Stanley
Virginia
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Town of Stanley
History:
The earlier recorded inhabitants of Page County, including the Stanley area, were the Shawnee Indians. At the beginning of the French and Indian War in 1754, the Shawnee Indians left the Shenandoah Valley and moved west over the Allegheny Mountains.
The first person other than a Native American to view the Stanley Plain was most likely John Lederer, a German physician and explorer. In the first three exploring expeditions commissioned by Governor William Berkley in 1669 and 1670. Lederer is said to have reached the summit of the Blue Ridge near Milam Gap and explored as far south as Tanner's Ridge from where he could clearly see the Page Valley. However, he did not descend into the Valley itself.
It was forty-six years later, in 1716, that the colorful deputy governor of Virginia Colony, Alexander Spotswood, explored the same area but continued down into the Valley with his small but well-provisioned band of adventurers. They forded the South Fork of the Shenandoah River, which he named the Euphrates. According to at least one credible historian, Spotswood's descent was down Tanner's Ridge, and the fording of the river took place near the Village of Alma, just west of Stanley.
The first non Native American settlers in the Shenandoah Valley arrived in Page County about 1726 along the banks of the South Fork between the mouths of the Hawksbill and Stony Creeks. The settlement was called Massanutten. Settlement in the Stanley area did not occur for another 120 years.
The history of Stanley goes back only a little over hundred and twenty years. In 1880, the land on which Stanley is now located was farmland owned by Frederick Judy (originally Tehudis,) a prominent local landowner and farmer f Swiss extraction. The impetus that gave rise to the birth of Stanley was the coming of the railroad. In 1881, the Shenandoah Valley Railroad was completed through Page County. It extended from Hagerstown, Maryland to Roanoke, Virginia. This was the greatest economic event in the history of Stanley and Page County. It was at the intersection of the railroad and Gordonsville/New Market Pike, now U.S. Route 340 that Stanley grew as a town. Before the railroad, transportation of goods in Page Valley was undertaken either by wagon moving along the early roads, or by flat-bottomed boats moving north on the Shenandoah River. Between the years 1820 and 1850, many of these boats were built near Stanley.
In 1885, Stanley was known as Sands, being named after Joseph H. Sands, the superintendent of the railroad. In 1890, the railroad was sold and the name was changed to Stanleyton, which was later shortened to Stanley. James McNider was at the time President of the Stanley Furnace and Land Company and it was either his son or his nephew, Stanley McNider, after whom the Town was named.
The new Town immediately began to attract industry. In 1885, the Oxford Ochre Company began the operation of ochre mill and mine where the railroad crossed Stony Creek, one mile southwest of Stanley. This commodity was shipped north for use in making paint. Because of the availability of higher grade ochre elsewhere, the plant near Stanley was closed in 1911. In 1890, a manganese mine began operation a mile southeast of the Town just west of Round Head Mountain. Also at the time, in the Town itself, there was at least one bark mill (which processed bark for shipment to tanneries,) an ice plant and flourmill.
In 1900, Stanley was officially incorporated by an Act of the Virginia General Assembly. Nine years later, disaster struck in the form of a fire that reduced the Town to ashes. Only one home and the brick Stanley Hotel were spared. By 1911, most of the Town had been rebuilt. At the time, Stanley contained two churches, a four-room school, a drug store, ten mercantile establishments, one bank, one 75-barrel capacity roller process flourmill, a lighting plant, one hotel, one livery and one bark mill with a capacity of about 400 cords of bark a year. The population in that year was recorded at 218 persons. By 1920, the Town's population grew to nearly 450. The Town continued to flourish with the addition of the two canning factories in the 1920's. The Town, as well as the rest of the country, felt the bitter effects of the 1929 Depression, as its economy declined and its population dwindled as many of its young people went in search for jobs elsewhere. For three decades, population growth stagnated. In
1953, however, the Town annexed 445 acres of additional land area and doubled its population to approximately 800.
