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Why I Wrote The Ghosts of Shaw Mines
What began as a few childhood stories—memories of playing in the eerie ruins of a vanished coal town—soon became something much bigger. As I started to write about growing up in Shaw Mines,…
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How Coal Mining Transformed Somerset County, PA Forever
Before the coal boom, Somerset County was a land of apple orchards, hayfields, and dairy cows. Then came the speculators, the railroads, and the roar of mining carts. This is the story of…
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Rebuilding the Barn at the Compher Farm after the Tornado of 1929
In the spring of 1929, a devastating tornado struck the John W. Compher farm in Loudoun County, Virginia, demolishing the barn and leaving the family with nothing but rubble and resolve. What followed…
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Summer Kitchen 101
In 1840s Virginia, the summer kitchen was more than a separate cooking space—it was the heartbeat of the farm. Tucked beside garden rows and shaded by walnut trees, this brick outbuilding held the…
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A Flash in the Sky: The Lovettsville Plane Crash of 1940
In the summer of 1940, a lightning flash above Short Hill Mountain brought down a new airliner, killing all 25 on board—including a U.S. Senator. This forgotten piece of Loudoun County history tells…
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Reclaiming the Stone Walkway at our Farmhouse
The Walkway In spring 2014, while installing a barrel-shaped stone patio near the tasting house, we noticed large, buried stones in the lawn. Old photos suggested there had once been a walkway connecting…
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Springhouse Revival: From Butter Theft to Barrel Tables
This springhouse was once a vital part of the Compher farm. Its ground floor provided clean water and natural refrigeration for milk, cheese, butter, and eggs. The upper floor was used for butter…
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By the Quiet Stream
Beneath the sky of tender hue,Where grasses green and clover grew,Two gentle kine in silence stay,And drink the peace at close of day. The brooklet murmurs soft and low,Its silver threads through sedges…
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Marbles were for Keeps: A 1950’s Recess Ritual at S.J. Miller Elementary
In the schoolyard of S.J. Miller Elementary during the 1950s, marbles weren’t just for fun—they were for keeps. While the girls skipped rope nearby, the boys crouched in the dirt, fiercely protective of…
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How Many Cows does it take to make a Pound of Butter?
At first glance, the question of how many cows it takes to make a pound of butter sounds simple. Yet behind that creamy yellow pat lies a surprisingly complex journey. It begins in…
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Repairing the Meat Curing House
A Hands-On Restoration of Historic Log Structure in Virginia I have no formal background in restoring antique log buildings. But after watching every episode of the TV show Barnwood Builders—where a crew of…
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Smokehouse / Meat Curing House 101
Usually short walk from the barn stood the smokehouse—a log-walled, clay-chinked chamber where meat was salted, smoked, and saved one ham at a time.
Writing that's Rooted in Truth, Memory and Myth
