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Pciture of Joan Wood

Meet Joan Wood, Genealogy Specialist at the Stewart Bell Jr. Archives

Joan Wood has worked as an Archives Assistant at the Stewart Bell Jr. Archives for ten years. She has a passion for genealogy, and as our resident genealogy specialist she has helped countless researchers uncover ancestors who once lived in the Winchester-Frederick County area. Joan also leads a genealogy discussion group known as Family History Hunters open to anyone interested in learning more about their family history, regardless of research experience.

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Picture of Dr. Madison Spencer Briscoe with microscope.

Historic Marker Approved for Dr. Madison Spencer Briscoe, African American Scientist

The Virginia Department of Historic Resources has approved a historic marker for the site of the former home of African American scientist and Winchester native Dr. Madison Spencer Briscoe.

Early this year, a committee, assisted by the Stewart Bell Jr. Archives, began to assemble an application packet and supporting documents. With assistance from the City of Winchester and the Winchester-Frederick County Historical Society the application was successful. The text of the marker will read as follows:

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Miss Betty

Archive’s Photograph of Betty Taylor Dandridge to be displayed at National Portrait Gallery

A photographic portrait of Betty Taylor Dandridge, daughter of U. S. President Zachary Taylor, is on its way to the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. for an exhibit on first ladies. The photograph was taken in 1860. “Miss Betty,” as she was known, served as the White House's official hostess during her father’s presidency and later settled in Winchester, Virginia with her second husband.

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milkweed article

How a Native Wildflower Helped the War Effort during World War II

Today, milkweed plants are often cultivated by nature lovers seeking to attract monarch butterflies. But in World War II, these native wildflowers were sought out for an entirely different reason. Milkweed pods contain silky floss that is both waterproof and buoyant, making it ideal filler for the life preservers relied upon by American sailors and airmen.

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reading room

The Stewart Bell Jr. Archives & Research Appointments

The Reading Room of the Stewart Bell Jr. Archives is reopen to researchers. For the safety of staff and researchers, and to protect our collections, we have had to make some changes to our procedures. Researchers will now need to make appointments to do research in the Archives. Currently, researchers are limited to a one hour research appointment per day. Research appointment times are as follows:  

Monday to Thursday: 10:15 AM to 11:15 AM, 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM, 1:15 PM to 2:15 PM, 2:30 PM to 3:30 PM, 3:45 PM to 4:45 PM, 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM

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Balmain

New to Digital Collections! The Journal of Alexander Balmain

The Stewart Bell Jr. Archives Digital Collections now includes the Journal of Rev. Alexander Balmain, the rector of Frederick Parish from 1782 to 1821. The journal covers the years 1777 to 1820 and includes a wealth of information for people interested in the early history of Winchester and its inhabitants.

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Grand Masquerade Cover

May I Have this Dance?

While going through a collection of personal papers, staff at the Stewart Bell Jr. Archives found this sweet handmade dance card for a Grand Masquerade Ball. There isn’t much information about who hosted the ball or when, but the dances, which include a grand march, the two-step, the waltz, German figure, and the Virginia Reel were all popular in the middle to late nineteenth century.

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Bragg Doodle

Surprises in the Pages of an Old Account Book

Are you a doodler? If you are, you might appreciate this sketch found in an account book kept by George William Bragg between 1880 and 1884. The sketch shows a fantastical landscape of giant books connected by ladders and stacks. Meanwhile, a small figure in a top hat scrambles to reach the peak via a high staircase leading to what is labelled “room at the top.”

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Doom of the Saloon

The Doom of the Saloon: New Exhibit Focuses on Prohibition

“Patient and long we waited for the day/ When the saloons should all be wiped away,” begins The Doom of the Saloon, one of several song scores to be found in the book Best Temperance Songs, published in 1913.   This book and many other prohibition related items are featured in the latest exhibit by the Stewart Bell Jr. Archives.

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CompanyI

Remembering Company I, 116th Virginia Infantry

On September 2, 1919, only a few months after their return from Europe, members of Company I of the 116th Virginia Infantry marched down North Loudoun Street as part of a World War I Victory Parade.

Company I was organized at Winchester in March 1911 and formed part of the longest serving unit of the Virginia National Guard, the 116th Virginia Regiment. The regiment, formed in 1741, had participated in every major American conflict beginning with the French and Indian War.

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Image of Henry Baker

A Lucky Find in Florida

You never know what will be the next donation to the Archives, or where it will come from. In this latest blog post from the Stewart Bell Jr. Archives, photograph assistant Bettina Helms tells the story of how we acquired several new images of the Baker family of Winchester.

In June, Rebeca Thibodeau of Ocala, Florida contacted the Archives after she had purchased a framed set of eight pictures of Henry Baker family members at a church rummage sale. After researching the family, she realized they were from the Winchester area. Would we like to have them?

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Handlian 1923

Yearbooks in the Stewart Bell Jr. Archives

Have you ever wondered what your mom looked like in high school? Are you trying to remember the name of the kid you sat next to in English? Are you curious about how fashions have changed from poodle skirts and saddle shoes to duck tails and big hair?

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