Pointless Prize: Civil War History

[BicycleBeth]

Here’s one of my favorite websites for learning more about the Civil War including lots of details that help me recreate troop movements on RideWithGPS.

https://www.battlefields.org/

[BicycleBeth]

Here’s a great resource for finding the circle forts and battery defenses near Washington.

https://www.nps.gov/cwdw/learn/historyculture/places.htm

[BicycleBeth]

Follow the Civil War Trails on this website to follow troop movements in Virginia, Maryland, and DC.

http://www.civilwartrails.org/mapguides.html

[lordofthemark]

OMG! I’m verklempt!

Thoughts – living in West Alexandria gives some of us kind of an unfair advantage? https://www.alexandriava.gov/uploadedFiles/manager/info/Confederate%20Street%20Name%20Inventory%20revised%2002-08-2016.pdf

Special West ALX sub challenge – Fort Ward loops.

Honestly though, this is my excuse to look for markers, and maybe to do something with the forts in DC. Or to find a way to schlep my bike out to Manassas.

[Erikaceae]

Sweet! I’m reading The Quartermaster right now! And super excited to ride my bike to some of the locations mentioned in the book! This challenge is perfect for doing just that! Thanks!

[Kbikeva]

More resources for those who want to pursue this pointless prize (but cool idea because there’s so much in this area it could fill your every cold weather riding day).

For a list of historical markers in Fairfax County that are part of the state program: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/planning-development/historic/virginia-highway-markers
For a list of historical markers in Fairfax County that are part of the Fairfax County Historical Commission Marker program: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/planning-development/historic/fairfax-county-highway-markers

City of Fairfax and Town of Herndon also have historical markers
https://www.historicfairfax.org/markers/
https://www.herndon-va.gov/departments/community-development/planning-policy/heritage-preservation/historic-marker-program

You’ll have to look at the lists to a) figure out a good route and b) winnow them down to just Civil War history — there’s a boatload of all types of history represented in these lists. If you come up with a route in the Reston/Herndon area and want a sanity check on it before you come out to ride it, feel free to ping me kbikeva at gmail. I have a couple of rides I occasionally lead that are around this area that are particular to that time frame. Plus, access to different roads is changing so quickly out here, I might be able to help you with a work-around.

[AlanA]

I think this will be as much fun as the park finder. It’s always fun to spot the historical markers along the road and see what happened. I also appreciate the limit of one per day.

I’ll probably stick to looking for markers/signs and monuments. The street part will be too much of a strain on my brain! I’m pretty sure I won’t win, but it will give me something to look for on my rides.

[AlanA]

Just curious. Would items that pertained to the Underground Railroad or slavery related sites be considered? That’s one of the main reasons for the war.

[BicycleBeth]

Hi AlanA, yes! Underground Railroad sites and slavery-related sites can count. You’ll have to explain how they are related to to the Civil War in your Strava comments. I’ve been having trouble finding good Underground Railroad monuments. It seems like most of them are hypothetical future monuments or addresses or places with no marker that might have been on the trail.

I’m so excited that you’re participating!

Beth

[BicycleBeth]

KBikeva,

Thank you so much for these resources! I live in Maryland so I’m more familiar with the campaigns on this side of the River. I’m excited to visit more of the Virginia Civil War sites during Freezing Saddles.

Beth

[BicycleBeth]

Lord of the Mark,

Yay! I used to live in Foxchase on Taney Ave, a street that would count for this challenge since Chief Justice Taney ruled in the Dred Scott case. Crazily enough, I didn’t even realize the streets in my old neighborhood were all named after Confederate generals until recently—Pickett, Van Dorn, Beauregard, etc.

Thank you for playing!

Beth

[BicycleBeth]

Awesome, Erika! I’m listening to a Great Course of the Civil War and trying to pay attention to all these names and places so I can go find references to them on my bike. And so I can learn too, of course.

Thank you for playing!

Beth

[AlanA]

FYI, I have been doing my research to plan rides starting 1/1! So far, I’ve found that one sign no longer exists (since it was a CSA sign, and that is a bad thing now), and I have yet to find a sign for another historic house (although, I have found pictures online). I still need to look at that property a bit closer.

Hopefully, I don’t encounter too many of these obstacles once Jan. starts!

But, in that regard, if I take a picture of a building that has no sign (but is clearly related to the civil war – and I tell the story), will that count as a marker?

[SarahBee]

I am organizing a Civil War Forts of DC ride(s), so stay posted. It’s a longish full route even with no stops and super hilly since all the forts are on the ridgeline. At least 2 rides, maybe 3. We’ll see, but this is on my bucket list after hearing about it during my tour of the Congressional Cemetery.

[BicycleBeth]

@AlanA 203269 wrote:

FYI, I have been doing my research to plan rides starting 1/1! So far, I’ve found that one sign no longer exists (since it was a CSA sign, and that is a bad thing now), and I have yet to find a sign for another historic house (although, I have found pictures online). I still need to look at that property a bit closer.

Hopefully, I don’t encounter too many of these obstacles once Jan. starts!

But, in that regard, if I take a picture of a building that has no sign (but is clearly related to the civil war – and I tell the story), will that count as a marker?

Great question! In a situation like this, I would want one additional thing posted to Strava: a photo of the historical marker from your original source.

So in this case you need 3 things:
1. A photo of your bike and the house/historical site that used to have a historical marker
2. Photographic proof that such a marker once existed
3. A description of how this site/marker/former marker is related to the Civil War.

Have fun scouting!

[Author]

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