On August 17, 1969, a rare category 5 hurricane hit Mississippi and tracked north as it weakened into a tropical depression. Hurricane Camille, however, took a sharp, unexpected eastward turn and…
Browsing: Richmond History
The first African American governor in United States history, L. Douglas Wilder was born in Richmond’s Church Hill district in 1931. There, he was raised with five sisters and a…
In the days when it wasn’t considered proper to work or earn money, widowhood or other circumstances in which men weren’t in the picture might have forced women to choose…
For nearly three centuries, the James River has been vital to Richmond’s economic growth. From hydropower to shipping to beer production to recreation and tourism, the river’s waters are the foundation…
In an attempt to lure riders to their streetcar line, the Virginia Manchester Railway opened a combination terminal and amusement park just south of the James in 1890. Accessible with…
How Virginia Union college students in Richmond changed the world and lead the way in the Civil Rights movement with a sit-in at Thalhimers in 1960.
In 1944, the U.S. Army built a hospital on the south side of Richmond to serve as the first stop for injured World War II soldiers returning home from England.…
Learn about the regional history of Rosenwald Schools for Black students who were denied an education. It’s a hidden history of segregation and education.
In 1844, evangelicals in England founded an organization meant to attract young, often wayward men into Christianity through social events and Bible study groups. A decade later, in 1854, a branch…
In 1929, a fantastic Richmond holiday tradition was born: the Christmas Toy Parade. Every year, just after Thanksgiving, crowds gathered on Broad Street to watch floats, bands, clowns, and drill teams…
In 1871, lines were drawn around a new voting ward. Before the Emancipation, the area had been home to German, Italian, and Jewish immigrants, in addition to a large population…
In 1646, two now-Virginia tribes signed a peace treaty with the British powers, ending the Third Anglo-Powhatan War. With this, the first reservations (the legal designation for an area of…
