Sunday's Obituary: Donald Lee Wilson

I think it is safe to say that all PWCo history and genealogy roads eventually lead to Don Wilson, RELIC's Virginiana Historian and long-time employee.  Don was more than just knowledgeable; he was passionate about historical research and sharing that knowledge and expertise with others. He was up to any challenge, no matter how daunting it might seem, and was instrumental in solving many a RELIC patron's brick walls.  Including my own. His passing marks the loss of a historical treasure and he will be greatly missed.   ~Carolyn

Donald (Don) L. Wilson, 79, of Manassas, Virginia, passed away on March 6th, 2023.

Don was born on August 5th, 1943, in Anderson, Indiana. After high school, he spent four years in the Air Force and then attended and graduated from Ball State University in 1968 with a Bachelor's in history. Directly after, he attended and earned a Master's in Library Sciences from Indiana University in 1971. In late 1970 he took a job as reference librarian at the Oxon Hill Library in Prince George's County, Maryland. In September 1979, he accepted a position with Prince William County in Virginia and started working at the Central Library in Manassas.

Don spent the rest of his life devoted to local and family history in the Northern Virginia area while working on his own family’s extensive genealogy, which he documented in spiral notebooks and cue cards written with small, but perfect penmanship.

Don was the hallmark of The Ruth E. Lloyd Information Center (RELIC), at Bull Run Library and later Central Library of the Prince William Public Libraries, where he was known as the “Tree Doctor” for his extensive knowledge, experience, and patience with helping visitors build their family trees. He was also instrumental in providing research on old houses, cemeteries, events, roads, and local families. He was always up for a new and exciting research project that so many people benefited from.

Don was involved with or served on the board of several local historical groups, including the Manassas Museum Historic Resources Board; Historic Prince William (Historical Society); and the Prince William County Historic Commission. He also had a fondness for local theaters, including the Prince William Little Theatre, where he played roles in a number of their productions.

Don was preceded in death by both of his parents Cecil Lee Wilson, Jr. and Betty Eloise Wilson (Bailey) and a younger brother, Timothy Wayne Wilson. He is survived by his brothers, James Edward Wilson and Steven Ray Wilson; sisters, Susan Jane Sanderson, Patricia Ann Sexton, and Christine Diane Buckles; and several nieces and nephews.

Don touched the lives of many people, far and wide, but the residents of Prince William County had the honor of him calling this county home for over four decades while offering knowledge and friendship to all. There will never be another Don Wilson but we should all strive to be like him.

RELIC Reopens!

RELIC has reopened for business at its new location in Central Library, 8601 Mathis Avenue, Manassas, VA 20110. Current hours are the same as the main library; there are presently no evening hours.

The new space is bright and open with more room for the collection. The friendly, knowledgeable RELIC staff is always ready to assist via telephone, email, and -- now, once again! -- in person.

New Materials Online: Kopp, Virginia by Raymond W. Woolfenden, Sr.

KOPP, VIRGINIA by Raymond W. Woolfenden, Sr.

"Kopp, Virginia", a book regarding the "lost" community of Kopp, Virginia, was formerly only available in a limited-edition printed form, including a copy residing at RELIC (Bull Run Library). The book was started by Raymond W. ("Cousin Ray") Woolfenden, Sr. and completed by his daughter, Casmere Woolfenden Kistner, with a number of people providing source materials.

With many thanks to the Woolfenden family, a digital copy is now free and available online under RELIC's digital archives!

Kopp, Virginia disappeared in the early 1940's when the Federal Government took the land via eminent domain and displaced the families to create Quantico Marine Base. Some of the families that lost their land include Abel, Arrington, Cole, Copen, Davis, Holmes, Keys, Lowe, Lynn, Suthard, Wood, and Woolfenden.

EXPLORE RELIC - January 2019

EXPLORE RELIC January 2019 - The Ruth E. Lloyd Information Center for Genealogy and Local History (RELIC)

Start your historical journey here. RELIC's email newsletter highlights upcoming free events and happenings. Genealogy and local Virginia history are our specialty as a service provided by the Prince William Public Library. We're located at Bull Run Regional Library and you can always find more about us at pwcgov.org/relic.

