THE HERITAGE MUSEUM NEWSLETTER Home of the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society
Published Quarterly by the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society
The Genetic Relationships of Early Bowman Families
of Shenandoah and Rockingham Counties of Virginia
Introduction:
Bowman (Bauman) was a fairly common surname
among early settlers of Rockingham and Shenandoah
Counties in Virginia. The prominence of the George and
Mary Hite Bowman family has overshadowed research on
other Bowmans. Researchers have too often attempted to
shoehorn their ancestry into the George and Mary Hite
Bowman line. It is true that early pioneers frequently trav-
eled with and lived near relatives and friends, but some
genealogists have attempted to force relationships among
these Bowmans based solely on their proximity to each
other. The internet and other genealogical records are filled
with asserted relationships among these Bowmans. The
result is confusion and flawed genealogy.
Written records available from the 18th century provide
evidence that Bowmans came to Shenandoah and Rocking-
ham at different times and from different places. Who were
these Bowmans and what truly was the relationship, if any,
among them? This article focuses on five early Bowman
families thought by some to have been related; however,
recent YDNA testing on direct line male descendants pro-
vides significant new information as to the relationships, or
lack thereof, among these early Bowmans. YDNA tests the
patriarchal line since the Y chromosome passes from father
to son virtually unchanged.
Any effort at genealogical research and DNA testing is
a work in process. New information will surface. This arti-
cle presents what is known as of the last half of 2015. The
authors welcome additional information—especially
corrections!
Brief Highlight of Five Bowman Families for Whom
YDNA Results are Known:
1. George Bowman (1699 -1768) and Mary Hite came
to the Valley in the early 1730s from Pennsylvania with
George’s father-in-law, Joist Hite. George owned land
along Cedar Creek north of Strasburg, with a portion of his
one thousand acres lying in Warren County. The Bowman
house, which still stands north of Strasburg, is known as
Fort Bowman or Harmony Hall. George also purchased
1000 acres on Linville Creek in Rockingham County. He
left this land to sons Jacob and John, who sold it upon their
father’s death. George and Mary had thirteen children, six
of whom were sons. Three sons did not have any known
children – Joseph, George, and John.
Sons Joseph (1752), Abraham (1748), and John (1738)
became frontiersmen in Kentucky in the late 1770s. All
three received large land grants from their service in the
Revolutionary War. Isaac (1757) and George (1747) re-
mained in Virginia while Jacob (1733), who had military
service during the French and Indian War, moved to South
Carolina. The family’s accomplishments were substantial
leading to a well-earned prominence. While some of the
information in John Wayland’s book, The Bowman Family,
has now been eclipsed, the book significantly elevated the
public’s awareness of the George and Mary Hite Bowman
family. Such prominence and awareness encouraged others
to claim ancestry. [For more information about George and
Mary Hite Bowman, Roquey Jobe and his work is a good
place to start. Mr. Jobe can be contacted through the Hite
Family Association.]
2. George Bowman (1712-1786) and Barbara Keller
came to the Valley around 1770 from Berks County, Penn-
sylvania, purchasing land in 1772 just north of Timberville
in Rockingham County. George and Barbara were born in
Bodigheim, Baden, Germany, and came to Pennsylvania in
1749. George and Barbara had six children. We know three
sons reached adulthood: George (1742), Elias (1746), and
John (1750).
George (1742), who may have relocated to Shenandoah
County, Virginia, had two sons, George (1765) and Nicho-
las (1769), who were living in the Forestville area of Shen-
andoah County in the late 1700s. Son George (1765) and
his wife Elizabeth Roush relocated to Brown County, Ohio,
around 1800. About the same time Nicholas (1769) and his
wife Catherine Derrick relocated to Sevier County, Tennes-
see, on Flat Creek at Bird’s Crossing, and later moved on to
Henderson County, Tennessee.
Elias (1746) left Pennsylvania, settled first in Berkeley,
West Virginia, and then relocated to Washington County,
Tennessee, outside Jonesborough.
Volume 38, No. 1 Winter 2016
Continued on page 4
By Bernie Bowman and Marilyn Hering
2016 EVENTS
Colorful & Cozy: The Woven Art of the Coverlet, featured exhibit on display through mid-March.
Third Thursday Talk, February 18th, 7 pm: The Archaeol-
ogy of Shenandoah Valley Native Americans: Deep Time and
History, with JMU Archaeology & Anthropology Professor
Carole Nash, by popular demand. Free.
Special Event Sunday, February 21, 2 pm: Hobby Robinson
Exhibit Preview and Poetry Reading, with Sara Robinson.
Book signing and refreshments too! Free.
Special Event Saturday, March 12, 11 am: Appalachian
Coverlets: Heirlooms for the Next Generation, with Kathleen
Curtis Wilson. Come early or stay late to view the Coverlets
Exhibit. Refreshments. Free.
