March 8, 1979: Electoral Board members, county government employees and friends feted Mrs. Mary Cleverley with a retirement party in the Health Department offices last week.

March 9, 1978: Petitions circulating around the town now carry approximately 60 signatures in opposition to the new sign advertising the Lake Motel.

Aug. 8, 1974: Tom Lee and his brother John Lee are still raising sheep in Rappahannock, and have one of the largest flocks in the county. 

Oct. 9, 2003: Applause filled the courtroom Monday afternoon as Rappahannock’s Board of Supervisors voted to look into the creation of a parking ordinance for the county

Jan. 6, 1999: The dusting of snow and a few sprinkles of rain recently did nothing to ease the drought that has gripped Rappahannock and the rest of Virginia for the past six months. 

Jan. 7, 1998: In early December, after more than 30 years, Woodville Contract Postmaster Ruth Orange retired, closing the book on one of the oldest post offices in the country.

June 8, 1978: Almost half of the students at Rappahannock’s elementary school are reading a year or more behind grade level, according to a recent survey taken by the administration.

Sept. 28, 1950: A caution light has been installed on the corner of Main and Middle streets in Washington. This light has been badly needed for years, as this is one of the most dangerous corners in town.

April 20, 1978:How bad is the drug problem in Rappahannock County? “No worse than New York City on a per capita basis,” according to Bob Trainer.

Dec. 16, 1976: According to the Hagerstown Almanac, cold rains are forecast for April 22, and April 23 and 24 will be clear and cold.

June 23, 1966: Dame Fortune smiled on Mrs. Dorothy Davis of Washington on Friday, when she was awarded a check for $20,000, first prize in a national contest sponsored by the Coca-Cola Bottling Company in connection with their diet drink, Tab.

October 17, 1985: Mired in debate, the Washington Town Council postponed a decision to ban helicopter landings in town, a proposed ordinance some say is directed solely at the activities of a local restaurant.

It was estimated that as many as 80,000 visitors would come to the county for three main attractions: the Sperryville celebration, the Annual House Tour and Dried Flower Sale and the autumn colors in the Blue Ridge, all available on the same weekend this year.

May 24, 2000: Members of the Washington High School Class of 1950 gathered for a 50th reunion at the Flint Hill Public House.

May 30, 1985: The permit will allow Kvarnes to establish a craft village on Route 211 near Sperryville. Kvarnes had originally applied for a special use permit to add a wall to a building so that it could be used as a shop by potters. A decision on that application was postponed one month so that the request could be advertised.

Aug. 8, 1985: A secretary to the Rappahannock County zoning administrator has this week been named deputy administrator.

Raymond M. Johnson, Chief Forest Warden of Rappahannock County, recently named the men who are to assist in forest fire control in the county during 1960.

Kerri Wagner of Washington started out with short walks in April 1995, and her walks grew progressively longer. “Now I am a walking addict,” she said. She walks in extreme heat and cold, through snow, rain and fog. 

Feb. 16, 1978: A new ambulance has been purchased by the Sperryville Rescue Squad. The vehicle is a 1977 Dodge chassis.

Rappahannock County dodged Hurricane Isabel only to be hit with relentless rain and flooding earlier this week that left three motorists in jeopardy, one clinging for life on a telephone pole.

Pearl and Marshall Barron of Amissville had active and passive solar systems built into their dream house.

Imagine that today is July 6, 1862, and you are standing at the top of Chester Gap, looking toward Front Royal, and you see a long column of soldiers, horses, wagons and cannons winding slowly up the mountain road.

Aug. 12, 1976: “The country is different. You’re either rich or very poor; there is no in-between class."

Aug. 19, 1965: Flint Hill Stone Company, a division of Culpeper Stone Company Inc., has begun quarry operations on the property of Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Gentry.

March 4, 1976: Emergency service in Washington was wiped out Saturday afternoon when a water tanker and ambulance collided on Route 211.

April 5, 1990: Viewtown Post Office is having a birthday. The tiny office, always located in Viewtown Store on Route 643 in Viewtown, is 100 years old.

Dec. 10, 1997: He says he has always been a dreamer and calls making his jewelry a magical progress.

Sept. 5, 2002: Mary Kay independent beauty consultant Pat Giles of Washington is on the road to success. This month she earned the use of a new Pontiac Grand Am.

Dec. 12, 1968: A modern 4,500 square foot IGA food store will open in Washington on Gay Street on Dec. 19.

Dec. 23, 1998: Hackley’s Store will close for business on Christmas Eve, ending 64 years of continuous operation for the general merchandising store in Amissville. 

March 15, 2000: On Tuesday, April 4 the legendary Inn at Little Washington will open its doors to the public for a tour to benefit its neighbor, Trinity Episcopal Church and its charitable arm, the ECW and its Garden Guild.

September 12, 1985

February 25, 1960: Alice Wood, daughter of Downing Wood of Washington, was the lucky winner of a clock radio from the seniors of Rappahannock County High School

Rappahannock County Supervisors have been asked to consider a plan to truck the county’s solid waste to landfills in other counties.

May 18, 1961: The Rappahannock Board of Supervisors appeared in a body before Judge R. V. Snead requesting the removal of Sheriff J. W. Critzer from office.

April 19, 1984: Washington could become a bigger tourist center if work is completed on several projects for which local citizens have sought special use permits.

Feb. 3, 1999

October 10, 1985: Rappahannock County Supervisors have been asked to consider a plan to truck the county’s solid waste to landfills in other counties or else pay to have it burned in Harrisonburg.

Dec. 30, 1998

Feb. 12, 1997

February 4, 1960: Mrs. W. A. Buntin appeared before the board of supervisors to question the turning down of a welfare hospital bill at a prior meeting.

March 1, 2000: Molly McCarthy, fourth grader from Rappahannock County Elementary School, won WVPT Public Television’s fourth annual Young Environmentalist Award Contest.

Jan. 20, 1976

May 16, 1985: Dogs wandering the streets of Washington have concerned the town council for years.

Oct. 27, 1983 : On Arbor Day 30 years ago, interested citizens of the Town of Washington planted the first dogwood tree on the courthouse grounds.

September 29, 1960

August 16, 2000: Jon Smythe, the RCHS athletic director, announced that high school wrestling is coming back to the county.

Dec. 23, 1965: W.A. Miller will retire from the position of Postmaster of the Washington Post Office, effective December 30.

May 5, 1983

Agent Rapp Owings has retired after 14 years at Rappahannock’s VPI Extension office.