Below is a list of past events
of the French and Indian War Foundation
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Members of the French and Indian War Foundation met with Shenandoah University’s Virtual Reality class, Tuesday 4pm, Feb 25, 2020.
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We hope one day to have you view our physical site of 419 N Loudoun Street through your cell phone and see the walls of this fort appear magically next to a parked car, or appear right by the house that stands there now. The Well blasted by George Washington’s miner is still there.
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Some time in November 2019 this new logo was presented for final approval to the Board of Directors of the French and Indian War Foundation.
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See our new coming logo for the Foundation, designed by Stevan Resan.
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A detailed description of each part of this logo can be read here: Logo Description
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The top lines depict wampum treaty belt, the Fleur de lis for the French, the British Union Jack of that time, and the outline of Fort Loudoun and at least 3 of its bastions.
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Touch or Click to Enlarge.
See long over due
Outstanding Service Award
for President
David Grosso
of the French and Indian War Foundation.
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Vice President Stevan Resan
on the left
presents award to President David Grosso at the 2019 Annual Meeting for the French and Indian War Foundation.
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Thank You to
Daniel Harrison forted house
for inviting
the Virginia Regiment
George Mercer Company
to muster there
Saturday 13 April 2019.
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The April 20th 1:30pm
Battle of Great Cacapon Reenactment
is POSTPONED to June 15, 2019
due to extreme wet conditions on site
from recent and impeding rain.
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The Annual Colonial Feast and guest speaker Albert Zambone
author of “Daniel Morgan: A Revolutionary Life”
will still be held Saturday 3pm, April 20, 2019
at the Capon Bridge Fire Hall Community Building as scheduled.
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Put together your favorite colonial dish and join us for an afternoon of good food and colonial history. If you can’t make a dish join us anyway, we’ll have plenty..
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2019 – Winchester VA 275th Anniversary
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The Big events for the French and Indian War Foundation and for the Virginia Regiment George Mercer Co are the following to celebrate this anniversary year for Winchester VA :
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Presidents Day Feb 18, 2019
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George Washington Birthday Feb 22, 2019
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Fort Loudoun Day May 18, 2019
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Election Win of Colonel George Washington July 27, 2019
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Declaration of War August 17, 2019
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Abrams Delight September 21-22, 2019
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Past Events
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Annual Meeting
November 11, 2018
Steve Resan, VP of the French and Indian War Foundation, will be presenting a talk on The Well, still existing from the hands of Colonel George Washington’s men. Click on details of Annual Meeting.
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Please see the 2019 events listed on the right hand side.
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July 22, 2018, Sunday Afternoon, 1pm to 3pm, 299 votes cast.
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Fort Loudoun Days
beginning with
David Preston on Braddock’s Defeat
on Friday 18 May 2018
and at the Fort Site
Saturday 19 May 2018
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Presidents Day
Monday 19 February 2018
The Captain Mercer Company of the Virginia Regiment headed by Colonel George Washington when Winchester VA was part of the empire of Great Britain.
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For more pictures see both video below . . . and click here for slideshow.
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Click link below of
Antiques Journal magazine
February 2018 issue on
Fort Loudoun Winchester VA:
magazine article Fort Loudoun 2.18
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Click on our new FIWF Newsletter Winter 2018
Click on this link to see our Fall 2017 Newsletter.
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See our new brochure below:
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A letter to YOU
from the
French & Indian War Foundation
“Preserving and Interpreting the Colonial history of Virginia’s Frontier”
YOUR SUPPORT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE!
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Dear Member and to all others who want to join,
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When the French and Indian War Foundation was established in 2002 there was nothing quite like us—and we are still unique. Something else has not changed: Your support has made our work possible, from our beginnings to today.
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Our mission statement guides us and is at the heart of everything we do at the Foundation. As a member, you understand the value of this mission to educate the public to the importance of this era in our history to the eventual founding of our nation.
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You also know that your support makes the programs we sponsor possible. Unlike other non-profit organizations we receive no local, state or federal funding, nor do we have an endowment on which to draw.
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That’s why I’m asking you to consider a tax-deductible year-end gift of $25, $50, $150, $250, or whatever amount you might like to consider to ensure that we are able to continue and expand our efforts to satisfy our mission. Your commitment and connection is vital to us.
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Please, take a moment to think of the enriching experiences you’ve found through the Foundation. Then, consider a year-end gift that will ensure we are able to continue to provide those experiences for many more years. I look forward to seeing you at one of our programs during the coming year.
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Sincerely,
David Grosso
President of the French and Indian War Foundation
Please Make your Donation Today!
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Donations may be made through PayPal
or by Check made payable to French & Indian War Foundation and
Mail to:
P.O. Box 751
Winchester, VA 22604
A 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization
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15th Annual Meeting
French and Indian War Foundation
Sunday November 12th, 2017
2pm to 4pm
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Godfrey Miller Home – Woltz Pavilion
38 S Loudoun St
See location on this map
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Free Event, Light Fare and Wine Served
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215pm Business Meeting of Awards
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3pm Speaker Robert Ambrose
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Click on picture to enlarge.
