For safety, I pulled off from I-66 to read and send a few text messages. At this spot off the…read moreroadway, I found a shady spot and this historical marker. It reads, "In 1765, John Marshall, then nine, moved with his family from his birthplace 30 miles southeast to a small, newly constructed frame house one-quarter mile east known as The Hollow. The house built by his father, Thomas Marshall, was his home until 1773, when the family moved five miles east to Oak Hill. After the American Revolution began, Thomas Marshall and his sons, John Marshall, James Markham Marshall, and Thomas Marshall Jr. fought in numerous Revolutionary War battles including Great Bridge and Yorktown. John Marshall later served as chief justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1801 to 1835." As one of the earliest Supreme Court chief justices, there is plenty of information online. John Marshall (1755-1835) He was the Supreme Court's most influential chief justice, Marshall was responsible for constructing and defending both the foundation of judicial power and the principles of American federalism. The first of his great cases in more than 30 years of service was Marbury v. Madison (1803), which established the Supreme Court's right to expound constitutional law and exercise judicial review by declaring laws unconstitutional. Marshall's only formal legal training was a brief course of lectures he attended in 1780 at William and Mary College given by George Wythe, an early advocate of judicial review. Licensed to practice law in August 1780, Marshall returned to Fauquier county and was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 1782 and 1784. For the next 15 years Marshall's career was marked by increasing stature at the bar of Virginia and within Virginia politics. There is a lot more that I'm cutting for brevity sake. Read up on this great man online. During his tenure as chief justice, Marshall participated in more than 1,000 decisions, writing more than 500 of them himself. [Review 15353 overall, 855 of 2021, number 1337 in Virginia.]

Along US-11, which they call Winchester Avenue here, this marker points out the local town that was…read morenamed for a Revolutionary era hero. There is a small spot to stop. The marker reads, "Darkesville. Named for Gen. William Darke, veteran of the Revolution and the Indian wars. He saved the remnants of St. Clair's army from massacre in 1791 when badly defeated by the Miami Indians. His son, Capt. Joseph Darke, lost his life." Online, there is more information. Darkesville is an unincorporated community in Berkeley County, West Virginia, United States. Established in 1791, Darkesville has been nationally recognized as a historic district. Darkesville was recognized for its historic architecture, which includes approximately twenty-five buildings constructed as log cabins in 1810 or earlier. Darke served with British regulars commanded by Major General Edward Braddock in his 1755 expedition to the French-controlled Ohio Valley, as part of the French and Indian War. The British forces were defeated and Braddock died. Darke survived to be commissioned as a captain at the beginning of the American Revolutionary War. He was made prisoner at the Battle of Germantown. He was commanding colonel of the Hampshire and Berkeley regiments at the capture of General Cornwallis. Darke was often a member of the Virginia legislature and, during the convention of 1788, voted for the Federal Constitution and served as a major-general of the Virginia militia.. [Review 15117 overall, 619 of 2021, number 38 in West Virginia.]

Took a walking tour of historic Falls Church, Virginia. Falls Church has a very interesting and…read morediverse history. It's a nice little walking city. The walking map could have been a little more user friendly.

Cyndy's Bottom Line: A wonderful tribute to the African American heritage in Falls Church…read more Start at the beginning to read all of the inscriptions on the sidewalk opposite of the monument.

My 3rd Great Grandfather Bristol (Bristor, Bristow) purchased land in 1869 to help launch a…read morecommunity of free and newly emancipated African Americans. On this land it grew with additional families and by many more acres of land purchased by these families. A public school was established in 1883. Eventuality Bethel Baptist Church was built in 1928. There were many families that helped the community thrive. The last parcel of land from Bristol station was sold by Dorothy Davis and family about 2017. A promise made by the purchaser Jim Caldwell to preserve the history of Bristow, was kept, that was July 17, 2021. Special shout out to MICKEY POWELL of the Winchester Star. If I had not read this article I would have missed this opportunity to meet family. Thank you to Maral Kalbian Clarke County's architectural historian and to all at the Clarke County Historical Association especially Melanie G. Blessings, thanks gratitude and love to the family researchers Gloria G, Vanita, H and George Holmes. Forgive me if I've missed anyone but from my heart THANK YOU, THANK YOU and THANK YOU!!

I attended the open house day April 2015 with Colonial treats, tasty cake and flavored tea. The…read moreflowers were abloom, the Aflac garden was being tilled. The tour guide took us into the home, narrow, small, rickety, historic & cool. I purchased a Colonial recipe pamphlet for $1 and made the healthy shoe leather. It's a quick visit, go. P.S. Also check out the lovely garden at the library a block away.

Hello to the oldest house in Arlington County, Virginia established about 1742! This was built by…read moreJohn Ball who also happens to be one of the namesakes of Ballston from the Ball family. The home was originally established as a one-room log cabin, and gradually over the years converted into a larger home that was served as a private residence into the mid 20th century. Marian Rhinehart Sellers gifted the house to the Arlington Historical Society in the mid-1970s so that it would be preserved for the future and open to the public. It is open during the warmer months from April to October and they offer tours privately when requested during off peak season.

This marker stands on the side of US-11 in front of a motel. It reads, "First Settlement. About…read morefive miles southwest is Dunkard Bottom, where Dr. Walker found a settlement in 1750. The fort there was built about 1756 and was the first fort in Virginia west of New River. The first store and first mill were also there. Error: Note that the first sentence of the marker is incorrect, and should read: About five miles southwest is Dunkard Bottom, where Dr. Walker founded a settlement in 1750." Online, there is more information. The original location is lost now because it was flooded as part of the efforts to bring electricity to the Shenandoah Valley. In 1749 the Moravian missionaries noted that in the region of Dunkards Bottom they found a "kind of white people who wore deer skins, lived by hunting, associated with the Indians and acted like savages." The Dunkards were also pacifists. They were ill suited for life on Virginia's wild frontier. [Review 15536 overall, 1040 of 2021, number 1345 in Virginia.]

Cyndy's Bottom Line: Native American Indians paved the way to roads in use today…read more Inscribed on the marker: Site believed near intersection of two indian trails, later used by colonial horsemen and wagons. Tobacco growers improved the routes for delivering this valuable crop which was about 1/2 of all colonial exports. Draft animals pulled large rolling cylindric casks or hogsheads along the original courses of Alexandria-Leesburg and Little Falls Roads. 1730 law established dockside warehouses & inspectors. They set the quantity and quality of tobacco casks and issued notes to farmers. Notes were legal tender, forming the foundation of Virginia economy.

In Kalorama in Northwest D.C. is a tiny park with a statue of Robert Emmet, an Irish patriot…read moreinspired by the American Revolution. A sign in the park explains the significance and there's a bench to enjoy the green space.