The woman who helped Mathews avoid a race riot (7/1/2026) - Peaceful little Mathews County has never been known as a hotbed of racial tension. However … A shooting on Saturday, Aug. 23, 1980 threatened to break the serenity of the… …Remembering Gov. John Page (7/1/2026) - Gloucester’s Page family has been going strong since the days before the American Revolution. And they’re still a major part of the community today. Perhaps the most prominent of these… …
Battle of the Hook: The largest cavalry engagement of Revolutionary War (7/1/2026) - Gloucester County (including Kingston Parish—now Mathews County) played an important role in the American Revolution, beginning even before the Declaration of Independence was signed, when the militia were called up… …What happened to vessels that didn’t survive Battle of Cricket Hill? (7/1/2026) - A witness to the British evacuation of Gwynn’s Island counted 96 ships that sailed away, carrying Lord Dunmore and removing English authority from Virginia for good. Witnesses said at least… …
What’s in a name? Mathews County’s 250th celebration (7/1/2026) - Mention the “Battle of Cricket Hill” to people outside the immediate vicinity of Mathews County, and you are likely to be met with a puzzled look. Mention the name “Captain… …
Did Jefferson write the Declaration of Independence at Rosewell? (7/1/2026) - Every family story contains a kernel of truth. Over time, memories grow, details blur, and what seems plausible becomes accepted as fact. Historians call this “confabulation”—unintentional misremembering. It is how… …Old World herbs used in colonial kitchen gardens (7/1/2026) - Have you ever thought about what you would have taken on a tiny, crowded ship traveling over a vast, unknown ocean to a new land about which you knew nothing?… …
Timberneck House getting some much-needed TLC (7/1/2026) - Timberneck House, a two-and-half-story home located on the grounds of Machicomoco State Park in Hayes, has stood since 1793 on a steep slope overlooking Timberneck Creek, with an expansive view… …
Fannie Ware has seen a lot of changes over the last 94 years (7/1/2026) - Fannie Diggs Ware of the Hicks Wharf area of Mathews County grew up in the strictly segregated society of the 1930s and 1940s. Now 94, she has witnessed vast changes… …
Saving Poplar Grove and Tide Mill for future generations (7/1/2026) - Just about a year ago, the Poplar Grove and Tide Mill Foundation was formed to save one of the last remaining tide mills in the nation and the stately East… …
Cooking, clothing and cosmetology during the American Revolution (7/1/2026) - Imagining what the lives of those who existed two-and-a-half centuries ago were like can be a daunting task. For Gloucester Museum of History Museum Specialist Sidney Ripley, the past does… …
Seawell’s Ordinary: At the crossroads of history (7/1/2026) - Seawell’s Ordinary, on the road from Gloucester toward the York River, found itself a place of significance in final days of the Revolutionary War. The British were camped in Yorktown… …
Honoring Seawell’s Ordinary today (7/1/2026) - Seawell’s Ordinary, the shining survivor of decades, is in the hands of a family that honors its past. Joe Volpe, vice president of Auto Max, said, “When we bought this… …On the iniquitous traffic in whiskey: from 1906 (7/1/2026) - 115 YEARS AGOThursday, July 7, 1906from the Mathews Journal It must be a source of great regret to the law abiding and self-respecting people of this county that it seems… …
Library move (7/1/2026) - Fifteen years ago, in July 2011, the Gloucester Library’s Gloucester Point branch was preparing for an August move from smaller quarters to leased space in York River Shopping Center, Hayes.… …Parsonage’s basket party, ice cream and cake (6/24/2026) - 115 YEARS AGOThursday, June 28, 1906from the Mathews Journal The basket party that is to take place at the home of Mr. Charles Crockett for the benefit of the parsonage… …
Gwynn’s Island Festival 2010 (6/24/2026) - The Gwynn’s Island Festival in 2010 got in almost a full day until being cut short by approaching thunderstorms. In photo above, After Six performed under the gazebo. Phil Johnson… …
An exciting time (6/24/2026) - Exactly 50 years ago, in June 1976, a four-unit, brand-new King press was being installed at the Gazette-Journal headquarters in Gloucester. That press is still at the core of our… …Summer brings vehicles, picnic parties (6/17/2026) - 115 YEARS AGOThursday, June 14, 1906from the Mathews Journal The Davis Carriage Company of Gloucester has just received a carload of new vehicles. Mr. Joseph Hudgins of Diggs will add… …
Hazel’s good cooking (6/17/2026) - Owner of Hazel’s Country Store at Harcum and manager of Freeport Marina nearby, Hazel Jackson had settled into country life in 1994 after a move from the city. She made… …Pastor gets a pounding (6/10/2026) - 120 YEARS AGOThursday, June 7, 1906from the Mathews Journal The members of Westville Christian Church visited Rev. and Mrs. G.W. Remagen on Wednesday and gave their popular pastor and his… …
A musical farewell (6/10/2026) - Mathews High School senior Alexis Foster performed a violin solo, and played one last time with the school band, during commencement exercises in 1996. After college and graduate school, Foster… …Strawberries, ice cream summer fete (6/3/2026) - 120 YEARS AGOThursday, May 31, 1906from the Mathews Journal From Cricket Hill correspondent: The Strawberry Festival at the factory is looked forward to with a great deal of interest and… …
Junior choristers (6/3/2026) - Junior choir members at Ware Episcopal Church, Gloucester, were honored in June 1977 for their service to the parish. Pictured from left are Paula Hicks, Virginia Birdsall, Jane Morgan, Susan… …Strawberry festival takes aim at church debt (5/27/2026) - 120 YEARS AGOThursday, May 24, 1906from the Mathews Journal The Strawberry Festival of the Old Baptist Church, under the auspices of the Willing Workers, will be held at the factory,… …