Archive for category History
Upcoming Fall Thoughts
Posted by Bruce Gatling-Austin in Education, History on September 5, 2010
Fall can be a time for reflection as we pause to consider the natural year which will end with the first frost. We had long hot spells and significant dryness in the summer that made me only want to venture out early in the day. But the tiger swallowtails seemed more numerous than usual. The hickories are abundant with nuts. The wingstems and the goldenrod are bursting with color.
On a longer timeline I appreciate those people who came over thirty years ago and worked hard to preserve this place so it could be shared with the local community. The foundation’s role has been a powerful one in connecting people with the natural world at a slow pace and in an intimate context. The regular environmental education programs have benefited the community immeasureably both for the young and the old. Whether you are interested in the flora or the fauna, Ivy Creek and Ragged Mountain Natural Areas make the connection. Indeed without the Foundation there would be no trails or access at Ragged Mountain and Ivy Creek would be a housing development.
Enjoy the fall but remember the past and consider how you can give to the future. There are many programs to help out with this fall from Junior Naturalists to School Tour Guides. If you are a quieter sort consider helping us maintain the connection through trail maintenance or invasive removal. We can also use your funding for staff time to coordinate all of this and make it happen.
Most importantly, make your own connection to nature on the trails or in an education program.
Preview: Virginia History 101: The Old Dominion’s Early History
Posted by seantubbs@gmail.com (Sean Tubbs) in History on September 5, 2010
Rick Britton
Regular listeners of our podcasts might know Rick Britton. He’s an award-winning historian and cartographer and a frequent guest on WINA’s Charlottesville Right Now with Coy Barefoot.
This fall the Senior Center, Inc. is offering a new class entitled "Virginia History 101." Hosted by award-winning Historian Rick Britton, the lecturers include William & Mary Professor Susan Kern, Monticello Research Historian Leni Sorensen, U.Va. Professor of History Ed Lengel, Associate Editor of the Papers of George Washington David Hoth, and U.Va. Professor of Architecture Ed Lay. The series in being offered in conjunction with the Charlottesville Senior Center.
Designed for recent Albemarle County transplants and retirees—as well as for those just now delving into Virginia’s fascinating past—this class focuses on the big topics in our state’s early history. The most populous of the original 13 states, the Old Dominion flourished thanks to an addictive weed. Virginia witnessed the Revolution’s final major campaign, and gave rise to an architectural style that set the standard for the nation. While Virginia-born politicians dominated our young republic’s first four decades, the state also left behind painful legacies regarding its treatment of both Native Virginians and African Americans. Join us as we explore some of the big issues in Virginia’s early history!
The Class—At the Senior Center Inc. on six Thursdays (except on October 12th, see below). Time: 6:00–7:30 p.m. Charge: Senior Center members: $45.00—guests: $55.00. (Travel Session is a separate charge.)
• THURS. Oct. 7th – The Monacan Nation – Rick Britton
• TUES. Oct. 12th – Tobacco, The First Cash Crop – Susan Kern
• THURS. Oct. 21st – Foodways of the Enslaved – Leni Sorensen
• THURS. Oct. 28th – The Yorktown Campaign – Ed Lengel
• THURS. Nov. 4th – Washington’s Presidency – David Hoth
• THURS. Nov. 11th – Architecture in the Jeffersonian Period – Ed Lay
• THURSDAY Nov. 18th – Travel Session: A day-trip featuring two of Virginia’s Presidential estates: Berkeley & Sherwood Forest. (Separate charge.)
For more information call the Senior Center Travel Office at (434) 974-6538, or visit the Charlottesville Senior Center Web site or e-mail Rick Britton at
We will present the entire series here beginning December 2, 2010.
Charlottesville Right Now: Laurie Mintz Discusses Her Latest Book With Coy
Posted by seantubbs@gmail.com (Sean Tubbs) in History, News on August 30, 2010
Charlottesville–Right Now: Anna Berkes Updates Coy on The Latest at Jefferson Library
Posted by seantubbs@gmail.com (Sean Tubbs) in History on August 26, 2010
Dean Woo Welcomes ’21st Century Men and Women’
Posted by Dan in History, Technology on August 25, 2010
Meredith Woo, dean of the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, made some interesting remarks to incoming students and their families on Saturday, which she has posted on her blog.
She recalled the experiences of noted American historian Henry Adams, and his observations about the quickening pace of American life at the turn of the 20th century. Adams fancied himself as being more of a creature of the 18th century than the 20th, and wondered about his place in the world — much as the students’ parents may be marveling at the pace of change in the 21st century and wondering if they will be able to keep up with their children and their children’s children.
“Adams heard the roar of the rushing waterfall at the turn of the last century. I hear it today, coming even faster, bringing with it a similar fear, terror, and exhilaration at the speed of new knowledge,” Woo said. “In what complexities will the Class of 2014 think? We don’t know, but we do know they will be twenty-first century men and women, people for whom (quite unlike us) the twentieth century is of the past.”
There’s much to ponder there.
Charlottesville–Right Now: Rick Britton Continues His Discussion of Important Civil War Battles
Posted by seantubbs@gmail.com (Sean Tubbs) in History on August 24, 2010