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For more information call 540-678-1743 or email fiwf.dsg@comcast.net
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About our speaker, Mr Robert Ambrose
Mr Robert Ambrose works for the Maryland Park Service. In 8 years of service he has been both a historical interpreter at Fort Frederick in Maryland, as well and Ranger at Cunningham Fall, Gambrill and Fort Frederick State Parks.
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Mr Ambrose is a graduate of Bridgewater College, Bridgewater, VA, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Political Science.
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He has been involved in living history for 21 years during which time he has portrayed soldiers from the French and Indian War, American Revolutions, War of 1812, Indian Wars of the 1870s, and the Spanish American War.
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In addition he has done interpretation on African American Subjects and the Civilian Conservation Corps.
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Mr Ambrose lives in Berkeley Springs, WV with his wife and three sons.
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Fort Frederick MD will be the subject of our 2017 Annual Meeting.
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A Story of our Shared Origins
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Hugh Fairfax
will tell you
a fascinating story
Sunday,
October 15, 2017
2pm
at the
Museum of the Shenandoah Valley.
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Click on each picture to enlarge.
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Hugh Fairfax is the younger brother
of Nicholas Lord Fairfax,
is related to
William Fairfax,
father of
George William Fairfax
of Belvoir
and whose beautiful wife
Sally (Sarah) Cary Fairfax,
had
Washington’s attention in many letters.
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Click on each picture to enlarge.
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See more on Lord Fairfax in the eyes of Fairfax County Virginia, having recently celebrated its 275th Anniversary.
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French and Indian War Foundation
Board of Directors Meeting
For More click on Meeting
Tuesday November 7, 2017
10 am 12 pm
419 N. Loudoun St
Winchester VA 22601
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2017
George Washington’s Birthday
We celebrated twice in February
Two Events:
See a video of February 20 Monday
at George Washington Office
and we celebrated
February 26 at George Washington Hotel
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Norman Baker, author of
Braddock’s Road Historical Atlas
will be available to sign your copy.
December 3, 11:00-1:00
at the Book Center in Cumberland, Md.
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This atlas debuted at our
November 6, 2016 Annual meeting
of the French and Indian War Foundation
$30.00, includes shipping and handling
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Contains history leading up to the British expedition, expanded history of the march toward the Forks of the Ohio, and an in-depth detailed history of the battle and its aftermath.
Atlas has 292 pages, 123 detailed and easy to read maps, fully referenced, illustrated and indexed.
Make checks payable to:
French & Indian War Foundation
P.O. Box 751, Winchester, VA 22604
For Questions, email us at: fiwf.dsg@comcast.net
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For more books sponsored by the French and Indian War Foundation? See our shop.
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In 1755, Major General Edward Braddock and two army regiments set out from Alexandria with the objective of capturing Fort Duquesne, near present-day Pittsburgh. To transport their sizable train of artillery and wagons, they first had to build a road across the rugged Appalachian Mountains. It was almost 289 treacherous miles from Alexandria, Virginia, by way of Fort Cumberland in Maryland and on to the French fort; the road they built was one of the most impressive military engineering accomplishments of the eighteenth century.
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Historian Norman L. Baker chronicles the construction of the road and creates the definitive mapping of even those sections once thought lost. Join Baker as he charts the history of Braddock’s Road until the ultimate catastrophic collision with the combined French and Indian forces.
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Upcoming Events
Keep an eye on the right side bar of dates and times
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Fort Loudoun Walk
Thursday November 10, 2016 Noon
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Norman Baker will give a tour around Fort Loudoun
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419 North Loudoun Street, Winchester, VA.
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The event is free and open to the public.
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The Baker Hardy House is on this property.
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And so is George Washington’s Well blasted and dug by Washington’s men.
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Preservation Historic Winchester sponsors this walk.
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http://www.phwi.org/blog/?cat=5
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November 6, 2016 Annual Meeting,
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French and Indian War Foundation
thanks
John Adamson
on his sharing of information on the
Kentucky Long Rifle
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21 July 2016 Washington Post article by Becca Milfeld
on the French and Indian War Foundation bus trip
along the Braddock Road with guide Norman Baker
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Past Events
in the 3 State Area – PA, MD, VA
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July 30-31 Living History Event at Conococheague Institute
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August 2-11 Fort Ligonier Archeology Weekend
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August 26-28 Fort Frederick French and Indian War Muster
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September 3-4 Fort Ligonier Living History Weekend
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September 24 French and Indian War Bus Trip – Conococheague Institute
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October 14-16 Fort Ligonier Days
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See Conococheague Institute’s Newsletter
Awesome group. Great update from them.
pioneer_times_june2016
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FORT LOUDOUN DAY
Fort Loudoun Day 14 May 2016 Winchester VA
Bold italic in the captions indicate a link. Click on that for more information.