During the late Seventies and early Eighties, the Town of Stanley saw the most changes that affected the growth and prosperity since the railroad came through the Town. During the 70's, the Town of Stanley was the largest incorporated town within the State of Virginia without a central sewer system. This was a major financial commitment for Town officials, however, the overall economic benefit for the betterment of the Town made the venture worth the expense. The Town sought out and obtained numerous grants and in early 1979, the construction on the 3.1 million dollar wastewater plant and sewer collection system was started. The project was completed in the summer of 1981. The Town Government also incorporated change with the creation of the positions of Town Manager, Public Works Director, Recreation Director, and Wastewater Operator positions. It was also in 1980 that Town adopted its first zoning ordinance that would pave the way for the future growth that the Town was expecting with the completion of the wastewater sewer system. The Town was divided into five separate districts, Medium Density Residential, High Density Residential, Town Commercial, Highway Commercial and Industrial.
During the mid 1980s, the town acquired the old Farmers and Merchants Bank for the new Town Office. The 1980s also brought the first shopping center for Town, which included a grocery store, and three other retail stores. The Town of Stanley continued to grow throughout the 1990s with the development of a retirement facility and a 150-acre lot subdivision just outside the Town's corporate limits. The Town also purchased a 28-acre park that caters to the citizens needs for recreation. In the late 1990s, Page Memorial Hospital built a satellite medical facility in Stanley that better serves the citizens medical needs.
In 1994, the Town of Stanley was awarded a Wellhead Protection grant from the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency.) The money was used to conduct a study of the Town's five wells and how they could be protected from future contamination. The project has received several awards for the efforts in maintaining good water quality. Several of the awards included a 1994 "Water System of the Year" from the Virginia Rural Water Association, a "Certificate of Environmental Achievement" from the Renew America in 1997, and in 2001 EPA Award the Town Leadership Award for protection of its drinking water.
In 2005 the Town of Stanley opened the William "Bill" Kibler Community Library. The library is located on East Main Street across from the Post Office in the former Jefferson Bank Building. The library was made possible from donations left by the late William Bill Kilber. Mr. Kibler was a well known educator and always dreamed of the establishment of a library in Stanley. Mrs. Debbie Snellings, local resident, is librarian and the library is part of the Massautten Valley Library System. Plans in the future include a museum that will exhibit many of Mr. Kiblers collections as well as related items of Stanley history.
In May 2005, the county opened its new offices in the former IGA building located on West Main Street. The remodeled offices will house the Page County Social Services and the Page County Extension Office.
The earlier recorded inhabitants of Page County, including the Stanley area, were the Shawnee Indians. At the beginning of the French and Indian War in 1754, the Shawnee Indians left the Shenandoah Valley and moved west over the Allegheny Mountains.
The first person other than a Native American to view the Stanley Plain was most likely John Lederer, a German physician and explorer. In the first three exploring expeditions commissioned by Governor William Berkley in 1669 and 1670. Lederer is said to have reached the summit of the Blue Ridge near Milam Gap and explored as far south as Tanner's Ridge from where he could clearly see the Page Valley. However, he did not descend into the Valley itself.
It was forty-six years later, in 1716, that the colorful deputy governor of Virginia Colony, Alexander Spotswood, explored the same area but continued down into the Valley with his small but well-provisioned band of adventurers. They forded the South Fork of the Shenandoah River, which he named the Euphrates. According to at least one credible historian, Spotswood's descent was down Tanner's Ridge, and the fording of the river took place near the Village of Alma, just west of Stanley.
The first non Native American settlers in the Shenandoah Valley arrived in Page County about 1726 along the banks of the South Fork between the mouths of the Hawksbill and Stony Creeks. The settlement was called Massanutten. Settlement in the Stanley area did not occur for another 120 years.
The history of Stanley goes back only a little over hundred and twenty years. In 1880, the land on which Stanley is now located was farmland owned by Frederick Judy (originally Tehudis,) a prominent local landowner and farmer f Swiss extraction. The impetus that gave rise to the birth of Stanley was the coming of the railroad. In 1881, the Shenandoah Valley Railroad was completed through Page County. It extended from Hagerstown, Maryland to Roanoke, Virginia. This was the greatest economic event in the history of Stanley and Page County. It was at the intersection of the railroad and Gordonsville/New Market Pike, now U.S. Route 340 that Stanley grew as a town. Before the railroad, transportation of goods in Page Valley was undertaken either by wagon moving along the early roads, or by flat-bottomed boats moving north on the Shenandoah River. Between the years 1820 and 1850, many of these boats were built near Stanley.
