An evening walk - Greene County, Virginia 

 Yesterday afternoon I attended the annual meeting of the Greene County Historical Society. Until 1838, Greene was a part of Orange county and historian Frank S. Walker told about some of the people who played a key role in the formation of Greene County, including William Monroe, who came to this area in 1769 and left his vast estate in trust to be used to provide free education for local children. When Greene separated from Orange, a portion of the fund was transferred to and administered by the Greene Humane Society.

Samantha Hammer and Yancey Harrison are students at William Monroe High School which is named after the early benefactor of education. They presented "The Mountain Folk's Story: The Displacement of People in Shenandoah National Park" which was their entry in the Virginia History Day competition. They told the story of the birth of the Park by acting the parts of the various participants, providing a glimpse of the impact that the Park has had on the people of the mountains, for better and for worse.

This presentation won first place at the District Virginia History Day competition, second place in the State competition, and the young historians are on their way to the National History Day program. Virginia will be well represented.