Search Results

By Larry Chowning Sherman Holmes Jr. and his younger brother Wendell grew up at Christchurch in Middlesex County, attended the all-black St. Clare Walker High School (Wolverines) and both were stars in the late 1950s and early 60s Wolverine band. They went on to become stars. Born just 74 years after slavery, Sherman and Wendell went on to become a national and international musical group known as the “Holmes Brothers.” Their Americana style of music combined a mixture of blues, soul, gospel, country and rhythm and blues. After decades of singing and playing across the country, Sherman, Wendell and Popsy Di xon formed the Holmes Brothers in 1979. They signed record contracts in 1989 with Rounder Records and in 2001 with Alligator Records. The Alligator album “Speaking in Tongues” was critically acclaimed. The Chicago Tribune called it a “joyous, footstomping carnival . . . a gift to the world of music.” They performed in 58 countries, sang for President Bill Clinton, appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman, CBS Saturday Early Show, and numerous other shows. They won the Blues W.C. Handy Music award for being the Memphisbased band of the year in 2005, and the Soul Blues Album of the Year award in 2008. In 2014, The Holmes Brothers received the National Heritage Award, an award that honors those who preserve America’s historical character. And it all started right here in Middlesex County. Music history During slavery there were moments, even for the most down trodden, when no master or overseer could restrain the emotions of love and happiness, and music often provided an outlet for these emotions. Whether digging potatoes, picking corn or pulling fodder in the fields; tonging oysters on the river; shucking oysters in an oyster house; or pulling menhaden nets—African-American songs often filled the air. Dr. Tommy L. Bogger, author of “A History of African-Americans in Middlesex County 1646-1992,” wrote, “Even before they (African-Americans) had access to expensive instruments, they drew melodious sounds from common household implements such as the wash tub, the wash board, and the saw. They sang as they worked, they sang when they were happy, they sang when they were sad, and in their weekly religious services, they sang with fervor and open hearts in praise of their Savior.” When slavery ended and mandated public education came for Middlesex African-Americans, musical notes were taught in all-black public schools along with the ABC’s. Between 1890 and 1900, a brass band composed of two Middlesex native musicians, John Mingo Banks and Hamilton Lightfoot, both of Locust Hill traveled extensively to play music in the North. They eventually traveled to England and performed for Queen Victoria. After the turn of the 20th century, Sears Roebuck and Co. provided an easy avenue for the purchase of musical instruments and with this came local African-American bands accompanied with brass instruments, violins, harmonicas and guitars. Local churches encouraged music. John Baylor Holmes, a former slave, played the violin at Calvary Baptist on a regular basis along with Washington (Wash) Thornton on the mandolin and Lynn Davis of Stormont on the French horn. Local bands played at baseball games, at events on Memorial Day, Emancipation Day and Independence Day. Each community had their own singing quartets and bands that sang and played regularly at church and other events. During the 1950s, the St. Clare Walker High School Band was created under the direction of Lewis  DeOliver. The band participated in band festivals in its district and a statewide festival at Virginia State University. This led to the creation of several independent rhythm and blues bands—one being the “Melotones” with a clarinet player named Sherman Holmes Jr. Sherman and Wendell The Holmes brothers were the sons of school teachers Easter and Sherman Holmes Sr. of Christchurch. The boys grew up singing in the Calvary Baptist Church Choir. At an early age, Sherman and Wendell started their musical life by taking piano and organ l essons. At 11 years old Wendell got his first paying job. He earned $6 a Sunday playing organ for Grafton Baptist Church in Hartfield. Both Sherman and Wendell had natural talent when it came to playing instruments. When the brothers were 13 and 10 years old they formed a neighborhood band and started playing at Herman Wake’s “juke joint” (dance hall) at Cooks Corner. Wake was Easter Holmes’ first cousin. “We didn’t sound like much but we could make some noise and whenever a band did not show up Herman would call us,” said Sherman. “We used to say we’d rock ‘em on Saturday night at Herman’s and save ’em on Sunday morning at church. “Daddy liked it when we played at Herman’s but mother didn’t. Throughout our careers she referred to our lifestyle as the “sporting life” and did not accept it until we performed in front of President Bill Clinton. Then she thou ght it was alright,” said Sherman. When the boys became part of the St. Clare Walker band Sherman took up the clarinet and excelled. He graduated from St. Clare Walker in 1957 and entered Virginia State University. Wendell continued in high school playing the trumpet and guitar and played with a band that regularly played at The Tides Inn in Irvington. “They played for tips and many a night Wendell came home with $50 in his pocket, and that was good money then,” said Sherman. While at Virginia State Sherman studied composition and music theory and played the clarinet in the college band. While there Lloyd Price, who had the million-selling hit “Personality,” came to the school and talked Sherman into a summer musical stint in New Orleans. “He was driving a brand new Lincoln Continental and it seemed like a good opportunity,” said Sherman. That summer, Sherman said he got to experience the New Orleans music scene but had to call home for financial help to get through the summer. When he got back to school, Holmes decided to take off a semester. In 1959 he and another student went to New York to play in a band with singer Jimmy Jones who, in 1955, had the hit song “Handy Man.” While at Virginia State Sherman had taken up the bass guitar which proved to be a real asset. “I never saw a clarinet in any of the bands in New York,” he said. “After that, I was a bass guitar player for life. “With Jimmy Jones I was making $50 a day and that was when minimum wage was $1.10 an hour. I could work 40 hours at a regular job and not make $50,” he said. With Jones, Sherman went all over the country and at Wendell’s graduation from St. Clare Walker High School in 1961 the two of th em left together that summer for New York and a lifetime of music. “We both loved the business but Wendell really loved it because, in part, he never liked working for anyone else,” said Sherman of his late brother. “Wendell’s first job was helping a lady in Stormont around her yard. He went one time and never went back and, as far as I know, he never worked a steady job in his life. Music was his life!” said Sherman. At the start of their careers, the brothers joined several bands but in 1963 they formed their own band named “The Sevilles.” The group lasted for three years but the Holmes brothers gained experience by backing up such performers as the “Impressions,” John Lee Hooker and Jerry Butler. After that, the brothers performed regularly at blues clubs and formed working relationships with some of the top blues/folk artist in the country. The brothers regularly played in bars and night clubs in Greenwich Village. Through the 1960s and 70s, they traveled around the country playing their music. “We tried it all. I even bought myself a white cowboy hat and was singing country music,” said Sherman. “At that time I was the only black country western singer around.” From time to time, they went their separate ways with Wendell making his living exclusively with his music. During the 1970s, the disco sound took singing gigs away from blues and soul singers. “We didn’t play disco,” said Sherman. When times were tight, Sherman found full-time work. “I eventually got a day job in West Chester, New York, making light fixtures by day and working clubs with my music at night. Wendell moved to New Jersey and was working the bars and nightclubs in that area.” In 1967 Wendell started playing with Willie “Popsy” Dixon, a drummer and singer. Along with Sherman, they started performing with a succession of Top 40 bar bands. They worked bars into the late 1970s when the brothers and Dixon were about to give it all up. Instead they decided to leave the bands and try it as a trio. “We decided we would go trio and when we were considering a name for our group our agent said why don’t you use your own name . . . “Holmes Brothers.” In 1979, the Holmes Brothers hit the stage and never looked back. “We played all over the world,” said Sherman. “We spent six weeks in West Africa on a Goodwill Ambassador Program sponsored by President George H.W. Bush. We made music in 58 countries. “When we played for President Bill Clinton and later Vice President Al Gore we were assigned secret service people, and they even went to the bathroom with us,” said Sherman with a laugh. “It was not always an easy life bumping around from gig to gig,” said Sherman. “But we always approached it as professional performers who felt our music was a gift. “Wendell and I saw it as what we were supposed to be doing in life. I always had an imagination, maybe because I’m left-handed and stuttered when I was young. I found some aspects of day-to-day life to be difficult, but when I started playing my music— and that is to this day—everything seemed normal. I never saw any reason to stop.” Wendell Holmes and Willie “Popsy” Dixon both died in 2015. Sherman resides at Christchurch across the street from Calvary Baptist Church where it all started. He continues the group’ s legacy as the Sherman Holmes Project and plays around the country. He often plays and sings “Amazing Grace” as a tribute to the Holmes Brothers and to his own spiritual and musical heritage. This article originally appeared in the Southside Sentinel and is republished here with their permission.

