32nd annual

Brocks Gap Heritage Day

April 20, 2024

 J. Frank Hillyard Middle School, Broadway, VA, 10 - 4.
Free and open to the public.

Over 180 posters of vintage photographs are arranged by families, churches, schools, communities, and other topics. Researchers can use Pat Turner Ritchie’s personal library of family, local, and regional histories. Other genealogists and local historians will share their material and gather new information, sell their books.

Three programs:

11:00    Head for the Hills: The Refugees of Peggy's War  

                by Karl Rhodes

12:30    Speck Fulk's service in World War II,

                by Joe T. May 

2:00       Mountain Women Live on: Life & Legacy of  Appalachian Women

                by Dr. Peggy Shifflett 

Other participating organizations:

• Rocktown History (Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society HRHS) selling new books & telling visitors about the work of the society.
• Plains District Memorial Museum, Timberville, highlighting their collections and mission.
• Chimney Rock Chronicle, the area's monthly newspaper with emphasis on good news from the local community.
• DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution), photographing old family Bible records to transcribe and put in their national database. Joint project with HRHS.

Donations accepted to purchase tombstones for family cemeteries in Brocks Gap: Dove, Caplinger, and others. Sponsored by Pat Turner Ritchie, patritchie@verizon.net

Want a table space? RSVP by April 14 to save a space. Bring your own table and extension cord if you need an outlet. Contact patritchie@verizon.net

New Book:

Phillip Hoover & Sydney Belle Turner of Brocks Gap, Rockingham County, VA, Ancestors & Descendants by Jane Hoover Smootz & Pat Turner Ritchie. Most of the book’s 260 pages concentrates on Phillip and Sydney’s children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren in Virginia and Pennsylvania. Many of the 300 photos are in color, plus images of old documents and newspaper clippings.
There is a chapter on each of Phillip’s Hoover ancestors Sebastian, Peter, Jacob, David, and Emanuel Hoover by Pat Ritchie.

     

The final chapter has brief histories of Phillip and Sydney’s other ancestors such as Riddle, Turner, and Custer. Some of the Riddle land near Chimney Rock between Broadway and Fulks Run, VA, has been owned continuously by members of the Riddle family since early 1800 or before.

     If you are a Hoover with Brocks Gap connections but not a direct descendant of Phillip and Sydney, this book may have information on your earlier Hoover generations. Write me at patritchie@verizon.net if you have any questions.

Also featuring: African Americans in Brocks Gap, Rockingham County, Virginia. There were enslaved and free African Americans in the Gap before 1865. A free family who owned a farm on Crab Run at Bergton about 1806-1845 was industrious and thrifty. Another free family lived in the Gap a few years and moved to Winchester about 1850. Their stories are another aspect of life in Brocks Gap. Over 200 pages, some photographs, and photos of some original documents. $25 plus $4 for shipping. Order them from Pat Turner Ritchie. patritchie@verizon.net

Portraits of the Past: Bergton and Criders Communities, 1903. This 127-page book has photos of families of the area, taken by traveling photographer J. M. Hill of Bridgewater. It includes a brief biography of each person in the photos, when we could identify them, several pages of unidentified photos (maybe you’ll know some!), and some other photos from the 1880s of local people. $22 plus $4 for shipping, and you can order them from Pat Turner Ritchie. patritchie@verizon.net

See programs from 2023 Heritage Day

• The Will Brothers Go to War 
  by Joe T. May
• Fulks Run Funnies
  by Ronnie Fulk
• How to Preserve your Family Heirlooms
  by Fran Ritchie

Photos from 2023 Heritage Day:

Displays arranged by families,
churches, communities, occupations, etc.

Over 300 people attend each year.

Jonesbourgh TN Genealogical Society
shared Dove & Basore/Basher information.

DAR scanning family Bibles
to preserve the information.

Books for sale

Plains District Memorial Museum
and Biller/Tusing researchers.

Chimney Rock Chronicle

Taking a break

Greeting table

Welcoming visitors

Family discussions underway.

Some of 180 photo displays

Pat's personal library to use

Finding new information

 31st annual

Brocks Gap Heritage Day

April 22, 2023

At J. Frank Hillyard Middle School, Broadway, VA, 10 - 4. Free and open to the public.