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The 19th Annual Ohio Country Conference
Saturday, April 9, 2016-Sunday, April 10 2016
Westmoreland County Community College, PA
Reception, Saturday evening, April 9, 2016
2016OhioCountryConferenceBrochure
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George Washington Birthday
Thank You Everybody for coming to celebrate George Washington’s Birthday on the Sunday of 2/21/2016 and a thank you to the staff at the George Washington Hotel’s George’s Food and Spirits in Winchester VA for hosting us.
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David Preston, author
This email of January 13, 2016 was sent from David Preston, author Braddocks Defeat: The Battle of the Monongahela and the Road to Revolution to the Foundation’s Board members Norman Baker, Dr Carl Ekberg and Steve Resan :
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“This is a long overdue note of my deepest thanks for the great honor you saw fit to bestow upon my book Braddock’s Defeat, the 2015 Judge Robert Woltz History Award of the French and Indian War Foundation. The lovely gorget hangs in a place of honor in my office. Receiving such an unexpected award–especially from my friend and colleague Norman–is a memory that I will long cherish. I greatly appreciate the work that the French and Indian War Foundation has done, and it goes without saying that I am always at your service. I hope that my book will bring added attention to the sites and the history that you are preserving and interpreting.”
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Photo shows author David Preston (left) is wearing the gorget, which is the Judge Robert Woltz History Award. Norman Baker (right) Board member is the Foundation’s historian and who fought on Iwo Jima in WWII.
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Two calendar dates of events
presented by Clark County (Virginia) Historical Society are
George and Martha Washington 11 February 2016
and
Billy Lee 24 April 2016
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This Foundation is pleased to highlight two honors bestowed on our two Board members, Norman Baker, and Dr Carl Ekberg.
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Norman Baker was honored with a review of his book in a prestigious journal (see further below), and Dr Carl Ekberg’s book. St. Louis Rising: The French Regime of Louis St. Ange de Bellerive, has been named one of the Choice Outstanding Academic Titles for 2015. There is a feature in the January issue of Choice
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David Preston on 17 December 2015 alerted Norman L. Baker, Board Member and Historian for French and Indian War Foundation of a review of Norman L Baker’s book shown below.
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The Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research , the premier journal for any scholarship dealing with the British Army and published in the UK, has a review of Norman L Baker’s, “Braddock’s Road: Mapping the British Expedition from Alexandria to the Monongahela.”
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Norman Baker’s book on Braddock’s Road was favorably reviewed by none other than J.A. Houlding, who has written, “Fit for Service: The Training of the British Army, 1715-1795,” one of the most important books on the British Army in the eighteenth-century that has ever been published.
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Excerpts of review:
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“The result is definitive, a tribute to his scholarship, perseverance, and obvious devotion…All subsequent students of Braddock’s march will need to have this definitive work to hand…perhaps the Braddock Road Preservation Association might see fit to produce for historians and enthusiasts a detailed route-map showing Baker’s findings.”
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Another excerpt:
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Norman Baker has been through all of the textual and cartographical sources both contemporary and modern; his work has been extremely thorough and, as he walked the route himself, it can be said that his research has no doubt been exhaustive in more ways than one. The result is definitive, a tribute to his scholarship, perserverance, and obvious devotion.
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For Complete Review, click to enlarge:
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See this link for online articles of
Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research.
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See this link about the society, and this link to their website.
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See French and Indian War Foundation’s Annual Meeting
Sunday, November 15, 2015
3pm – Speaker Dr Carl Ekberg.
Our Man of the French. This was worth the visit.
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To read this Winchester Star column, left click to enlarge.
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To read this Winchester Star article published 16 November 2015, left click to enlarge.
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Braddock Road Preservation Assn Annual Event
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At that ANNUAL EVENT consisting of a bus tour on Friday 6 Nov 2015 and seminar Saturday 7 Nov 2015,
Dr. Carl J. Ekberg, our French and Indian War Foundation Board Member and Professor Emeritus at Illinois State University presented “The Jumonville Affair — A Fresh Examination.”
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See Braddock Road Preservation Association website. This site is extensive and informative. Browse through it at your leisure.
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See their Facebook Page too.
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15 October 2015
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Steve Resan, one of our Board of Directors on the French and Indian War Foundation, gave a presentation to the Winchester Shrine Club on Thursday, 15 October 2015, about the early military career of George Washington and Washington’s ties to Winchester and Frederick County. Steve’s presentation covered the period from the time Major Washington was commissioned by Gov. Dinwiddie of Virginia in 1753 to carry a message to the French at Ft. Le Boeuf near Lake Erie instructing them to “peaceably depart the Ohio Country”, through the building of Ft. Loudoun and the French & Indian War up to the events that eventually led to the outbreak of the American Revolution.
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Steve Resan has portrayed and researched the story of James Wood and has researched a story on a French Prisoner taken to Fort Loudoun
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Chipotle Fundraiser was held Sunday, October 11th, 5pm-9pm
Thank You Chipotle !