REVEALING THE CARNAGE AND CHAOS OF THE HOSPITALS OF FIRST MANASSAS On July 21, 1861, Union and Confederate forces clashed just north of Manassas in the first major battle of the Civil War. Within 24 hours, there were about 3,500 causalities; no one was fully prepared. Private homes and buildings in the area served as hospitals staffed by inexperienced surgeons and assistants attempting to care for the wounded. Local historian and author, Paige Gibbons-Backus, will reprise a talk she recently gave at the Annual Conference of Civil War Medicine in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, detailing the challenges and shortages faced in the makeshift hospitals. Tuesday, January 15, 7:00 p.m.   Register at 703-792-4540 or relic2@pwcgov.org. ____________________________________ GENEALOGY 201: BEYOND THE BASICS RELIC's Don Wilson will discuss effective research strategies and demonstrate advanced techniques for successfully searching and evaluating free online genealogy/history resources. See how information found in census, newspapers, passenger lists, maps, books, and manuscripts can add detail and interest to your family history. Thursday, January 24, 11:00 a.m. Register at 703-792-4540 or relic2@pwcgov.org.

May Events: What's Happening at RELIC

The Ruth E. Lloyd Information Center (RELIC) will be hosting two programs in the month of May that may be of interest to PWCo genealogists and historians.  Reservations are suggested.

May 19, 2015, 7:00 p.m.

Mapping Virginia will be presented by Charlie Grymes, Geography of Virginia Instructor at George Mason University.

May 21, 2015, 11:00 a.m.

Historian/author/former National Park Ranger Don Johnson will discuss his recent book, "Thirteen Months at Manassas/Bull Run:  The Two Battles and the Confederate and Union Occupations.

Upcoming RELIC Programs

April 17, 11 a.m. - Identification and Care of Family Photographs, with Dale Neighbors.

April 22, 7 p.m. - Manassas Gap Railroad Independent Line, with Clark Spitler

May 15, 11 a.m. - Using Technology to Organize and Share Your Research, with Don Wilson

May 20, 7 p.m. - Using Technology to Organize and Share Your Research, with Don Wilson [repeat].

Funding for selected RELIC programs is provided by the Friends of Central and Bull Run Libraries.  Sign language interpretation is available for Prince William Public Library programs if requested at least three weeks in advance.  To be notified of upcoming programs and new resources in RELIC, visit eNotifications/subscribe <http://eservice.pwcgov.org/eServices/eNotifications/subscribe.aspx>  and select Library What's New in RELIC.  Unless otherwise stated, all these programs will take place at the community room at Bull Run Regional Library, 8051 Ashton Avenue, Manassas, VA.  Programs may last from 60 to 90 minutes.  

You may register for any of these programs at 703-792-4540 or relic2@pwcgov.org<mailto:relic2@pwcgov.org> .  For details see RELIC Programs <http://www.pwcgov.org/government/dept/library/RELIC/Pages/RELIC-Programs.aspx> .

IDENTIFICATION AND CARE OF FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHS
Presented by Dale Neighbors

Dale Neighbors, Prints and Photographs Collection Coordinator for Special Collections at the Library of Virginia, will share his expertise on how to identify and care for your family photos.  Learn about popular historic photographic methods -including daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, glass plate negatives, and film negatives, and how improper handling can cause or further deterioration.  Get advice from an expert.  This free program will be presented on Thursday, April 17, at 11 a.m., at Bull Run Regional Library. 


MANASSAS GAP RAILROAD INDEPENDENT LINE
An Informal Survey by Clark Spitler

From 1851 to 1857, the Manassas Gap Railroad attempted to build an independent line running from Gainesville to Alexandria.  Although the line was never completed, the cuts and fills made in preparation for it provided important protective embankments during the Second Battle of Manassas, 1862.  Considerable action took place there.  Clark Spitler has explored the complete route of the line and photographed surviving segments of it, resulting in an illustrated book.  He will take you on an armchair tour of the rail line on Tuesday, April 22, at 7 p.m., at Bull Run Regional Library.


USING TECHNOLOGY TO ORGANIZE AND SHARE YOUR RESEARCH
Presented by Don Wilson

At the March program Diane Nesmeyer described how to organize papers and documents you've collected in your genealogical research.  Now learn how to save, organize and share them electronically.  RELIC's Don Wilson will demonstrate some of the options available today, including software programs, websites, and special equipment.  Audience feedback and input to the program are encouraged.

This program will be presented on Thursday, May 15 at 11 a.m. and repeated on Tuesday, May 20, at 7 p.m., at Bull Run Regional Library.  To reserve a seat for this free program, contact RELIC at (703) 792-4540 or at relic2@pwcgov.org.

Current Affairs: Can You Rest In Peace in PWCo?

On Wednesday, January 8th, the Prince William Committee of 100 hosted a timely forum entitled "Can You Rest in Peace in Prince William County."