By Mary Wakefield Buxton Urbanna, Va.— The study of history is difficult enough, but acknowledging our own personal history can really cause discomfort. Yet we can’t run from history. Halfway through the January program I attended on integration of public schools in Middlesex County, it hit me there were few white natives present. “Why aren’t white natives here?” I asked myself throughout the program? Of course, NFL football games were on TV and it was a beautiful sunny day after weeks of rain. There were plenty of reasons why whites couldn’t attend. Yet the courthouse was packed with African-Americans who came to the program on the struggle for public school integration that occurred right here in Middlesex County, including a number of black ministers. But only a sm attering of whites. Why? Whites who remembered integration of the public schools some 50-60 years ago also have uncomfortable memories. After the program I asked a native what integration was like at Gloucester High School. She remembered some African-Americans were “aggressive and mean, wore Afro hairstyles with picks in their hair, and were fighting all the time in the hallways. “One day a black girl passed me in the hall and punched me hard just out of the blue,” she recalled. A teacher saw the incident and the girl was suspended for three days. But it was still a painful memory and she didn’t want to talk about it. How do we recover from the trauma of this chapter in history if whites and blacks who experienced traumatic events as children don’t acknowledge the pain they caused each other? How sad children were caught up in social upheaval that earlier generations had caused. Can we acknowledge mistakes we made, forgive each other and move on? Can we offer everyone alive today a blanket of forgiveness for all grief from the past? I agree with those who told the audience that love and forgiveness can solve problems. Even if our neighbor refuses to love and forgive us, we are called by higher command to love and forgive him. Other painful chapters in Middlesex history come to mind. The evil of slavery that so poisoned our society, the tragedy of the Civil War suffered by all with almost a million casualties to atone for the sin of slavery in America, and Yankees who came to this area and burned, pillaged, killed and took livestock from starving, innocent citizens. Many native families, both white and black, have ancestors who still live here and hold vivid, dark memories passed down from grandparents of those bitter times. After which the horror of almost 100 years of “Jim Crow laws” that further suppressed blacks. No one alive today is responsible for the past. Yet if we continue to harbor angry and bitter thoughts from past history we are surely responsible for continuing that misery. The truth is we will not recover from the scars of yesterday until we learn how to let go of the past. Abraham Lincoln saved our Republic and freed the slaves. But he did not live long enough to implement his reconciliation plan for the nation. If his beautiful recovery program . . . “with malice toward none and charity for all. . . .” had shaped our future there would have been rapid recovery in the nation from wounds of slavery and war. But, unfortunately radical Republicans insisted on taking revenge on the “white south,” and Democrats eventually regained power and enacted cruel Ji m Crow laws. Then, the next tragedy, Republicans deserted blacks and left them to fend for themselves. As the program ended in Saluda at the old historical courthouse, I looked on the walls and saw many portraits of judges and clerks of the court that served our county throughout these years. I knew many had helped implement segregation. Yet every one of them had felt he was doing his duty to his fellow man in following the laws. It’s difficult for us who live today to understand concepts of right and wrong change with passing times. What was accepted years ago is not accepted now. (And what we accept today as right and wrong will not be accepted in future generations.) My eyes finally rested on the portrait of Middlesex Sheriff Josh Holmes. I smiled. So much progress has been made. We can each do our part to ensure that it continues. But I hurt. Two hours on a hard courtroom bench left my back aching and my le gs stiff. I stood up and, the gracious Pinky Holmes, who was sitting behind me throughout the program, asked me for a hug. “I liked you before, Mary, but now I love you,” she said. We held on to each other as if our very lives depended on it. Then the miracle. My pain just disappeared. If love and forgiveness can help crusty old me, it can help everyone. So can we recover from our past, dear readers? This One Woman’s Opinion writes . . . yes we can!

The Museums of Middlesex, which the Middlesex Museum is a member of, are pleased to welcome the Colonial Seaport Foundation to its group of non-profit organizations working together to promote Middlesex County history. For more than a decade, the Colonial Seaport Foundation has served as an educational and charitable organization focused on preserving facets of colonial maritime history by providing historically accurate living history presentations and education to the public. Find them at www.colonialseaport.org . Museums of Middlesex is an “umbrella” organization of the diverse museums and foundations in the County and formed to specifically to assist each museum or foundation in increasing visitors to area museums, promoting regional history and contributing to the economic development of the region by enhancing tourism. The Museums of Middlesex applies for multi-applicant grants and monies not available to its individual members for funding. Although the group is currently focused on promoting the historical aspects of Middlesex County, the ultimate goal is to also work to increase awareness of Middlesex as a destination for outdoor recreation, lodging, dining and relaxation on the water. The three founding museums include the Middlesex County Museum and Historical Society, the Urbanna Museum and the Deltaville Maritime Museum. Working off Providence Road in Deltaville, the Colonial Seaport Foundation is currently engaged in the “Luna Project,” which involves creating a replica of an 18thcentury coastal trading sloop, the “Luna.” The “Luna” should be substantially completed this summer.  The “Luna” started as a bare hull and is planned to become a pier side location for education and lectures. “Luna’s” sparse below deck accommodations would have been luxurious to sailors used to the cramped quarters in the 18th century. This design allows “Luna” to be fitted out for various roles to include, classroom, cargo vessel, or movie set. In 2018, 23 Colonial Seaport Foundation volunteers provided 5,200 volunteer education hours through historical interpretation and maritime programs in four states and two countries. Volunteers are always welcome for vessel construction as well as education programs. The Museums of Middlesex and the Colonial Seaport Foundation are working to set up their work area in Deltaville as a Middlesex Visitors Center and for the “Luna,” along with the Deltaville Maritime Museum’s Buyboat “F.D. Crockett” and the “Explorer,” acting as traveling ambassadors for Middlesex.

Honorary historic district status comes with no strings attached By Tom Chillemi Portions of the village of Saluda could be getting “honorary” historic designation from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR). On March 5 the Middlesex Board of Supervisors (BOS) allocated $6,000 to match funds from the DHR to conduct a survey of Saluda’s historic structures. After the survey, Saluda could be eligible to be considered by DHR for “honorary designation.” According to the DHR, listing a historic district in the Virginia Landmarks Register and or the National Register of Historic Places “does not restrict owners use of his or her property in any way as long as private non-governmental funds are used. It does not prohibit any owner from altering or demolishing any building nor d oes it restrict subdivision or sale. Register listing does not require a property to be open to the public.” The DHR website’s summary states that historic district designation: • Increases public awareness of a community’s historic resources and encourages preservation. • Does not restrict in any way the private property owner using private funds. • Mitigates the negative impact of federal government funded projects. • Provides financial benefits mainly in the form of tax incentives and easements. Marilyn South, executi ve director of the Middlesex County Museum and Historical Society, told the BOS at its December 2018 meeting that in 2016 the DHR completed an architectural survey in Middlesex that recommended Saluda be further studied as a possible historic district. The 2016 survey identified Middlesex as one of seven counties in Virginia that is under represented with regard to architectural resources. Elizabeth Hoge Lipford of DHR said that listing the Saluda historic district would be a priority due to the earlier architectural survey of Middlesex that cost DHR $67,000. Lipford noted there are no restrictions placed on structures in historic districts and they can be altered or demolished. Dave Kretz, Middlesex Planning Director, said a “honorary” historic designation will not be accompanied by new zoning rules or county ordinances governing historic distri cts. During the public hearing at the March 5 meeting, Saluda resident Tom Foley spoke against the proposal indicating it could restrict the use of his property and that economic benefits are not substantial and have red tape. Zani Autry, who owns property on Gloucester Road in Saluda, spoke against the proposal. Local historical author Larry Chowning spoke in favor of the proposal saying “Saluda has an amazing history” and the $6,000 for the survey is a small price to pay for many benefits. Marilyn South said the honorary historic designation “opens up tremendous grant opportunities.” Middlesex Museum president Robert Montague of Urbanna said he has lived in two historic districts and has not found them to be a hardship. Monta gue noted that U.S. Marine Lt. General “Chesty” Puller’s house is in Saluda. “He alone justifies Saluda becoming a historic district.” Hallie Holmes spoke in favor of the proposal and noted that Antioch Baptist Church, which is in the proposed historic district, was founded in 1866. “There is a lot of history here.” The proposed historic district generally includes structures along Route 33 from the curve entering Saluda to Middlesex High School; and Business Route 17 from about 100 yards east of the Hardee’s to the stoplight. Antioch Baptist Church and an old wooden school behind it would be included. This article originally appeared in the Southside Sentinel and is republished here with their permission.

