Shenandoah Valley History the Ride Site Was Once a Prime Location for Smelting Pig Iron and As a Mineral Springs Resort Area for Wealthy Spa-Goers

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Behind the NC: Shenandoah Valley history The ride site was once a prime location for smelting pig iron and as a mineral springs resort area for wealthy spa-goers

part three of five parts p until the mid-1800s the Massanutten TALES FROM THE TRAIL remained a barrier to be crossed only History, Stories, and Legends of Fort Valley and the byU the occasional traders. The mountain Shenandoah Valley • Site of the 2006 AERC NC Rides range is so rugged that, to this day, only two roads still cross it. Yet, adventurous Europeans, lured by the excellent farmland of the Shenandoah Valley, shouldered their way over the summit to settle and fence their claims in Powell’s Fort Valley. As these newcomers often traveled in cultural groups to build and live together, towns and settlements began to quickly proliferate. The benign tolerance of the na- Burner’s White Sulfur Springs Resort, nestled in the Shenandoah Valley, is shown in this 19th century lithograph. Photo tive Indians began to evaporate with the courtesy of the Winchester (Virginia) Archival Library. increased pressure of this growing popula- tion, and while the early inhabitants of the night following, the smell of blood would the Fort Valley in search of excellent farm- valley suffered no reported fatalities from bring the wolves howling all around the land and timbering. Others, following on Indian attacks, during the French and Indian settlers’ homes. the enterprising, albeit illegal, heels of the War the settlers were in constant danger notorious Powell (see June EN), came to try from the Indians. Profits from pig iron their own luck in searching for the legend- A series of forts were erected at strate- Despite these constant threats to life ary Indian mines of silver and gold. gic points throughout the valley, including and limb, many people were still lured to continued on next page Keller’s Fort near what is now the Old Dominion’s vet check at Fitchett’s Field. In 1758, 50 Indians led by four Frenchmen raided a small village just west of Fort Val- ley and took 48 prisoners. After nightfall, one young boy escaped and ran 15 miles shoeless, hatless and only scantily clad over the Massanutten into the Fort Valley to Keller’s Fort for aid. A small party came back with him the next morning, but when they learned how large the force was, they gave up pursuit. Three years later some of the captured returned home. Many of the children taken lived the remainder of their lives with the Indians. Years after the raid, one woman returned home married to an Indian trader. She had forgotten her native German tongue and spoke only the Indian tongue. The increasingly annoyed Indians were not the only concern to the settlers; wolves were an even larger threat, especially to livestock. Several packs roamed the valley, the most notorious pack making a home in the large caves in the cliffs of Culler’s Gap, today known as “Wolf Den.” Remote dwellings with sheep, calves and young horses were easy targets to these crafty predators, and on butchering days, or the

july 2006 • endurance news 15 national championship news . . .

