Coconut Learns About Virginia

Coconut has spent the last month in Virginia and she wanted to share some of the things that she has learned before she leaves:

Like Massachusetts, Virginia is a Commonwealth not a state

Six US presidents were born in Virginia including James Madison, the fourth president

James Madison University is located in Harrisonburg, VA.

 Coconut had her picture taken with the tallest President at 6’4” and the shortest President at 5’4” 

· On May 14, 1607 Captain John Smith landed in Jamestown, VA with approximately 100 people and formed the first permanent English settlement in the New World called the Virginia Company 

· The Shenandoah Valley is very beautiful and is home to Shenandoah National Park that includes 101 miles of the Appalachian Trail. The 2.190-mile Appalachian Trail starts in Maine and travels through a total of 14 states before ending in Georgia and has over 3 million people walk on part of the trail each year 

· The Civil War not the Revolutionary War is important in this area of Virginia. During the summer of 1864 the Union soldiers, lead by General Sheridan, carried out what has been called “The Burning” in the Shenandoah Valley 

· Coconut visited the Breneman-Turner Mill the only mill or barn that survived “The Burning”, so, unlike the Topsfield area, Harrisonburg does not have any really old barns because of “The Burning” .