Virginia Legends Walk
Several markers are located along the Virginia Legends Walk. In order, starting from the eastern entrance, they read as follows:Grace Sherwood
(1660-1730)
Sherwood lived in Princess Anne County from the latter 1600’s until the 1730’s, an era when many American colonists believed in witchcraft as a way to explain unusual events. Sherwood submitted to a trial by water, a “witch ducking,” in 1706, because of charges that her behavior disrupted the lives of her neighbors. Although found guilty of witchcraft, her life was spared, and she was pardoned formally by the governor of Virginia 300 years later in 2006. She was Virginia’s only convicted witch tried by water. Witchduck Road and Witchduck Point contribute to preserving her story.
Elected by the Fifth Grade Classes of the Virginia Beach City Public Schools in recognition of the 400th Anniversary of Virginia Beach.
George Washington
1732 – 1799
Westmoreland County
The Father of Our Country, Washington was unanimously elected the First President of the United States. He commanded the American forces at Yorktown to victory over the British, creating American Independence. He later individually stopped a soldier’s rebellion on the young nation’s Congress and preserved the country’s hard-won freedom.
Douglas MacArthur
1880 – 1964
Norfolk
Gen. MacArthur was one of only five American five-star generals. His leadership in the Pacific helped to ensure allied victory, and he accepted Japan's unconditional surrender ending World War II. He is remembered for saying "I shall return!" to the Philippine people, and "Old soldiers never die - they just fade away."
Booker T. Washington
1856 - 1915
Franklin County
Born a slave and deprived of any early education, Booker T. Washington became America's foremost black educator of the 20th Century. He was the founder of Tuskegee Institute where he championed vocational training as a means for black self-reliance. A well-known orator and writer, he was the advisor to Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and William Taft on race relations.
George S. Patton
1885-1945
Lexington/Ft. Myer
Gen. Patton, a second-generation VMI cadet with three Calvary tours at Ft. Myer, is among the greatest military commanders in U.S. history. He led allied ground troops in Africa, achieved victory in Sicily in just 38 days, and showed superb military skills in France and Germany, speeding the end of World War II.
James Madison
1751-1836
Orange County
The 4th U.S. President, Madison was the author of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, which earned him the reputation as "Father of the Constitution." Serving during the "Second Revolution," or the War of 1812, he empowered the Navy with three frigates: the "Constitution," the "United States" and the "President."
Cyrus Hall McCormick
1809-1884
Rockbridge
McCormick invented the mechanical reaper in 1834, combining all steps that earlier harvesting machines performed separately. His time-saving invention allowed farmers to double their crop size and spurred innovations in farm machinery. His factory eventually became one of the greatest industrial establishments in the U.S.
Thomas Jefferson
1743-1826
Albemarle County
Jefferson served two terms as third President of the U.S. He was the sole writer of the Declaration of Independence, founder of the University of Virginia, and the author of separation of church and state. He is among the most revered architects of all time.
Patsy Cline
1932-1963
Winchester
The Queen of Country Music, her multimillion-selling records are played worldwide. The first female solo artist in the Country Music Hall of Fame, Cline also is in the Recording Hall of Fame and the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame, and was a recipient of the highest industry honor: Grammy for Lifetime Achievement.
John Marshall
1755-1835
Fauquier County
Marshall is widely considered the founder of Constitutional Law and judicial precedent for his decisions during his 34-year tenure as the third Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. He also served as the U.S. Secretary of State, as a U.S. representative, and in the Virginia house of delegates.
Arthur Ashe
1943-1993
Richmond
Ashe was the first African-American tennis player to win Wimbledon, the U.S. Open and the Australian Open. He played on the U.S. Davis Cup team (1963-70, '75, '76, '78) and as captain, the U.S. won ('81, '82). Ashe was the 1992 Sportsman of the Year.
Meriwether Lewis
1774-1809
Albemarle County
Selected by President Jefferson, Lewis and William Clark led the western exploration of the land obtained by the Louisiana Purchase. The expedition was successful beyond all expectations in terms of geography, botany, biology, and first American contact with many Native American tribes.
