2000 (Lee Lansing Research Library); Nelson, Tom. The Dewitt Bates Oral History: Recollections of Batestown. Prince William County Historical Commission, April 1984; Science Friday: Mayer, Johanna. The History of Ice Skates, March 2018; The Wall Street Journal: Foreman, Amanda. A Brief History of Sledding: An American Symbol that’s older than Egypt’s Pyramids, February 2017)

By: Lisa Timmerman, Executive Director

The Tebbs family dates their arrival to Virginia as early as 1687. Potentially emigrating as an indentured servant, Daniel Tebbs moved to Westmoreland County eventually importing two people, one probably his son Daniel. The family quickly established themselves within the social and political networks, so it is no surprise that James Tebbs (b. ca. 1717), William Tebbs (b. ca.1720), Foushee Tebbs (b. ca. 1723), and Willoughby Tebbs (b. ca. 1760) became influential key players of Dumfries during the port’s busiest age. Tobacco inspectors, church vestries, political representatives, and planter patriarchs categorize the careers of these men, while other Tebbs sailed the seas and explored Kentucky. Daniel Tebbs 1740 will list livestock, structures, and sterling shilling along with the enslaved persons divided amongst his wife and children: Abram, Great Jack, Tapsalom, Little Jack, Jack, Abram, Sara “with her increase” (children), and Frank. We find the Tebbs in local ledgers, such as Daniel Payne’s, when he recorded Major William Tebbs purchasing spice mortal and pestle, candlesticks, and alcohol. The Tebbs are in George Washington’s 1764 Cash Account records when he purchased enslaved persons, Harry, £45; Topsom, £43; Nan, £25.5; and Toney, £17.5, from Daniel Tebbs’ estate, using them for “the work of draining improving and saving the land” in the Dismal Swamp Land Company. The Tebbs also owned a lot of property in Prince William County, notably the Tebbs-Mundry House (in the Town of Dumfries) and Tebbsdale (Cherry Hill area near Quantico Creek).

(HDVI Archives: Tebbs-Mundy house, Elvan Keys reported to be one of the children)

It is easy to overlook Dumfries rich nautical past as most of the 60+ structures in the 18^th century no longer stand. One of the last to fall is today named for the Tebbs and Mundy families who owned the property. However, older records also note it as “The Tebbs House”, “The Old Mundy House,” and “The Haunted House.” While Mrs. Warfield Brawner reported “the old house crumbling” and collapsing in the 1920s, it is more likely it fell during the 1930s, damaged from the Hurricane of 1933. Fascinating photographs and family reminiscences paint a spectacular picture of this living memory.

“The old house was in very bad repair for some years, and finally, in a heavy gale, fell in, but it was still standing a few years ago, and I remember it very well, but cannot recall the details well enough to fill in the architectural sheet. It was square, brick, of Flemish bond, with white stone trim. There were of six rooms on the first floor, three on the second, and five in the basement. Originally, there had been more rooms on the second floor, but had evidently been altered to make some exceptionally large rooms, and as if it had been used as a hospital and a school, that would seem likely.

There was a large center hall with removable paneling between that and the drawing room, so that for balls and such festive occasions it could be made into one large room. This paneling was very beautiful and sold to someone in New York, for a thousand dollars. The brick, was likewise, sold, and was taken to Fredericksburg. There were two double chimneys at each end, and large fireplaces in each room. The stone from the basement has been used to build a most attractive house on the same site by the present owner.

There are some of the old trees left, although until a few years ago there were some very large locusts standing that had been there for many years. There was a terraced garden in front that has been rebuikt by the present owner. Back of the house are the lovely woods of Grayson Hill. At the southwest corner of the house is a large well that was probably built by the original owners, this too, has been cleaned and repaired.”

Lee Lansing spoke with Elvan Keys, one of the young children in the photograph. “While many photos are available as mementoes of happier youthful experiences, they tell us of the details of this old house. Mr. Elvan Keys, when questioned of his experience showed us photos of he and his young friends peering from the open window of the second floor – but they told us more – of the relative thickness of the masonry wall, where the window frame had been removed – the modillion cornice and its deteriorated condition, as a result of the roof failure and the location of the window frame in relation to the exterior wall face – his description of the interior and its wall features after the removal of the interior woodwork to be placed in a museum in a far away location.”

Residents of the Town reported that the house and grounds witnessed tea parties with Washington, Col. Henry Lee shooting Willoughby Tebbs, medical treatments, and Civil War encampments. The story of the shooting dates to a 1936 article by R.C. Wright but family researchers have been unable to collaborate this probable folktale. It is more likely the house was a prominent center for social networking. “Miss Maud Ewell of Haymarket, Virginia, remembers hearing her grandmother tell of going there dressed in a rich purple brocade, that had just come in from one of the ships from London”. Not finding the stylish matching flowers needed, she apparently took clusters of purple grapes from the gardens to put “in her powdered hair” for a “striking headdress.”

