The above photo shows the road leading to my great grandfather’s farm in Mount Solon, Rockingham County, Virginia.  The photo was taken about 1940.

Down in the Valley is a collection of resources which highlight the rich diversity of history and culture of the counties and communities which compose the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia and West Virginia.  Through the Valley ran the Great Wagon Road which carried many early pioneers from Philadelphia to South Carolina.  In Roanoke, Virginia the road split and became the Wilderness Road which went west through the Cumberland Gap in Tennessee. Most of my family has roots throughout this region and many of these resources are the ones I use to research my family’s history.

This collection will be updated frequently as more counties and resources are added – check back often!