Third Thursday Talk, March 17, 7 pm: The Kentucky Rifle
in the Shenandoah Valley, Past and Present, with Longrifle
Historian and Restorer Frank Kobilis. Hear about pioneer fire-
arm history and view examples from Kobilis’ collection. Free.
Saturday, April 9, 10am-4pm, Dayton Spring Arts & Crafts
Redbud Festival. Stop by the museum to see what’s new in the
galleries and help identify photos in the Hobby Robinson
collection.
Third Thursday Talk, April 21, 7 pm: TBD
Third Thursday Talk, May 19, 7 pm: Reading Lousy Old
Handwriting, with Author Dorothy Boyd-Bragg, who will
share tips from her years of research. Free.
Third Thursday Talk, June 16, 7 pm: Notes on folks in the
Shenandoah Valley during the Civil War, with Irvin Hess, who
always shares new stories with his local history passion. Free.
Donations are encouraged to help keep events free.
Do you have a program suggestion? Please let us know!
The Heritage Museum Hours
Monday—Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Seasonal Sundays through November, 1-5 pm
Office closed on Saturday and Sunday
Telephone: (540) 879-2616 Email: [email protected]
ValleyHeritageMuseum.org HeritageMuseumStore.com
Trustees
Resident Historian
Dale MacAllister
HRHS Staff
Executive Director: Penny Imeson
Administrator: Margaret Hotchner
Staff: Amy Kiracofe, Juanita Wysong
Museum Assistant: Tom Knight
Newsletter Submission Deadlines
All articles are subject to editing. Ideas for feature articles
must be submitted in advance of the article. We reserve the
right not to use unsolicited feature articles. Genealogical que-
ries welcome.
Submissions may be emailed to
or mailed to HRHS, P.O. Box 716, Dayton VA 22821
Spring April 22
Summer July 22
Fall October 21
THE HERITAGE MUSEUM HARRISONBURG-ROCKINGHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Our Wish List
Page 2 Volume 38, No. 1
Charlie Collette Beau Dickenson
David Ehrenpreis Lisa Hawkins
LJ Purcell Lew Taylor
Wes Graves, Chairman
Irvin Hess, Vice-Chairman
George Homan, Treasurer
Dana Fenner, Secretary
THE HERITAGE MUSEUM HARRISONBURG-ROCKINGHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Volume 38, No. 1 Page 3
SPECIAL EVENT
Sunday, February 21, 2016, 2 pm
Hobby Robinson Photography Exhibit Preview and
Poetry Reading & Book Signing by Sara Robinson
Sara Robinson retired from a technical career and
discovered the life of a poet. She writes the poetry col-
umn, “Poetry Matters” for Southern Writers Magazine.
Her inaugural poetry book, Two Little Girls in a Wad-
ing Pool, nominated in 2012 for the Library of Virginia
Literary Awards, told of her life experiences from
growing up in a small town (Elkton, VA) to how she
sees the world today. Two of her poems contained in
the book won prizes from the Blue Ridge Writers
Chapter and the Virginia Writers Club. Her poems
have appeared in the online journal of the Poetry
Society of Virginia, Piedmont Virginian magazine,
Poetica, the 2013 Blue
Ridge Anthology, and
other anthologies. Her
first published work,
Love Always, Hobby
and Jessie (2009) is a
memoir about her fa-
mous photographer
father and his marriage
to her enigmatic
mother.
Sara will be reading from her
latest poetry book, Sometimes the
Little Town, inspired by her
father’s photographs. Copies of
the book will be available for
purchase during the reception and
book signing. Attendees will pre-
view the new Hobby Robinson
photography exhibit.
Local Note: The History Essay Contest is now open for students in grades 6-8 (public, private, and home-
school) with a deadline of April 4th. All information can be found on valleyheritagemuseum.org under
“Programs.” We extend special thanks to award sponsor, the Darrin-McHone Charitable Foundation.
The Harrisonburg Rockingham Historical Society seeks to preserve, enrich, and maintain the historical record
of our communities. Through your bequest or other planned gift you will help ensure this valuable institution
continues its mission of historical preservation, education, and research. You may choose from many planned
giving opportunities, all of which can be tailored to meet your financial and philanthropic goals, including a
gift of securities or listing HRHS as a life insurance beneficiary. Please contact Penny for more information:
[email protected] or (540) 879-2616. Thank you for allowing your legacy to save history.
SPECIAL EVENT
Saturday, March 12, 2016, 11 am
Appalachian Coverlets: Heirlooms
for the Next Generation
People in southern Appalachia
have always treasured the woven cov-
erlet; it is part of their cultural history.
Many early settlers stayed in the
homeplace from generation to genera-
tion and carefully kept family lore and family textiles
intact. Speaker Kathleen Curtis Wilson will share her
20-year journey documenting regional coverlets, the
fascinating stories she heard along the way, and the
Scots-Irish migration.