Elvan Keys noted, “It was always fun for a country boy to visit in Dumfries, because the town kids would take him on a tour of all the exciting places – the old grist mill, the 10 foot hole, the Cabin Branch Mine, and the Haunted House.” He frequented the house playing in the basement supposedly making strange noises up the chimney to scare anyone walking nearby. In 1937, the WPA worker visiting the property wrote, “This is one of the old houses that was the scene of so many stirring scenes in the past, and so many prominent people, who have made our heritage of history, have passed through its doors, that in spite of the fact that there are few physical remains of the old home, its atmosphere is felt.” The memories of the house and family remind us just how tight and interconnected the Town was in the 1700s as enslaved persons, free persons of color, Scottish factors, planters, workers, indentured servants, and many others walked and rode through this historical gem.

Oral history informants: Mr. Charles Callahan, Mrs. Robert Wheat, Mr. & Mrs. Warfield Brawner, Mr. Walter Keys, Miss Maud Ewell, Elvan Keys, C.W. Garrison, and Lee Lansing.

Note: March brings new opportunities to engage in your local history! On Saturday, 03/11, we will design, build, and fly kits in Merchant Park (weather permitting, free tickets here). On Saturday, 03/18, we will meet virtually to discuss fascinating detective fiction from a history & literary perspective (tickets here - member discount).

(Sources: WPA Historic Survey: Town of Dumfries, 1937; Kebler, John Frederick and Robert Steltz. The Descendants of Daniel Tebbs, Westmoreland County, Virginia; Lansing, Lee. The Town of Dumfries and The Honorable Foushee Tebbs (report marked inaccurate, only used the oral history & folktale regarding the photograph); Genealogist Traces History, Tebbs Family Lived in Historic Dumfries, Potomac News, 11/17/1971)

By: Lisa Timmerman, Executive Director

The oldest chartered town in Virginia would certainly experience devastating events in forms of tropical storms, hurricanes, and fires. While someone tried to burn down the Dumfries Courthouse in 10/10/1787 and failed (a good thing for the person asleep inside said courthouse), the Town has a rich history and folklore regarding fires.

(The Evening Star, 01/15/1927)

On 01/15/1927, a fire broke out in the Odd Fellows Hall, quickly spreading and encompassing the lodge and nearby businesses and residences. Cecil Garrison later shared his reminiscences as he was in the hall on 01/14/1927 enjoying a steak dinner. After waking up and seeing the flames, he failed to locate a telephone to call the fire department, and instead, drove his car to the nearest fire department at the Quantico Marine base. Sadly, the fire truck broke its wheel in Triangle and could not complete the journey. His 1974 interview in The Potomac News contradicted the 1927 newspaper reports, noting the Marines responded after receiving the phone call. Regardless, the Marines quickly responded and formed a water brigade from Quantico Creek, up to 75 Marines assisting using buckets of water from the Creek and wells. Their quick thinking and ingenuity saved the destruction of the entire Town, with the fire destroying the Odd Fellows Hall, Junior Order of United American Mechanics Building, Dr. Cline’s garage, Mr. Brawner’s general merchandise store, and residences. Mrs. Rowena Brawner awoke to sounds of cracking glass while her husband rushed around the neighborhood alerting residences. Officials later determined the janitor had probably over-banked the coal furnace “causing gas combustion from the coals.”

The Special Dispatch to The Evening Star reported, “There were no narrow escapes, because most of the population had been aroused by the struggle of the lodge men and others to save the meeting place before spread of the flames…In spite of the dashing of water by hundreds of bucketfuls upon the blistering surfaces of the structures across the street, the flames seen had them beyond control.” Overall, town officials estimated the loss of $100,000, potentially half covered by insurance.

Historically, the Town of Dumfries did not ignore their responsibility to respond to emergencies – our records include a list of men in an 1819 fire company and many residents in the 1700s-1800s purchased Mutual Fire Insurance. However, the siltation of Quantico Creek and decline in the booming tobacco economy led many people to leave the area and seek new opportunities elsewhere. The Commandant of the Marine Corps decision to establish Marine Barracks Quantico on 05/14/1917 not only brought more people to the area, it provided much needed help in emergencies. In 1944, the Dumfries Triangle Volunteer Fire Department formed bringing even closer relief to the community, allowing for much faster communication, travel, and response.

