Happy Chesapeake Bay Appreciation Week!

Happy Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week! This week was established by the Chesapeake Bay Commission in 2016, and formally designates nine days each June to celebrate the history and natural beauty of the nation’s largest estuary. This year, Chesapeake Bay Appreciation Week is June 7 to 15, and focuses on the protectors and wonders of the bay.

Maps of Virginia and the Chesapeake Bay from the Army Corps of Engineers Now Digitized

Maps of Virginia and the Chesapeake Bay from the Army Corps of Engineers have been digitized and are available to view and download from the National Archives Catalog. The records are part of the Civil Works Map File series from Record Group 77, Records of the Office of the Chief of Engineers. The records make … Continue reading Maps of Virginia and the Chesapeake Bay from the Army Corps of Engineers Now Digitized

Civil War Maps from the Army Corps of Engineers Now Digitized

Civil War era and related maps from the Army Corps of Engineers have been digitized and are available to view and download from the National Archives Catalog. The records are part of the Civil Works Map File series from Record Group 77, Records of the Office of the Chief of Engineers. The records make up … Continue reading Civil War Maps from the Army Corps of Engineers Now Digitized

Historical Roads and Buildings in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia

Have you ever wondered what the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) area looked like from the late 19th century to the mid 20th century? Thanks to the Bureau of Public Roads role in documenting road constructions, highways, building structures, etc., you are in luck. Record Group 30: Historical Photograph Files, 1896-1963 (30-N) contains … Continue reading Historical Roads and Buildings in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia

BOOM! – Looking Back at When the Bodie Island Lighthouse Went Dark in May of 1863

The Outer Banks of North Carolina are a 200-mile-long string of barrier islands located on the eastern coast of the United States, in the mid-Atlantic region. This tiny strip of land forms a barrier between the Pamilico Sound, the Albemarle Sound, and the Carrituck Sound and the Atlantic Ocean. Now a major tourist destination, the … Continue reading BOOM! – Looking Back at When the Bodie Island Lighthouse Went Dark in May of 1863

Victory at Yorktown

On the morning of October 19th, 1781, British troops along with their allies marched out of Yorktown, Virginia with flags furled to surrender to combined American and French forces.  The siege and surrender at Yorktown proved to be the decisive blow to British hopes of regaining control of the American colonies. To celebrate the anniversary … Continue reading Victory at Yorktown

What’s In a Name? American Vessels Called Enterprise

This Saturday, September 8th, marks the 52nd anniversary of the debut of the “Star Trek” series on television. For over two hundred years, ships called Enterprise have been helping us “Boldly Go”.  From vessels that sailed the Great Lakes of the United States in the War of 1812 to the most decorated ship of World … Continue reading What’s In a Name? American Vessels Called Enterprise