78 THE VIRGINIA TEACHER [Vol. 11, No. 3 VII. The Heritage of Traditions CULTURAL RESOURCES OF Every college builds its own tradi- tions. It does not borrow them. The HARRISONBURG State Teachers College at Hqrrisonburg MIDWAY between Lexington, the has established certain traditions that "Athens of the South," and Win- would be a most valuable heritage for chester, one of the most historic a liberal arts college for women. cities in America; near Charlottes- 1. The Harrisonburg student has a ville, the home of Jefferson, and Staun- hopeful, happy, joyous, optimistic ton, the birthplace of Woodrow Wil- outlook upon life, an attitude that is son; with its main street the scenic Lee the reflection of the influence of the Highway, one of the most celebrated old invigorating and inspiring climate trails in the New World, Harrisonburg en- and scenery of the Valley of Virginia. joys unusual historic, scenic, and cultural 2. There is at Harrisonburg a tradi- resources. tion of unbounded loyalty to the col- The fine associations of the region are lege which places squarely behind suggested to the casual visitor and kept every interest of the institution the alive in the hearts of all residents by the energy and devotion of its 10,000 names of buildings on the campus of the alumnae. State Teachers College. For example, Maury 3. There is at the college the tradition Hall reminds us of the "Pathfinder of the of fine achievement, and dedica- Seas," who spent his last years in active ser- tion of one's energies and talents, vice at Lexington. Jackson Hall commemo- one's enthusiasm and vigor, to the rates the immortal "Stonewall," whose service of the Commonwealth. famous "Valley Campaign" was wrought out 4. A profound and constant devotion and fought out with Harrisonburg as a cen- to the cause of scholarship, learning ter. Ashby Hall brings to mind General and truth dominates the atmosphere Turner Ashby, "Knight of the Valley," of the college. whose death signalized a victorious day with 5. The students of the college prize the Jackson on a wooded hillside almost at the tradition in their social life of thor- edge of the College campus. Spotswood ough democracy. They look beyond Hall recalls Alexander Spotswood and the the external evidences of the wealth "Knights of the Golden Horseshoe," who, of an individual for other signs of in 1716, crossed the Blue Ridge only a worth—signs of character, of ability, few miles east of Harrisonburg. Harrison of worthy purposes, of friendliness. Hall bears the name of the distinguished These ideals we claim should pre- family for whom the city was named and vail in all State colleges and are neces- commemorates especially Gessner Harrison, sary to the success of any college for who was for many years a distinguished the daughters of all the people. teacher, author, and administrative officer Samuel P. Duke. at the University of Virginia. Reed Hall keeps in mind the fact that Walter Reed, DUTY OF PRINCIPAL TO PRESERVE eminent scientist and world benefactor, used SANITY to be a sojourner at Harrisonburg, where "A school principal is one who is paid his father owned a home and frequently re- sided during a period of twenty years. extra to refrain from working too hard, so that when everyone else about the place has Famous Men and Women gone fagged or wild, his cool head will Associated with Harrisonburg and Vicinity serve as a nucleus of sanity," writes Dr. In 1784 General Washington was a so- Daniel Wolford LaRue, professor of psy- journer in the county for several days, visit- ing Thomas Lewis and Gabriel Jones, both chology in the Pennsylvania State Teachers of whom were prominent figures in colonial College at East Stroudsburg, in the Journal Virginia. Washington himself tells of this of the National Education Association. visit to Rockingham, at considerable length, March, 1930] THE VIRGINIA TEACHER 79 in his Journal of 1784. From Washington and author of the famous "Riddleberger Irving's "Life of Washington" it is evident Bill," one outstanding feature of which was that Washington had been in the vicinity a more adequate provision for the public of Harrisonburg in 1756, while he was in school system of Virginia, lived two or three command of the Virginia frontier, with years in Harrisonburg and spent most of headquarters at Winchester. his life in a neighboring community. In 1794 the illustrious Francis Asbury es- Daniel Boone spent the greater part of a tablished a school in Harrisonburg. year near Harrisonburg, in early life; prob- James Madison, cousin of the President, ably met his wife, Rebecca Bryan, at the old first Episcopal Bishop of Virginia, and for Bryan homestead on Linville Creek; and 35 years president of William and Mary Col- one of the first