(The Dumfries-Triangle Volunteer Fire Department)

While the Merchant women and others were reportedly afraid of fires (perhaps a healthy fear given the 1927 blaze!), the Marines amazing response and quick thinking saved half of Dumfries, including The Weems-Botts Museum. Today, the Town of Dumfries can turn to the PWC Department of Fire and Rescue and the Dumfries Triangle Volunteer Fire Department. However, Dumfries will never forget the 75 Marines that responded to an overwhelming fire with sheer persistence, flexibility, and…buckets.

Special Note: Are you enjoying our weekly blogs? We appreciate your interest and encourage you to consider supporting us through our tours and memberships! To check out our three tours, including a restoration tour, click here. For memberships, click here. We thank you for helping us as we continue to offer new programs and experiences!

(Sources: Archival Files: Fires in Dumfries; The Potomac News, 07/22/1974, B-1: A Night to Remember, Oldtimers Recall ‘Terrifying’ Fire of 1927; The Washington Daily News, 01/15/1927: Dumfries Swept by $100,000 Blaze, Public Hall, Store, Garage and Two Homes Burn – Marines Fight Spread; MCINCR- Marine Corps Base Quantico: History of Marine Corps Base Quantico)

By: Lisa Timmerman, Executive Director

Driving in the Town of Dumfries can be more challenging during the summer months and holidays. Dumfries has always served as a destination (#DestinationDumfries) and thoroughfare with proximity to Washington and Richmond. While traffic accidents and roadwork can certainly add hours and frustration to traveling, what happened when town residents knowingly sabotaged the roads?

(Route One in Dumfries: 1919, 1930s, 1989, 2006. Virginia Department of Transportation Office of Public Affairs, A History of Roads in Virginia: “The Most Convenient Wayes”. Richmond: Commonwealth of Virginia, 2006.)

Two oral histories document the supposed feisty residents emphasizing the importance of mules and mud! Below are transcriptions from both the 1988 interview with Cecil Garrison and the 1998 interview with Hilda and Lee Lansing.

Ann Hoagland’s interview with Cecil Garrison:

“H: Now, I want to talk a little bit about the roads. What condition were the roads here?

G: [The] roads?

H: Yes.

G: Dirt road; that’s all.

H: Alright.

G: Dirt roads.

H: Now, when did they start working on U.S. [Route] 1?

G. They started surveying for U.S. [Route] 1…it was about 1915 or ’16, somewhere around there…

H: Okay

G: …because I worked with the…

H: Surveyor?

G: …surveyors.

H: It was just a dirt road? Now, once they started to survey it, were they going to improve the road and make it better?

G: Oh, yes. They were going to make a gravel road out of it.

H: I see. Instead of just a dirt road, it was going to be gravel.

G: Yes.

H: How long did that work take, Cecil?

G: Oh, a long time. I wouldn’t like to say, but it was a long time. They graded it up and made a gravel road.

H: Now, at this time, did they put in bridges where the road had just been [built]?

G: Yes.

H: Alright. And, I understand there were some people that sort of sabotaged this road building.

G: Who?

H: Some people down near the Chopawamsic Creek that sabotaged the building [of the road].

G: Oh yes. Well, they didn’t want it through there, because…

H: Why:

G …people going through there with automobiles get stuck, and then the [unintelligible] pulled them out with teams.

H: Oh. What kind of teams? What did they use?

G: Mule teams.

H: Mule teams. So, they would sabotage the road so people would get stuck in there, and they would come with their mules and pull them out.

G: That’s right.

H: And, that’s how they made their living?

G: Had a lot of people right here in Dumfries that did [that].

H: Did the same thing?

G: There was a lot of mud holes around here, and I know of some of the people here that used to pull them out.

H: And, that’s how they would get money, or extra money. How long before the roads were paved? Do you remember?

G: I couldn’t tell you the date when it was paved.

H: Yes. Now, when people were traveling, Cecil, where did they stay at night, if they were going across country.

G: Well, they had a few tourist homes here in Dumfries.

H: Now, were they expensive to stay in?

G: No, they wasn’t [weren’t] expensive. Maybe a $1.00 or $1.50 a night.

H: And, for that, you would get a bed? Usually, you wouldn’t have a separate bathroom, would you, in those days, or running water?

G: No, no, no.”

Arvilla Jackson and Sue Taylor’s interview with Hilda and Lee Lansing.

