| Virginia (Caroline County), Doswell — ND 1 — Early Indian Tool Making Camps |
| | On this site overlooking the North Anna River, archaeological investigations conducted in 2006 in cooperation with Virginia tribes identified toolmaking camps dating to 8000 B.C. Indians used these camps repeatedly, especially from about 1000 B.C. to 1 A.D. Using hammerstones and deer antlers, they fashioned quartzite cobbles from the riverbank into tools for hunting, butchering, fishing, and other subsistence activities. Stone bowl fragments and clay pottery sherds found here reflect long-term . . . — Map (db m10640) HM |
| Virginia (Caroline County), Doswell — E 23 — Lee and Grant |
| | Lee and Grant faced each other on the North Anna, May 23-26, 1864. Union forces crossed here and four miles to the west but found they could not dislodge Lee's center, which rested on the stream. Grant then turned east to Cold Harbor. — Map (db m10644) HM |
| Virginia (Caroline County), Doswell — ND 10 — Meadow Farm — Birthplace of Secretariat |
| | This famous horsebreeding farm was established in 1936 by Christopher T. Chenery and continued under the management of his daughter, Helen “Penny” Chenery until 1979. Secretariat (1970–-1989), also known as “Big Red,” was born and trained here. A bright chestnut stallion with a white star and narrow stripe, he was a horse of uncommon excellence as he proved when he captured the Triple Crown in 1973. His win at the Belmont Stakes by 31 lengths won him the love and . . . — Map (db m1890) HM |
| Virginia (Hanover County), Doswell — Stop 6 — "Come on to Richmond" — May 24, 1864 6:00pm |
| | Despite the disaster that had befallen the 35th Massachusetts, General Ledlie became even more determined to secure Ox Ford. Against the orders of his division commander, the drunken general ordered his unsupported brigade to assault the Confederate trenches before you. Mahone’s Confederates allowed the Federals to advance well into the field and, when Ledlie’s soldiers were within two hundred yards, opened on them with a deadly artillery and rifle fire. As rain from a heavy thunderstorm burst . . . — Map (db m20957) HM |
| Virginia (Hanover County), Doswell — Stop 7 — "Save yourselves if you can" — May 24, 1864 6:00 - 7:00pm |
| | As the imperiled Union brigade huddled in the ravine before you, General Mahone recognized that their bold assault was unsupported and ordered General Harris to send a regiment from these trenches to attack them. At 6:45 p.m. the 12th Mississippi came out of its earthworks and ran down the slope to your front, firing a volley at point blank range. Simultaneously, the 8th and 11th Alabama hit the exposed Union right flank. Ledlie’s men broke for the safety of the trees behind them. Several Union . . . — Map (db m20959) HM |
| Virginia (Hanover County), Doswell — ACE Roller Coaster Landmark |
| | The American Coaster Enthusiasts recognize Rebel Yell as an ACE Roller Coaster Landmark, a designation reserved for rides of historic significance.
Designed by John C. Allen (1907-1979) of the Philadelphia Toboggan Company, the 92-foot high wooden racing coaster opened on May 3, 1975, with each of its two track measuring 3,368-feet. Featured prominently in the motion picture Rollercoaster, the Rebel Yell was selected as the site of the world championship roller coaster marathon, . . . — Map (db m19072) HM |
| Virginia (Hanover County), Doswell — Stop 10 — Artillery Duel — May 25 - 26, 1864 |
| | You are standing before the trench line of the 10th Georgia Battalion, which held the right flank of Wright’s brigade. The Florida brigade and Lane’s artillery battalion held the position across the ravine to your right. On May 25 and 26 cannon and sharpshooter fire was almost constant across the river. During this period the Union artillery, firing at the rate of about three rounds per minute, hurled at least 3,000 rounds into these ridges and ravines. On May 26 Union gunners opened fire with . . . — Map (db m20971) HM |
| Virginia (Hanover County), Doswell — EA 4 — Attack at Ox Ford — 24 May 1864 |
| | A half mile north, a brigade of Union infantry commanded by Brig. Gen. James H. Ledlie struck the center of Lee’s army, which blocked Grant’s approach to Richmond. Formidable earthworks hastily erected by Brig. Gen. William H. Mahone’s division anchored the Confederate battle line at Ox Ford on the North Anna River. Although instructed to use “utmost caution,” Ledlie, fortified with alcohol, ordered a charge. His men were bloodily repulsed and suffered more than 200 casualities, . . . — Map (db m21054) HM |
| Virginia (Hanover County), Doswell — Stop 3 — Battle on the Skirmish Line — May 24, 1864 2:00pm - 4:00pm |
| | Grant misinterpreted Lee’s withdrawal on May 23 and 24 as Confederate weakness and ordered the Army of the Potomac to brush aside any scattered Rebel resistance and advance to Richmond. Major General Ambrose E. Burnside received orders to move his Ninth Corps across the North Anna at Ox Ford and connect the two wings of the army as they advanced. Burnside quickly found the ford so strongly held that a crossing was impossible. Shortly after noon, attempting to flank the Southern defenders, he . . . — Map (db m20953) HM |
| Virginia (Hanover County), Doswell — Boo Boo's Tree Swings |
| | Opened May, 1975
This "Kiddie Chair Carousel" (as named by the manufacturer Intamin AG of Switzerland) has also operated under names "Totem-Go-Round" and "Hickory Limbs" since its opening debut.