Kathleen Curtis Wilson is a Fellow at the Virginia
Foundation for the Humanities, working on her forth-
coming book, An Enslaved Woman & Her Dressmaker
Daughter. Wilson is the author of Irish People, Irish
Linen (2011); Textile Art from Southern Appalachia:
The Quiet Work of Women (2001); and Uplifting the
South—Mary Mildred Sullivan’s Legacy for Appala-
chia (2006). A renowned authority on Appalachian
crafts, Wilson is craft section editor for the Encyclope-
dia of Appalachia (2006). In 2014, she wrote the
history of the Southern Industrial Educational Associa-
tion, Inc. 1905-1926, and compiled a digital resource of
the organization’s 51 issues of its Quarterly Magazine.
Wilson travels between her homes in California and
Virginia.
Make it a Bedcover Celebration! Come early to
view the Colorful & Cozy coverlet exhibit so that you
have time after the presentation to enjoy refreshments
or lunch before heading to the Virginia Quilt Museum
lecture by Kyra Hicks on Franklin Roosevelt’s Postage
Stamp Quilt at 1:30 pm in Harrisonburg.
For quilt lecture details visit virginiaquiltmuseum.org
or call (540) 433-3818.
Sara Robinson’s selfie with her father’s Graflex camera.
THE HERITAGE MUSEUM HARRISONBURG-ROCKINGHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY
John (1750), the only son born in Pennsylvania, relocat-
ed to Virginia with his parents. The house that George
(1712) and John (1750) built on their Virginia property was
preserved through the years. In 2005 it was dismantled and
reconstructed as a permanent display at the Frontier Culture
Museum in Staunton, Virginia.
George (1712) and Barbara were affiliated with Raders
Lutheran Church outside Timberville, while their grand-
sons, George (1765) and Nicholas (1769), were affiliated
with Solomons Lutheran/Reformed Church in Forestville.
[For further information about the George (1712) and Bar-
bara Keller Bowman family, consider co-author Bernie
Bowman’s book, George and Barbara Bowman: Immi-
grants and Bowman House Builders.]
An additional name worth noting is Henry Bowman
(1773) One paper trail claims he is the grandson of Chris-
tian Bowman (1698). Another claims he is grandson of
George Adam Bowman (1724). Henry married Sabrina
Pence in Shenandoah County and then moved to Adams
County, Ohio, in 1800. YDNA results conclude that Henry
(1773) is related to the George Bowman (1712) line, but
there is no paper trail evidence to support that relationship.
3. Christian Bowman (1698-1763) of Germanic descent
came to the Valley in the mid-1730s, settled on Sandy
Hook, just south of Strasburg in Shenandoah County. Later,
about 1750, he relocated to the mouth of Narrow Passage
Creek just north of Edinburg, in the same county. Christian
(1698) established a line of Bowmans living from Stras-
burg to Forestville. Many descendants still live in the same
area. He was affiliated with the Lutheran/Reformed
Church. He had eleven children with two wives. His sons
were: Jacob (1726), David (1730), John (1738), Christian
(1740), Daniel (1750), Henry (1752), Benjamin (1754), and
Samuel (1756). [For additional information about Christian
Bowman (1698), consider the book, Christian Bowman of
Shenandoah County, Virginia by Helen MacDonald and
Betty Boehm Millner.]
4. Jacob Bowman (1722-1778) married Elizabeth Rue-
ger (Unger) based on records in the Lutheran Church, Earl
Town, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Around 1768, the
family relocated to Shenandoah County where Jacob pur-
chased 200 acres located on the North Fork Shenandoah
River near Woodstock which he sold in 1769 to Frederick
Stoner. There is speculation that Jacob was of the Mennon-
ite faith prior to his marriage. The couple had seven chil-
dren, of which two were sons. There is family information
known for one son, Jacob (1744). Nothing is known of the
second son, Samuel. Some descendants moved to Indiana,
others to Greene County, Tennessee.
5. Jacob Bowman Sr. (1718-1803) and wife Varena
lived in Washington County, Maryland, where she died. He
and second wife Barbara relocated to the Linville Creek
area near Broadway in Rockingham County in 1778-79.
After Barbara’s death, Jacob married a third time. Jacob
and family were affiliated with the Flat Rock Church of the
Brethren. Jacob’s descendants spread through Rockingham
County and on to Tennessee and Indiana where many were
heavily involved in the Church of the Brethren. Jacob had
eight children. The sons are thought to be: John (1743),
Isaac (1745), Jacob (1747), Henry (1753), Benjamin
(1754), and Joseph (1757). Sons Isaac and Henry did not
relocate to Virginia, staying in Maryland. [For more infor-
mation on Jacob Bowman (1718) readers are referred to a
three part series written by Emmert Bittinger published in
Mennonite Family History.]
Relationship Status Affirmed by YDNA Results:
The surprising result of YDNA testing is that none of
the early Bowman families highlighted above who lived in
Shenandoah and Rockingham Counties in the 1700s were
related to each other. This is especially surprising given all
the connections that have been asserted. What do we mean
by unrelated? YDNA testing is a science of statistical prob-
ability. Depending on the number and quality of testees,
YDNA results can provide the probability of individuals
being related within a given generational span. For exam-
ple, some would say that to be considered “related” there
should be a high probability of that relationship having
been within ten to twelve generations. When we say none
of the Bowmans highlighted above were related, the results
show no relationship probability within thirty to fifty
generations.