“L: What you should do is go up here on Number One between the north and southbound part of Number One, and go to the Dumfries Café, and look at the photographs on the wall. Particularly the muddy road conditions prior to the paving of Number One Highway. A little story here. A gentleman lived over a couple of bloks from here used to laugh because people used to talk about the told times when cards would get stuck in the mud and he would have to bring his team down and pull the cars out. His wife told me, “Please don’t let him fool you. I’ll tell you how they got stuck in the mud. He worked all night long hauling water with the wagon and team to dump in these ruts. That’s the way we got married. We didn’t have any spending money. We had money to get married because of the money he made from pulling cars out of the mud.” But when you go and look at these pictures, you’ll understand what I mean.

H: She’ll read in a paper that my mother wrote, that they couldn’t get rid of the horses after they got a car because they always had to keep a horse on a count of cars getting stuck.

A: So who was this guy that had the wagon?

L: His name was…

H: Liming.

L: Wait a minute, what was his first name? Clayon. And his wife’s name, she used to work up in the church cleaning windows, what was her name?

H: Sadie. They were ones that lived back up in the Park…There were different branches of the Liming family. My grandmother was a Liming. They came from New Jersey.

L: Darn Yankee!”

President Woodrow Wilson signed the Federal Aid Road Act on 07/11/1916, providing a comprehensive targeted plan to cure the “disease” of bad roads by appropriating $85 million to build and improve roads in rural areas and national forests, under the supervision of the Secretary of Agriculture and state highway departments. Virginia received $100,000 in federal funds during the first year. While Richmond-Washington Highway was not the first improved road in Virginia, officials identified it as a priority – this was the gravel and soil predecessor to Route 1! By 1918, the General Assembly had approved of the first state highway system, placing the constructure, care, and maintenance initially under the highway commissioner and staff. Newspapers certainly shared the woes of the road as travelers watched as other cars or horses pulled their vehicles in wintery weather and spring thaws. There were more than 37,000 registered motor vehicles in Virginia in 1916 with the number reaching over 145,000 just a few years later. Travelers needed to pack their patience – the Route 1 paving project was not completed until 1927.

Note: Consider adding a change to your Saturday routine by participating in our special free Weems-Botts Bibliophiles program! Book one of the remaining free tickets to receive free tea (courtesy of Leaf & Petal), three chilling short stories, and a one-hour discussion on the women writing weird fiction and early 20^th century pulp magazines! Click here for info and free tickets.

(Sources: Hoagland, Ann. Transcript of Interview with Cecil Garrison. Prince William County Historical Commission Oral History Project, 02/24/1988-02/26/1988, Transcribed by Sally J. Borman. Note: Due to editing for clarification purposes, this document cannot be classified as a true verbatim transcription of the conversation with the aforementioned person; Jackson, Arvilla and Sue Taylor. Interview of Hilda and Lee Lansing, 10/08/1998; Office of the Historian. Historical Highlights: Funding the Expansion of Rural Post Roads. The United States House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives, https://history.house.gov/Historical-Highlights/1901-1950/Funding-the-expansion-of-rural-post-roads/; Virginia Department of Transportation Office of Public Affairs, A History of Roads in Virginia: “The Most Convenient Wayes”. Richmond: Commonwealth of Virginia, 2006.)

By: Lisa Timmerman, Executive Director

Works Project Administration (WPA) agent Susan Morton must have had a fascinating time exploring the Town of Dumfries and surrounding regional area for the WPA of Virginia Historical Inventory project. She traveled to each site, talked to people from the area, and consulted everything from court records to engravings on tombstones. Besides her poetic descriptions of the sites, her historical summaries, and her inclusion on everything from local folklore to knowledgeable town residents, she included documents and ledgers that caught her eye. She located and transcribed the “List of Slave Expenditures Kept by B. Grayson” from a book kept at “The Shelter,” home of Bailey Tyler, Haymarket, Virginia. It is possible the copies we have are missing an additional page as we were not able to locate a document containing the final sum & overall transaction.  

“List of Slave Expenditures Kept by B. Grayson” from a book kept at “The Shelter,” home of Bailey Tyler, Haymarket, Virginia.

This document most certainly was connected to the influential Grayson family. William Grayson (1742-1790) led many military & prominent political positions during his long service to the state of Virginia. While it might look like a simple list, there are many clues contained within it that could help someone locate one of the enslaved persons the Grayson family owned. For example, note the difference in fee between Davy and Peter, both working on holidays. This likely was from a perceived disorder or injury, although the recorder could have been vague and neglected time differentials. Everything from bees to clothes peppered the above expenditures detailing what the enslaved persons had access to and their possible priorities on the plantation.

Note: This blog will temporarily go on hiatus as HDVI interviews applicants for the position of Executive Director! I have thoroughly enjoyed writing these weekly articles and will miss the wonderful local history contained within our precious archives.

(Sources: WPA Historic Survey: Town of Dumfries, 1937)