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Wayne Theatre Science Talk
Historic Wayne Theatre
521 W. Main Street
Waynesboro, VA
"Life in the Blue Ridge Before Shenandoah National Park"
When Shenandoah National Park was authorized by Congress on May 14, 1926, over 400 families were displaced to create the park. Our speakers, Bill Henry and Abby Wightman, will discuss the early history of the land, including evidence of settlers of European descent starting in the late eighteenth century. Part of this information will include history of the portion of Augusta County that became the park. We will also learn about the Monument planned by the Blue Ridge Heritage Project for Augusta County.
Bill Henry lives in Greene County at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains close to Shenandoah National Park. He writes: “While hiking in Shenandoah National Park I began noticing stone walls, foundations, and cast-off artifacts of daily living scattered around former homesites. Non-native plants such as boxwoods, daffodils, and irises caught my often indicated former home sites, and beds of periwinkle led me to find overgrown cemeteries. Through my reading and research, I found out about the families who had once lived where I was exploring, and I learned the story of how they were displaced. In 2013, along with a group of descendants and others interested in mountain history, I founded the non-profit Blue Ridge Heritage Project. The initial goal of the BRHP was to create a monument in each of the eight counties where land was acquired for the park in order to recognize and honor the families who lost their homes and land. In addition to chairing the Blue Ridge Heritage Project board of directors, I serve on the board of directors for the Shenandoah National Park Association and represent Greene County on the Blue Ridge Committee for Shenandoah National Park Relations.”
Abby Wightman, Ph.D., is a Mary Baldwin University Professor of Anthropology (the study of human societies and cultures and their development). She received a BA in history and anthropology from Miami University of Ohio, and an MA and a PhD in anthropology from University of Oklahoma. After completing her doctorate in May 2009, she joined the faculty at MBU. Her research background and specialty is in Native North American cultures.