Moderated by Charlie Grymes, Chairman, PW Conservation Alliance, the forum panel included (from left to right):

Dr. Bill Olsen, President, Historic Prince William, and member of the PWCo Historic Commission and Cemetery Committee Chairman;

Martin Nohe, Coles District Supervisor (currently serving his third term in office);

Don Wilson, Director of RELIC (Ruth E. Lloyd Information Center), Bull Run Regional Library;

Julie Langan, Acting Director and State Historic Preservation Officer, Virginia Department of Historic Resources ("DHR"); and

Joanna Wilson Green, Archaeology Stewardship and Easements, Office of Preservation Incentives, Virginia Department of Historic Resources.

Prince William County Schools ("PWCS") was invited to send a representative to the forum panel.  Since the first School Board Meeting of 2014 coincided with the forum, PWCS declined due to a scheduling conflict.

The forum was as interesting as it was informative.  Dr. Olsen provided a timeline of the events surrounding the PWCS's discovery and removal of the 100+ year old cemetery on their 12th High School construction site;

Mr. Nohe spoke of the County's limits with regard to cemeteries found on public/County sites and the need for County-level legislation, and what may (or may not) be done to try and prevent the 12th High School graves situation from happening again.   (I should note that a similar situation has already arisen in PWCo, involving the Norman family cemetery behind the Coles Fire House which has plans to expand their facility -- over the cemetery.)

Mr. Wilson spoke of the historical and genealogical detective work conducted by RELIC staff and volunteers to determine the chain of title for the 12th High School site and, ultimately, the identity of the cemetery on the property.  (An especially challenging task, considering RELIC was not informed of exact coordinates or that the title search was meant to determine the identity of a cemetery.)

Ms. Langen and Ms. Green spoke about Virginia Burial Law and the DHR's guidelines with regard the removal of cemeteries in the Commonwealth, the distinction between old or "historic" cemeteries, and what authority DHR has and does not have.

It was learned that on the day of the forum, Delegate Anderson of Richmond submitted a "place holder" Bill to the Richmond Legislature proposing new guidelines and improvements to the cemetery law with regard to the discovery of unmarked/unidentified cemeteries in the Commonwealth.  In its infant stages, DHR, the PWCo Historic Commission, and other interested parties in the name of cemetery preservation will be offering suggestions to hopefully help it become Law.

If you were unable to attend and would like to watch this informative discussion, a video of the forum can be found here.

Current Affairs: Bone Fragments Found at 12th High School Grave Site (InsideNova.com)

The following article (Bone Fragments, Teeth Found at High School Grave Site) is reprinted by permission of InsideNova and the author, Jill Palermo.  Many, MANY thanks to both for breaking the story in August 2013 and for their continuing balanced, fair reporting of a volatile and sensitive issue.

~ ~ ~ ~

Posted: Thursday, November 21, 2013 10:31 am | Updated: 10:03 am, Fri Nov 22, 2013.

Author:  Jill Palermo

Bitten by what she calls “the genealogy bug” in the 1990s, Carolyn Lynn has spent years tracing her father’s family history, even launching a blog called “Prince William County Genealogy” about two years ago.

But despite her extensive research, Lynn said she hit a wall in her searching long ago. The grave of her great-great grandfather, John Henry Lynn, a Civil War veteran, was missing. And although she found a county notice of his 1884 death, she could find no obituary, and he wasn’t buried beside his wife, Edna Ann, or their daughter, Martha.

“I could never figure out where he was buried,” Lynn said earlier this week. “I’ve been looking for years.”

Lynn’s family mystery was solved this week, but not in a way she ever expected.

Disappointed and angry

The discovery of John Henry Lynn’s likely grave site, as well as those of his parents, William and Cordelia (Keys) Lynn, came as a result of a decision to remove and relocate what is now thought to be a 100-year-old Lynn family cemetery – to make way for a football field for Prince William’s newest high school, set to open in the fall of 2016 near Va. 234 and Hoadly Road.

Although Lynn says she is “elated” about the discovery of her family’s cemetery, the removal of the grave sites has left her and other members of the extended Lynn family -- many of whom still live in the county – disappointed and angry. They want to know why Prince William school officials didn’t do more to accommodate the cemetery or notify area residents about plans to disinter the graves, a process that began on Veterans Day.

“When they were interred, that was their home. They expected to be there forever,” Lynn said of the 11 to 13 Lynn family members – including four small children -- believed to be buried at the site. “Nobody thought somebody would build a football stadium over them.”