By Larry Chowning Holland Powell was born a slave in 1854 in the Amburg area of Middlesex County. As a slave boy, he worked on a farm, oystered for his master, and received no formal education. Prior to the end of slavery, churches were integrated in Middlesex County with slaves sitting in balconies while whites worshipped below or they worshipped at different times than whites. After slavery Powell’s father and mother, William and Martha Powell, who had been members of Zoar Baptist Church, became charter members of First Baptist of Amburg, an active African-American church in Deltaville to this day. In Arthur Bunyan Caldwell’s, Volume 6 Book of History of the American Negro, Powell was recognized for his life as a Baptist minister. The book states he was baptized at the a! ge of 13 in 1867 and became a member of First Baptist of Amburg. He was baptized with four others, including his older brother, by Rev. Thomas Washington. Even as a boy, Powell knew he wanted to be a minister. As a small boy, he would take an open oyster and hold the shells in his hands as if he were holding the Bible or hymn book and proceed to preach to the other children. Caldwell stated that Powell received no education as a slave but was a student in the first mandated public schools for blacks in Middlesex County. It was a seven-month school year in Middlesex, and for three other months he attended a school in Norfolk. After the Civil War and as part of reconstruction, Middlesex County was required to establish free schools throughout the county for whites and blacks. Powell learned to read and write in a one-room log schoolhouse. When not i! n school, the article states Powell worked on a farm and oyste! red in the river. In 1873, Powell felt a calling and moved to Washington, D.C., where he entered Wayland Seminary. His parents did not have money to send him, but they would send produce they had grown at their home in Amburg for him to sell to earn some money. He completed the courses there with an AB degree in 1879. His first regular pastorate was at Grove Baptist Church in Norfolk. He went on to become pastor of First Baptist Church of Richmond and later at Second Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan. From Detroit, he went to Canada as pastor of Queen St. Baptist Church in Toronto, and afterwards accepted a church in Ohio. Powell took a job with the Virginia Seminary and College in Lynchburg as educational secretary in the pastoral field. He later accepted a church in New York State and his last p! ulpit was at Liberty Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. The article stated that in politics Powell was “a Republican and a member of the Moses and the Ideal Society. Readers will not be surprised to learn that his favorite book was the Bible.” He died in 1924 at the age of 70 and is buried at Washington Street United Methodist Church Cemetery in Alexandria. This article originally appeared in the Southside Sentinel and is republished here with their permission. Dustin Burrell of Stormont provided the book and other information on Rev. Holland Powell for this story. Rev. Powell is an ancestor of Burrell and his family. Some of the information came from the May 12, 1900 Richmond Planet newspaper. The Richmond Planet was founded in 1882 by former Richmond slaves. The newspaper served African-Americans throughout the state for 45 years. It closed in 1929.

Published with permission from Southside Sentinel  By Larry Chowning Millwood stands quietly majestic, back off the road in a field near the intersection of Stormont Rd. (Rt. 629) and Healys Rd. (619). In the early 1800s, the acreage was part of land holdings owned by Robert Healy Sr. of Woodstock. Healy purchased 615 acres off Shooter’s Hill in 1826, built his home Woodstock in 1840, and cemented his name forever in Middlesex County history when he purchased the 1714 Anglican Lower Chapel of Ease in 1857 from the Protestant Episcopal Church and gave it to the Methodists. Today, Lower United Methodist Church is one of the most active churches in Middlesex County and the church building is one of the oldes t church (circa 1714) structures in America. Sue Gatewood Healy married Robert’s grandson Granville at Christ Church on October 21, 1873 and the couple moved into Millwood, a house Granville’s father Robert Healy Jr. had built. Sue’s personal Bible was recently rediscovered by Middlesex native Alfred G. Bridger Jr. of Richmond. Bridger and his late father Dickie attended many antique and estate sales in Middlesex County. “My father would often bid on a box and contents especially if there was an old Bible in it,” said Bridger. “He did not like to see family Bibles sold like that. “I recently rediscovered this one that I had moved up here to Richmond from Middlesex years ago,” he said. “Cotton fabric had been sewn onto its front and it was wrapped with a bow from an old flour bag fabric.” The Bible had been a Christmas gift in earlier times. In the very front, written in faded pencil, it states, “As often as I read, a heartfelt prayer for one thoughtful and generous gift— given by P.D.C. Christmas 1858.” Worn and faded pencil writings toward the back of the Bible reflect on a lifetime of reading her Bible and using it to record the joyous and sad moments in Sue Healy’s life and times. The family information in the back of the Bible starts by telling of her marriage to Granville in 1873 and follows with births of children and grandchildren and deaths of her own children and others. The final entry must have been a difficult one for Sue as it was the death of her son: “Robert Healy, son of Sue and G.S. Healy, died on the 6th day of February 1881 at his father’s resident Millwood, Middlesex County, Virginia (at 4 o’clock in the morning) and buried at Lower Church in this same county.” The Bible holds a great deal more history relating to the Healy family of Middlesex beginning in 1778, with numerous births, deaths and marriages. Bridger said that over 50 years ago he and his father purchased the Bible at an estate sale in Regent near Wake. He would like to “put it into the hands of a (Robert) Healy family member in Middlesex.” If you are a member of that Healy family and have an interest in the Bible, contact Southside Sentinel reporter Larry Chowning at 804-758-2328.

The Middlesex County Museum & Historical Society elected the following board members and officers for 2019: Bob Montague, president; Velma Gray, vice president; Patricia Satterfield, secretary; and Diane Gravatt, treasurer. Other board members elected include Davelin Gresham, Bessida Cauthorne White, Scott Krejci, Page Wittkamp, Stephen King, Beth Bader, Mike Carey and Kerry Robusto. The following local residents were elected onto the advisory board: Larry Chowning, Dr. Richard Shores, Ida Mae Shores, Cynthia Lewis, Helen Chandler, Rev. Woodland Holmes, Rob Warner, Claudia Soucek, David Lively, Celane Roden, Donald Loop, Susan Neal and David Taylor. The boards strive to heighten the awareness of all related to history in general but especially to Middlesex County’s 350 years of local history. The museum continues to collaborate with the Museums of Middlesex and Michele Brown, Economic Development & Tourism Coordinator for Middlesex County. #BoardofDirectors #Governance #HistoricalSociety #MiddlesexCounty

