Independence Day, an American holiday through and through! A perfect excuse to gather the family and have a cookout, vacation on the beach, or visit one of the many historic areas in Virginia as we celebrate the birth of our great country!
I am surrounded by history every day I come to work here at Wilderness Road State Park. Seeing Joseph Martin pass by my door is a common occurrence many would love the opportunity to experience. You know, it is often said that the war for American Independence was won right here on the frontier. The backwoods soldiers, the militia formed from farmers and the Native American peacekeepers such as Martin and Daniel Boone are truly unsung heroes of the Revolutionary War.
But don’t just take my word for it. Join us on Saturday, July 3 and Sunday, July 4 from 10 am to 5 pm for A Declaration of Independence at Historic Martin’s Station. Imagine the reaction from the thousands of men, women and children that were struggling to find a better life, when they found out about the Declaration of Independence. The news spread quickly across Virginia’s frontier backwoods that on July 4, in the year 1776, the Second Continental Congress is to meet in Philadelphia. Word has it that at this congressional meeting, a Declaration of Independence from King George and Great Britain, will be executed and signed, thus allowing these fledgling colonies to spread their wings and journey forward into this world as a new nation with foundations built upon freedom. Severing the ties with the British Crown brought forth both fear and excitement. Join the men and women at Martin’s Station as they receive this historic news and share their hopes and dreams of this new nation.
While visiting the park, be sure to enjoy a festive picnic in one of our shelters, or in our picnic area, all framed with the picturesque Cumberland Mountains, on the very ground traveled by Boone and 200,000 men, women and children known simply as the Wilderness Road.
I have always loved history, growing up right in the middle of Virginia’s Historic Triangle of Jamestown, Yorktown and Williamsburg, in my opinion the real birthplace of our country! The very thoughts of walking along the same path as George Washington, Patrick Henry and many of our other forefathers still brings chills to my spine.
For more information, please contact 276-445-3065 or email us at: [email protected]