First published in 1960, this is the autobiography of George Freeman Pollock, a young Washington, D.C. man who in 1895 founded, built and managed the Skyland Resort, originally called Stony Man Camp, in Virginia. “The Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, separating the eastern or Piedmont and Tidewater sections from the Shenandoah Valley, commence at the south side of the gap at Harper’s Ferry. Thence, stretching out in a southwestwardly direction, they become substantially higher near Front Royal (at the beginning of the Shenandoah National Park) and further on in the Park, in the vicinity of Sperryville to the east and Luray to the west, they reach an apex in lofty Hawksbill Mountain and in the slightly lower though more imposing Stony Man Mountain. “In 1886, fifty years before the establishment of the Shenandoah National Park, a young man came to Stony Man Mountain and in 1894 (on one of its shoulders, a plateau) he founded a summer resort. Soon known far and wide as ‘Skyland,’ this resort was and, to a degree, still is the heart of Stony Man Mountain as well as of the area surrounding it and until 1937, the young man (he never grew old) was the soul of Skyland.”—STUART E. BROWN, JR.

An important addition to scholarship of the geography and history of colonial and early America, The Planting of New Virginia, rethinks American history and the evolution of the American landscape in the colonial era.

Although it is one of the smallest counties in Virginia, Clarke County has a remarkably rich history reflected in its cultural and natural resources. Located in the northern Shenandoah Valley and 60 miles northwest of Washington, DC, Clarke was formed from Frederick County, Virginia, in 1836. Native Americans roamed the area for centuries, and their story is reflected in the name of the Shenandoah River, which refers to "daughter of the stars." The Blue Ridge Mountains provide a dramatic eastern backdrop with recreational opportunities along the Appalachian Trail. Significant past citizens include Thomas Lord Fairfax, Gen. Daniel Morgan, and politicians Harry F. Byrd Sr. and Jr. After the Civil War, many of Clarke's former slaves stayed and built their own free communities. Unlike surrounding counties, Clarke has maintained the rural and agricultural traditions begun in colonial times. These and other distinctive stories that make up Clarke County's unique history are captured within this book.