By Mary Wakefield Buxton Urbanna, Va.— The last speaker on the panel during the program on integrating area public schools presented in Saluda last month was the upbeat Anthony Green. The second of three sons of Dr. Calvin Green, the man who had initiated the lawsuit “Green v. New Kent County,” Anthony’s pleasant demeanor and positive message immediately lifted my spirits. Green, now a math teacher in public schools, told us when he and his two other brothers, at ages 7, 8 and 9 years old, had no choice in the matter, their parents sent them to the “white school” whether they wanted to integrate or not. They did not suffer any trauma, however. “Prejudice is taught,” Green said, “and in the 4th grade there is no prejudice yet.” The younger students were when integration cam e about, the better, he explained. “Every one of us had a great education and ended up being able to attend any college we wanted.” You could almost hear a sigh of relief in the room at his glowing report. Yet Green went on to say public school had dropped many of its stringent standards since that day when the “basics reading, writing and arithmetic were emphasized,” he added with a smile. “With a good grasp on these three subjects a student can make a success of life with the many opportunities today for all people willing to work hard in school.” William and Mary Professor Daugherity, emcee of the program, then opened the program to questions from the audience. Many in the standing-room-only crowd continued sharing experiences of early integration in Middlesex County. One lady said on her first day at “white school,” when she sat down to eat in the cafeteria at a table o f white girls, everyone got up and left. Another said every morning she said hello to her white teacher and every morning her teacher ignored her. She just kept saying “good morning” and one day her teacher returned her greeting. The audience seemed to agree there was work ahead for blacks to achieve equal opportunities and some obviously thought politics would provide the solution. One person pointed out the disparity in housing and economic status. Added to that is the scarcity of good jobs in the county and the fact that many young citizens have to leave Middlesex after graduation in order to find work. One suggestion to improve job opportunities in the area is to cut high business and professional taxes which suppress area business growth and job creation. I asked the panel how can we recover from these obvious wounds from over 65 years ago. Green answered that “love solves all problems.” Another member of the audience stood up and said, “We blacks have to stop blaming others for our troubles and learn to forgive.” I reflected for some time on such answers. It seems unfair that those who suffered injustices in the past have to then forgive those who had hurt them. Yet several ministers spoke and one even suggested “we are blessed” referring to all the suffering our citizens experienced as if it were a benefit. I understood what he was saying because when I suffered some failure or humiliation as I was growing up in Ohio, Father always told me how “lucky” I was. I would wipe the tears from my eyes and ask him why I, who had just failed so miserably, was “lucky.” “Because you’re building character, Mays,” was always his answer. I didn’t understand it then, but at age 77 I understand what he meant. Yet one day I distinctly remember shouting back at Father, “I’m sick of building character!” I would bet some blacks would feel the same way. I left the meeting thinking of the trauma Middlesex children, both white and black, and yes, whites were traumatized too, experienced during integration. Change is painful and nothing in life comes easy. One thing is clear. Those who work for social change are bound to suffer some punishment. Yet I never sat down at a table and had everyone get up and leave which would be disastrous to a 14 year old girl. But during my “feminist era” when I was agitating to bring women into a Peninsula Rotary Club when half of the men in the club angril y turning their backs on me once when I arrived to a meeting. But I was 40 and that’s a big difference from 14. Also, my husband was at my side to protect me from too much “trauma.” It wasn’t fun or easy in those years when professional women opened up all male civic clubs to females. But we believed in our cause and we were willing to suffer the consequences. Perhaps many blacks today feel the same way. One can’t stop social change. Still, our children should not have to bear the brunt of such trauma on their young and innocent shoulders.

By Mary Wakefield Buxton Urbanna, Va.— My husband Chip asked me last week why talk about past pain that area citizens suffered. Because the only way for us to recover from it is to acknowledge it, I responded. After the film “Green v. New Kent County” that was shown earlier this month at the Middlesex Historic Courthouse in Saluda, a panel was introduced: Dr. Calvin Green’s son, Anthony; 1966 MHS graduate Norman Robinson; Schreinaer Hodges, parent of integrating students; Hallie Jean Holmes, 1970 MHS graduate; and Rosetta Jarvis, who was among 29 black children that came to St. Clare Walker High School as part of the Class of 1957 before the county schools were integrated. The program was an eye opener for people who had no! idea of what those tumultuous years were like in Virginia. I was a teenager happily enrolled in public school in Vermilion, Ohio, a state that never had “Jim Crow Laws,” and a small town on Lake Erie that did not have any black residents. The irony was I was also in an “all white” school. There was no emotional upheaval, pain or trauma for me in high school other than putting up with juvenile boys in my class. I was a cheerleader, made good grades and studied as little as possible. I enjoyed school, which is what we want our children to do. (It would be nice if they learned something too.) I never dreamed that anyone could ever be caught up in social upheaval so intense that it could even cause a parent to be fired. First to speak on the panel was Norman Robinson, MHS class of ’66. A member of the “Middlesex 13,” the first group of local blacks that integrated “white” MHS,! Robinson said by 1969 “black” St. Clare Walker High School cl! osed and full integration was implemented in Middlesex. From that point on all high school students in the county graduated from MHS. “The first day of school at MHS I thought I’d died and gone to heaven!” he told the audience to much laughter. He recalled padded chairs and curtains in the auditorium, even a weight room, much nicer equipment all around. “The white boys didn’t speak at first but that problem soon went away.” He recalled one white boy asked him how he was doing on that first day and this encouraged him to carry on. Schreinaer Hodges spoke next, one of the parents of the “Middlesex 13” that had sent her daughter, Violet, at age 13 to the 8th grade, George, 12, to 7th grade, and Sadye to 5th grade to the “white” school under the “freedom to choose” program. She was immediately fired from her job. Yet she continued on because “it wa! s the thing to do and the children were willing to go to the white school,” she said. Hodges reported, “Everything went well after the “touching crisis” passed.” I had no idea what she was referring to but the mostly black audience burst into laughter. The “touching” crisis she referred to was the fear that apparently some white children had that if they touched a Negro their fingers would turn black. Rosetta Dobbins Jarvis, part of the “West Point 29” students to first integrate white schools, lived in West Point. Her family paid West Point taxes but because she was black she was denied access to the “white” school in town. She and other blacks had to be bussed to a school 18 miles away if they wanted an education. The day came when she and other black students went to the “white” Hamilton Holmes High School to enroll. The principal met them ! at the door and barred their entrance. The group went downtown and “pic! keted” the stores in protest. She claimed the National Guard was called out to keep the peace. She was 14 years old. Rosetta went on the explain she quit going to the “black” school and her father, who worked for Chesapeake Corp., was arrested for not sending his daughter to school and had to pay a $200 fine—no inconsequential sum in those days. She and eight other black students from West Point finally enrolled in the all black St. Clare Walker High School in Middlesex County. They all piled into one station wagon for the daily trip. She was in the Class of 1957 at St. Clare Walker. Hallie Jean Holmes, 1970 MHS grad, daughter of the late Josh Holmes (sheriff in Middlesex County who served until 1983), reported she rebelled against her family’s wishes for her to leave St. Clare Walker High Sch! ool and attend MHS. “I didn’t go to MHS until St. Clare Walker High School was closed in 1969,” she said. Holmes remembered on that first day only one white student welcomed her, Kate Thomas, who became a lifelong friend. It was a difficult time for her and she admitted that she did not want to be at MHS. Yet, in spite of such challenges, the Holmes family was successful in Middlesex County as were many other black families. To be continued.

