Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-03-12
ny II. II. T'hon, q =.

STAUNTON. VA, March 1l-Staun-
ton is twentietieth-ce century town, q,
Virginia city with all OF the Virginia
pride\of ancestry. and with nm ability
10 boast OF the brightness of an an
client history and display brilliant
records of dead and buried past.
and, along with these things. To chow
on every hand evidences OF modern
business hustle and Intelligence. 80
cial progress. educational advance
ncnt. religious attainment and all the
other good things that go to keep It
high In the ranks OF Americas wide
awake towns OF this hustling busi-
ness age.
know am expected TO write now
about stanton AZ business propo-
rition OF today. and I propose to do
1t. but ] must md time and space to
also tell something OF the good old
towns history and glory. I am In
ciincd to think but little is known
far from here OF Stnunton's early
history, for when one visits the
Staunton' OF today lie secs and hears
nothing that looks or sounds "oid
tiney." unless the visitor happens TO
be hero on n holiday when tho banks
the mills, the factories. the ware
houses, the stores. the schools anil
colleges and all the like are closed
In ;ha; event some OF the older citi-
zens VIII have time TO tell him Of
the city's history. for the good people
are nardonably proud OF IL.
Once tho Capital Of Virginia.
Two hundred and six years ago.
this iS to say In the early spring OF
i,i6. the flrst white settlers, Governor
Spoiswood's men, located where
stanton now stands. They bought
lands from the several Indian tribes
hcrcaOout. The settlement grew and
in l'is tho town was laid OF and
government established By William
Hc"a'ly II was In 1901 that IL vas
incorporated under the name Of
stanton in honor OF Lady stanton.
the wife Of the then Governor Goocii.
The records do not show Just how
much land these settlers originally
purchased from the Indians but IL
was several thousands acres. The
records do show what was paid for
the land and here IL the record: -Four
hundred blankets. $50 pairs Of socks
700 shirts 20 peices OF cloth tcalico),
30 pounds of yermillion, 20 balls OF
Eartering ribbon. 20 pieces Of sergc
lot Of knives, a lot of bow lead,
same knitting thread. n quantity 1T
needles. some Eunpo WIDER"
CAPITAL OF State n Fortnight.
An Interesting chapter OF the city's
history, connected with the Revolu-
tionary War. shows that for a little
''''' NHhn NNo NttkS St8untOn WAS
the capital OF Virginia. The story
~ told or tablet on the old Trinity
church lot. which relates that in
t'sl. when the General Assembly OF
virginia had been driven out Of Ricb-
iiiond by the near approach OF Bene-
dict Arnold and his troops ii took
refuge in Cheriottcsvili. and later.
when tho Royalist raider. nrrletor.
fot near TO Charlottesville the iegis-
lators adjourned in hurry TO NEE;
june :. 1881. In stanton.
ON that date the General Assembly,
met IL Trinity Episcopal Church In
stanton and continued to meet daily
until June 20. During this session
the body elected Thomas Nelson, Jr
10 bc Governor OF Virginia ami al 20
elected full delegation to repre-
sent Virginia IN .hc Continental Cor
i,rcs:. James Madison was at the
head OF the delegation.
In all the conflicts since the Rev
r'ution, the War of 1872. the Mexican
War. the War Between the States.
inc Spanish American War and n
'hc late world war Staunton's rec :.
ord was most honorable. In all Of
these her sons participated and an
unusual number OF them fel! on the
heid OF battle. or survived, beloved
and honorcd
Now GnpiIuI Of Rich Shcnnndoai.
valley o.! Virginia" is beautifully
located at the head of the Shcnan-
hoah valley. that wonderfully fertile
and progressive section OF Virginia.
- Is the county seat OF the largest
most productive and perhaps richest
county OF Virginia. Augusta ON
either side of the Queen City" arc
beautiful mountain ranges which
stand like sentinels beating back the
icy blasts or winter and the scorcn-
ing winds of summer.
Tao people here boast. or at lea ST
some OF them do. that they imbidc al
the sparkling champagne they ned
from the air, and prohibition or no
prohibition they require no other
tonic; that the good effects OF this
cvcr-present tonic is 10 he seen I'm
their walk and heard IN their tall;
and that few Stauntunians die, and
none resign their citizenship. that as, |
not permanently. and the few who
sometimes go away invariably come
back--if. and when they can.
The census OF 1920 gave Stauniou
"a poplation OF 1922. 1t now has n |
Few more than $4,000 people, SO ucr
cent being white, the adult portion |
of whom is made OF hustiing business |
iolEs educational leaders. chur =: |
workers and the like.
Staunton has long been tho seat OF |
tutions, tho Western State Hospital |
ior the care of the insane and tn, |
Virginia School for the Deaf and |
rama, which later is really an cducn-
tional institution.
Famous Schools and Colleges.
otaunton Is pre-eminently an cdu-
cation center or course, II has up.
.o-aate public schools-graded ana |
hish schools--for both white and
nlack. the buildings for which arc
sa,uea at over 100000. But the in |
slitutions that have given IL a great /
sepula.ion far and near arc the
stanton Military Academy and tho
augusta Military Academy for bovs.
mo Dunsmore Business Collorc AMI
inc Templeton Business College Tow
noys and girls; tho Mary Boia,v;n
seminary and Stuart Hail for yir,.
ana young women. The two loo,
named are old institutions tbat have
beon noted for many long yeors 'rho
Mary Baldwin Seminary bDs ,oms
stood In the heart Of the CITY ana i's
reputation Is nation wide. for n has
attracted In its time students frn,n
every state in the Union. Last ve.,.
II had $50 moro applicants than -
could accommodate. -
stuart Hall. tho other noted .o,,. :,