Episodes Located: RICHMOND, Virginia in the 1870's

  1. The Advent of Refrigerator Cars in the City of Richmond
    date July 15, 1874map RICHMOND, Virginiatags Agriculture, Economy, Migration/Transportation, Science/Technology

    Fruit growers all over the state of Virginia rejoiced on Wednesday, July 15, 1874 when the Daily Dispatch of Richmond reported that two refrigerated cars arrived in the city. The article claimed, that "this new feature in the express business meets a necessity our fruit growers have long felt, and secures a method for the swift transportation of their produce." Finally, a technology...

  2. Voter Fraud in the 1879 Virginia Election
    date December 26, 1879map RICHMOND, Virginiatags African-Americans, Government, Politics, Race-Relations

    On December 26, 1879, Zack A. Cozzens gave testimony about a conversation he witnessed, the night before the November election, in the office of John Warwick Daniels, a Democratic Virginia State Senator from Lynchburg. In this conversation William Merchant remarked that he had "a number of Republican tickets, and that if they could be marked with certain names, that a good many colored people...

  3. The Inquest of a Dead Black Man in a Richmond City Jail
    date January 8, 1879map RICHMOND, Virginiatags African-Americans, Crime/Violence, Health/Death, Law, Race-Relations

    According to a Richmond jury, George Fagan, a black prisoner in the city jail, "came to his death on the 8th day of January, 1879, from consumption," and "the officers in charge are no way responsible." The State, a Richmond City newspaper relayed this story to the public as front-page news the following morning. The article went on to describe the jury's view that a hospital should...

  4. Northern Neck of Virginia Desires Immigrants
    date 1872map RICHMOND, Virginiatags Agriculture, Economy, Politics, Migration/Transportation, Slavery

    The Board of Immigration from the counties of Richmond, Westmoreland, Lancaster, and Northumberland assembled to compose their forthcoming pamphlet enticing immigrants to their regions of Virginia: ...our earnest desire is to attract to it and immigration not only from the northern and north-western states, but also from Canada and Europe. This immigration will bring the industry and capital requisite...

  5. Debate Over State Debt
    date March 24, 1871 to March 27, 1871map RICHMOND, Virginiatags Government, Law, Politics, Urban-Life/Boosterism

    Why should Virginians have to bear the entire debt? Zephaniah Turner raised this question repeatedly before the House of Delegates in Richmond. In the eyes of Turner, West Virginians were just as responsible for payment as Virginians, seeing as how the debt had existed before dismemberment of the state. Turner blasted Virginia's political representatives for rattling on about preserving honor when...

  6. Railroad Company vs. Richmond
    date 1874map RICHMOND, Virginiatags Economy, Government, Law, Migration/Transportation, Urban-Life/Boosterism

    The feud between the city of Richmond and the Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad Company reached Virginia's Supreme Court of Appeals. Fredericksburg & Potomac had violated Richmond's laws, the city claimed, by running its steam- propelled cars through Broad Street. According to an ordinance passed on September 8, 1873, no vehicle of any kind was allowed to traverse that specific lane, the most important...

  7. Importance of Education
    date 1875map RICHMOND, Virginiatags Education

    A focused, open-minded man capable of sound reasoning and clear expression- these, according to John Broadus, were the characteristics distinguishing an educated man. The Baptist minister was a fierce advocate of higher education and lamented the fact that many young men attended schooling in their younger years, but, when about to enter the potential peak of their intellectual growth, chose to...

  8. The Other John Adams
    date February 17, 1873map RICHMOND, Virginiatags African-Americans, Economy, Health/Death, Race-Relations

    They were vultures, gorging shamelessly at the lifetime accomplishments of John Adams. Though he was not the founding father with the same name, this John Adams led an equally compelling life as a free black contractor and plasterer in Richmond. He was also one of the extremely few African Americans in the South who owned a substantial amount of property before the Civil War. Now, seven and a...

  9. Politics and Religion at the Centennial
    date July 4, 1876map RICHMOND, Virginiatags Arts/Leisure, Church/Religious-Activity, Government, Politics, Urban-Life/Boosterism

    The young man unfolded the newspaper tucked under his arm and read aloud: "Ah-hem, 'To-day is the Fourth of July--the Centennial Fourth--and as it comes only once in a hundred years-'"

    "That's interesting," interrupted a passerby. "What is happening here?"

    "Well," the man scanned down the page. "At sunrise some cannons were fired 38 times, one for each state... hmm. This is interesting:...

  10. Theater Dress Code
    date September 7, 1878map RICHMOND, Virginiatags Arts/Leisure, Women

    Amongst the hundreds of people in attendance, a beautiful, wealthy southern belle sat in her chair and enjoyed the concert music. The Mozart, an association known for its beautiful musicals, performed regularly in Richmond, but that night was a homecoming of sorts; the company had been performing out of town for eight weeks. The blending of violins, quartettes, vocals, and clarionettes was exceptional....