Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1925-10-09
THE ADVANTAGES
OF ASHBY DISTRICT
Mt. jackson and Ashby District In
Heart of Rich Section

Few travellers along the highway
which bisects Shenandoah County
from North to South realize that of
of the beaten road of the tourists
there is country as beautiful and
as rich as that traversed by the VAL
ley Turnpike. They do not know
that paralleling this famous highway
are other roads which cut through
farms as well kept and as productive
as those seen from the Valley Turn
pike. They are unaware that there
is picturesqueness between the pike
and the mountain which compares
favorably with the beautiful scenery
which the tourist emissions as he
passes along the generally used
route.
All of this is particularly true of
Ashby magisterial district in Shen-
andoah County, the district which is
in the very heart of the county's
farming wealth and the district which
is weather. in land and goods than
any other district in the county.
Its 61,5S9 acres includes the
largest orchard belt in the county,
and one of the largest in the State
In fact Mt. Jackson. the center of the
business activities of the district, is
one of the big shipping points fol
apples in the State and the hundreds
of carloads of fruit which go out OF
this town find ready markets in the
United States and Europe.
The assessed value of the lands II
Ashby District total s996,615, which
on basis of a one-third of valuation
would mean that the land values Of
the district are approximately So.
100000.
Add to this personal property as
sessment of S400,099, which is abou
SO per cent of actual value and total!
$S00,19S, the real and personal val
uation would reach approximate!
three and three-quarter millions O
dollars.
These figures do not include Mt
Jackson, which has an assessed value
of S13S,475 or an actual value of ap
proximately half million dollars il
real estate and buildings.
Figures when dressed up in verb
iage are at best dry reading. but i
is interesting to note that there |!
an amount of wealth in the Mt. Jack
son area comparable with any like
area in Virginia if not in the South
Mt. Jackson Well Located
Geographically the town is so sit
uated that it of necessity will share
largely in the great forward move
ment which is now in progress in thu
Shenandoah Valley, and it possesses
all of the advantages offered by othe
towns and many which others do no
have.
The volume of business her,
reaches enormous proportions, an,
its two prosperous banks reflect thi
volume The town has a large fer
tilizer factory, a large Touring mill
cooperative farmers exchange
mercantile establishments of al
kinds, garages. restaurants, movinl
picture theatre, hotels and all of tn,
commercial activities found in tn
larger towns.
In addition, in its Triplett Higl
and Vocational School just completes
the town has the finest and bes
equipped school building in Shenan
doah County and one of the best II
Virginia. Its faculty of ten teacher
offers the student a training superio
to that to be had in many section
and an agricultural course is part o
the schools curriculum.
Fine churches of several demon
nations, with large memberships, ere
ate religious atmosphere in tn,
town which is reflected in the higl
class of its citizenship and its law
abiding people.
Mt. Jackson has a gravity system
of pure mountain water and a sewer
age system.
Orkney Springs
Eleven miles west of Mt. Jackson
over good road, are located Orkne,
Springs, where hundreds of visitor,
each season seek an ideal place fol
the summer vacation. These spring.
are noted all over America for theil
mineral and healing waters, and 10
Gated, as they are, in the foothills
of the mountains which skirt the
western line of Ashby District, they
have for years been the mecca Of g
splendid class of vacationists.
At Orkney there are several good
stores and nearby are several
churches.
Ashby District is dotted with small
communities where there are stores
churches and schools. At Jerome
Conicville, Hamburg and other places
in the district ready markets are
found for the great quantity of pro-
duce which has in recent years be-
come a substantial part of the farm
er's income.
1t is interesting to note that $50
horses pulled the plows and the 627
wagons on the farms in the district
last year. Over two thousand cattle
grazed on its pastures with 11O4