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THE UNTOLD STORIES
Untold? Oh they’ve all been told.
But have they been told to You?
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Sept 27, 2015 fundraiser was at an old colonial home
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July 26, 1758
Leaving Braddock Street in Winchester VA, you could go to several nearby streets,
all named for the heroes of the
Siege of Fortress Louisbourg.
3 heroes of that battle. Amherst. Boscawen. Wolfe.
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July 9, 1755
When you drive on Braddock Street Winchester VA, and while you check your cell phone and change through a few radio stations and look up occasionally to see where you are going, take in another distraction, the name of the man this road on which you drive.
Edward Braddock.
His defeat was on this day 260 years ago.
See event commemorating this on the right side of this page
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June 28, 2015
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We are delighted to announce a long overdue recognition of our organization’s current President Linda Ross.
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Linda Ross has presented many another with an award or two over the years, but this time it is her turn
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Linda Ross, President of the French and Indian War Foundation, received the Carroll Henkel Award from Preservation Historic Winchester (PHW) in recognition of her work of preserving the Fort Loudoun site and in bringing to the public’s notice the importance of the French and Indian War influence on Winchester VA.
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French and Indian Board members attended and gave Linda Ross flowers thanking her for work. Linda Ross in turn wanted to thank PHW for its work in Winchester with a wooden chest Ann Henkel used for her tools.
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Linda Ross with William Hunt, Lt. of 1st Virginia Regiment
at the Fort Loudoun Day held in May 2014
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See Fort Loudoun Day , Winchester VA
recently held May 16, 2015, 10am to 1pm
to commemorate the start of building Fort Loudoun.
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For the source of celebrating Fort Loudoun Day,
see letter from George Washington to Adam Stephen May 18, 1756.
Another site to check for that same letter is here.
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Still photos supplied by R Patrick Murphy and Jim Moyer
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May 3, 2015
Norman Baker, Board member of this French and Indian War Foundation and who was in the battle of Iwo Jima in WWII, will be interviewed by a national TV crew from Japan, in the Ft. Loudoun Room, George Washington Hotel, Winchester, Virginia.
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See Japan Today article only shows reader commentary now
and a Radio Australia article
and the Huffington Post article
on Norman Baker and Yoshiko Shimabukuro.
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Both the 18-year-old U.S. Marine and the 17-year-old Okinawan schoolgirl had known the enemy only from the virulent propaganda they had been fed. When they finally met their foes in the closing months of World War II, in separate, back-to-back battles hundreds of miles apart, it was on the most terrifying terms.
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“I threw off the safety on the Thompson and prepared to kill him. His eyes pleaded for his life as he turned enough to show me that he had been shot in the back in the area of his right shoulder blade.”
The Marine behind Baker yelled at him to quickly kill the soldier. Baker said no. He was taking the man prisoner.
After making the soldier strip to his underwear to be sure he was unarmed, Baker gave him a cigarette and some water. Then he was taken away.
“I have always wished that I could have found out what he did with his life.”
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Thursday April 30, 2015
Dr Carl Ekberg , Board member of the French and Indian War Foundation, and Sharon Person, authors of “St. Louis Rising: The French Regime of Louis St. Ange De Bellerive,” stopped by
St. Louis on the Air, hosted by Don Marsh, to provide historical insight, challenging the often told story
about the discovery of St. Louis.
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See Spring 2015 Newsletter .
Catch up on past events and honors bestowed on those working on this endeavor of history.
See also Steve Resan’s 2nd part saga on Captain Francois Marie Picoté de Belestre and the son Ensign Francois-Louis Picoté de Belestre, who was a prisoner at Fort Loudoun.
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There was a BUS TOUR
Saturday April 25, 2015
See Fort Necessity, Jumonville Glen, Portions of Braddock’s Road
See details on what the bus tour covered.
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This map shows many of the forts and battles
in the French and Indian War, a war that gave us the phrase:
The Sun Never Sets on the British Empire.
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See St Louis Rising book event this past 13 April 2015
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See this past George Washington’s Birthday
was celebrated at George’s Food and Spirits
Sunday February 22, 2015
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See Winchester Star Articles on 13th Annual Meeting held
Sunday, November 16 2014
Speaker Mr. Paul R. Misencik, author of
“George Washington and the Half-King Chief Tanacharison“
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A Scout was raised to the rank of “Eagle” Sunday October 5, 2014. Of the many tasks to complete to become Eagle, he chose to make our display case for the Visitors Center. He is David Tactikos of Winchester. He is a senior at Handley High School. Troop 9. The F&I War Foundation wishes to give a huge thanks to David and to Mr. Tony Manzione.
Click on Eagle Scout
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Click on: July 2014 Newsletter, an update on recent accomplishments and events and a story on a prisoner of note by Board Member Steve Resan.