What was the quantity and quality of the testees for
these highlighted Bowmans?
For George Bowman (1700) married to Mary Hite,
there are two testee results from two of George’s six
sons. Remember, three of the sons had no children.
For George Bowman (1712) married to Barbara Keller,
there are 20 testee results from George’s three sons.
For Jacob Bowman (1722) of Woodstock married to
Elizabeth, there is one testee result from one of two
sons, Jacob.
For Jacob Bowman (1718) of Rockingham County,
there are five testee results from three of five sons.
For Christian Bowman (1698), there are four testee
results from three of six sons.
For Henry Bowman (1773), there are three testee results
from two of four sons.
Safes of the Valley
Page 4 Volume 38, No. 1
Genetic Relationships of Early Bowman Families . . .
Continued on the next page
Continued from front page
THE HERITAGE MUSEUM HARRISONBURG-ROCKINGHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Volume 38, No. 1 Page 5
. . . of Shenandoah and Rockingham Counties
Obviously the results for some are stronger than others
based on the number of testees and on the quality of their
paper trail evidence from the original individual down to
the testee. But all meet the standard of reasonable confi-
dence in the outcome: no relationships were found.
There are additional findings from the work of the
Bauman Project1 that will be of interest to those research-
ing Bowmans. These are:
That Jacob Bowman (1718) of Rockingham County was
not the son of Wendell Bowman of Pennsylvania as
many have posited over the years.
That Benjamin Bowman (1754) and Jacob Bowman, Jr.
(1745), strong leaders in the Church of the Brethren in
Rockingham County, have been proven with YDNA
results to be brothers and to be sons of Jacob Bowman
(1718). Also John Bowman (1743) is a proven son. This
is based on five testee results.
That George Bowman (1765) married to Elizabeth Roush
is not related to the George Bowman (1699) and Mary
Hite line. There has been significant misinformation
asserting this relationship in family databases.
That Jacob Bowman (1722) of Woodstock is not a broth-
er to Jacob Bowman (1718) of Rockingham County, and
neither is related to the Wendell Bowman line or to the
Johanas Bowman line of Lebanon County, Pennsylvania,
as suggested by some early researchers.
That while the Christian Bowman (1698) and George
Bowman (1699) lines became interrelated through mar-
riage, there was no relationship prior to their residency in
Shenandoah County.
That none of the Rockingham County Bowmans are re-
lated to John Bowman (1764) of Franklin County, Vir-
ginia, as has been asserted by some researchers. Emmert
Bittinger’s suggestion that there was no relation has
proven correct with YDNA testing.
None of the five Bowman families for whom YDNA
results are available were related to Cornelius Bowman
(1740) of Wilkes County, North Carolina, and Kentucky.
Other Early Bowmans in Shenandoah and Rockingham
Counties of Virginia:
There are records of other Bowmans residing in Shenan-
doah and Rockingham Counties in the 1700s; however
there are no known YDNA results for these families, nor is
there good paper trail evidence of relationship with the
YDNA tested Bowmans above. Other Bowmans include:
Peter Bowman (1763-1823), who lived in Rockingham;
George Adam Bowman, who died in 1797 in Shenandoah
County; Cornelius Bowman (1740), who lived in North
Carolina and moved to eastern Kentucky; Godfrey Bow-
man, who lived in Rockingham and moved to Augusta
County, Virginia; and another Cornelius Bowman with
sons Henry and George, who are mentioned in Chalkley’s
records in very very early Rockingham County. 1The Family Tree DNA Bauman YDNA Surname Ge-
netic Project:
All of the YDNA results utilized in the conclusions in
this article were done under the auspices of the Bauman
Surname YDNA Genetic Project. Co-author Marilyn He-
ring and Mel Bowman are the administrators for this group.
The group’s primary focus is on various Germanic families
who have the Bauman, Baumann, Bowman or Boman sur-
names or the Germanic Bowman YDNA. Marilyn Hering
would be delighted to communicate with anyone who has
information or needs help with Bowmans of the Shenando-
ah Valley. For more information about the YDNA results
herein, contact Marilyn Hering: [email protected].
George Bowman (1712) and son John (1750) built this house in 1773 north of Timberville, Rockingham County. In 2005 it was moved and reconstructed at the Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton, Virginia (rear view shown).
Nancye Bowman home near Edinburg in Shenandoah County. Nancye descended from Christian Bowman (1698) through her father’s side and from George Bowman (1712) through her mother's side.
Fort Bowman, or Harmony Hall, was built for George Bowman (1699) near Strasburg in Shenandoah County, about 1753. Early 19th century Valley historian Samuel Kercheval is buried in the Bowman family cemetery nearby.