Over 180 posters of vintage photographs are arranged by families, churches, 
schools, communities, and other topics. Researchers can use Pat Turner Ritchie’s personal library of family, local, and regional histories. Other genealogists and local historians will share their material and gather new information.

** Bring your old family Bibles to be copied and preserved by Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society (Rocktown History) and the DAR library. Free service! **

Donations accepted to purchase tombstones for family cemeteries in Brocks Gap: Roadcap, Caplinger, and others.

 Three programs:

11:00    Fulks Run fun; humorous stories  

                by Ronnie Fulk

12:30    The Will brothers' service in World War II,

                by Joe T. May 

2:00       How to Preserve your family heirlooms

                by Fran Ritchie 

Other participating organizations:

• Rocktown History (Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society HRHS) selling new books & telling visitors about the work of the society.
• Plains District Memorial Museum, Timberville, highlighting their collections and mission.
• DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution), photographing old family Bible records to transcribe and put in their national database. Joint project with HRHS.
• Chimney Rock Chronicle, the area's monthly newspaper with emphasis on good news from the local community. 

Sponsored by Pat Turner Ritchie, patritchie@verizon.net

Want a table space? Let me know by April 14 so we can save you a space. Bring your own table and extension cord if you need an outlet. Contact patritchie@verizon.net

My newest book will be available for sale: African Americans in Brocks Gap, Rockingham County, Virginia. There were enslaved and free African Americans in the Gap before 1865. A free family who owned a farm on Crab Run at Bergton about 1806-1845 was industrious and thrifty. Another free family lived in the Gap a few years and moved to Winchester about 1850. Their stories are another aspect of life in Brocks Gap. Over 200 pages, some photographs, and photos of some original documents. $25 plus $4 for shipping, and you can order them from Pat Turner Ritchie. patritchie@verizon.net

Portraits of the Past: Bergton and Criders Communities, 1903. This 127-page book has photos of families of the area, taken by traveling photographer J. M. Hill of Bridgewater. It includes a brief biography of each person in the photos, when we could identify them, several pages of unidentified photos (maybe you’ll know some!), and some other photos from the 1880s of local people. $22 plus $4 for shipping, and you can order them from Pat Turner Ritchie. patritchie@verizon.net

Programs from 2022 Brocks Gap Heritage Day

• Harrison May, World War II Hero
• George May from Ireland to Brocks Gap, Virginia
• Forgotten People of Rockingham County (Poor House)

Photos from 2022 Heritage Day:

 

30^th annual

Brocks Gap Heritage Day

May 7, 2022

at Broadway High School, Broadway, VA, 10 to 4. Over 150 posters of vintage photographs are arranged by families, churches, communities, schools, and other topics. Researchers can use Pat Turner Ritchie’s personal library of family local and regional histories. Other genealogists and local historians will share their material and gather new information.

 3 programs:

11:00    An Unsung World War II Hero from Fulks Run, Harrison May, by Joe T. May

12:30    George May: from Ireland to Brocks Gap—How DNA & new research led to a revised picture of George May & his family, by Diane Langston

2:00   The Forgotten People of Rockingham County, by Rev. William Zirk

**The school’s safety rules will be in effect.**

Currently masks are required for everyone.

Please be prepared to abide by the rules so that we can hold this event. 

Rocktown History (Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society) will be on hand to sell new books and to tell visitors about the work of the Society

.
Sponsored by Pat Turner Ritchie, patritchie@verizon.net

If you are interested in having a display table, let me know by April 29 so we can save you a space.

My newest book will be ready the middle of February: “African Americans in Brocks Gap, Rockingham County, Virginia.” Yes, there were enslaved and free African Americans in the Gap. There was a free family who owned a farm on Crab Run at Bergton about 1806-1845 who were industrious and thrifty. Another free family lived in the Gap a few years but moved to Winchester about 1850. Their stories are another aspect of life in Brocks Gap. The book has over 200 pages, some photographs, and photos of some original documents.

Last year I finished “Portraits of the Past: Bergton and Criders Communities, 1903.” This 127-page book has photos of various families of the area, taken by traveling photographer J. M. Hill of Bridgewater. It includes a brief biography of each person in the photos, when we could identify them, several pages of unidentified photos (maybe you’ll know some!), and some other photos from the 1880s of local people. The Portraits book is $22 plus $4 for shipping, and you can order them from me.