Author Archives: Gary Rutkowski

ST. ALBANS — Though it may have been a smaller and quieter part of the weekend’s St. Albans Raid 150th Anniversary Commemoration re-enactments, Mayor’s Ball, and other events, the 1864 church service conducted at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church over the … Continue reading →

ST. ALBANS — Thousands of people gathered in Taylor Park this weekend to watch as Confederate raiders robbed banks, shot bystanders, and wreaked havoc on St. Albans. The commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the St. Albans Raid drew an … Continue reading →

ST. ALBANS — Six lucky actors will have the opportunity to appear in the St. Albans Raid re-enactments taking place here over the Sept. 20 weekend. The highly anticipated production is seen as the centerpiece of the 150th anniversary commemoration … Continue reading →

ST. ALBANS — On break from her job as a seamstress in Miss Beattie’s Millinery Shop in St. Albans, 17-year-old Adaliza Blakely was a witness to history. On that day, nearly 150 years ago, she witnessed the shooting of a … Continue reading →

ST. ALBANS — The Civil War era ancestors of today’s St. Albans lived by a code steeped in long-held traditions and social customs. These, melded with deeply held religious values provided a moral compass that in retrospect can be just … Continue reading →

ST. ALBANS — Had you wandered into the meeting Wednesday afternoon you might have left with a question in mind: Who did more planning, the Confederate raiders who struck St. Albans by surprise 150 years ago, or these people working … Continue reading →

The St. Albans Raid 150th Anniversary Commemoration is a huge undertaking that is expected to attract thousands from across the country. It is made possible thus far with the support of Legacy sponsors, the Peoples Trust Company and Rotary Club … Continue reading →

ST. ALBANS — On the same day Confederate soldiers were robbing banks in St. Albans, Oct. 19, 1864, Union soldiers from Franklin County were fighting to preserve Union control of the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, according to Civil War historian … Continue reading →