books on Daniel Boone was lege, was born at Port Republic, a few miles printed in Harrisonburg, written by a resi- south of Harrisonburg. dent, Daniel Bryan, in 1813. Near Tenth Legion, whose name preserves a declaration by Thomas Jefferson, that this Scenic Wonders part of the State was his "Tenth Legion of Along the eastern side of the Valley the Democracy," was born John Sevier, "Nolli- billowy crest of the Blue Ridge stretches in chucky Jack," six times governor of Ten- an endless procession of majesty. Far to nessee. the west the ascending ranges of the Alle- At Timber Ridge, between Staunton and ghanies loom against the sunset. Dividing Lexington, was born the unique Sam Hous- the Valley is the Massanutten, a fifty-mile ton, liberator and first president of the Re- range that runs on a straight line from Har- public of Texas. risonburg to Strasburg. Thomas Lincoln, father of the President, "The glory of the Valley is Massanutten," was born eight miles north of Harrisonburg; wrote General Dick Taylor in 1879. In and his father, Abraham Lincoln, was a 1825 His Highness, Bernhard, Duke of Saxe- captain of militia in the county before leav- Weimar, touring the Valley and writing a ing for Kentucky in 1781. book, was also attracted by this wonderful William H. Ruffner, the distinguished marshalling of mountains, in long parallels: State Superintendent of Education in Vir- "Very singular," he declared. "No instance ginia from 1870 to 1882, married his wife in occurs of it in the other parts of the world." Harrisonburg and lived here for a number From the College campus at Harrison- of years. burg one may see northward Brock's Gap, in Henry Tutwiler, whose bust stands in the the Alleghanies, through which McCulloch's Library of the University of Virginia; who Path led in Indian days and through which was the first man to receive the M. A. de- Washington came down into the Valley in gree from the University; and who made 1784. Due west is Buffalo Gap, also in the an illustrious record as an educator in the Alleghanies, through which Jackson led his state of Alabama, was a native of Harrison- "Foot Cavalry" towards McDowell in May burg. of 1862, and through which today the C. Emma Lyon Bryan, artist, composer, and & O. Railway and the Midland Auto Trail author, lived in Harrisonburg. stretch towards the West. Not far above Walter Reed, whose father had a home in Buffalo Gap, is Goshen Pass, immortalized Harrisonburg for many years, was an oc- by Maury. casional sojourner here between 1870 and Swift Run Gap, in the Blue Ridge, con- 1885. tains a monument to Spotswood and his John E. Massey, "Parson Massey," fam- Knights of the Horseshoe. For more than a ous Virginia leader of Readjuster Days, liv- century one of the main roads from Rock- ed in Harrisonburg and vicinity for about ingham to Richmond has led over this pass. ten years. Here it was that Sidney Lanier rode across Chas. T. O'Ferrall, author, orator, jurist, horseback in September, 1879, to Culpeper and from 1894 to 1898 governor of Virginia, and back. In 1784 Washington had crossed had his home in Harrisonburg from 1869 to the same way, after his visit with Thomas 1893. Lewis and Gabriel Jones, "bating" his horse Harrison Holt Riddleberger, U. S. Senator, before climbing the mountain. 80 THE VIRGINIA TEACHER [Vol. 11, No. 3 Other scenic and historic mountain passes 1745, John Sevier born near Tenth Leg- within a radius of twenty miles from Har- ion. .risonburg are Brown's Gap in the Blue 1746, the Fairfax Line surveyed by Ridge, opposite Port Republic, and New Thomas Lewis, Peter Jefferson, and others. Market Gap, through the Massanutten, on 1749, Bishop James Madison born at the old turnpike, now the Lee Highway, be- Port Republic. tween New Market and Luray. Both of 1752, the Boones sojourn here, moving these were used by Stonewall Jackson and to the Yadkin Country. his "Foot Cavalry" in 1862. 1756, First tour of Washington through Through the New Market Gap Jackson Rockingham County. led his army twice, both times going east- 1776, Muhlenberg's call to arms at Wood- ward: first in May, 1862, to surprise Kenly stock. at Front Royal and outflank Banks at Stras- 1781, February, British prisoners from burg; again, in November of the same year, Cowpens brought through, going northeast. after Antietam and preceding Fredericks- 1781, the Lincolns move to Kentucky. burg. 1784, Second tour of Washington through Peaked Mountain, the southwest promon- Rockingham County. tory of the Massanutten, looms up out of the 1794, Bishop Asbury founds a school in Valley between Harrisonburg and Elkton, Harrisonburg. bearing a striking resemblance to Gibraltar 1813, Daniel Bryan publishes his book on and affording a panorama comparable to Daniel Boone.