A Personal Look At Civil War Soldiers As Told Through Artifacts Ferry Farm is most well-known as the Boyhood home of George Washington. While our primary emphasis of interpretation and research has focused on young George and his family’s life on this farm, Ferry Farm has many other stories to tell. The American Civil War … Continue reading “We encampt here on the banks of the Rappahannock. Oh, it is beautiful country.”
medicine
Charlotte and the Mercury Pills
As part of our ongoing effort to research the enslaved communities that once lived and worked at Historic Kenmore and George Washington’s Ferry Farm, we recently came across some very unusual information pertaining to a young enslaved woman named Charlotte who resided at Kenmore. Charlotte, unfortunately, is a somewhat enigmatic figure. We know only a … Continue reading Charlotte and the Mercury Pills
Bad Medicines: Mercury and Self-Medication in the Civil War
During the Civil War, George Washington’s Ferry Farm was the site of Union Army encampments that included some defensive works like a trench dug into the crest of the ridge overlooking the river. In that trench and throughout Ferry Farm’s landscape, Union soldiers lost and threw away a wide array of military gear and personal … Continue reading Bad Medicines: Mercury and Self-Medication in the Civil War
Bad Medicines: Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup
It’s hard to believe that there was once a time when products weren’t covered in labels listing all their ingredients in great detail. We are used to labels promising the absence of unhealthy chemicals. We are accustomed to labels warning when a product was packaged in the same facility as an allergen. Product safety is … Continue reading Bad Medicines: Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup
Lives & Legacies 