Episodes Located: AUGUSTA, Virginia in the 1890's

  1. 1900 Elections
    date October 26, 1900map AUGUSTA, Virginiatags African-Americans, Politics, Race-Relations

    One week before the November 1900 presidential elections, the Staunton Spectator and Vindicator gave its readers a public forum for their political opinions. In the local section, no less than nine anonymous editorials gave the citizens their neighbors' opinions concerning the election. Two in particular mentioned Roosevelt and his relationship with the negro. The first included the phrase...

  2. A Blind Man Can See
    date January 21, 1897map AUGUSTA, Virginiatags Health/Death, Education, Migration/Transportation

    On the seventh day, Dr. Edson said, Let there be light and there was for the blind man John Martin in 1897. Dr. Edson administered X-rays to Martin every day for a week as a treatment for blindness. He based his hypothesis on the improvement patients with atrophied muscles had when they received massages. Dr. Edson believed X-rays would accomplish the same for an atrophied optic nerve. Before the...

  3. Another Train Wreck
    date April 30, 1890map AUGUSTA, Virginiatags Arts/Leisure, Crime/Violence, Health/Death, Economy, Migration/Transportation, Urban-Life/Boosterism, Women

    Rather than going to bed early Sunday night after a long day of church and family time, the city of Staunton spent the evening putting out a fire, only to then have a serious train wreck in the early hours of Monday, April 28, 1890. The No. 2 train on the C&O line from Cincinnati had cars derail after losing air power to the brakes. The train picked up even more speed because there is a descent...

  4. A Meeting of Staunton's Black Residents
    date December 9, 1891map AUGUSTA, Virginiatags African-Americans, Church/Religious-Activity, Law, Politics, Race-Relations

    Early December, 1891 made the city of Staunton more aware of its racial makeup and power of black people in the city. In the evening, the colored people of the city met and formed a group called the Afro-American League. They wrote a preamble and resolutions against the laws requiring separate railroad cars and waiting rooms for blacks and whites. While demanding change in the law, they also wished...

  5. A New Courthouse
    date December 27, 1900map AUGUSTA, Virginiatags Government, Law, Politics, Urban-Life/Boosterism

    On December 27, 1900, Staunton, the county seat of Augusta County, laid the cornerstone for its new courthouse. Most of the city attended the ceremony, which was complete with an unveiling of the stone and speeches by prominent local lawyers, clerks, and judges. They spoke of historical events and the importance of the new courthouse. To signify this step towards the future, they made the cornerstone...

  6. A Local Hero
    date November 22, 1891map AUGUSTA, Virginiatags Arts/Leisure, Urban-Life/Boosterism, Women

    In 1891, a little over one hundred years after the death of Staunton's founder, John Lewis, the city decided they should build a monument to their leader. The paper gave no description of the desired monument, but gave bountiful detail of the great deeds and history of John Lewis and his family. Lewis came from Ireland, and, according to tradition, brought red clover to the continent. The Indians...