The hunt for precious metal yielded little the healthful waters while spending copi- locations, spa resorts offered a full line of in the way of profit, but the more practical- ous amounts of money to keep themselves entertainment and recreation for visitors. minded quickly honed in on the abundance generously amused at the same time. Spacious white clapboard or brick build- of iron ore in the valley. Pig iron was in Thus, the “abundance of fine mountain ings sprang up not only to house guests great demand at the time for the country’s and mineral water in the Fort . . . not surpassed with space for elegant dining and dancing, growing economy, and in due time Fort or even equaled anywhere in the world” at but also to host concerts and plays. In ad- Valley would support three well-supplied Burner’s Spring, later known as Seven Foun- dition to a whirlwind social life, diversions iron furnaces: Mine Run Furnace, Caroline tains, was not to go unnoticed for long. available included horse racing, riding and Furnace (near the OD trail at the southern An 1850s ad for Burner’s White Sulphur carriage drives, gambling, bowling, billiards end of the valley), and Elizabeth Furnace Spa read: “This place lies in Powell’s Fort and shooting galleries. (near the OD trail at Sherman’s Gap in the Valley, Shenandoah County. The Valley is Transportation to the valley was over- northern end of the valley), last two being prettily situated, and in length twenty-five land by horseback or stagecoach. Livery named for the owner’s daughters. miles, affording on the West a fine view of companies provided daily stagecoach runs To smelt iron a vast forest was needed to the Green and Fort Mountains, and to the to the Fort Valley spa, often as many as make charcoal, along with limestone and co- South, the Massanutten Mountain. Eight three stages a day. A band of musicians met pious volumes of water. It took 180 bushels Springs of different waters are located and played for the arrival and departure of of charcoal, 1600 pounds of limestone and within a space of thirty yards, as follows: each stagecoach to the summer guests, who nearly three tons of ore to produce one ton White, Blue, and Black Sulphur; also Chaly numbered from 300 to 600 depending on the of pig iron. With an abundance of forest at beate, Limestone, Freestone, Slatestone and time of the season. their disposal, plus Passage Creek running Alum water; and in the diameter of a half Two stages came over the mountain through the center of the valley, and endless mile are twenty-two Springs. Accommoda- from Woodstock on the western side, while quantities of limestone, each furnace could tions ample for six hundred visitors. Visitors the remaining stage came up from the east, produce three tons of pig iron daily. leaving Baltimore in the morning will dine just above the resort, on a byway now called The smelting of iron in Fort Valley began at the Springs. The Spring s are eight miles Milford Gap. This pretty route, bordered before the American Revolution and lasted from Woodstock. A daily line will run from in mountain laurel in the springtime, and through the Civil War. Much of the iron was Woodstock to the Springs, and return.” shaded by cool trees in the summer, drops a sent north, while some was used in Harper’s A massive influx of visitors converged on blanket of colorful leaves in the fall to offer Ferry where the U.S. Armory turned out a Fort Valley and almost overnight the valley one of the most beautiful views coming into thousand rifles a month. At the northern became one of the most popular resorts spots the valley from the Massanutten Trail. Both end of the valley near the Bear Wallow Trail, in Virginia. Like a reformed sinner, the valley of these routes are part of the 2006 AERC close to the AERC National Championship flung aside its nefarious past to wrap itself in championship trail. 100-mile trail, one can see the old ore pits. the cloak of respectable enterprise. In the vicin- Even though the valley resort eventually By the mid-1800s the disgusted Indians ity of Seven Fountains, a grand hotel with a vast faded away with the turning tide of history, finally packed up their dignity and headed ballroom and many private cottages rose like war and fortunes, it would not be remiss of west. The wolves were less fortunate; the rare jewels in the center of the now fashionable the NC riders, as they enjoy the views along last one was recorded killed in the “Fort” and socially acceptable valley. A huge bath- these roads so well traveled by those long- in 1856 by Abraham Burner and Ephriam house accommodating hundreds of patrons ago vacationers, to perhaps find a moment Golladay near Habron Gap where the 50- was built containing pools for each of the water to hum a few bars of the favorite song of the and 100-mile trail for the 2006 NC rises types, capitalizing on the rare occurrence of day, “Listen to the Mocking Bird,” as their along the east slope of the Massanutten. seven varieties of mineral water bubbling from horses stop for a refreshing drink of the pure the ground in close proximity. mountain streams along the Woodstock and A resort is born The spa also provided a resident physi- Milford Gap trails. And maybe, just maybe, With the disappearance of the wolves cian since many of the patrons came seeking one might pause a moment to listen on the and Indians, the Massanutten suddenly medical cures for various ailments—from gentle Massanutten autumn breeze for the found itself swept up in an entirely new arthritis to dyspepsia and more. Even the faint echo of stagecoach wheels, the jingle invasion of newcomers—the resort and spa most avid pleasure-seekers walked to the of harness, and a soft band playing an wel- seekers. The pre-Revolutionary war pastime elegant spring houses several times a day coming refrain amid the ghostly laughter of frequenting spas and natural mineral to drink the healing waters. of those long ago who came to gentrify and springs to “take the waters” had re-emerged For the most part, the resort patrons were “imbibe the waters” of the valley. as the favorite pastime of the mid-1800s. wealthy planters and their families who The springs are still there, by the way. The discovery of the natural springs in traded the oppressive heat and humidity Coming in the August issue: Part 4 of 5 – Stonewall the valleys of Virginia and West Virginia of the coastal plain for the higher altitudes Jackson and the Shenandoah Valley Campaign. Despite the frivolity and good times of the 1850s, dark excited the health-seekers and casual vaca- and cooler, drier temperatures of Virginia’s clouds were looming. The winds of war began to blow, tioners from New York to Georgia. Hotels mountain valley region. Since these journeys and in less than a decade the happy tunes of the resort and guest accommodations sprang up with involved such long distances, guests either bands would be replaced by the gruesome refrain of guns and cannons. Once again, Fort Valley was destined be in alacrity beside every mineral pool, enticing spent the summer at one resort or traveled the spotlight, and where its impassability would have a visitors who were more than happy to travel from one to another within the region. great influence on a bloody conflict that would come to great distances to immerse themselves in To compete, and mitigate their isolated be known in history as The Civil War.

16 endurance news • july 2006