Chief Powhatan
1547-1618
Gloucester County
Chief Powhatan was the paramount ruler of more than 30 indigenous tribes in the Chesapeake Bay area, and the highest Native American authority the Virginia colonists encountered. He welcomed Capt. John Smith, and initiated peaceful relations with the English colonists. His legacy today includes several descendant communities among Virginia's recognized Indian tribes.
Ella Fitzgerald
1918-1996
Newport News
The First Lady of Jazz possessed superlative musicianship and skill in scat singing (improvisational vocals). After being discovered at age 16 in a Harlem talent show, Fitzgerald performed throughout America, Europe and Asia and on milestone recordings with Duke Ellington, Oscar Peterson and Louis Armstrong.
Patrick Henry
1736-1799
Hanover County
Henry was a living symbol of America's struggle for liberty and self-government from British rule. His immortal appeal was, "I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death." He was the first Virginia governor under its new constitution, serving three terms.
Walter Reed
1851-1902
Gloucester County
Reed received his medical degree from UVa at 18 and became a career Army Major. By 40 he was engaged in some of the most important work in the history of medicine. Reed's research into the cause and spread of typhoid and yellow fevers saved millions of lives. The Walter Reed Army Medical Center in D.C. is named in his honor, and is the nation's foremost military health care provider and center for worldwide health referrals, education and research.
Pearl Bailey
1918-1990
Newport News
President Nixon dubbed her "Ambassador of Love" to the world. "Pearlie Mae" sang with Count Basie and Cab Calloway, starred in the movie version of "Porgy and Bess," won a Tony Award for an African-American version of "Hello Dolly," and received the Medal of Freedom from President Reagan.
George Mason
1725-1792
Fairfax County
Mason's wording in the Virginia Declaration of Rights in 1776 influenced the first ten amendments to the Constitution forming the U.S. Bill of Rights. His stand as an unwavering abolitionist led to halting the importation of slaves to America.
Richard E. Byrd
1888-1957
Winchester
Byrd, a Naval Academy graduate, pioneered early technology that became the foundation for modern polar exploration and investigation. He also pioneered the technique of nighttime landings of seaplanes on the ocean. On May 9th, 1926 Byrd reached the North Pole, feat that earned him the Medal of Honor. He then flew over the South Pole in November 1929. During World War II, Admiral Bryd was Chief of Naval Operations.
T. J. "Stonewall" Jackson
1824-1863
Lexington
Thomas J. Jackson served on the VMI faculty as Professor of Natural and Experimental Philosophy and Instructor of Artillery. His bravery and battle skills led Confederate troops to victory in ten major battles. At Manassas, greatly outnumbered, it was noted, "Look, there stands Jackson like a stone wall."
Alan B. Shepard
1923-1998
Virginia Beach
The first American astronaut in space, Shepard flew aboard Mercury 3, reaching an altitude of 116 miles on a 15-minute flight on May 5, 1961. In 1971, he commanded Apollo 14 and walked on the surface of the moon for nine hours. On live worldwide TV, he became the first person to golf on the moon.
The Carter Family
A.P. Carter, 1891-1960
Sara Dougherty, 1898-1979
“Mother” Maybelle Carter, (1909-1978)
Clinch Mountain
“The First Family of Country Music,” They switched emphasis from hillbilly instrumentals to harmony vocals, made scores of standard country music classics, and made their “CarterLick” guitar-playing the dominant technique for decades. The first group inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1970, they also earned a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award in 2005 and Grammy Hall of Fame songwriting recognition in 1998.
Pocahontas
1596(?)-1617
Henrico County
Pocahontas, daughter of Algonquin Chief Powhatan, displayed her heroism in 1607 by saving Captain John Smith's life. She was the first Native American to convert to Christianity and receive an English name, "Rebecca." Her marriage to John Rolfe brought peace between the English and Powhatan tribes, an accomplishment affecting the rest of American history.
Robert E. Lee
1807-1870
Stratford
One of America's most brilliant military strategists, Lee graduated from the U.S. Military Academy 2nd in his class, as the only cadet who never earned a single demerit. He commanded the Confederate Army and surrendered at Appomattox to end the Civil War.