Click on: More on this prisoner
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July 8, 2014, Dr Carl Ekberg (board member of the F&I War Foundation) was awarded La Medaille d’Or du Merite Francophone by the French Ambassador, Francois Delattre
Click on: Dr Carl Ekberg has written the following books
Click on: video of event
See: Dr Carl Ekberg
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National Landmark Status accomplished for Fort Loudoun Winchester VA
reported in Winchester Star Saturday July 12, 2014
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Click on: Fort Loudoun Day May 17, 2014 Saturday
Click on: updated Board of Directors
CELL PHONE TOUR OF FORT LOUDOUN
PROUDLY SPONSORED BY:
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Welcome!
If you are looking to learn more about Virginia’s frontier and the French and Indian War, then you’re at the right place!
[layerslider id=”1″ title=”LayerSlider”]
Mission Statement:
“Winchester’s French and Indian War Foundation preserves and interprets the colonial history of Virginia’s frontier”.
Goals:
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Raise public awareness about the French and Indian war and its consequences through public lectures and tours, as well as publication in the media.
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Collect and conserve primary documents relating to the war
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Identify, document, preserve, and interpret French and Indian War era landmarks in the back country of the mid-Atlantic colonies
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Cooperate with privately and publicly owned French and Indian War fort sites, battlefields, and other historical sites in research, promotional, and preservation activities.
Foundation Activities:
Please take time to visit our Events Page to learn more about up-coming events. (All events are family friendly… it’s even possible that George Washington himself may make an appearance!)
********************************************************************************************************************************************
Winchester’s French and Indian War Foundation exists to “preserve and interpret” the colonial history (with an emphasis on the years of the French and Indian War (1754-1763)). We host educational and community events year-round, providing opportunities for students, the general community, and tourists alike, to learn about this important period of our history.
We are thrilled to have a number of highly recognized historians and reenactors as a part of our membership…all of them interested in sharing their knowledge with you, a vital task for keeping this history alive for future generations. (Not to mention it’s just plain fun and interesting info to learn!)
In fact… did you know that:
- The French and Indian War is the common U.S. name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763? The name of the war simply refers to the two main enemies of the British: the royal French forces and the various Native American forces allied with them.
- In 1756 the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years’ War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war?
- In Canada, it is usually just referred to as the Seven Years’ War, although French speakers in Quebec often call it La guerre de la Conquête (“The War of the Conquest”)?
- That many refer to the war as “The War That Made America” because it was a period that set in motion forces that would culminate in the American Revolution? It began in the wilderness of the Pennsylvania frontier and spread throughout the colonies, into Canada, and ultimately around the world!
- That the following image is the earliest authenticated portrait of George Washington ? It shows him wearing his colonel’s uniform of the Virginia Regiment from the French and Indian War (this portrait was painted years after the war, in 1772).
We encourage you to continue looking around our website – there’s lots of additional educational information as well as information on the foundation itself and how you can become involved. Whether actively joining us, or supporting the cause through one-time or recurring donations, we’d love to have your support!
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YEAR 2015
This Foundation is pleased to highlight two honors bestowed on our two Board members, Norman Baker, and Dr Carl Ekberg.
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Norman Baker was honored with a review of his book in a prestigious journal (see further below), and Dr Carl Ekberg’s book. St. Louis Rising: The French Regime of Louis St. Ange de Bellerive, has been named one of the Choice Outstanding Academic Titles for 2015. There is a feature in the January issue of Choice
.
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David Preston on 17 December 2015 alerted Norman L. Baker, Board Member and Historian for French and Indian War Foundation of a review of Norman L Baker’s book shown below.
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The Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research , the premier journal for any scholarship dealing with the British Army and published in the UK, has a review of Norman L Baker’s, “Braddock’s Road: Mapping the British Expedition from Alexandria to the Monongahela.”
.
.
Norman Baker’s book on Braddock’s Road was favorably reviewed by none other than J.A. Houlding, who has written, “Fit for Service: The Training of the British Army, 1715-1795,” one of the most important books on the British Army in the eighteenth-century that has ever been published.
.
Excerpts of review:
.
“The result is definitive, a tribute to his scholarship, perseverance, and obvious devotion…All subsequent students of Braddock’s march will need to have this definitive work to hand…perhaps the Braddock Road Preservation Association might see fit to produce for historians and enthusiasts a detailed route-map showing Baker’s findings.”
.
Another excerpt:
.
Norman Baker has been through all of the textual and cartographical sources both contemporary and modern; his work has been extremely thorough and, as he walked the route himself, it can be said that his research has no doubt been exhaustive in more ways than one. The result is definitive, a tribute to his scholarship, perserverance, and obvious devotion.
.
For Complete Review, click to enlarge:
.
See this link for online articles of
Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research.
.
See this link about the society, and this link to their website.
.
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See French and Indian War Foundation’s Annual Meeting
Sunday, November 15, 2015
3pm – Speaker Dr Carl Ekberg.
Our Man of the French. This was worth the visit.
.
To read this Winchester Star column, left click to enlarge.
.
.
To read this Winchester Star article published 16 November 2015, left click to enlarge.