Continued from previous page
THE HERITAGE MUSEUM HARRISONBURG-ROCKINGHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Page 6 Volume 38, No. 1
Brock Hardware & Harness Company was located
on the East Court Square portion of N. Main Street in
Harrisonburg. The property was purchased in 1898 by
Owen B. Brock (1868-1936) from C. A Sprinkle &
Co. There Mr. Brocker operated the Harrisonburg
Harness Company. In 1905, Mr. Brock began con-
struction on a two story annex to the Rockingham
Exchange building for his rapidly growing business.
By 1913, the harness factory was discontinued due to
the increasing popularity of the automobile.
In 1915 Brock bought the hardware stock of the
Nicholas & Lemley Co. at a price of $13,000 and took
over the store, which occupied a room in his building
forming the Brock Hardware Company. According to
Brock’s obituary, he operated the business until 1934,
although the company was sold in 1926 to I. S. Ewing
and L. S. Dickenson. At that time the name was
changed to Peoples Hardware Company.
There was a fire in August of 1920 at the Brock
Hardware & Harness Company which practically de-
stroyed the three-story structure and threatened the
entire business block. The loss was estimated at
$20,000, but was fully covered by insurance.
Newspaper advertisements for Brock Hardware &
Harness Company in the 1920s promote a wide inven-
tory such as: twine, auto parts (spark plugs, tubing,
chains, tires, etc.), seeds, stoves, ice cream freezers,
and building materials (nails, hinges, doors, windows,
flooring, etc.). The store also represented the Win-
chester-Arms Company, selling their newly manufac-
tured hardware and sporting goods.
Owen Brock was quite an enterprising man. He
was one of the organizers of the Virginia Amusement
Company which erected the Virginia Theater. He also
organized the Virginia Cigar and Drug Company
which succeeded the L. H. Ott Drug Company. Later
it consolidated with the Central Drug Company in
1934 and then sold out to Peoples Drug Store. In addi-
tion, Brock was a member of the North Court Square
Presbyterian Church building committee.
Owen Brock was the son of Charles J. and Henri-
etta Pennybacker Brock. In 1892, he married Eleanor
Crisman Moore, who died in 1919. In 1924, he mar-
ried his second wife, Ruth Jones. Mr. Brock had three
sons from his first marriage and two daughters from
his second.
Information obtained from various newspaper arti-
cles and advertisements in the Harrisonburg Daily
News-Record between the years 1905 and 1937. The
WPA Records provide additional information regard-
ing the property beginning in 1773 (see Dennis and
Thomas Lanahan Residence and Tavern pp. 233-234).
Found in the Library Files: Brock Hardware & Harness Company
Researched by Margaret Hotchner
Brock Building on East Court Square in Harrisonburg, as seen in the 20th century (right). The buildings of Brock’s hardware and harness enterprises are identified in the 1918 Sanborn Fire Map (below). Note the curved windows on the map (at arrow). The building has been torn down.
EAST MARKET ST
N. M
AIN
ST
.
Julius Ritchie Collection
THE HERITAGE MUSEUM HARRISONBURG-ROCKINGHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY
A Warm Welcome To Our
New Members
Suzanne Bonadeo, Beaver Island, MI
Laura Bray, Elkton, VA
Nancy Copley, Rockingham, VA
Katherine Damico, Penn Laird, VA
Doris Egge, Roanoke, VA
Kathleen Fite, Cincinnati, OH
Jim & Ann Hershberger, Linville, VA
Christine Kaila & Brittani Bailey,
McGaheysville, VA
Kimberly Kissel, Darien, IL
Jeremy & Lindsay Aldrich, Harrisonburg, VA
Janis Norton, Harrisonburg, VA
Patricia Oxley, Round Rock, TX
Cheryl Plane, Rehoboth Beach, DE
David Pruett & Suzanne Fiederlein,
Harrisonburg, VA
Jean Roberts, Reston, VA
Volunteer Luncheon, 12.1.15
Everyone used their listening ears to recognize the holiday tunes and songs of yesteryear in hopes of being the first to get five markers in a row.
Volume 38, No. 1 Page 7
Approximately 55 volunteers filled the lecture hall to celebrate another year of service and success.
Administrator Margaret Hotchner delivers newly designed ornaments as tokens of appreciation.
Millie Becker’s piano talents entertained the volunteers dur-ing a game of S-I-N-G-O. Singing was not required to play the musical bingo game, but festive voices did fill the air.
Wish you were there? Get an invitation to the fun by
sharing your time and talent as a volunteer. There’s
always something to do at The Heritage Museum!
A NOTE FROM THE OFFICE
We have begun using a new software program to maintain
donor and member records. Most of the change is behind the
scenes, but you may notice a change in digital communica-
tions. Please be aware that in the near future, we will send a
mass email to confirm your digital preferences, if applicable.
We appreciate your support during this transition. Thank you!
