I can vouch for the extreme value of Scheel's maps. I have the one for Frederick County and it is invaluable for so many things. That one also matches up well with O'Dell's maps of Frederick County's early land owners (in his book "Pioneers of Old Frederick County Virginia" -- which may be out of print????). Although this posting indicates the place where maps can be purchased, it neglected to give the mail address for those of us who don't live in that immediate vicinity. Could someone post that information, please! Happy Christmas to all, Ellen State College, PA >______________________________X-Message: #1 >Date: Wed, 24 Dec 2003 09:25:02 -0500 >From: William B Clark <dadster3@juno.com> (by way of Lee Hoffman ><lhoffman@acm.org>) >To: DEED-MAPPER-USERS-L@rootsweb.com >Message-Id: <6.0.0.22.2.20031224092400.03fdd310@pop3.norton.antivirus> >Subject: [DMU] Stafford Co., VA maps >Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed > >New map details old Stafford >December 19, 2003 1:08 am > >By LEE WOOLF >Historian charts county's pre-1950 nooks and crannies >If you are interested in valuable little nuggets of Stafford County >history, welcome to the mother lode. >A new map of the county, prepared by Eugene M. Scheel for the Stafford >Historical Commission, locates structures of historic interest in >remarkable detail. >Homes, churches, schools, mills, stores, graveyards, roads and streams >are included. Some slave homes, Indian villages and the sites of Civil >War engagements are also featured. Insets showcase Falmouth, Hartwood, >Stafford Courthouse, White Oak, Brooke and Coal Landing. >Scheel, a historian who lives in Waterford in Loudoun County, said he has >tried to include everything of significance that was built in Stafford >before 1950. There are only a few exceptions to give readers modern-day >points of reference. >You won't find subdivisions or shopping centers. But you will discover >where Doeg Indian villages sat beside Chopawamsic Creek, where a pickle >factory once operated near Brooke, and where Dr. Hawkins Stone practiced >medicine on Garrisonville Road. >Anita Dodd, the head of the county's Historical Commission, said the map >project was financed by donations and was first discussed almost nine >years ago. >The color maps are 36 inches by 30 inches and are being sold for $8 each, >plus tax. They are available at Belmont, the White Oak Civil War Museum >and George Washington's Ferry Farm. Dodd said proceeds will be set aside >to pay for future research into Stafford history. >"The first thing that strikes you when you see the map is that there's >just so much on it," Dodd said. "So many cultural resources of Stafford >are reflected." >County historian Barbara Kirby said the maps should have a wide audience. >"It will be a real good reference for all kinds of people," she said. >"People doing any kind of family or historical research, longtime >residents, surveyors, developers, county officials all of them could >benefit. >"It answers lots of questions. It shows the early schools and post >offices, old communities and family plantations--most of which are gone." >Several residents who helped proof copies of the map before the final >printing said they were impressed by Scheel's research. >"He's done a fantastic piece of work," said author and historian >Jerrilynn Eby. "I think it would be helpful to the Board of Supervisors. >And the planning commissioners should have to walk past a copy when they >come into their meeting room." >The 69-year-old Scheel has produced more than 50 historical maps of >places in Virginia, other states and foreign nations since 1969. He even >prepared a map of Atoka Farm near Middleburg for Elizabeth Taylor as a >Christmas gift for then-husband Sen. John Warner. His early career >included stops at Rand McNally and the National Geographic Society. >"In mapmaking, you're really interested in just two things: where it is >and what it's called," he said. >Scheel already was familiar with Stafford from earlier projects, >including maps of Loudoun, Prince William and Fauquier counties. He also >spent time at Quantico while serving in the Marine Corps Reserve. >"Stafford is the oldest county I've ever worked in," he said. "There were >sites from the late 16th century. Most things in Loudoun date from a >century later. So that meant in Stafford there was more history to dig >through and more questions raised during the research." >Scheel said he begins a map project by learning something about the >general history of a county and locating some of the basic sites, such as >schools and churches. Then he talks with local historians and as many >lifelong residents as he can. He said he spoke with more than 50 people >in Stafford. >And then, like a jigsaw puzzle, the map takes shape one piece at a time. >"You try to find people who really know a specific part of the county, >even if it's just a few square miles," Scheel said. "You try to gain >their confidence, then actually go out and walk the ground with them, >asking questions and gathering details. >"That's the best part of the jobmeeting these interesting people, tracing >some of their family history and becoming very good friends, even if only >for a few hours. >"And when you're finished, you ask them who might know what's down the >next road or over the next hill." >Scheel said another invaluable resource was a set of aerial photographs >of Stafford taken in 1937 by the Department of Agriculture. >"These are good-quality black-and-white photos," Scheel said. "When you >blow them up, you can see cars on the roads and even a gate open in >someone's yard. They gave me a good idea of what was standing and what >wasn't at that time." >Scheel prefers calling himself a mapmaker rather than a cartographer. >("Mapmaker is a more specific term," he said.) He does all of his work by >hand and almost always works by himself. He said his production process >is "pretty much the same way they made maps 200 years ago." >He said a computer is not practical for his work because there is an >advantage to having the entire county spread out in front him. >"Fortunately, I still have pretty good eyesight and a steady hand," said >Scheel, who is famous for his attention to detail. >"I remember he called me four times to clarify just one item," Kirby >said. "But he knows how important it is to get the details straight." >One interesting nugget of information on the Stafford map appears where >Rocky Pen Run flows into the Rappahannock River. >In clear and tiny letters, Scheel offers an 1896 quote from E.H. Randall, >a county surveyor at the time. It reads: "A spot where no being will ever >want to go again." >Scheel said the quote turned up in some of Randall's survey notes and >"was just too good to leave out." >To reach LEE WOOLF: 540/720-5470 lwoolf@freelancestar.com > > >Copyright 2001 The Free Lance-Star Publishing Company.