A concrete "tree" surrounds the original ride structure.
The construction cost in 1975 was $24,555. Fun Fact
The ride was shipped from Europe on the Soviet freighter "Novolvovsk". — Map (db m22726) HM |
| Virginia (Hanover County), Doswell — Boulder Bumpers |
| | Opened May, 1975
The Boulder Bumpers is a miniature version of the Dodgem car ride in Candy Apple Grove. It features two-rider cars, built by Bertazzon of Italy, that run on a 59' x 30' steel-plated floor. the ride structure is painted concrete "boulders".
A 70 volt DC motor mounted to the steering column both steers and powers the cars.
The ride cost about $138,932 in 1975.
Fun Fact
There are approximately 4,600 screws holding the steel floor plates down. — Map (db m22700) HM |
| Virginia (Hanover County), Doswell — Z 155 — Caroline County / Hanover County |
| | Caroline County
Area 529 Square Miles
Formed in 1727 from Essex, King and Queen, and King William. Named for Queen Carline, wife of King George II. George Rogers Clark, Conqueror of the Northwest, passed his youth in this county.
Hanover County
Area 512 Square Miles
Formed in 1720 from New Kent, and named for the Electorate of Hanover. Patrick Henry and Henry Clay were born in this county. In it were fought the Battles of Gaines's Mill, 1862 and Cold Harbor, 1864. — Map (db m10642) HM |
| Virginia (Hanover County), Doswell — E 111 — Church Quarter |
| | The two-room log house, a rare survivor of a once-common house type, was built about 1843 probably by Sarah Thornton, whose father-in-law John Thornton acquired the property in 1790. On 16 July 1862, Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson and his staff stopped here and requested some water. The woman who lived here provided him a pitcher from which to drink. On learning Jackson's identity, she refused to let anyone else drink from it, saying that she would give it to her children as a momento . . . — Map (db m21921) HM |
| Virginia (Hanover County), Doswell — Stop 2 — Colonel Weisiger's Virginians — May 24, 1864 1:00pm - 4:00pm |
| | The five Virginia regiments led by Colonel David A. Weisiger began construction of the trenches before you on the morning of May 24 and continued to work on them during the next two days. The Virginians had been resting quietly near Anderson’s Tavern on the Virginia Central Railroad when a reported Union advance -- a movement begun before noon by Warren’s Fifth Corps -- prompted Lieutenant General A.P. Hill to move the remainder General Mahone’s division here to protect Ox Ford. Four cannon of . . . — Map (db m20948) HM |
| Virginia (Hanover County), Doswell — Dead of the North Anna Battlefield |
| | This monument honors all the valiant men who lost their lives on the battlefields of the North Anna May 23-26, 1864 “No more shall the war cry sever, or the winding rivers be red; They banish our anger forever when they laurel the graves of our dead! Under the sod and the dew, waiting the Judgement Day; Love and tears for the blue, tears and love for the gray.” In memory of Cpl. Michael Shortell 7th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, Company G, Iron Brigade Born: November 24, 1840 . . . — Map (db m15167) HM |
| Virginia (Hanover County), Doswell — E 5 — Fork Church |
| | Fork Church was first housed in a 1722 frame building near the present church site. It was known as "The Chapel in the Forks" and derived its name from the nearby confluence of the North and South Anna rivers and the Little and Newfound rivers. The present building was erected between 1736 and 1740.