Derek Lynn, a Woodbridge resident and family descendant who learned about the grave sites from recent news reports, said he wants the cemetery restored, especially considering his family’s long history and contributions to the county.

According to family research, the Lynn family’s roots in the county date to the 1740s, and ancestors include veterans of the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Civil War and, more recently, a longtime Prince William School Board member for whom Fred M. Lynn Middle School is named.

“We’re trying to bring this to everyone’s attention,” Derek Lynn said of the decision to move the cemetery. “These [people] spent their whole lives trying to improve the county, and now they’re out there trying to dig them up. … All we want is for the grave sites to be put back the way they were and left alone.”

Phil Kavits, spokesman for Prince William schools, said the cemetery must be moved because it’s near the middle of an area slated for the high school’s football field, which cannot be moved because of wetlands on the 110-acre school site.

Changing the building plans, even if possible, would be expensive and significantly delay the opening of the high school, Kavits added. In response to calls about the cemetery, school officials have posted their reasons for moving the grave sites – and details of the cemetery’s July 2013 discovery – on the school system website.

“There [is] no reasonable alternative given the site and given the constraints we [are] under,” Kavits said in a recent interview. “This is, first and foremost, something that is very badly needed for our students and for our community.”

School system criticized for lack of transparency

Prince William school officials’ decision to move the cemetery has sparked criticism not only from the Lynn family but also from members of the Prince William Historical Commission and local civic associations.

Bill Olson, chairman of the commission’s cemetery committee, said he’s not convinced school building plans couldn’t be shifted to accommodate the cemetery and says the school system did not do enough to notify the community about plans to move the graves.

Although Olson and county historian Justin Patton met with schools officials at the cemetery site on Sept. 3, neither understood that the school system planned to move the graves so quickly, Olson said.

“It seemed to be rather surprising because we thought there would be a general announcement with an opportunity to discuss the specifics of this,” Olson said after a recent commission meeting at which the cemetery was discussed. “Right now, I don’t have any information to know whether this is a ‘last resort.’”

Olson and Patton said state law requires that grave sites only be disturbed as a “last resort” or at the request of family members.

“The Historical Commission generally likes to see cemeteries preserved in place; that’s their preference always,” Patton added. “There should be a compelling reason.”

Similar criticism from local civic associations and other concerned residents led county officials, including Board of Supervisors Chairman Corey Stewart, R-At Large, and Supervisor Marty Nohe, R-Coles, to call for a change in policy requiring that county officials be notified before an application to disinter historic gravesites is submitted to the Virginia Department of Historic Resources.

Nohe, whose district includes the new school site, introduced the measure Tuesday. It will be discussed at the next supervisors’ meeting, Nov. 26.

Sifting the dirt by hand

The Virginia Department of Historic Resources granted Prince William schools permission to move the cemetery late last month. A legal notice of intent to disinter the graves was published in the Washington Post in September, DHR spokesman Randy Jones said.

School officials and Boyd Sipe, lead archeologist with Thunderbird Archeology, the Gainesville-based firm hired to clear the site, say the grave exhumation is being handled with dignity and care.”

Bone fragments and some teeth have been recovered from graves at the site. Any biological materials found are being evaluated by a skeletal biologist at Towson University, Kavits said Wednesday.

“We don’t know what the ability will be for identification” of the remains, Kavits said. “But that will be a major point of their efforts.”

Bits of coffin wood and nails found last week helped archeologists determine that one of children’s graves dates to about the 1840s, Sipe said.

That clue, along with county land deeds and court records, led local historians to identify the cemetery, said Don Wilson, a Virginia librarian at Bull Run Library, home of the county’s main source of genealogy resources, the Ruth E. Lloyd Information Center.

Carolyn Lynn said she’s grateful for the community support for her family’s cemetery and has mixed feelings about the graves. Although she would like for her relatives to rest in peace, she does not want to stand in the way of the new school.

What bothers her most, she said, is that school officials did not try to get in touch with the family earlier. She received an email from a school official on Tuesday and said she hopes to be involved in reinterment plans. She prefers to have her ancestors’ remains stay on the property, but is not particularly hopeful about it.

“We have a right, as family members, to help determine where the remains are moved,” she said. “Do I want them to stay where they are? Absolutely.”

Derek Lynn and his father, Richard Lynn, went to the cemetery uninvited Tuesday morning. They snapped several pictures of the site and had an impromptu meeting with David Cline and Keith Imons, both associate superintendents with Prince William County Schools, who were called to the site after the Lynns arrived.

