In Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.
“The entire Shenandoah Valley including the area to become Front Royal was annexed and claimed for hunting by the Iroquois Confederation during the later Beaver Wars, by 1672. Some bands of the Shawnee settled in the area as client groups to the Iroquois and alternately to the Cherokee after 1721. The Iroquois formally sold their entire claim east of the Alleghenies to the Virginia Colony at the Treaty of Lancaster in 1744. Front Royal, originally settled in 1754, had been known to European explorers as early as the 1670s, and the nearby settlement of Chester’s Ferry was in existence by 1736. The town also had a well-known nickname by the 1790s, “Helltown,” due to the many livestock wranglers and boatmen on the Shenandoah coming through the area, who came into town looking for alcohol. It was incorporated as “Front Royal” in 1788.” (Front Royal, Virginia – Wikipedia)
“A common theory is that the town was named for a giant oak tree – the “Royal” Tree of England – that stood in the public square during colonial days where Chester and Main Streets now join. It was there that the local militia were drilled. During drills, a frequent command given by the drill sergeant was, “front the Royal Oak!” The command was repeated and eventually shortened to simply “Front Royal”. This theory is supported by a bulletin published by the United States Geological Survey in 1905, which states that the town was first known as Royal Oak, with the current name being derived from the commands of a confused colonel.” (Front Royal, Virginia – Wikipedia)
We spent a nice afternoon there eating lunch at the Mains Street Mill Restaurant and taking a self guided tour of some of the historical buildings. Then we went to Eastham Park by the South Fork of the Shenandoah River. The town is charming and southerners are so polite and friendly.
Two of my sons played in a college summer league years ago – during two different summers – in Front Royal, but I had no idea about this interesting history! Thank you so much for sharing these details punctuated by your wonderful photos.
I had fun finding out about the history. Glad you enjoyed it too.
The origin of the name is delightful. I like the interior shots
I do too. The post office one reminded me a little of the series Mr Bates vs The Post Office – Wikipedia that we watched recently.
The Post Office enquiry is still going on. It is all very shocking
I know it isn’t over. We don’t get much news about to PO trails here.
I love seeing these photos, Sherry. We used to stop in Front Royal for lunch every year on our way to the farm (my mother’s aunt) where we went for vacation.
What a lovely memory. It is a charming place.
Are those very small buildings (one with a chimney) smokehouses? They’re quite attractive themselves. I really enjoyed seeing the manhole cover, too. If I were to ‘collect’ something new, it might be photos of such objects; they can be fascinating (and a little hard to store in the back bedroom). Interestingly, the covers in my city feature a large oak that was a landmark here in the town’s very early days.
One of the small buildings is a blacksmith. Thanks for the link to your manhole cover. Collecting them could become a hobby (photos only LOL).
What an interesting history this place has, and I love the last photo 🙂
Thanks Eunice. I would love to see more small towns in the south. Many have a lot of charm.