Erected in memory of Stuart Anderson Oliver, 1982 — Map (db m21922) HM |
| Virginia (Hanover County), Doswell — Hanover Junction — Critical Intersection — Lee vs. Grant — The 1864 Campaign |
| | This junction was one of the most pivotal sites for the well-being of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s army. Known during the war as Hanover Junction, it was the intersection of two important railroads. The Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad (RF&P) ran north from Richmond, past Guinea Station where “Stonewall” Jackson died in 1863, through Fredericksburg and to the Potomac River. The Virginia Central Railroad also came north from the capital city but veered west here and . . . — Map (db m3748) HM |
| Virginia (Hanover County), Doswell — E 21 — Hanover Junction |
| | Two 19th-century railroads crossed at grade level just east: the Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac and the Virginia Central, which ran west to the Shenandoah Valley, the Confederacy’s breadbasket during the Civil War. This junction attained strategic importance in 1864 as the railroads carried supplies to Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and the Army of the Potomac attempted to disrupt that traffic to hinder Lee and capture Richmond. The Confederates, . . . — Map (db m14864) HM |
| Virginia (Hanover County), Doswell — EA 1 — North Anna River Campaign — 21-26 May 1864 |
| | Approaching Richmond from the north after the Wilderness Campaign, Lt. General U.S. Grant sought to cross the North Anna River and capture the critical rail center at Hanover Junction (Doswell). General R. E. Lee ordered the construction of a complex web of earthworks here to defend the river crossing and junction. The Union army probed the defenses and captured some of them but soon abandoned the effort and moved east toward Cold Harbor. — Map (db m14867) HM |
| Virginia (Hanover County), Doswell — Stop 4 — One Brigade Alone — May 24, 1864 3:00pm - 4:00pm |
| | The first unit of the Union Ninth Corps to cross the North Anna was Brigadier General James H. Ledlie’s brigade. His 1,500 infantrymen were ready to advance by 3:00 p.m., despite having been soaked up to their armpits while crossing the river. Unfortunately for the Federals, one of the worst generals in the Union army commanded them. Ledlie had commanded the brigade for only seven days and had obtained little knowledge of his men. Worse, the general had consumed a large amount of whiskey and . . . — Map (db m20955) HM |
| Virginia (Hanover County), Doswell — Stop 9 — One More River to Cross — May 24 - 26, 1864 |
| | From the gun pits served by McIntosh’s artillery battalion, you can easily see the natural strength of the Confederate position. The repulse of Ledlie’s brigade served as a warning to Grant that Lee was still on the North Anna in great strength and would fight to hold his line. On the evening of May 24, Grant found his army divided by the river into three parts.
Lee, due to personal illness, was unable to take advantage of Grant’s mistake. During the time when the enemy was most vulnerable . . . — Map (db m20967) HM |
| Virginia (Hanover County), Doswell — Ranger Smith's Jeep Tour |
| | Opened May, 1975
Operating 25 years in the same corner of what was originally called "The Happy Land of Hanna-Barbera", this popular children's jeep ride was manufactured by Intamin AG of Switzerland.
This "Kiddie Merry Hunting" ride cost about $41,000 in 1975.
Fun Fact
The "Ranger's Hat" centerpiece was made by International Amusement Devices, Inc. of Dayton, Ohio at a cost of $3,175. — Map (db m22724) HM |
| Virginia (Hanover County), Doswell — The Blue Ridge Tollway |
| | Opened May, 1975
Built near a wooded section of the park once known as Shady Grove, guests could walk through the woods and watch these 4/5 scale replicas of classic automobiles.
The cars are modeled after 1917 Model T Fords.
The top speed is about 6 miles per hour.
The cars cost about $4,400 each in 1974.
Fun Fact
Based on the consumer price index, these same cars would cost $13,985 in 2000. — Map (db m20886) HM |
| Virginia (Hanover County), Doswell — The Carrousel — Kings Dominion — Opened May, 1975 |
| | Manufactured by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company, "No. 44" first opened in 1917 at Riverside park in Springfield, Massachusetts. In 1938 the ride was sold to Roger Williams Park in Providence, Rhode Island, then came to Kings Dominion in 1973 during park construction.
"Carrousel" with two R's is the original spelling of this word.
The Carrousel still operates on the original Auchy Friction Drive, a device patented in 1969.
The ride features 66 hand-carved boxwood horses, of . . . — Map (db m19074) HM |
| Virginia (Hanover County), Doswell — The Eiffel Tower |
| | Opened May, 1975
Standing on concrete footers extending sixteen feet below ground, the Eiffel Towers is 331'-6" tall, weighs about 800 tones and is a 1/3 replica of the original. The top observation platform is 275 feet high, and offers a spectacular view of the Virginia countryside.
There are 440 steps from the ground to the elevator motor house.
The tower requires 1,500 gallons of paint.