THE HERITAGE MUSEUM HARRISONBURG-ROCKINGHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Prominent Harrisonburg Physician Dr. Eugene Dickerson
Page 8 Volume 38, No. 1
In the latter 1800s African American teachers in
Harrisonburg and Rockingham County tended to be
better educated than the white teacher. This may seem
surprising, but all of the black teachers received post-
high school training, while many white teachers did
not. This educational strength lay in other areas as
well, including medicine. In 1955 Eugene Dickerson
died in the Freedmen’s Hospital in Washington, DC.
His three-decade career as an African American doc-
tor of outstanding credentials in Harrisonburg merits
recognition. Dickerson’s biographical entry in the
Virginia Edition of the History of the American Negro
and His Institutions, published in 1921, described him
as “the only colored physician at the prosperous little
city of Harrisonburg.”
Eugene Dickerson was born on or about August 1,
1877, in Charlottesville, Virginia. He was the son of
Charlottesville residents Wilson Dickerson and Fannie
Reeves, both born about 1840. It is noteworthy that
Wilson Dickerson’s sister Aggy Dickerson was a slave
at Monticello well after Thomas Jefferson had died in
1826. She was bought by Uriah Levy in 1835, when
he acquired the formerly grand Monticello estate.
Aggy worked as Levy’s cook.
Eugene Dickerson, with his parents’ encourage-
ment, sought to better himself through education and
study. He attended the public colored schools of Char-
lottesville, including two years of high school. He then
went to the Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute in
Petersburg where he received his A.B. degree in 1896.
This school is now known as Virginia State Universi-
ty. It was the first fully state-supported, four-year in-
stitution of higher learning for African Americans in
the United States.
Eugene’s desire to be a doctor convinced him to
attend Leonard Medical College in Raleigh, North
Carolina. The school had been started by Shaw Uni-
versity in 1880 and operated for about 40 years pro-
ducing 400 physicians. Dickerson graduated with his
M.D. degree in 1900. He then took an additional year
of post-graduate work at Howard University in Wash-
ington, specializing in gynecology. He spent another
year as an intern in the Freedmen’s Hospital in Wash-
ington. This hospital, now known as Howard Univer-
sity Hospital, was estab-
lished in 1862 to meet the
medical needs of newly
freed slaves who came to
Washington during the
Civil War.
Dr. Dickerson began
practicing medicine in
Gloucester County, Vir-
ginia, in the small com-
munity of Ware Neck. He
moved on to Bluefield,
West Virginia, where he
served for 2½ years. Dur-
ing that time he was a
surgeon in Mercer Hospital. In 1910, after a brief peri-
od in Staunton, Dr. Dickerson came to Harrisonburg
and spent the next thirty-plus years meeting the medi-
cal needs of its black citizens.
In 1904 Eugene Dickerson married Leona Ander-
son, daughter of James T. and Eva J. Anderson of
Staunton, Virginia. James Anderson was a teacher
there. Leona, who had graduated from Morgan Col-
lege in Baltimore (now Morgan State University) and
did post-graduate work at Fisk University in Nash-
ville, was an accomplished school teacher before her
marriage. As a doctor’s wife in Harrisonburg, Leona,
worked in her home as a hairdresser. Sadly, Leona
Dickerson died in 1924 at the Freedmen’s Hospital in
Washington, DC, after a brief illness. Her funeral was
held at John Wesley M. E. Church in Harrisonburg
with burial in Newtown Cemetery.
Eugene and Leona were the parents of four chil-
dren: Eugene, Jr., James Wilson, Eva Frances, and
Austin Curtis. James died just after his first birthday.
Doris Harper Allen in her book, The Way It Was,
Not the Way It Is, provides some illuminating insight
into Dr. Dickerson. She writes, “Doc was a great doc-
tor, kind, gentle personality, patient with seniors and
children . . . .” She also mentions that Dickerson not
only served the black citizens of Harrisonburg, but
also those in the surrounding county as well. Dr. Jacob
C. Harshbarger, who lived on South Mason Street in
Harrisonburg, was a close associate of Dickerson’s. In
Jim Crow days, Rockingham Memorial Hospital
By Dale MacAllister
Continued on the next page
THE HERITAGE MUSEUM HARRISONBURG-ROCKINGHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Volume 38, No. 1 Page 9
consigned African American patients to a limited area
in the basement.
Dr. Dickerson was not allowed to perform surgery
in Rockingham Memorial Hospital. His patients need-
ing surgery were forced to go to the Freedmen’s Hos-
pital in DC. Dickerson had an office available in
Washington for use when one of his patients was there
for surgery. Ruth Toliver’s book Keeping Up with
Yesterday mentions that the doctor had admitting priv-
ileges in that hospital.
Dr. Dickerson was an active member of Harrison-
burg’s black Newtown community in numerous ways.
He was a member of the Methodist Church; of Omar
Masonic Lodge, No. 226; and the
Order of the Eastern Star, Shenan-
doah Chapter, No. 108.
One of Dr. Dickerson’s prime
concerns was that of promoting
better health in the black commu-
nity. In 1910, his first year of prac-
tice in Harrisonburg, he read a pa-
per at the Colored Teachers’ Insti-
tute held at Effinger Street School.
