Fredericksburg Historic Markers

2018 Fredericksburg Historic Markers

This project aims to explore and analyze historical markers in the city of Fredericksburg. According to the Historical Marker Database there are a total of 177 historical markers, 40 of which we plan on digitizing on our website, fhm.umwhistory.org. The HMD site is assisting us in locating the historical markers, transcribing their inscriptions, and we will build our research from this preliminary information. In terms of marker type, not all of our markers are the traditional black and silver historic markers. We will be looking at all of the markers in Fredericksburg that have been erected by different groups and societies. In terms of a sustainability plan, our group has chosen to forego any updates on the site post May 2018, however, we plan on utilizing tools that will continue to present our information in a manner that is easy to navigate. Tools such as StoryMapJS and TimelineJS are self-updating and don’t disrupt the information, as the years go on the presentation may change but the information will not. With this being said we expect to draw an audience composed primarily of visitors to Fredericksburg and UMW’s campus. This project will also look toward the two previous historical markers project, (http://sevamarkers.umwblogs.org/ and http://fredmarkers.umwblogs.org/) in order to help us better understand how digital representation changes, and to build off the information these two groups compiled.

 

Key Pieces:

  • Intro video/Vlog on Welcome page
  • Gallery of pictures that are linked to the “blog posts” on each marker
    • Tying markers to the owners and curators of historic buildings, via interview
    • These interviews will be utilized in our research
  • Basic Info on Markers
    • transcription
    • Historical Context of the event or person
    • Pictures of event/place/person
    • Embedded video of interviews and/or use of interviews
  • What about markers already researched?
  • Layered Map
    • Visitors can choose which categories they want to see on the map by checking/unchecking keywords
  • Timeline
    • Two timelines
      • Timeline of when  markers were erected
      • Timeline of events markers showcase
  • Bibliography
    • Page that lists all of our sources

 

Tools to be used:

 

  • WordPress – the interface in which we plan to publish our website
    • Much of the research and writing will be completed by Lake and Rachel
    • Jay, Lake and Rachel – all history majors – will make sure all of our Chicago/Turabian citations are correct
  • TimelineJS – We will have two timelines (as mentioned above), and TimelineJS will be used for those timelines
    • Jay and Rachel  have agreed to work on the two Timelines
  • iMovie- will be used to create and edit the video that will give a short synopsis of our project, as well as for editing the interviews of home owners & curators.
    • Mili agreed to cover the media component of the project
    • Lake and Mili have agreed to go out and explore the markers and conduct the interviews
  • ArcGIS or GoogleMaps – at the moment we plan on utilizing ArcGIS for our layered map. If ArcGIS proves to be too difficult then we will switch tools to GoogleMaps.
    • Rachel and Jay will be completing the mapping component

 

Suggested Project URLs:

  • fhm.umwhistory.org

 

As of February 22, this project was in its research stages. At the moment we have restricted our geographic area to the city of Fredericksburg and we’ve begun to do research on our historical markers. We’ve split up the total 177 historical markers into 44 markers for each person to research. Over the next two weeks we will be first looking at the basic information available on HMD (sign inscription, location/coordinates, suggested sources), taking it with a grain of salt and using it as a launching point. We plan on only completing 40 signs, and we will have these sights chosen and preliminary researched (bibliography) by March 15.

 

Project Deadlines

Running group blog post to post research/questions/project ideas

Due every week

**The blog posts help us keep track of our project, and keep other members of the group in contact and up to date with their portion of the project

TUESDAY THURSDAY
FEBRUARY
2/20:

  • Revised Contracts due
  • Preliminary info on 44 markers due
 2/22:

  • Research
2/27:

Prepare for class presentation-Group meeting

Continue Preliminary Research

  • Research – every person list a short bibliography on at least 5 of their historical markers
 3/1:

10 minute Class Presentation

All prepare a summary of their own research and contribution to the project

**Lake will be absent

  • Research – every person list a short bibliography on at least 5 of their historical markers
MARCH
3/6 and 3/8:

Spring Break!

  • Begin digitizing compiled research
  • Over break give short bibliography for the last 10 markers
3/13:

  • Downsize number of markers (if needed)
  • Present what you did over Spring Break
  • create presentation detailing the components of the site–show what the site will look like and include models of the tools that are present a sampling of research collected
 3/15:

Group Meeting and Planning

Write individual/private messages on slack to Dr. McClurken about the group’s failure and successes so far

Complete bibliography of everyones 10 sites
3/20:

10 minute progress reports: share progress with digital technology

 3/22:

Group meeting and planning

Continue working on website and tools

  • Input research, embed drafts of timeline and storymap etc.
3/27:

Prepare what we will talk about during the five minute progress report

 3/29:

5 minute progress report
April
4/3:

Group Meeting and Planning

Have completed research

EDITING STAGE BEGIN

 4/5:

10 minute progress reports
4/10:

Consolidate Information/Research

Presentation Preparation

Edit tools and website

 4/12:

Group meeting and planning

Presentation Preparation

Edit tools and website
4/17:

Group Meeting and Planning

Presentation Preparation

Edit tools and website

 4/19:

10 minute progress reports

Finalized Presentations due next class
4/24:

Projects Due–quick meeting to discuss process

 4/26:

Meeting with Dr. McClurken

*Dr. McClurken will critique projects and we will fix them before our presentation

 

Friday 4/27:

Formal Presentations 2 pm

Monroe 210

History Symposium
Sunday 4/28:

Brief paper/ blog post due (1-2 pages/~500 words) reflecting on the process and defending your project as contracted
Tuesday 5/1:

Exam Period

Summary Discussion of  Digital History

 

Milen B. Mehari

Rachel Dacey

Jason Gaddie

Lakelyn Wiley

Marker list:

List of the 40 historical markers we are researching:

Milen Mehari:
Hydroelectricity Brings Changes to Fredericksburg
Kenmore
Marye’s Heights
Mt. Zion Baptist Church
Rappahannock River Heritage Trail
Ravaged Town
Seeking Civil Rights
Shiloh Baptist Church (New Site)
Shiloh Baptist Church (Old Site)
Site of Barton House

Lakelyn Wiley:
“The Battle of Fredericksburg”
“Fredericksburg”
“Fredericksburg Gun Manufacturer”
“Fredericksburg National Cemetery”
“Fredericksburg Normal and Industrial Institute”
“General Stonewall Jackson”
“George Rogers Clark 1752-1818”
“George Washington’s Boyhood Home at Ferry Farm”
“Historic Kenmore”
“Hostages”

Rachel Dacey:
“A Vast Hospital”
“A Vibrant and Segregated Community”
“Angel of Marye’s Heights”
“Auction Block”
“Bridgewater Mills”
“Brompton – The Battle of Fredericksburg”
“Building a Railroad Through a Stream Valley”
“Carl’s”
“Clara Barton”
“Contact: An Industrial Society Confront A Native American Culture”

Jason Gaddie:
The Barton Street Potter’s Field
The Canal Ditch
The Corporation Burying Ground
The Fifth Corps, Army of the Potomac
The Heights at Smith Run
The Lewis Store
The Sentry Box
The Vermont Brigade Counterattacks
To The Confederate Dead
Veterans of Foreign Wars Eternal Flame