By Mary Wakefield Buxton Urbanna, Va.— Seldom have I been so upset at hearing what my fellow Americans relate as I was this month. But I was on the verge of tears as a panel of elderly area blacks recounted a few weeks ago at the Middlesex Historical Courthouse in Saluda their memories of integration of area public schools. History is painful. As I sat on the hard wood pew-like benches at the back of the courthouse, hearing one atrocious memory after another, my head ached, my back was sore and my legs cried out for better circulation. I so wished to get up and walk out of the room and far away from what I was hearing. I’m a history major and all my life I have read history with great interest. I enjoy reading various accounts of the story of man. But it’s one thing to re ad history out of a book, to merely flip page by page through the horrible things man has done to his fellow man throughout the ages. But actually hearing history that took place in my own lifetime right here in Middlesex County from those whose voices still occasionally quivered at their traumatic memories . . . it is tough to do. How sad that during the painful years of integrating public schools in Virginia it was the children who were the soldiers, a small, sturdy army to be sure, as fallible and vulnerable as any one of us were in our youth who carried on their slight shoulders the burden of seeing to it that the Supreme Court decision of Brown vs. Board of Education was actually implemented in the Commonwealth. And, oh, how they suffered . . . along with their parents who simply wanted what white parents wanted—better education and more opportunities for their children. The program, emceed by William and Mary history professor Brian J. Daugherity, was sponsored by the Middlesex NCAAP, Middlesex County Museum and Historical Society, and the Middle Peninsula African-American Genealogical & Historical Society. It included showing of a film “Green vs. New Kent County,” which was a case that went all the way to the Supreme Court in a decision that called for immediate full integration of public schools. It was a Middlesex County native, an area minister, Dr. Calvin Green, that filed the initial suit. The film gave a short history of the Brown vs. Board of Education decision, which came in 1954 stating that separate but equal schools were not equal. But even after this momentous decision, schools in the South did not hasten to integrate. Local school boards left the problem of getting equal education to black parents to enroll in “white schools” according to the “Freedom to Choose” program. Yet the Commonwealth began a program known as “Massive Resistance,” which actually saw public schools shut down rather than integrate, such as in Prince Edward County. Dr. Green, a Korean War Vet, school teacher and president of the local NAACP, and others took action. He filed a suit in 1965 against the school board claiming black parents did not have “Freedom of Choice” in public education. Federal Judge Merhige Jr. in Richmond heard the case and agreed, which initiated the process that finally ended “white” and “black” schools. I was a young wife at that time just home from my husband’s Navy stint during the Vietnam War and working to put my husband through law school. I was having my own problems adjusting to life in Virginia and becoming a lady that could fit into the conforming Buxton family and pervasive Virginia society. I well remember Judge Merhige and how hugely unpopular he was. He ordered school busing to achieve integration, which infuriated white parents who did not want their children bused across town. And who could blame them? They perhaps did not realize that black children for years had been bused to “black” schools often far away from their neighborhoods. The film contained Judge Merhige’s comments on the case. He related emotions were so intense that he had to send his family out of the country in order to protect them while he needed federal marshals living 24/7 with him for several years. The result of the Dr. Green’s lawsuit meant instant loss of jobs for not only Mrs. Green but the parents of those who had joined in on th e suit. “I was working at a local seafood company,” one parent on the panel related. “I was fired.” She had to seek employment in Williamsburg to exist. Her remark reminded me how feminists suffered as they agitated for the right to vote a century ago. “But we survived,” she added. Meanwhile the suit worked its way up to the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1968 the court said the Freedom of Choice plan that left the burden of registering black children in “white” schools up to black parents was not feasible. It was now time for local school boards to close down “black” and “white” schools, integrate students and faculty, and begin serving all Americans.

The Museums of Middlesex (MOM) 2018 film – Homegrown Heroes: Stories of Middlesex County’s Greatest Generation – profiles Middlesex County decorated veterans Raymond W. Burrell and Norton Hurd and family members of Beryl Newman. The filming, interviews and production were made possible by MOM’s successful grant application to, and funding from, the Virginia Tourism Corporation. The Museums of Middlesex was formed in 2015 as an umbrella organization to link the three county museums for the purpose of promoting tourism in Middlesex. The three partnering museums are the Middlesex County Museum and Historical Society in Saluda, Urbanna Museum , and Deltaville Maritime Museum & Holly Point Nature Park . MOM works closely with the Middlesex County Tourism Department, and its director, Michelle Brown. This veteran film is just one of the projects MOM pursued in its ongoing mission, using grants, to promote the county’s rich 350 years of history. Five hours of in-depth interviews were conducted to produce this short film. Southside Sentinel reporters Tom Chillemi and Larry Chowning assisted. The decorated veterans in the film are: • Private Raymond W. Burrell Sr. — During WWII, Raymond Burrell served with the famous 761st Tank Battalion, known as the “Black Panthers,” composed entirely of African American men. On November 4, 1944, General Patton sent the 761st on a deployment of 183 days of continual fighting in very harsh weather. The 761st was outstanding, causing thousands of enemy casualties, capturing or aiding in liberating over 30 major towns, aiding in capturing/ destroying 4 airfields, 3 supply dumps, 461 wheeled vehicles, 34 tanks, 131 large guns and a radio station. In 1978 President Carter awarded the 761st the Presidential Unit Citation for extraordinary heroism. • Captain Beryl Richard “Dick” Newman (deceased) — Beryl Newman served in the 133rd Infantry Regiment, 34th Infantry Division of the US Army. Near Cisterna, Italy, on May 26, 1944, Newman single-handedly advanced on two German machine gun nests, destroying three enemy machine gun nests, killing two Germans, wounding two and taking 11 prisoners. He was awarded the Medal of Honor by General Order #5 on January 15, 1945. He is buried in Remlik, Middlesex County. • Lieutenant Norton Hurd — Norton Hurd was a member of the “Hell Razors” headed to Guam in the legendary aircraft carrier “Wasp.” He flew in the first group of Navy planes to bomb Tokyo. Near Chi-Chi Jima, Lieutenant Hurd’s engine failed after a battle with a Japanese fighter, which he shot down. His plane crashed into the Pacific. As his plane began to sink, he went into the water with only a life preserver and a whistle. Lieutenant Hurd was finally rescued and returned to the Wasp. Lieutenant Hurd was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, which is given to those who demonstrate heroism. #HomegrownHeroes #Veterans #WorldWar2

By Rob Warner (Donald Robert Warner) Deer Chase on the Piankatank (Storemont) Well, this author thinks it is true, but please read on and make up your own mind. My story begins long before Middlesex was part of America, back in the early days of Jamestown and the English Colony of Virginia. Most Virginians know that the Powhatan Indians led by Chief or Warroance “Opechancanough” massacred 350 English Colonists on March 22, 1622. Not so many Virginia Historians know Opechancanough did this again in 1644 and killed 500 colonists the second time. That time Opechancanough was captured and killed. Then in October, 1646, a peace Treaty was signed with the new Powhatan Indian Chief “Necotowance.” As part of the treaty all land North of the York River was given to the Indians. This only lasted a few days, and Jamestown changed this to all land North of the Piankatank River which is approximately half the original amount. This area, which was part of  “Greater Virginia” was then named the “Chicacoan Indian District “ (Indian Reservation?). Officially, no Europeans were to settle in this area. The Chicacoan Indian District was named for the Chicacoan Indians who lived around the Coan River, (part of the Potomac Basin, Heathville today) but it did include several other tribes or parts of tribes who moved there. Were the Indians satisfied? I think yes, but like most Jamestown “Deals” was short lived. Then in 1648 Jamestown backed out of the treaty as they did many times when dealing with the Indians. This had only lasted two years, then Jamestown reduced the Chicacoan Indian District to about 4000 acres, in an area in what is now Lancaster County with no water, river or bay, access (very bad deal). Over the next twenty years the Indians lost most of this 4000-acre area to encroaching English Settlers, in spite of many battles in the English Courts. What else happened in 1648? In 1648 Jamestown declared the Chicacoan Indian District was now Northumberland County and of course included the 4000 acres of Indian land. This was truly a gigantic county, the largest in Virginia. But colonists were so anxious to settle that it was quickly settled by Europeans. It was also quickly divided into more normal sized counties, as follows. One important note first is the Northumberland County Seat was Coan Hall the home of John Mottrom on the Coan River which is a great distance from Jamestown. It is over 55 miles away while all the other counties were less than 40 miles. Now back to the counties formed from Northumberland: 1651 – Lancaster, 1653 – Westmoreland, 1656 – Rappahannock from Lancaster, 1664 – Stafford from Westmoreland, 1668- Middlesex from Lancaster, 1692 – Essex and Richmond formed from Old Rappahannock, and other counties west and north. Now, if you Google American Indian Reservations you will find in Wikipedia that the first Indian Reservation was formed on  August 29, 1758. It was called The Brotherton Indian Reservation and was 3284 acres in southern New Jersey. Now this is about 20 years before America was formed, but nowhere near as old as the Chicacoan Indian District (Reservation) date of 1646, 102 years older. Also, in 1658 Virginia (Jamestown General Assembly ) formed the Mattaponi Indian Reservation and the Pamunkey Indian Reservation. Both these were reaffirmed in 1677, and still exist today. I think Virginia had “The First Indian Reservation in America,” The Chicacoan Indian District, formed in 1636. Today we must promote ourselves to keep the records straight. My proposal or plan is for some of our local county school system history classes and teachers  research this and correct the history books, including Wikipedia. Chicacoan in 1636, or Mattaponi, or Pamunkey in 1658. All are older than New Jersey 1758, or New England 1666.  As Virginians we should promote our history to give the rest of the country our facts.  Perhaps Virginia Tourism could also help. Perhaps you could help! Note: Rob Warner is a member of Museums of Middlesex, and Northumberland Historical Society.