William Henry Harrison
1773-1841
Charles City County
Harrison attained nearly 50 million acres of land from treaties with Native American tribes. This resulted in a rebellion by Indian leader Tecumseh, and led to the Battle of Tippecanoe, which made Harrison a hero of the War of 1812. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate and as Ambassador to Columbia. As the ninth U.S. President, he was the first elected Whig Party candidate.
Bill "Bojangles" Robrinson
1878-1949
Richmond
"Bojangles" was the first African-American superstar entertainer, starting in Vaudeville as a dancer and becoming a movie actor. By 1908, he was earning $3,500 a week. His famous "stair dance" was invented spontaneously while we was receiving an honor from the King of England, who was atop steps.
Edgar Allan Poe
1809-1849
Richmond
"The Dark Genius," Poe is among America's best poets and the originator of the American short story, both of which he elevated to art forms. He penned such literary classics as "The Raven," "The Pit and the Pendulum," "The Tell-Tale Heart," and "The Murders in the Rue Morgue."
George C. Marshall
1880-1959
Lexington
Gen. Marshall graduated VMI, beginning a long career of public service including Secretary of Defense, Secretary of State, Army Chief of Staff and helping to develop NATO. His "Marshall Plan" for European economic reconstruction earned him the Nobel Peace Prize, as the first soldier to win that honor.
James Monroe
1758-1831
Westmoreland County
The 5th U.S. President, his Monroe Doctrine was the foundation of foreign affairs: America would never again accept colonization by European powers. America would deem any attempt at such colonization dangerous to our peace and safety. Wars in Europe would not necessarily include America.
Tom Wolfe
1931 -
Richmond
Wolfe is the father of New Journalism being the first use present tense in magazine profiles. He coined the terms "statusphere," "radical chic," "The Me Decade," and "good ol' boy," as well as "The Right Stuff," which became a movie that won four Oscars and eight Academy Award nominations in 1983.
Woodrow Wilson
1865-1924
Staunton
The 28th U.S. President, Wilson was Commander of the largest armed force in U.S. history during World War I. Always for peaceful resolve, his Fourteen points led to the Armistice, effectively ending the war with the Versailles Treaty. He also served as President of Princeton University.
Captain John Smith
1580-1631
Jamestown
Our earliest national hero, Captain Smith established the first permanent English settlement in America in Jamestown in 1607. Saved by Pocahontas, he established peaceful relations with the Algonquin Indian tribes. His rigid discipline was "He who does not work, will not eat," and his strong leadership was the foundation of the settlement's survival.
William Styron
1925-2006
Newport News
Styron won the Pulitzer Prize for Literature as well as the William Dean Howells Medal from the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1968 as a result of “The Confessions of Nat Turner.” He also wrote Sophie's Choice and won the National Book Award in 1980, which was made into a movie in 1982 and received five Academy Award nominations and the Best Actress Oscar.
Zachary Taylor
1784-1850
Barboursville
The 12th U.S. President, Taylor earned his national reputation in the Mexican War. There he commanded the military in Texas after its annexation to the U.S. and successfully kept the territory in American possession. His nickname was "Old Rough and Ready."
John Tyler
1790-1862
Charles City County
The 10th U.S. President, Tyler was the first to succeed on death of an incumbent. He established "full presidential powers, not just acting power." His foreign policy opened trade with China and established the Maine boundary. He was the force driving the annexation of Texas, and he ended the Seminole War.
Katie Couric
1957 -
Arlington
Couric was the first woman to solo anchor and be managing editor for a major television news prime-time broadcast, the CBS Evening News, in 2006. Prior to that, Couric was co-host of “BC Today”for five years an co-host of the Barcelona Summer Olympics in 1992. Couric, a prominent advocate for colon and breast cancer awareness, inspired hundreds of thousands of people to get regular checkups.
Virginia Legends Walk
Dedicated July 19, 1999
Project Team
City of Virginia Beach
Beach events by Cellar Door, Sprint PCS, Brickell &Partners, Langley and McDonald, Inc, McKenzie Construction, Dernis International, Middleton Construction Corps., Admiral Signs, Masonry Buildings Corp., Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Proudly Sponsored by Spint, Sprint PCS.
va-legends.com
2000
White House Millennium Council
“Honor the Past ~ Imagine the Future”
Marker is on 13th Street.
Courtesy hmdb.org
