By Samantha Pigott

No matter where you are born and where you live, the first 18 years of life are filled with growth, change, and excitement. Kaylynn Chapman Browne has certainly had her share. When Kaylynn arrived in Berryville 12 years ago, it started with a weeklong summer visit with her Great Aunt Beth and Uncle Ellis Chapman.

A week turned into a month and month into the summer, and by the end of the summer it was obvious Clarke County was where Kaylynn belonged. Guardianship was granted to Beth and Ellis. They were thrilled to have a daughter after the youngest of their four boys had just graduated high school. That nest wasn’t empty for long.

Kaylynn was a great student. She always achieved straight As, and school seemed to come easy for her. Soon her Aunt and Uncle had her enrolled in Tae Kwon Do. Jumping all in, they signed the Black Belt contract, and Kaylynn earned her Black Belt by age 13.

In the summer following her freshman year at Clarke County High School, Kaylynn decided she would try tennis the following spring. She worked hard learning the sport over the summer and fall. After a lot of hard work, she made the team as a sophomore.

The end of that school year Kaylynn applied to the very competitive Mountain Ridge Governor’s School and was accepted. That added a very new and demanding level of academic rigor. 

Fast forward to senior year and Kaylynn started in the Number 2 spot on the tennis team. This season has been a remarkable one. For the first time in Coach Schulhoff’s 30-year tenure, the team qualified for regionals. At the time of this writing, they are preparing to play for the state championship. 

Kaylynn applied to several colleges, and was accepted by most of them. However, since entering Governor’s School, her interests have changed considerably. Four years ago she “knew” she was going to be a dermatologist; now has done a 180-degree swing to an engineering path. Her change in academic focus, along with calculating the costs involved in a traditional education, left her with some pretty strong second thoughts about entering college. Her Aunt (being from a military family) took her to meet with military recruiters. After talking to the Air Force and the Army, the Navy won out. Kaylynn realized that serving her country was where she was being called. She has been recruited to the Navy’s Nuclear Propulsion training program and is currently waiting for MEPS date.

By Rebecca Maynard

The community is invited to celebrate and learn at the annual Juneteenth celebration at the Ruritan Fairgrounds on Saturday, June 15. The gates open at 11am and the program begins at 12:30pm. Allison Seymour, D.C. Channel 9 news personality, and Mark Clark, Baltimore radio personality, will MC the program. 

“This is their third year with our local program as they now feel as though they are locals,” said Dorothy Davis, Josephine Community Museum board member.

Juneteenth (short for “June Nineteenth”) marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. The troops’ arrival came a full two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth honors the end to slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday. On June 17, 2021, it officially became a federal holiday. 

The nonprofit Josephine School Community Museum, Josephine Improvement Association (JIA) and Clarke County Training School & Johnson-Williams High School Reunion Association organized the event, which will feature a variety of vendors and food trucks. The popular MLA mime group out of D.C. returns, as does Susan Shields. Souled Out will close out the day with a live performance.

“The flag memorial is a major display which memorializes the enslaved individuals who labored in Clarke County,” Davis said. “Many of the historic structures, churches, mansions, etc. were built by those who were slaves here.”

“The Lest We Forget Slavery Museum’s Traveling Slavery Exhibit from Pennsylvania  is a new feature this year and should not be missed,” Davis said. 

The exhibit, according to its website, provides a unique historical perspective into the reality of slavery for Africans brought to America. It is the only museum of its kind in Philadelphia that exhibits authentic slavery artifacts which include hundreds of shackles, chains, coffles, branding irons and other forms of punishing ironware.

Authentic documents show how enslaved Africans were bought and sold as chattel. Numerous “Jim Crow” objects which negatively depicted and ridiculed African Americans, creating a lasting racist attitude, are also on display. Incredible African works of art – sculpture, oil paintings and vintage photographs are on display and descriptive contextual panels are posted throughout to assist visitors in understanding the significance of this period in American history.“To many African Americans, this is our Independence Day,” Davis said. “While it is a day of joy, it is also a reminder of our nation’s history, how far we have come and how far we have yet to go.” She added: “Let’s celebrate our freedom with the unique traditions of such a rich, vibrant culture.”

The Clarke County Historical Association is pleased to bring back Colonial Kids Day at the Burwell-Morgan Mill in Millwood, VA on Saturday July 13th from 11-4 p.m. What began as an internship project for a Shenandoah University student has turned into one of the most exciting and well-attended children’s events in Clarke County. This year’s event will feature a wide variety of activities which will allow children of all ages to experience everyday life in 

Colonial Virginia.

Activities include blacksmithing, craft making, colonial games, a scavenger hunt, the history of the Mill, living history interpretations, and grinding in action. Other historical organizations will be joining us on site that day, such as Sky Meadows State Park, the Newtown History Center, the French and Indian War Foundation, the Frontier Culture Museum, Sons of the American Revolution, and the Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area Association for children to learn even more about history.

Colonial Kids Day is sponsored by Perry Engineering, Berryville Family Chiropractic, and Locke Store. Admission is $5 per person and can be ordered online at www.clarkehistory.org/events or over the phone at 540-955-2600. Tickets can also be purchased at the door the day of the event.

Founded in 1939, the Clarke County Historical Association is a 501 c 3 non-profit dedicated to preserving the history of Clarke County. Our offices are located in the historic Coiner House at 32 East Main Street in Berryville, Virginia. Also located in the Coiner House is a museum, genealogy research library, and an extensive archive of historical material relating to Clarke County and the Northern Shenandoah Valley.

CCHA also owns the Burwell-Morgan Mill, a fully operational 18th century grist mill located in nearby Millwood, Virginia. Their volunteer millers grind a variety of grains as well as give tours of this historic site every Saturday from May through November.