Welcome, Bryan Graulich to the Middlesex Museum and Historical Society as our newest intern. Bryan, a senior at Middlesex High School, is working on an internship project to find and document the locations of the multiple Native American tribes that used to live in modern day Middlesex County. Bryan participates in multiple sports for Middlesex High School, including cross country, wrestling and soccer. He is also involved in Boy Scouts and is currently a life scout. He is also very interested in history and chose to work on information pertaining to Native Americans because he wants to better understand the impact that the location has on influencing the development of society in the area by comparing Native American development to colonial development. #Intern #MiddlesexHighSchool

The Jamaica District in Middlesex County is often times considered the forgotten region of the county. Yet, it is perhaps the county’s best kept secret. Read more about this historic district here , in the latest in a Southside Sentinel series in celebration of the 350th anniversary of Middlesex County. Photo courtesy of Jean Holman to the Southside Sentinel for the series. According to the Southside Sentinel, “after the Revolutionary War, Anglicans abandoned the Upper Church building (pictured) at Church View. Members of Hermitage Baptist Church who had been meeting in a wood-frame “Meeting House” on Route 602 between old Revis Post Office and Route 17 took over the old colonial church building. The church burned in 1948 and the congregation of Hermitage Baptist rebuilt the present church on the original site of the old Anglican church.”