The paper was titled
“Conservation of the Health of the
Community.”
In 1914 Dickerson was among
those who proposed to organize a
Civic League associated with the
colored schools. The Doctor was appointed to a per-
manent organization committee. This was the era
when Civic Leagues, with citizen and parent support,
were being organized all over Virginia to help provide
additional support for schools and their needed im-
provements.
His close association with the local schools contin-
ued for many years with Dr. Dickerson serving as
medical examiner and health inspector. He also served
as a medical examiner for Standard Life Insurance
Company.
During World War I, Dickerson was chairman of
the local colored Liberty Loan Committee. He also
volunteered for the Medical Research Council.
In 1924 Dr. Dickerson was an active leader in pro-
moting “Negro National Health Week.” Previously,
this was celebrated by local African Americans as a
week to clean up around their property. That year they
were encouraged to cooperate with clean-up efforts
throughout all of Harrisonburg. The churches promot-
ed this cooperation to help “make our city, clean,
healthful and beautiful.”
In 1927 Dr. Dickerson spoke on behalf of the Red
Cross at a program held in John Wesley Methodist
Church. He talked about the history, purpose, and
work of the society. County Red Cross leaders present
at the meeting acknowledged their “great satisfaction
over the interest the colored population has taken in
the Red Cross movement.”
In 1939, continuing his commitment to community
health, Dickerson was a founding member of a Negro
Tuberculosis Auxiliary of Rockingham County associ-
ated with the Virginia State Tuberculosis Society. The
doctor was treasurer of the local organization.
TB was of particular interest to Dr. Dicker-
son. In 1908 he had served as delegate to the
International Congress on Tuberculosis held
in Washington.
Eugene Dickerson truly believed that
progress and development for the African
American race could best be realized through
“better organization along civic and econom-
ic lines, coupled with unselfish, efficient
leadership.” His dedication to his practice,
and his efforts toward community improve-
ment, contributed greatly toward that goal.
The Dickerson family lived at 202 North
Mason Street on the corner with East Wolfe
Street. The house had been built about 1910.
When the doctor died in 1955, his Mason Street home
was willed to the Omar Masonic Lodge. The Lodge
continues to meet there today.
Dr. Dickerson moved to Washington, DC, about
1947 and lived at 1600 Fifteenth Street, N.W. His
death occurred in April 1955 in the same hospital
where he had served an internship a half-century earli-
er. It was also the institution where his surgical pa-
tients were welcomed for life-saving procedures.
Eugene Dickerson was brought back to Harrisonburg
for burial in Newtown Cemetery. The sad fact about
this twentieth-century African American physician,
health advocate, and Newtown community leader is
that he has no stone to mark his final resting place.
Photos of Dr. Dickerson and his family are from the New
York Public Library’s digital image collection.
Continued from previous page
THE HERITAGE MUSEUM HARRISONBURG-ROCKINGHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Page 10 Volume 38, No. 1
Acquisitions Archives
Beth El Congregation of Harrisonburg donated copies of Hobby Robinson’s books, Nine to Ninety and
Mish Mash.
Stan Farthing donated two copies of a dedication card of the June 23, 2011, ceremony for the reconstruction
of the historic stone wall on Eberly Road in Dayton, Virginia. The wall was restored by the community.
Marlena Powers donated a Wenger bible which was found by a friend in a trash can. There was no title page
included; however, the Wenger family data inscribed was for the period 1893-1943.
Victor and David Smith donated two items which they found in the estate papers of Audrey Smith. The first
item is an envelope containing facsimiles of important Lee and Grant documents - e.g. Grant’s Terms –
Rough Draft, Grant’s Terms – Final Ink Copy, Lee’s Letter of Acceptance, Final Terms – by Commission-
ers, Parole Pass – issued to General Fitzhugh Lee, Lee’s Farewell Address, Lee’s Amnesty Oath, and, Lee’s
letter to the Honorable John Letcher. The Smiths also donated Cross Keys, An Interdiction, Sunday 8 June
1862 by W.R. Waddell, Jr.
Lois & Paul Wenger donated a copy of the songbook The Royal Proclamation published by Ruebush, Kief-
fer & Co. of Dayton, Virginia.
Betty Driver donated Rader Lutheran Church (1765-2015) commemorative items: a Veterans Recognition
Memorial program (July 12, 2015) and A Brief History – 1965-2015.
Artifacts
John Hinkle delivered additional printing slugs and blocks to his previous printing press donations.
William O’Brien donated in the memory of John Heatwole two paper scrips; one issued by the County of
Rockingham (VA) dated June 1, 1862, in the amount of 10¢, and the other issued by The Farmers & Millers
Depot, dated September 13, 1861, in the amount of .03¢.
Seymour Paul donated formal clothing including a tuxedo, two dresses, a bow tie, scarf and undergarments.
He also donated a round traveling case.