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Braddock Road Preservation Assn Annual Event
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At that ANNUAL EVENT consisting of a bus tour on Friday 6 Nov 2015 and seminar Saturday 7 Nov 2015,
Dr. Carl J. Ekberg, our French and Indian War Foundation Board Member and Professor Emeritus at Illinois State University presented “The Jumonville Affair — A Fresh Examination.”
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See Braddock Road Preservation Association website. This site is extensive and informative. Browse through it at your leisure.
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See their Facebook Page too.
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15 October 2015
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Steve Resan, one of our Board of Directors on the French and Indian War Foundation, gave a presentation to the Winchester Shrine Club on Thursday, 15 October 2015, about the early military career of George Washington and Washington’s ties to Winchester and Frederick County. Steve’s presentation covered the period from the time Major Washington was commissioned by Gov. Dinwiddie of Virginia in 1753 to carry a message to the French at Ft. Le Boeuf near Lake Erie instructing them to “peaceably depart the Ohio Country”, through the building of Ft. Loudoun and the French & Indian War up to the events that eventually led to the outbreak of the American Revolution.
.
Steve Resan has portrayed and researched the story of James Wood and has researched a story on a French Prisoner taken to Fort Loudoun
.
.
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Chipotle Fundraiser was held Sunday, October 11th, 5pm-9pm
Thank You Chipotle !
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THE UNTOLD STORIES
Untold? Oh they’ve all been told.
But have they been told to You?
.
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Sept 27, 2015 fundraiser was at an old colonial home
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.
July 26, 1758
Leaving Braddock Street in Winchester VA, you could go to several nearby streets,
all named for the heroes of the
Siege of Fortress Louisbourg.
3 heroes of that battle. Amherst. Boscawen. Wolfe.
.
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July 9, 1755
When you drive on Braddock Street Winchester VA, and while you check your cell phone and change through a few radio stations and look up occasionally to see where you are going, take in another distraction, the name of the man this road on which you drive.
Edward Braddock.
His defeat was on this day 260 years ago.
See event commemorating this on the right side of this page
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June 28, 2015
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We are delighted to announce a long overdue recognition of our organization’s current President Linda Ross.
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Linda Ross has presented many another with an award or two over the years, but this time it is her turn
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Linda Ross, President of the French and Indian War Foundation, received the Carroll Henkel Award from Preservation Historic Winchester (PHW) in recognition of her work of preserving the Fort Loudoun site and in bringing to the public’s notice the importance of the French and Indian War influence on Winchester VA.
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French and Indian Board members attended and gave Linda Ross flowers thanking her for work. Linda Ross in turn wanted to thank PHW for its work in Winchester with a wooden chest Ann Henkel used for her tools.
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Linda Ross with William Hunt, Lt. of 1st Virginia Regiment
at the Fort Loudoun Day held in May 2014
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See Fort Loudoun Day , Winchester VA
recently held May 16, 2015, 10am to 1pm
to commemorate the start of building Fort Loudoun.
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For the source of celebrating Fort Loudoun Day,
see letter from George Washington to Adam Stephen May 18, 1756.
Another site to check for that same letter is here.
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Still photos supplied by R Patrick Murphy and Jim Moyer
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May 3, 2015
Norman Baker, Board member of this French and Indian War Foundation and who was in the battle of Iwo Jima in WWII, will be interviewed by a national TV crew from Japan, in the Ft. Loudoun Room, George Washington Hotel, Winchester, Virginia.
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See Japan Today article only shows reader commentary now
and a Radio Australia article
and the Huffington Post article
on Norman Baker and Yoshiko Shimabukuro.
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Both the 18-year-old U.S. Marine and the 17-year-old Okinawan schoolgirl had known the enemy only from the virulent propaganda they had been fed. When they finally met their foes in the closing months of World War II, in separate, back-to-back battles hundreds of miles apart, it was on the most terrifying terms.
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“I threw off the safety on the Thompson and prepared to kill him. His eyes pleaded for his life as he turned enough to show me that he had been shot in the back in the area of his right shoulder blade.”
The Marine behind Baker yelled at him to quickly kill the soldier. Baker said no. He was taking the man prisoner.
After making the soldier strip to his underwear to be sure he was unarmed, Baker gave him a cigarette and some water. Then he was taken away.
“I have always wished that I could have found out what he did with his life.”
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Thursday April 30, 2015
Dr Carl Ekberg , Board member of the French and Indian War Foundation, and Sharon Person, authors of “St. Louis Rising: The French Regime of Louis St. Ange De Bellerive,” stopped by
St. Louis on the Air, hosted by Don Marsh, to provide historical insight, challenging the often told story
about the discovery of St. Louis.
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See Spring 2015 Newsletter .
Catch up on past events and honors bestowed on those working on this endeavor of history.
See also Steve Resan’s 2nd part saga on Captain Francois Marie Picoté de Belestre and the son Ensign Francois-Louis Picoté de Belestre, who was a prisoner at Fort Loudoun.
