Lena Artz, Botanist, and Fort Valley resident

For those of you who may have missed Dr. Andrea Weeks's presentation about The History of Lena Artz - Fort Valley Botonist, this past summer, there is now a full YouTube video to watch, thanks to the Shenandoah County Historial Society and Hank Zimmerman:

Lena Artz Presentation with Dr. Andrea Weeks

Do you know this woman?

Lena Artz (1891-1976) was a trailblazing botanist who documented the unique plant communities of Shenandoah and Rockingham Counties. She published 40+ papers, created thousands of herbarium specimens, and was the first to describe species such as black ash and Ozark milkvetch in Virginia. But her accomplishments were never recognized in her lifetime.

We know Lena had connections in Woodstock, Fort Valley, Middletown, Winchester, and surrounding areas. Over the years, she worked as a schoolteacher in Port Republic, led nature programs at a summer camp at Elizabeth Furnace, was an active member of the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, and served as a matron at Winchester Memorial Hospital. If you have Lena stories to share, please reach out to us! Dr. Weeks is piecing together a biography for this local botanist and is eager to connect with people who knew Lena personally. This follow-up presentation summarizes additional findings from this archive to illuminate Lena's life’s work. Dr. Andrea Weeks will be conducting oral interviews with anyone who has memories or a history with Lena. Participation is open to all.

More about Lena: Fort Valley was once home to a pioneering botanist of the Massanutten Mountains, Lena Clemmons Artz (1891-1976). A Woodstock native, high school biology teacher, and owner of a cabin near Elizabeth Furnace, Lena dedicated her life outside of the classroom to documenting the unique plant communities of Shenandoah and Rockingham Counties and advocating for their preservation. Until an archive of her field notebooks and personal papers was discovered at Lord Fairfax (Laurel Ridge) Community College herbarium, little was known about her remarkable life story and accomplishments. 

Presented by Andrea Weeks, Ph.D.

Associate Professor and Director of the Ted R. Bradley Herbarium (LRCC/GMUF)

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Online Digital Archive Directly Accessible Via Our Home Page

You may have noticed the “Archive” option on the menu bar of our home page.  Fort Valley Museum volunteers continue scanning documents and photos and then cataloging them in our museum software.  This is a project that will go on for years so new documents and photos will be added regularly.  Interested in helping with this project? Send us a message with one of the “Send us feedback” links to inquire.

When you visit the Digital Archive landing page either by clicking the menu link at the top of the home page or by directly accessing it through fortvalleymuseum.org/archives. You will have several options to look at this content:

Random images - Archive - Photos - People 

We have watermarked downloaded images to protect the copyrights of our donors.  If you would like a copy of an image without the watermark, please make that request with the “Send Feedback” link and tell us what you plan to do with the image.

We are just getting started and there is much more to come!  

Oral Histories Now Available on New YouTube Channel

A new video channel has been created by Lloyd Moss to provide online access to a collection of recorded oral histories.  Check it out!