Library
Robert Alley donated a copy of his newly released book, Nickell-Nichol, Donagle, Burk – Ancestors & De-
scendants of John McCastle Donaghe Nichol and Nancy Ann Burke.* In addition, he donated genealogy
resource books for the library.
Richard Armstrong donated a copy of his newest book, They Also Served, The Confederate Niter & Mining
Bureau District 4½ - Staunton, VA, 1862-1865. *
Tony Lawson donated the book, The History of Elkton by R.B. Hutton.
Howard Miller donated a number of issues from various newsletters – e.g. Pen Pal Palatine Quarterly,
Pennsylvania Monthly Mennonite Quarterly, Mennonite Family History, and the Journal of Pennsylvania
German Society. Mr. Miller also donated four music books published by Ruebush & Company of Dayton,
VA.
Gene Rhodes donated a copy of his 2015 book, Billy Rhodes: The Untold Stories.*
Elwood Yoder donated a copy of his newly published book, How Firm a Foundation, A History of Weavers
Mennonite Church.
Juanita Wysong donated a copy of Remember When: Filling Stations and Grocery Stores by Jack & Jeddie
Hensley, a pictorial history from the Elkton area.
Administration
Jerry Griffin and Juanita Taylor donated office supplies to the office.
Compiled by Margaret Hotchner
*Copies of this book are also available for sale in the Museum Bookstore.
THE HERITAGE MUSEUM HARRISONBURG-ROCKINGHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Volume 38, No. 1 Page 11
History of little-known aspect of Civil War
They Also Served: The Confederate
Niter & Mining Bureau, District 4½
Staunton VA, 1862-1865
by Richard L. Armstrong
& Marion O. Smith.
Hardcover, $25
Years of research come together to reveal
the operations to produce saltpeter for gun-
powder and the many men who were em-
ployed, including Confederate soldiers, free
blacks, and slaves. The men of the Bureau
also saw military action at the Battle of
Piedmont, near Staunton. Includes purchase
records, roster of workers, and index.
For Valentine’s Day!
My Own Dear Maggie: A
True Shenandoah Love
Story compiled by Elsie Re-
nalds Newcomer and Janet
Renalds Ramsey.
Softcover, $25
My Own Dear Maggie is a
fascinating love story which
uniquely reveals the rebuild-
ing and growth of the Shen-
andoah Valley after The War
Between The States.
Bookstore & Gift Shop
Virginia migration through three centuries!
Bound Away: Virginia and the Westward Move-
ment by David Hackett Fischer and James C. Kelly.
Softcover, $30
Based on an acclaimed exhibition at the Virginia His-
torical Society, the book studies three stages of migra-
tion to, within, and from Virginia. Each stage has its
own story to tell. Together they offer an opportunity to
study the westward movement through three centuries,
as it has rarely been studied before.
Too far for a visit?
Textile Art from Southern
Appalachia: The Quiet
Work of Women
by Kathleen Curtis Wilson.
Softcover, $27.50.
The author brings together
the textiles and the stories of
the women who wove them,
stimulating a new respect and
appreciation for the artistic
excellence and long tradition
of mountain coverlet hand
weaving.
New Genealogy!
Nickell-Nichol
Donaghe Burke Ances-
tors & Descendants of
John McCastle
Danaghe Nichol and
Nancy Ann Burke by Robert Earl Alley.
Hardcover, $42.50.
Includes photos, charts,
bibliography, stories,
and index, 425 pages.
THE HERITAGE MUSEUM HARRISONBURG-ROCKINGHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Harrisonburg - Rockingham Historical Society
P.O. Box 716
Dayton, Virginia 22821
OR CURRENT ADDRESS
Non-Profit U.S. Postage
PAID Permit No. 19 Harrisonburg/Rockingham
Winter 2016, Vol. 38, No. 1
Check your mailing label. If it’s blue, it’s time to renew!
The Blue Ridge Heritage Project - Help Wanted
In the late 1920s and into the 1930s, the Commonwealth of Virginia used the
power of eminent domain to acquire land for donation to the federal government
in order to create Shenandoah National Park. From 1,081 individual tracts of land,
more than 500 families and individuals were required to leave their homes so that
the park could be established.
The Blue Ridge Heritage Project will acknowledge and honor the people
whose sacrifices made it possible for us to enjoy the Shenandoah National Park
today and into the future. The Project’s vision is twofold: (1) to create a monu-
ment, designed to look like a mountain home chimney, in each of the eight coun-
ties where land was required and (2) to educate visitors about the lives and culture
of the people who lived in the mountains. To date, Madison County is the only
site that has been completed. Let’s see if Rockingham can be next!
Project Founder Bill Henry is looking for a Coordinator for the Rockingham
County Committee. A number of individuals have expressed interest in and sup-
port for the project, so an initial committee awaits its leader! Also, when the mon-
ument is complete, names from mountain residents will be displayed on the
monument. Are you a descendant? Please submit your name. Keep in mind, not
everyone who left the mountain was a property owner.
For more information, contact Bill Henry at [email protected].