Lyndhurst in Augusta County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

The Mountain Economy

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, September 13, 2016

1. The Mountain Economy Marker

Inscription. After the American Revolution, prosperous farms filled the fertile Shenandoah Valley, growing food for Eastern cities. On nearby mountains like this one, descendants of Scots-Irish Protestants and other dispossessed people scraped together savings to buy small, inexpensive plots. Many earned modest but crucial income by selling similar products as those produced by their valley neighbors and to the same markets.

Over time, these markets evolved. These changes were life-altering. As railroads arrived and provided work for mountain people, they also provided access to regions with large, competitive farms. By 1890, farms in the Midwest and Great Plains could produce meat and grain cheaply. This lowered the price of goods and made it difficult for mountain families to sell their surplus crops at a profit.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Settlements & Settlers.

Location. 37° 58.286′ N, 78° 53.947′ W. Marker is in Lyndhurst, Virginia, in Augusta County. Marker can be reached from Blue Ridge Parkway (at milepost 6), 6 miles south of Howardsville Turnpike (Virginia Route 610), on the right when traveling south. Marker is located along the interpretive trail at the Humpback Rocks Visitor Center.

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Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Lyndhurst VA 22952, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Subsistence and Survival (here, next to this marker); Crop Protection from Predators (here, next to this marker); Everyday Hard Work - Year Round (a few steps from this marker); Mountain Farms: A Way of Life (a few steps from this marker); Stone Fences (approx. 2.3 miles away); Rockfish Gap (approx. 4.7 miles away); Nelson County / Augusta County (approx. 4.7 miles away); Welcome to Shenandoah National Park (approx. 4.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Lyndhurst.

The Mountain Economy Marker (<i>wide view</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, September 13, 2016

2. The Mountain Economy Marker (wide view)

Credits. This page was last revised on March 6, 2020. It was originally submitted on March 6, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 151 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 6, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.