Richard Lynn said he will fight to keep the grave sites on the property.

“A graveyard is sacred. You don’t ever disturb it. We were taught that when we were young,” Richard Lynn said Wednesday. “What kind of message is this sending to our students? There’s no respect anymore.”

Tech Tuesday: FamilySearch Online Film Ordering

Ordering microfilm/fiche from FamilySearch is even easier than ever with the implementation of the site's online film ordering. Now, instead of going to your local Family History Center to submit your loan request, you can go to FamilySearch to search the catalog and place a loan order from the comfort of your own home. You can also select the Family History Center closest to you as your default location to receive the films (RELIC, for instance).

Users must be registered with FamilySearch to use online ordering and there is a fee for each microfilm/fiche ordered. The amount varies depending upon the length of time you choose to review the film. You can add multiple items to the shopping cart (no more filling out paper slips by hand!) and check out is easy. Payment is electronic, via credit card or Paypal. Once an order has been placed, the user will have 24 hours to change their mind. After 24 hours, order processing will begin and it cannot be canceled.

Please note: There is a known glitch with payment by Paypal. The Paypal payment window will sometimes refuse to load and prevent the user from completing the payment screen, leaving the order “pending” and unfulfilled. FamilySearch is aware of this “sporadic” issue with the Paypal window; however, until the problem is resolved, it might be better to simply use a credit card.

The URL for the FamilySearch microfilm ordering is:  www.familysearch.org/films

RELIC After Dark: Megan Smolenyak

8TH ANNUAL RELIC AFTER DARK TO FEATURE MEGAN SMOLENYAK

Nationally-known genealogist Megan Smolenyak will return for the eighth annual RELIC After Dark, RELIC's special event scheduled for the evening of Saturday, September 29, 2012.  Ms. Smolenyak is the author of six books, including Hey America, Your Roots Are Showing, and Who Do You Think You Are? She has appeared on national television many times.

For RELIC After Dark her talk will be “Cases That Made My Brain Hurt.”

This gala event will last from 7:00 to 11:00 p.m.  The cost is $25 per person, and will include a buffet dinner with assorted beverages and desserts, an opportunity to conduct personal research, and complimentary printing from microfilm and electronic resources.  

RELIC is now accepting reservations. Space is limited so early registration is recommended. Suggested attire is dressy casual. Checks should be made payable to Prince William Public Library System (or PWPLS), with “RELIC After Dark” on the memo line.  

Please contact RELIC at 703-792-4540 or relic2@pwcgov.org for further information. Payment is required in advance.

Learn more about Ms. Smolenyak's work at www.megansmolenyak.com.

Microfilm Scanning @ RELIC

I'm very excited about the new equipment installed last week at RELIC.  This wonderful local resource for county history and genealogy recently connected a computer with Microsoft Office Document Imaging software to a microfilm reader.  Researchers now have the ability to print hard copies (as usual) and/or scan a digital image of the microfilm image and save it to a Flash Drive.  Images can be saved as Tagged Image File Format (TIFF) or Microsoft Document Imaging Format (MDI) to the flash drive and then used on your home computer.

I had the opportunity to play with the new scanner last weekend when I started abstracting PWCo Will Book I as a RELIC volunteer project.  Instead of having to sit by the microfilm reader typing on a laptop or printing page after page for transcription later, I was able to use the new software to scan and download 60 pages to my flash drive.  Much easier!!  (And free!)

There are, of course, a few things to note.  The scanner is unable to clean up a dark or grainy image.  Pretty much what you see on the microfilm reader screen is what you'll get on the digital image.  Any "noise" (i.e., microfilm scratches, shadows, streaks from the film image) will transfer to your scan and must be cleaned with a graphics program (Adobe Photoshop, for instance).  Also, you must bring your own flash drive!  RELIC cannot provide one for you.

There is currently only ONE scanner available, connected to ONE microfilm reader.  RELIC hopes to obtain another in the near future.  I'm certainly happy with one scanner over no scanner, but I expect that this one device is going to become popular (and busy!) very, very quickly.  If that becomes the case, RELIC may have to find a way to manage how long a single user can monopolize the scanner if there's someone waiting to use it.

Event: Researching Land Titles

What:  Researching Land Titles and the History of your Home, given by Don Wilson of RELIC

Where:  Brentsville Courthouse Historic Center

When:  Saturday, June 18th at 1:00 pm

FREE!

For anyone interested in learning more about their property, with tips on where and how to look for information.