This year, the Middlesex Museum had the pleasure of tampharing the stories of African American Culinary Notables from the Middle Peninsula. Read on here for details about their illustrious careers and contributions to history and the culinary arts that we all continue to enjoy today. Joseph C. “Joe” Cameron, Jr. (1903 – 1988) was a native of Barnett County, North Carolina who learned to cook from two of his uncles who were chefs. Following his graduation from the famed Boston Cooking School in 1924, he spent several years as chief cook on the famous train, The Orange Blossom Special, and at Washington and Philadelphia restaurants. Joe moved to Middlesex County, Virginia, in 1929 and assumed the position of chief cook and dietician at Christchurch School. He retired from Christchurch in 1974 after 45 years of service. Joe was a legend at Christchurch; generations of students called him “Mr. Christchurch.” Pulitzer Prize winner and Christchurch alumnus William Styron (Class of 1942), said of Joe Cameron’s cooking: “I recall cheese biscuits and pastries and delicately grilled fish, fresh from the river or bay, which would have caused a French chef to salivate with envy.” The Christchurch dining hall is named for Joe Cameron. In 2014, Joe was inducted into the Christchurch School Hall of Fame for Lifetime Achievement. Robert Henry Cauthorne, Jr. (1883 – 1939) was a native of Ozeana in Essex County, Virginia. He worked as a waiter on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad off and on beginning in 1902, and continuously from 1928 until his death. For three months each year the B & O gave Cauthorne time off to return to Essex County to operate the federally sponsored Tri – County Canning Association, Inc. In a single season, the canning factory packaged 8000 cases of tomatoes under the brand name “Wil low Lawn.” Cauthorne was known for his specialty drinks and created an orange lemonade that became one of the B & O Railroad’s most popular drinks. For a nickel a glass, he sold $887.00 worth of the drink in 1929. The recipe was featured in the September 1929 issue of the Baltimore & Ohio Magazine . Cauthorne’s oldest son Alfred Cauthorne also worked for the B & O, holding the position of waiter – in – charge on The Capitol Limited. Doris Townes Fleming is an Essex County, Virginia, native who grew up in King and Queen County. She began doing domestic work when she was 11 years old, learning how to cook, to set a pretty table, and to clean silver. While working private family in Richmond, Doris met caterers Benjamin and Frances Lambert. So began her career in food service. The Lamberts were premiere caterer s in the city, serving parties for the city’s wealthy elite and for institutions such as the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Doris worked with the Lamberts until they retired and then went to work in food service for Reynolds Metals. Doris and her husband Charles W. Townes, Sr. had five sons: Charles W. Jr., Theodore A. “Tony,” Martin “Tutti,” Marvin “Billy Ray,” and Stacey. When they were growing up they all worked with their mother in food service. Two of the sons, Martin “Tutti” Towne s and Theodore “Tony” Townes have pursued careers in the culinary arts. Feeling that if she could work for someone else, she could also work for herself, Doris kept her job but started her own catering business. Eventually Doris started to work at the Virginia Governor’s mansio n on a part – time basis. She became the lead cook during the administration of Governor Gerald Baliles. Doris served as head cook and manager of the kitchen during the administrations of Governor L. Douglas Wilder and Governor George Allen. She and Tony cat ered all the special occasions held in the mansion and prepared all of the meals when they were employed there. Among the highlights that Doris remembers preparing at the mansion were the repast for the funeral of Arthur Ashe, a dessert party for Bill Cosby, and breakfast for President Bill Clinton. Doris retired in 1992, but continued to help during the administrations of Governors Gilmore, Kaine, and McDonnell. Tutti has been employed as the butler at the Virginia Governor’s mansion since 1986 and is now serving under his tenth gubernatorial administration. Governor Jim Gilmore said that “He is the rock on which the private lives of the governor and his family are built.” Tutti was recently recognized as a “Living Legend” by Cedar Street Baptist Church for 32 years of consecutive service at the mansion. Tony was always naturally talented as a cook, floral designer, and cake designer. He was hired as the butler at the Governor’s mansion under Governor Charles Robb, but became the head cook when the person wh o previously held the position became ill. When Governor Robb’s tenure was over, he hired Tony to work for him in northern Virginia where Tony remains today. Among his legendary cake designs are a gingerbread model of the Governor’s Mansion, a birthday cak e for Lady Bird Johnson, and a wedding cake for Loren Wilder, Governor Wilder’s daughter. Cleveland “CG” Foster (1884-1948) and Lena Jones Foster (1888-1957) owned and operated a general merchandise store in King William County, Virginia. Initially built in 1910, it was one of the first two such stores in central King William County and the first in the county to be African American owned and operated. The establishment was called Crossroads General Merchandise and Foster’s Grocery. The Fosters sold general merchandise and groceries as well as prepared foods. The menu included entrees such as roast beef, fried chicken, and fishes of the season. In the spring and summer months fresh vegetables were served; in fall and winter, the menu included vegetables that the Fosters had preserved. Their fresh pumpkin and lemon chess pies were especially popular. The Fosters operated the business until 1942. Ralph Jackson (1942 – 1993) , a native of Fredericksburg, Virginia, grew up in Middlesex County, Virginia, and graduated from St. Clare Walker High School. Despite a very difficult childhood, he ear ned a Bachelor’s degree at Virginia State College, a Master’s degree from New York University, and a Juris Doctorate from Howard University School of Law. Ralph first worked as a helper in the kitchen at Christchurch School and later worked as a cook to he lp finance his education. Ellen Johnson is a native and lifelong resident of Middlesex County, Virginia, who first worked as a kitchen helper at Christchurch School. She moved up quickly and credits the older women with helping her along. Ellen was an a ssistant cook at the Urbanna Lodge for 13 years. Although she headed the laundry department at Riverside Convalescent Center for 32 years, she has never left the culinary world. She has catered parties and events in the county over the years, and served as the caterer for the annual picnic of the Urbanna Chamber of Commerce. The Urbanna Oyster Festival Silver Anniversary Cookbook notes that “Ellen’s grilled hamburgers are a must for one’s perfect picnic pleasure.” She continues to work with food – related eve nts, and assists with meal preparation and set – up at Christchurch Parish House. Edna Lewis (1916 – 2006) , a native of rural Freetown in Orange County, Virginia, learned to cook from an extended family that included grandparents who had been enslaved. An award – winning author and chef, she was renowned for her traditional Southern cooking that emphasized fresh and locally grown foods and later in life for her recipes. Edna Lewis served as the chef at multiple restaurants, including Café Nicholson and Gage and Tollner in New York City. She was the author of The Edna Lewis Cookboo k (1972), The Taste of Country Cooking (1976), In Pursuit of Flavor (1988), and The Gift of Southern Cooking (2003), co – authored with Scott Peacock. The Taste of Country Cooking is considered a classic study of Southern cooking. In 1979, Craig Claiborne of The New York Times said the book “may well be the most entertaining regional cookbook in America.” In 2017, nearly forty years after its publication, The Taste of Country Cooking saw an abrupt and newsworthy spike in US sales, ranking #5 overall and #3 in the cookbook category on Amazon’s bestseller list. The spike followed its thematic inclusion in an episode of the cooking competition show Top Chef. The documentary Fried Chicken and Sweet Potato Pie (2006) is a celebration of Edna Lewis’ life and influence. In 2014, Edna Lewis was honored with the issuance of a postage stamp with her image by the United States Postal Service. She is renowned as one of the greatest American chefs a nd as an African – American woman who almost single – handedly revived a forgotten world of refined Southern cooking. Michael Irvin Queen was born in Japan and lives in Laurel, Maryland. He has deep family roots, though, in the Middle Peninsula Virginia counties of Essex, Gloucester, King and Queen, and Middlesex. Michael has been in the food industry for nearly thirty years. He got his start by working under a French chef while in high school. He then took culinary classes in Germany while in the United Sta tes Army and studied at the United States Army Culinary Arts School at Fort Lee, Virginia. Michael has been a Certified Executive Chef since 1980. As an Executive Chef, he has supervised and managed food and beverage revenues from $750,000 to $4.6 million a year. For 24 years he served as Executive Chef at several country clubs. Since 2014 he has been an Executive Chef for Hilton Worldwide. Presently he is Executive Chef at the Embassy Suites at BWI Airport in Baltimore, Maryland. In 2016, Embassy Suites re cognized him as Manager of the Year. Two of his specialty dishes are Maryland crab cakes and apple cobbler. Seymour F. Scott (1933 – 2007) , a Middlesex County, Virginia, native, first became interested in cooking when he was 19 years old and living in Richmond. He began his career as a cook in the Army and then worked as a “pot washer” at Christchurch School apprenticing under Joe Cameron. Seymour worked his way up and was named Head Chef at Christchurch when Joe retired. Seymour worked at Christchurch School for 32 years. In 1987, he became Food Service Manager at Makemie Woods Camp and Conference Center, a Presbyterian facility in New Kent County, Virginia. He served there for 11 years, retiring in 1998. When Seymour retired, the Makemie Woods report to t he Presbytery noted that he was most appreciated for his homemade breads and chicken soup. For many years Seymour operated his own catering service, Scott’s Catering Service – Service with Pride, catering numerous events in the region. Segar’s Jazzy J’s, now operating as Segar’s Catering, is a family business owned and operated by Jean and James Segar of Dunnsville, Virginia. In 1989, the Segars opened Jazzy J’s, a restaurant in Warsaw, Virginia. The unusual name was suggested by Jean’s sister Thomasine Derricks, because all of their names began with the letter “J” and she thought that they were all “jazzy.” In 1993, the Segars expanded their business to offer full-scale catering services. When a highway expansion forced a relocation, they moved Jazzy J’s to Millers Tavern, Virginia, where they operated the restaurant until 2010. Currently, the Segars offer catering services in their own Essex County event space as well as at other locations. They specialize in events such as weddings, retirement parties, baby showers, etc. One of their signature dishes is their “Jazzy Fried Chicken.” The Segars are joined in the business by their adult children Janeen, Jaynell, Jackie, Jamie, and Leah. #AfricanAmericanHistory #CulinaryHistory #SpecialExhibit