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There was a BUS TOUR
Saturday April 25, 2015
See Fort Necessity, Jumonville Glen, Portions of Braddock’s Road
See details on what the bus tour covered.
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See St Louis Rising book event this past 13 April 2015
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See this past George Washington’s Birthday
was celebrated at George’s Food and Spirits
Sunday February 22, 2015
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YEAR 2014
See Winchester Star Article on 13th Annual Meeting November 16, 2014
Speaker Mr. Paul R. Misencik, author of
“George Washington and the Half-King Chief Tanacharison“
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Bus Tour and Seminar
by Braddock Road Preservation Assn Oct 31 to Nov 1 2014
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A Scout was raised to the rank of “Eagle” Sunday October 5, 2014. Of the many tasks to complete to become Eagle, he chose to make our display case for the Visitors Center. He is David Tactikos of Winchester. He is a senior at Handley High School. Troop 9. The F&I War Foundation wishes to give a huge thanks to David and to Mr. Tony Manzione.
Click on Eagle Scout
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Click on: July 2014 Newsletter, an update on recent accomplishments and events and a story on a prisoner of note by Board Member Steve Resan.
Click on: More on this prisoner
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National Landmark Status accomplished,
Winchester Star July 12, 2014 article
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July 8, 2014, Dr Carl Ekberg (board member of the F&I War Foundation) was awarded La Medaille d’Or du Merite Francophone by the French Ambassador, Francois Delattre
Click on: Dr Carl Ekberg has written the following books
Click on: video of event
See: Dr Carl Ekberg
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See Video: Fort Loudoun Day May 17, 2014
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APRIL 5, 2014 Event at the Carlyle House.
Norman Baker, our French and Indian War Foundation historian, attended the event at the Carlyle House. Norman Baker is author of “Braddock’s Road,” whereby the actual location of the road is detailed.
Click on: Press 2013
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TV 3 news show on Fort Loudoun:
TV3 Winchester: Sunday, May 17, 2009
By Ryan O’Connor, TV3 Winchester\
If you drove down North Loudoun Street, Saturday, you may have noticed an unusual flag flying.
Many in your community gathered to commemorate the French-Indian war at the site of the former Fort Loudoun. The military base built and overseen by then-Colonel George Washington.
The commemoration was capped off by the raising of the flag of England, lead by a representative of the British Embassy.
“This year’s Fort Loudoun Day is very special because we decided this year to raise a British flag over the fort,” Patrick Farris, the President of the French-Indian War Foundation, said. “The same type of British flag that was flown over the fort during the French-Indian War of the 1750s.”
The history of Fort Loudoun is preserved by the French-Indian War Foundation of Winchester.
Fort Loudoun Day is held every May in line with the opening of tourist season and the start of the original construction of the fort in the 1750s.
Fort Loudoun a Symbol of Obession for Washington
December 31, 2010 By Joel Danoy The Winchester Star
WICHESTER– Positioned at the crossroads of the Western colonial frontier, Fort Loudoun was constructed as a symbol of Virginia’s strength and power during the French and Indian War. The stronghold, which never came under attack, was named for John Campbell (1705-1782), the fourth Earl of Loudoun – a man who blessed the idea of the fort through correspondence, but never laid eyes on the structure. Built from 1756 to 1758, the fort became an obsession for its creator – 26-year-old George Washington – who used it as his regimental headquarters during the French and Indian War (1754-1763).
A historical marker at what is now 419 N. Loudoun St. marks the spot where ground was broken for the fort’s construction on May 18, 1756. According to Norman L. Baker, a local historian and author of “Fort Loudoun: Washington’s Fort in Virginia,” the future president saw the fort’s construction as a way to regain his integrity after an embarrassing defeat as commander at Fort Necessity in 1754 and as an officer under Gen. Edward Braddock’s expeditionary force in a failed attempt to capture theFrench Fort Duquesne (in what is now Pittsburgh) in 1755.
Those defeats, Baker said, left an already vulnerable Shenandoah Valley frontier wide open to Indian raiding parties – led by French commanders – who attacked through the Ohio Valley and into the Virginia frontier.
The British military command devised a plan to create a “chain of forts” along the Virginia frontier.
”[French soldiers and Native Americans] were attacking these settlers – taking them into captivity, you know, woman and children, and killing the men,” Baker said. “[The British] realized that the only thing that could help them were these forts that they can put soldiers in.”
Washington, chosen by the British military command to execute the plan for the fort, recognized the military advantages of locating Fort Loudoun outside the small frontier crossroads town of Winchester.
Founded in 1752, Winchester was the first and only English-speaking settlement west of the Blue Ridge Mountains at the time of the fort’s construction. Winchester was located roughly halfway between Virginia’s northern frontier (now Williamsport, Md.) and the colony’s southern frontier (near what is now the North Carolina border).
”Washington constantly felt like he had to concentrate his command here in Winchester because it was the closest to the French,” Baker said. “It was right at a crossroads on a beautiful hill that was well-chosen.”
