July 16, 2019

The Road to the Stickley Farm



The Stickley farm house dates to around 1775. For years the Valley Pike (US 11) ran past it, but you could take a picture of it from a pull-off that had historical markers.
At one time there were picnic tables at the wayside here, as I recall. Eventually they were removed but Civil War Trails signs and a state historical marker for Fort Bowman remained. Not long ago they were all moved. The road that served the wayside remains and can be reached from the Valley Pike just west of Cedar Creek.


Wayside location Pinned at HMDB using Google Maps. (2018 Configuration.)
After the new bridge across Cedar Creek was opened to two-way traffic (June 2018), the old bridge that carried the westbound lanes was removed. A newly-widened road carried traffic in both directions and the old west-bound lanes were actually dug up and hauled off. I drove over those lanes many times and now they are covered with grass. How strange it felt to look at the road that is no longer there!

Heading toward Strasburg and Interstate 81.
Facing Cedar Creek (not visible through the tall grass).
Fences.
The wayside road is now a lane that just leads to the Stickley farm. The farm is privately owned but sometimes it is open to Civil War tour groups.

After the Battle of Cedar Creek (1864), the farm house served as a field hospital.

The now missing Civil War Trails signs were "Cedar Creek — Strategic Crossing — 1864 Valley Campaign" and "Cedar Creek — Strategic Crossing— 1862 Valley Campaign." My understanding is that they will be installed at another location. I would not be surprised if it were at the old campground across the creek, recently acquired as part of Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park.
See my 2014 Post on the Stickley Farm.

9 comments:

  1. This reminds me so much of the Talking Heads song "Nothing But Flowers"!!!

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  2. Belas fotografias gostei de ver e aproveito para desejar a continuação de uma boa semana.

    Andarilhar
    Dedais de Francisco e Idalisa
    O prazer dos livros

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  3. Hello, pretty rural scenes. I love the view of the cattle. The flowers are lovely. Have a great day!

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  4. ...another of the beautiful historic spots in your area! I drive on US Route 11 often. Thanks Linda for the visit, enjoy your week.

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  5. How great to have been part of the history of the road changes, which in a hundred years or so may be changed again!

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  6. There is a point in time when things stop being something that happened in history to something you remember like driving on that road - that's incredible how it has grassed over! It is great that you are also able to point us back to your blog from 2014.

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  7. A very nice series of photographs.
    It looks very peaceful.

    All the best Jan

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  8. Serene views along the road there.

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