By Rob Warner, Guest Writer for the Middlesex County Museum It was hard to pick a title for this story because it has so many interesting parts. Like all stories, and coins, this one has two sides. The story I am telling is the side of the coin you don’t hear too often. It is the Native American – Indian side of the story. It is also a story where I start in the middle, go to the end, and then tell the beginning. Please be patient with me, it’s the best I can do. Englishmen and Europeans in general are not always easy to get along with. Jamestown was founded in 1607. On their way to Jamestown Island the ships stopped at several  places in what is now the Norfolk area to contact Indians. These contacts ended by shooting  Indians. Needless to say, the start of Jamestown was hard, and involved conflict with the Indians. Why was that, THAT IS THIS STORY. It is almost like the Indians of the Powhatan Confederacy and their Chief Wahunsonacock, knew what the English wanted. In the 100 years before Jamestown, the Spanish found the “New World” (via the Italian Columbus) and became the wealthiest country in Europe. This wealth was based on New World Gold and Silver. Briton, France, Holland, and Scandinavian countries all wanted to do the same in the New World. They also wanted bases in the New World,  from which to raid (pirate) the annual Spanish Treasure Fleet as it sailed to Seville, Spain. OK, back to the story and our most important person in Colonial Virginia, his name is “Opechancanough” (O–pe–chan–can–ough)  older brother or cousin to the Powhatan Chief Wahunsonacock. So what did he do to become the Most Important Person?  I will tell you the four most important events now, then fill in a little detail. 1607 – He captured Captain John Smith and took him to many Indian villages north of the James River including the Middle Peninsula (Middlesex, Gloucester, Mathews, and Essex Counties) and the Northern Neck. He then released Smith. NOTE: Opechancanough with captive Smith were in Middlesex and Essex between 20 and 27 December 1607 1618 – Opechancanough becomes chief of the Powhatan tribes after his younger brothers death. 1622 – March, Opechancanough plans and leads the massacre of Jamestown settlers, 347 English men, women, and children killed. 1644 – April, Opechancanough plans and leads the second massacre of Virginia Settlers, 400 English men, women, and children killed. In 1645 Opechancanough was captured somewhere on the Northern Neck by Henry Fleet and taken to Jamestown for trial. He was shot in the back by a guard and killed before his trial. Many settlers wrote and believed he was over 100 years old at his death. (this story makes him 101 years old)   In the last battles he was said to have been carried on a stretcher to lead his warriors. Opechancanough had spent almost 40 years trying to stop English settlement of Virginia land  which belonged to the Indians. How did he know, as an Indian, that  the English had planned to exploit the Indians and their lands?  Remember many of our stories of Virginia include “Heroic settler XYZ  protected his farm and family from Indian attack.”  That story does not include the fact that settler XYZ had first moved on to land that was clearly Indian land. OK, now let’s start at the beginning of this story,What may have been Opechancanough’s early life and possible contact with the Spanish. This cannot be proven, but some facts, and recent historians  merging of Spanish and English records make  it possible. Opechancanough was probably born about 1544 , perhaps at the Indian village of Kiskiackia, on the York River about 15 miles from Jamestown. In 1561 a Spanish ship, a caravel, under command of Antonio Velazquez was exploring the Chesapeake Bay. A tall, young 17 year old,  Kiskiack Indian, son of the chief was taken or given by the chief to be educated in Spain and returned in 3 years. The Spanish determined that his Indian name was “Paquiquineo”  Once educated in Spanish culture he could then act as translator between the Spanish and Virginia Indians. He “Opechancanough” was taken to Spain, educated by Dominican priests in Seville, met King Philip II and also visited Cuba, Mexico, and Florida. Well, 3 years quickly became almost 10  years. While in Mexico he became a Catholic convert, and took the Spanish name “Don Luis”. On September 10, 1570  Don Luis or Paquiquineo or Opechancanough, two Jesuit Priests, 6 Jesuit Brothers and an alter boy Alonso de Olmos (also called Aloncito) arrived in Virginia somewhere near Queens Creek on the York River to establish the Spanish Ajacan Mission. A settlement was started, but all ended quickly. Opechancanough left the settlement , found his family and Indian tribe, and took several wives. This caused a falling out with the Jesuits, and led to Opechancanouh and his tribe massacring all the Spanish except Aloncito the alter boy. Some believe the Jesuits may have mistreated Opechancanough and Aloncito and that is why he spared Aloncito. In August 1572, Spanish  Captain Pedro Menendez de Aviles came from Florida to determine the state of the mission in Virginia. He quickly realized it had failed. He saw Indians wearing the priests cloths and by capturing Indians learned what happened. He was able to ransom Aloncito and take him back to Florida, but not before killing between 15 and 30 Indians. He never encountered Opechancanough. Virginia Indians changed their names due to major events in their lives. The name Opechancanough is reported to mean “He whose soul is white”, and may refer to early contacts with Europeans (Spanish) – Whites. If this story is even roughly correct  it shows how one highly important Virginia Indian (Opechancanough) could be so aware of why it was important for Indians to keep the British and all Europeans from settling America. He had seen the culture, cities, technology and large-dense populations of Spain. He had seen how the Spanish mistreated Indians in Mexico and the Caribbean Islands. My story is based on historical work done since 1970. It includes Virginia legends, historical facts, and comments concerning Opechancanough, and the very accurate information recorded by the Spanish between 1560 and 1580. The story has  only become clear or possible when the two sources were recently combined. Within 10 years after Opechancanough’s death almost all Indians were eliminated from Virginia lands east of Richmond. CAPTION INFORMATION: Drawing. Captain John Smith threatens Opechancanough, in 1608. Note: During first contact years Indians were much larger than the English. In 1607 the average Englishman was between 4 foot 8 inches and 5 foot 2 inches in height. John Smith was considered tall at 5 foot 10 inches. Opechancanough must have been at least 6 foot 4 inches. The Indians lifestyle was very healthy, even though they had stone age technology. Europeans had high technology but perhaps significantly lower health. #CaptainJohnSmith #Powhatan #Opechancanough #Middlesex #ColonialHistory

Timeless Structures from Middlesex County Enrich Our History. That is the message hanging on the wall in the Middlesex County School Board Meeting Room thanks to a display funded by the Middlesex Museum to help increase public awareness of the Middlesex County heritage.

The Middlesex County Museum and Historical Society, Inc. is pleased to announce that it will host the 2018 Strong Men and Women in Virginia History traveling exhibition from December 26, 2018, through January 10, 2019. An annual initiative of the Library of Virginia and Dominion Virginia Power, Strong Men and Women in Virginia History recognizes African Americans of achievement. The 2018 class of seven honorees includes Middlesex native, civil rights activist, and educator Calvin Coolidge Green (1931-2011). A schedule of programs and activities related to the exhibition will be announced. Calvin Coolidge Green (July 19, 1931–February 10, 2011), received a bachelor’s degree in biology from Virginia State College (later Virginia State University) in 1956 and a master’s degree from the Agricultural and Technical College of North Carolina (later North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University) in 1965. He taught high school biology and chemistry in Richmond for more than 30 years. He also earned degrees in theology and pastoral counseling, and served as pastor to churches in the Richmond area and surrounding counties. Green served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, was promoted to colonel in the Army Medical Service Corps, and also served in the Army Reserve Chaplain Corps. Ten years after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education outlawing school segregation, Virginia continued to defy court orders to desegregate. As president of the New Kent County branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Green determined to force the issue where he lived and his three sons attended school. In 1965, he filed suit (in his youngest son’s name) against New Kent County, which implemented a “freedom of choice” plan that required African-American students to petition the school board for permission to switch to the school for white students. The Supreme Court ruled in 1968 that the county’s dual system was unconstitutional and that the school board had to devise a realistic plan to desegregate immediately. The decision in Charles C. Green et al. v. County School Board of New Kent County effectively forced the integration of schools in Virginia and nationwide.

wDid you know the Middlesex Museum has a host of books available to visitors? Here’s a list to keep handy for any upcoming research you may have or for your next visit! Only Available at Middlesex Museum Family Histories of Middlesex County, Virginia The Wiatt Family of Virginia The Edward Clark Genealogy by WB Smith A History of Lower King and Queen Baptist Church History of Virginia’s Navy by  Rbt. A. Stewart Lives and Times in Tidewater VA. by Mary W. Buxton Middlesex County Virginia 1810 Tax List Virginians Along bend Near the Lower Rappahannock River 1607-1794 By John Olto Marine Ages of Gloucester Co. VA By Francis Haywood Index to Printed VA Genealogies Inc. Key and Bibliography Compiled by Robert A. Stewart Mathews Co. VA Records by Jane B. Goodsell Available at Amazon, Abe Books, EBay, and the Museum Virginia’s Historical Markers by Margaret Peters Guide to Virginia’s Military 1861-1865 by Lee A Wallace Apprentices of Virginia by Harold Gile Historical Records Survey Work Index of Obits Religious Herald 1st Virginia Regiment of Foot by M. Lee Minnis Twelve Virginia Counties Index to US Pension Records 1801-1815 36th Infantry US Colored Troops in Civil War True Story of Pocahontas by Custalow and Daniel 55th Virginia Infantry by O’Sullivan A Place in Time Middlesex Co. Virginia. 1650-1750 by Garrett B. And Aneta H. Rutman, W.W. Norton & Co. 1984 Vital Records of the Three Gunned County: Birth, Marriage, and Death of King and Queen, King William, and New Kent Counties, VA. Vestry Book of Petsworth Parish, Gloucester County, VA 1677-1793 Roster Soldiers and Sailors Spanish American (Maryland) by Hugh Rudgely Riley Middlesex, VA Marriage Records 1853-1904 Federal Census 1880 Middlesex Co. VA. By Catherine Moore Traylor Catalogue of Rev. Soldiers and Sailors of Commonwealth of VA to whom lend Bounty Warrants were granted by VA for Military Services in the War for Independence. Compiled by Samuel M. Wilson C.1913 Lancaster Co. VA Marriage Bonds 1652-1850 Compiled by Ida J. Lee Pub 1965. 1815 Directory of Virginia Landowners Mathews Co. By Roger G. Ward How Justice Grew- Abstract of their formation by Martha Hiden Revolutionary Soldiers and Sailors from Lancaster Co. VA Rolls of 92nd regiment of VA Militia, Lancaster Co. VA Compiled by Straton Nottingham. Richmond Marriage Bonds 1797-1853 Compiled by Annette Reddy and Andrew Riffle, IV.