Washington wanted to build Fort Loudoun in Winchester as a command center, Baker said, where he could have supplies, ammunition, and soldiers who could be sent out to other frontier forts. “There was a necessity to protect the settlers because people were leaving in droves, going over the Blue Ridge Mountains trying to get over the eastern side [because of repeated Indian attacks],” said the 84-year-old author from Delaplane.
Approved by the Virginia General Assembly and the House of Burgesses at a cost of 1,000 British pounds, the fort was situated on a five-acre tract about 200 yards north of town.Washington laid out a 204-square-foot fortification with bastions at each corner. Inside, he designed barracks for 450 men, a powder magazine, an officer’s guard house, a grand house and kitchen, and a drinking well drilled 103 feet through limestone.
He utilized an effective defense by using an interior and exterior wall made of vertical timbers with dirt and stone filling the void between the walls – creating a base 18-feet thick. ”This was the best effort Virginia could put forward during the French and Indian War,” Baker said. “There were small forts all along the frontier but nothing as formidable as Fort Loudoun.”
Although it’s been documented that Indian raids hit Clear Brook – 12 miles north of Winchester – Fort Loudoun and Winchester were never directly attacked. Baker said the importance of the fort didn’t come with its military symbolism – its true impact must be measured in the safety and protection its mere presence provided the residents in and around Winchester. ”Winchester was nothing but four cross streets before they started building this fort,” he said. “[It] grew into the city that it was because it brought in these troops from all over Virginia and elsewhere and it brought a new economy that built the city up.”Winchester never went down from that point. It always just kept going up.”
In 1763, the French ceded North America to the British with the signing of the Treaty of Paris – effectively ending the nine-year conflict and the last opportunity that the fort might see combat action. – Contact Joel Danoy at jdanoy@winchesterstar.com
Report by Jim Moyer and Fay Dutton
My wife and I really enjoyed the trip on August 8, 2009 Saturday from 9am to 5pm. I am guessing that tour was probably more than 20 years of weekends in the making where Norman Baker, our tour guide, had walked all those places, documented all those spots, poured over satellite and aerial maps and topo maps, and photographed parts of the Braddock Road.
Some highlights:
This bus tour held 22 of us. We drove out west on what was called the Old Wagon Road and drove back toWinchester’s Fort Loudoun on the Braddock Road. This tour encompassed what was mostly the old largeFrederick County that emerged from an older Orange County.
Grey cloudy day soon became bright and sunny for most of morning and early afternoon.
The docent at Edward’s Fort was happy to see us, and we enjoyed our visit there and enjoyed his friendly and informative presentation. They have a great selection of books to buy as well. The docent did remark that everyone around these parts thinks their road is part of Braddock’s Road but Norman Baker might be the only researcher who used some logic combined with the map studies to make what is the real Braddock Road.
Tour Covers 14 Forts
By Stephanie Mangino
The Winchester Star: Monday, May 18, 2009
By Laura Oleniacz, The Winchester Star
Winchester — Lt. Col. Mark Sullivan of the British Army stood in salute under the afternoon sun Saturday, as a British flag was hoisted above the historic Fort Loudoun site.
Sullivan, who is stationed in the British Embassy in Washington, D.C., as a technical officer, was sent to Winchester for the flag-raising ceremony for the city’s “Fort Loudoun Day.”
The day marks the start of Fort Loudoun’s construction under George Washington’s direction in 1756, said French and Indian War Foundation President Patrick Farris.
The fort was the headquarters of the Virginia Regiment that Washington commanded during the French and Indian War, and was the anchor of a string of defenses stretching from Maryland to North Carolina designed to protect the frontier.
The foundation owns the Baker-Hardy House at 419 N. Loudoun St., which sits at the northwest bastion of the fort, Farris said.
At the flag-raising ceremony, Sullivan called out orders for the raising of the “King’s Colors,” which was the nation’s banner during the English colonization of the United States.
To read the remainder of the article click the following link:
http://www.winchesterstar.com/showarticle_new.php?sID=6&foldername=20090518&file=flag_article.html
TV3 Winchester: Sunday, May 17, 2009
By Ryan O’Connor, TV3 Winchester\
If you drove down North Loudoun Street, Saturday, you may have noticed an unusual flag flying.
Many in your community gathered to commemorate the French-Indian war at the site of the former Fort Loudoun. The military base built and overseen by then-Colonel George Washington.
The commemoration was capped off by the raising of the flag of England, lead by a representative of the British Embassy.
“This year’s Fort Loudoun Day is very special because we decided this year to raise a British flag over the fort,” Patrick Farris, the President of the French-Indian War Foundation, said. “The same type of British flag that was flown over the fort during the French-Indian War of the 1750s.”
The history of Fort Loudoun is preserved by the French-Indian War Foundation of Winchester.
Fort Loudoun Day is held every May in line with the opening of tourist season and the start of the original construction of the fort in the 1750s.