Danville - Virginia - History

Settled in 1793 and incorporated in 1835, Danville boasts of many historic events. The Old West End Historic District is home to the elegant Millionaires Row and Victorian homes and mansions. The Downtown Historic District houses structures from the turn of the century through the 1930s. The Tobacco Warehouse District is emerging as a premier area for new investment and development, housing major industry and cultural activities.

The years of the Civil War are particularly well documented, since many women were convinced that they were living through momentous historical events of which they should make a record. After the war ended and the "new South" began to take shape. It is documented, - memoirs for the children and grandchildren, hoping to preserve forever their memories of a better time "before the war" or to record the sacrifices and heroism they had witnessed.

The United Daughters of the Confederacy made a special effort to persuade women to record their wartime memories. In the best of circumstances--and each collection included in this edition was chosen precisely with this consideration in mind--the collections preserve the voices of one or more women through letters or diaries that cover many years.