Walking in the Footsteps of History

Walking in the Footsteps of History. . , When you walk along this stream, you are not alone. You walk in the footsteps of people from the past. Close your eyes and imagine. Listen for the footsteps of history., Stream Valleys , Key to Survival , For Native American peoples stream valleys meant survival; they followed streams in search of food. Many of the trails you walk were established by these early inhabitants. They came to the stream valleys to gather nuts, berries and tubers. Fish and other animals were plentiful in stream valleys, so they were great places to hunt., Water , a Powerful Resource , Stream valleys attracted early settlers and were critical to local economies. Streams supplied water for drinking and irrigation. Local settlers harnessed streams to power mills that reduced soapstone to talc, turned grain into flour or ground the bark needed to tan animal hides., Stream Names Tell Tales , The names of Fairfax County's streams are a testament to history. Some refer to Native Americans who lived here, like Dogue Creek. Others refer to landscape features, like Horsepen Run. Yet others are family names, like Scotts Run. What is the name of the nearby stream? Why do you think it was chosen?, Future Footsteps on the Trail , With these corridors throughout Fairfax County now protected as parkland, the tradition of people using stream valleys extends from the past into the future. Add your footsteps to this trail often.