Fun Fact
Tower construction took about 2 years prior to its 1975 opening. — Map (db m21832) HM |
| Virginia (Hanover County), Doswell — The Fight for North Anna / The North Anna Battlefield |
| | (west side of Marker): The Fight for North Anna On May 21, 1864, Union General Ulysses S. Grant directed the Army of the Potomac away from Spotsylvania Court House in a turning movement toward Hanover Junction, today known as Doswell. The Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, under the command of General Robert E. Lee, had checked Grant’s southward advance at the Wilderness, May 5-6, and at Spotsylvania Court House, May 8-20, 1864. Grant was determined to continue his advance and . . . — Map (db m15164) HM |
| Virginia (Hanover County), Doswell — Stop 5 — The Heart of Dixie — May 24, 1864 3:45pm |
| | The trenches before you were manned by the soldiers of Brigadier General Nathaniel Harris’ brigade of Mississippians, who had deployed just to the right of Sanders’ Alabamians by 1:00 p.m. on the 24th. The small pits behind the trench line served as an area from which the brigade commander, his staff, and his medical and supply personnel could operate in relative safety. From this point, Alabama soldiers ventured out at about 3:45 p.m. on the 24th and captured several men of the 35th . . . — Map (db m20956) HM |
| Virginia (Hanover County), Doswell — Stop 8 — The Inverted V — May 23, 1864 6:45pm |
| | You are now standing in the tip of the famous “inverted V” position constructed by Lee’s army along the North Anna River. The trenches on your left continued to the Little River, while those on the right anchored on a bend in the North Anna below Hanover Junction. This area was held by Brigadier General Ambrose “Rans” Wright’s Georgia brigade which assisted in repelling Ledlie’s brigade on the evening of May 24. The 2nd Georgia Infantry Battalion of Wright’s brigade held . . . — Map (db m20961) HM |
| Virginia (Hanover County), Doswell — Stop 1 — The Ox Ford Road — May 23, 1864 11:00am - 8:00pm |
| | At 11:00 a.m. six cannon of Major John Lane’s Georgia artillery battalion, followed closely by Brigadier General Edward A. Perry’s weakened 270-man Florida infantry brigade, moved down this road to cover the vital crossing of Ox Ford. As the Union army threatened to cross the North Anna, eleven cannon of Lieutenant Colonel David G. McIntosh’s artillery battalion, supported by Brigadier General Ambrose “Rans” Wright’s Georgia infantry brigade, raced along the Ox Ford Road to . . . — Map (db m20946) HM |
| Virginia (Hanover County), Doswell — The Scooby-Doo Ghoster Coaster |
| | The Scooby-Doo Ghoster Coaster opened in 1974 with Lion Country Safari, making it the first ride to operate at Kings Dominion. The figure 8 layout is patterned after a similar coaster that once ran at Cincinnati's Old Coney amusement park.
The track is 1,385 feet long.
The avarage speed is 10.5 miles-per-hour.
The ride was repainted and re-themed in 1997.
Opened May, 1975
Fun Fact: The lift hill is 35 feet tall. — Map (db m10649) HM |
| Virginia (Hanover County), Doswell — The Shenandoah Lumber Company |
| | Patterned after the old flumes built to transport lumber out of the west coast mountains at the turn of the century, this is a classic log flume designed and manufactured for family fun.
Water flows through the trough at 3,500 gallons per minute, powered by two 100 horsepower pumps.
About 800,000 guests ride the flume every year.
Opened May, 1975
Fun fact The reservoir holds 250,000 gallons of water. — Map (db m10776) HM |
| Virginia (Hanover County), Doswell — The Shockwave |
| | The second stand-up roller coaster built in the United States, and the first introduced on the east coast.
The ride features 2,210 feet of track & a lift hill 93 feet tall.
The ride was repainted in 2000 to celebrate our 25th anniversary.
Opened April, 1986.
Fun Fact: Formerly located on this site was the "Galaxie" roller coaster and the "Flying Carpets" Giant Slide. — Map (db m10754) HM |
| Virginia (Hanover County), Doswell — The Wave Swinger |
| | Opened May, 1975
Built by Zierer, The Wave Swinger is named for its wave-like motion, creating a thrilling experience for guests of all ages. Note the craftmanship of the original oil paintings on the center column and top crown, cleaned and retouched in 1997.
This particular model has 48 seats.
In addition to the original oil paintings, the ride is covered with fiberglass decorations & filigree trim.
Fun Fact
The Wave Swinger hydraulic system is concealed underground. — Map (db m21836) HM |
| Virginia (Hanover County), Doswell — Volcano — The Blast Coaster — Paramount's Kings Dominion |
| | Volcano, The Blast Coaster was introduced in 1998, and in 2000 still reigns as the world's first and fastest suspended blast coaster.
Riders are blasted 155 feet vertically through the mouth of an active volcano.
Volcano, the Blast Coaster is the world's first linear-induction suspended roller coaster.
Fun Fact
The mountain was originally constructed in 1979 with 3 rides: the Land of Dooz (later Smurf Mountain), The Voyage to Atlantis (later the Haunted River) & The Time Shaft. — Map (db m17796) HM |
| Virginia (Hanover County), Doswell — Water Works |
| | Water Works is 16 acres of wet family fun, offering a total of 28 water slides and attractions, and free with a paid admission to the park.
"Hurricane Reef" first opened in 1992 with 20 water slides, then doubled its size in 1999 with the addition of eight more water attractions, including "Pipeline Peak" in 2000.
Fun Fact
Big Wave Bay contains 650,000 gallons of water. — Map (db m20889) HM |
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