The Shenandoah Valley was a natural passage for adventurers and settlers seeking less popluated areas in which to settle. Families moved into this Valley from Pennsylvania and other points. Some stayed. Some moved on. People of all nationalities found their way to the Valley of Virginia. In reality, this part of the Shenandoah Valley was the first “melting pot” in America. The Scotch-Irish settled in the river bottoms east of this area. The English settled primarily upon the Naked Creek area and on up into the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Germans were found primarily west of McGaheysville, but they were also found in the rich river bottoms east of McGaheysville. The Swiss, Irish, French, and Negroes were intermingled among these major groups.

          The Valley of Virginia is rich in folklore due to this mixture of cultures. It is a study within itself. The English settlement located in East Rockingham County, Virginia, is unique in that it retained it's Elizabethian flavor until the late 1920's. This area (Blue Rige Mountain and it's foothills) was isolated from the Valley proper until the First World War. The so called “ crudeness” of the mountain people is easily explained in that they came direct from Jamestowne at a very early period and remained isolated until the early 1900's. Their frankness of speech was quite common in Elizabethian England. These people were self-sufficient, relying upon God and thier own productivity or “hard work” to meet their needs. Their life was a full one, rich in the things that truely counted—God, Home and Family.

          What was the valley like two hundred years ago? It was a place of undescribable beauty. A paradise. A virgin land, rich and abundant in natural wealth. The grass was so high it could be tied over the back of a horse. The timber had never been cut. Many treees were hundreds of years old. It was watered with a river that flowed gently toward the coast. A clean, pure river full of fish. This was called the Valley of the Daughter of the Stars by the Indians as was the river, THE SHENANDOAH. Many different tribes visited this region to hunt and fish as it was very rich in both fish and game. The Indians seemed to have been more at home in East Rockingham than many people would choose to believe. Arrow heads and tomahawks are constant reminders that the Indians were a very real part of Valley life two hundred years ago.

          The white men came to the Valley as did the Indians, by river or on an Indian trail. These trails were wide enough for one person to pass as Indians marched single file. Horses had difficulty in walking on these paths. Usually these (roads) to the Valley ran East to West, from the Coastal areas across the Blue Ridge and into the Shenandoah Valley. As more people moved west, these paths were cut wider with the axes that they always carried. Roads were dirt paths, full of ruts and stumps. Roads wide enough to allow a wagon to pass were not in use until after 1790. There were a few, such as Braddock's Road built in 1755 for Military purposes; however, they were the exception and not the rule.

          A few families would start out together to a new territory—sometimes one brave one would try it alone. The pattern of the journey was the same regardless of the numbers going. Men with their long rifles went in the front, women and small children on horseback carrying the necessary supplies, then came the older children driving a cow, if they were fortunate enough to own one. All necessary supplies were brought along. What was necessary? An ax, an iron pot called a “fortched on” pot, a long handled iron skillet, and seed for crops. Food, bedding, clothing, shelter and heat were provided by nature.

          If the journey was hard, it had its rewards in the beauty of a virgin wilderness. The dogwoods, locust, redbud and rhododendron covered the hillsides with the mountain floor itself covered with Jack-in-the-Pulpits, Dutchmen's Breeches, Violets and Ferns. The trees were magnificent oaks reaching as much as 150 feet in height and white pines which stood up to 200 feet. Ofcourse, no weeds grew in these primeval forests.

          The Valley has always been the Valley. It's landmarks have always been the Peaked Mountain (pronounced Peeked Mountain from the two peaks which are visible for the East Rockingham side) and Cedar Cliff Falls.

          What kind of people were our ancestors? Perhaps a bit crude by today's standards, but hardworking, God fearing people. An almost pure Elizabethan culture survived in the foothills of the Blue Ridge until the early 1900's. Many of these early residents of East Rockingham had come from the Jamestowne area in the 1700's. A lack of communications kept this almost a pure culture. The men of the families usually left the area once a year to trade their excess furs and crops for salt and lead.