In 1885, Stanley was known as Sands, being named after Joseph H. Sands, the superintendent of the railroad. In 1890, the railroad was sold and the name was changed to Stanleyton, which was later shortened to Stanley. James McNider was at the time President of the Stanley Furnace and Land Company and it was either his son or his nephew, Stanley McNider, after whom the Town was named.
The new Town immediately began to attract industry. In 1885, the Oxford Ochre Company began the operation of ochre mill and mine where the railroad crossed Stony Creek, one mile southwest of Stanley. This commodity was shipped north for use in making paint. Because of the availability of higher grade ochre elsewhere, the plant near Stanley was closed in 1911. In 1890, a manganese mine began operation a mile southeast of the Town just west of Round Head Mountain. Also at the time, in the Town itself, there was at least one bark mill (which processed bark for shipment to tanneries,) an ice plant and flourmill.
In 1900, Stanley was officially incorporated by an Act of the Virginia General Assembly. Nine years later, disaster struck in the form of a fire that reduced the Town to ashes. Only one home and the brick Stanley Hotel were spared. By 1911, most of the Town had been rebuilt. At the time, Stanley contained two churches, a four-room school, a drug store, ten mercantile establishments, one bank, one 75-barrel capacity roller process flourmill, a lighting plant, one hotel, one livery and one bark mill with a capacity of about 400 cords of bark a year. The population in that year was recorded at 218 persons. By 1920, the Town's population grew to nearly 450. The Town continued to flourish with the addition of the two canning factories in the 1920's. The Town, as well as the rest of the country, felt the bitter effects of the 1929 Depression, as its economy declined and its population dwindled as many of its young people went in search for jobs elsewhere. For three decades, population growth stagnated. In
1953, however, the Town annexed 445 acres of additional land area and doubled its population to approximately 800.
During the late Seventies and early Eighties, the Town of Stanley saw the most changes that affected the growth and prosperity since the railroad came through the Town. During the 70's, the Town of Stanley was the largest incorporated town within the State of Virginia without a central sewer system. This was a major financial commitment for Town officials, however, the overall economic benefit for the betterment of the Town made the venture worth the expense. The Town sought out and obtained numerous grants and in early 1979, the construction on the 3.1 million dollar wastewater plant and sewer collection system was started. The project was completed in the summer of 1981. The Town Government also incorporated change with the creation of the positions of Town Manager, Public Works Director, Recreation Director, and Wastewater Operator positions. It was also in 1980 that Town adopted its first zoning ordinance that would pave the way for the future growth that the Town was expecting with the completion of the wastewater sewer system. The Town was divided into five separate districts, Medium Density Residential, High Density Residential, Town Commercial, Highway Commercial and Industrial.
During the mid 1980s, the town acquired the old Farmers and Merchants Bank for the new Town Office. The 1980s also brought the first shopping center for Town, which included a grocery store, and three other retail stores. The Town of Stanley continued to grow throughout the 1990s with the development of a retirement facility and a 150-acre lot subdivision just outside the Town's corporate limits. The Town also purchased a 28-acre park that caters to the citizens needs for recreation. In the late 1990s, Page Memorial Hospital built a satellite medical facility in Stanley that better serves the citizens medical needs.
In 1994, the Town of Stanley was awarded a Wellhead Protection grant from the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency.) The money was used to conduct a study of the Town's five wells and how they could be protected from future contamination. The project has received several awards for the efforts in maintaining good water quality. Several of the awards included a 1994 "Water System of the Year" from the Virginia Rural Water Association, a "Certificate of Environmental Achievement" from the Renew America in 1997, and in 2001 EPA Award the Town Leadership Award for protection of its drinking water.
In 2005 the Town of Stanley opened the William "Bill" Kibler Community Library. The library is located on East Main Street across from the Post Office in the former Jefferson Bank Building. The library was made possible from donations left by the late William Bill Kilber. Mr. Kibler was a well known educator and always dreamed of the establishment of a library in Stanley. Mrs. Debbie Snellings, local resident, is librarian and the library is part of the Massautten Valley Library System. Plans in the future include a museum that will exhibit many of Mr. Kiblers collections as well as related items of Stanley history.
In May 2005, the county opened its new offices in the former IGA building located on West Main Street. The remodeled offices will house the Page County Social Services and the Page County Extension Office.