(Southern Berkeley County, West Virginia and Northern Frederick County, Virginia) 1870s-1905
The compilation of the material contained in In and Around Gerrardstown began initially as a project to learn more about family connections, branches of whom resided there and in the adjacent areas of Arden, Jones Spring, the Virginia Line Road and at locations in Frederick County, Va. including DeHaven, Frog Hollow, Grimes (Bragtown), White Hall (The Loop) and the Apple Pie Ridge vicinity. The discovery and perusal some years ago of The Gerardstown Times (one "R") published in the latter 1800's and early 1900's by James Brainerd Morgan on microfilm loaned by West Virginia University at Morgantown was an exhilarating and productive experience, provoking attention sometime in the future. Upon completion of other projects, including In and Around the Loop, Northern Frederick County, Va., the overwhelming desire to compile the local newsbits of The Times and its contemporary newspaper, The West Virginia Good Templar, by the same editor, was given attention. In order to gain background and perspective prior to undertaking this work, a review of existing information was deemed necessary and included familiarity with the following: The History of the Presbyterian Church and Other Sketches of Gerrardstown, W.V. by Sarah Morgan Groff Gordon, 1939; The History of Gerrardstown and Historic Homes in Surrounding Area by Marshall J. Beverly, 1982; the Martinsburg Evening Journal Supplement by the Gerrardstown Men's Club, 1987; The Berkeley Journal - History of Gerrardstown, 1991 and the unpublished diary of Sarah Morgan McKown. After this exposure, innumerable visits were made to the Martinsburg, W.V. Public Library and the Berkeley County Historical Society to review, copy and record information from every issue of The Times and Good Templar known to exist, at least on microfilm - in an undertaking that took well over a year. Researchers will find this primary research to be as interesting and as helpful in understanding more about the life and times of the folk living at the time in Southern Berkeley County, W.V. and Northern Frederick County, Va.
James V. Hutton, Jr.
107-GERR