          The hunting shirt, leggings and coonskin cap were standard garb for men and boys. Women wore either wool or linsey-woolsey (a combination of linen and wool and yes, it did scratch, but it was warm). The flax for the linen was grown, harvested, prepared for spinning, spun and woven by the females of the household. Dyes were harvested from nature—barks, nuts, berries and leaves. A sunbonnet for summer, a woolen shawl for winter were the simple necessities of women's dress. Shoes? Yes, shoes were worn—handmade ones or moccasins. Jewelry? No, the pioneer woman who lived in the Valley wore her handmade lace as other women in other places of the world wore fine jewels.

         The first homes were rough shelters. Next came a one room cabin. Later, after the land was cleared (if they chose to live in the foothills) and planted with the necessary corn, flax and rye or barley; the “Plantation” house was constructed. This was a first class social occasion, if one was lucky enough to have neighbors to invite. The Plantation house usually consisted of a two room cabin with overhead loft (for the children) . A fireplace covered one wall. It not only furnished heat, but was necessary for food preparation. Yes, it was homey, comfortable and adequate—all due to the labors of the family living in the house. They built it, and supplied all of its furnishings with their labors. Linens, brooms, candles, soap, mattresses (from corn shucks), furniture, clothings and equipment with which to work were all handmade.

          Exactly what type of people were these ancestors of ours? They were survivors. They survived the Indians and the elements to carve a home they could call their own. They were kind and generous with their neighbors until it was proven that they should be otherwise. East Rockingham was the first melting pot of various cultures. Many times the best of all cultures was blended to form cherished Valley customs and traditions.

          Our area is famous for moonshine and true, many of our first settlers were experts at producing this “crop”. True, many were arrested for doing so; however, it should not be looked down upon as many historians would have one to believe. Let's face facts—it was a lot easier to make whiskey, bottle it and load it on the back of a horse and thus transport it to market that it was to try to get a load of wheat, corn, rye or anything else across the Blue Ridge when there were no roads. Remember too, harvest time is late summer through early fall. In the Valley, the rains usually come during this time which results in mud, and thus mire. Wagons became stuck in the “roads” up past the hubs. Yes, usually they froze overnight as the temperatures in the mountains are always 10 degrees cooler than the Valley proper. Sometimes it did not thaw out until Spring. Many, many families lost the whole year's crops by attempting to take it over the mountain as the “government” said they must. Is there any wonder that they chose to produce an easily transported product with their labors?

          Yes, there were good times. Quilting bees, barn raisings, weddings, church activities, and hunts. These were independent, freedom loving people. They danced, played musical instruments, and partied, with the parties lasting for days. They worshipped God and lived as they felt was right under His laws as laid out in the Bible.

          There were bad times too. Times of too little rest, of death from Indians, disease, and the elements. Many families lost several children before they reached adulthood. During times of epidemics, it was not unusual to loose three or four people from a family. If these deaths occurred during the winter, it was not unusual to keep the bodies until they could be buried when the ground thawed. Life was always an uncertainty. No one promised tomorrow. Their lives were lived with that view in mind.

          Much has been said about the lack of education of many of these residents of the East Rockingham area. If anything, the opposite was true. These people lacked formal educations, but it was a rarity for them not to be able to read and write. In many cases they made their own paper and most were self taught. Desire was the key to success.

          Yes, our early residents were superstitious, but it is necessary to realize that they were a product of their age. They did not have modern medicine, communications, and many of the things we take for granted. Anything they could not reasonably account for, was attibuted to witchcraft—for instance, if one fell off of a log while crossing a stream, barely made it home and died two days later—it would be termed death by witchcraft. In today's world, we would probably conclude that they had a punctured lung, ruptured spleen or numerous other problems. The “Granny” was the only doctor available and her knowledge was based on herbs, teas, and plasters. The Granny fought the most dreaded diseases known to mankind—sometimes she was successful—sometimes not, but if it were something the Granny could not cure it had to be of the supernatural as everyone knew that Granny could deal with anything earthly.