History

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Today, March 1, we commemorate the recognition of the world’s first national park, Yellowstone National Park. It was established on March 1, 1872, by President Ulysses S. Grant via the signing of the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act. The park passes through three states: Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. It features several national phenomena, ranging from geysers, hot springs, and a dormant volcano to waterfalls, canyons, and expansive forests. One specific notable feature is Old Faithful, a cone geyser, named for its consistent eruption habits. Yellowstone National Park is also home to a wide variety of wildlife, including, but not limited to, grizzly bears, bison, wolves, and a vast number of bird species. Yellowstone truly serves as a display of God’s creation and creativity in nature. In very few places in the world, can one find such an array of natural beauty. The end goal of its protection was to prohibit its exploitation and destruction and to preserve its unique features. The National Parks Protection Act uniquely honors God’s creation and allows for us to enjoy the powerful beauty of North America.

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Have you ever looked around your hometown and wondered why that building is still there? If you come from a historic town with rich stories and traditions, then you would appreciate the Bedford Museum & Genealogical Library. The mission of the Bedford Museum is to collect, preserve, and interpret historical items of significance to the Town of Bedford and Bedford County, Virginia. This not only highlights the significance of the regions but also allows visitors to learn about all who made Bedford what it is today.

Originally founded in 1933, the Bedford Museum was installed on the first floor of the Bedford Courthouse. Now, it sits in its permanent home, the former Liberty Masonic Lodge 95 A.F. & A.M., which was originally erected in 1895. The Bedford Museum has taken great strides throughout the years, expanding its space while also broadening its research to show the many cornerstones of Bedford’s history. You can explore the story of Bedford and its influences through their Native American, Black History, and World War I & II exhibits.

If you are from the Bedford County or Smith Mountain Lake area or your family came from this area, you might be interested in finding out more about your own heritage. The museum also serves as a Genealogical Library, comprised of hundreds of years of research on the surrounding cemeteries and obituaries. If learning more about your family’s heritage is something you are interested in, more information can be found on the Bedford Museum’s website.

We at the Department of History are thankful for the tremendous work that the Bedford Museum & Genealogical Library is continuing to do for our communities, and we hope you explore the museum!

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Thank you to everyone who has visited or chatted with us for College for a Weekend!! We love meeting potential historians, and we hope to see you back on campus in the fall! 😉

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The Battle of Bataan was among the earliest conflicts between Japan and the United States in World War II. The Japanese invaded Luzon, the largest island in the Philippines, beginning on December 10, 1941, just days after the attack on Pearl Harbor. By early January 1942, they had forced the American and Filipino forces back to the Bataan Peninsula, where their commander, General Douglas MacArthur, had ordered them to prepare for a long siege.

Unfortunately, planning and preparations were rushed, leading to insufficient supplies being transported to Bataan. For four months, the Americans and Filipinos fought bravely while suffering incredible hardships. They faced constant shortages of food, clean water, weaponry, and basic necessities like proper shelters and clothing. Disease and exhaustion were widespread.

In early April, the Japanese broke through the weakened American and Filipino lines, forcing their surrender and marking a devastating moment in U.S. military history. By that point, General MacArthur, as ordered by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, had already escaped to Australia by PT boat and then B-17. Between 60,000 and 80,000 American and Filipino soldiers surrendered to the Japanese — the largest surrender in American military history and one of the nation’s greatest military defeats.

Following this surrender of an unexpectedly large number of soldiers, the Japanese victors forced the soldiers on what has become known as the Bataan Death March: a 65-mile-long march without food or water in tropical conditions, with those struggling to keep up being beaten or killed.

The defeat at Bataan and the ordeal that followed would not be avenged until years later, when Allied forces returned to liberate the Philippines in October 1944.

Picture 1: Major General Edward P. King, Jr. surrenders to the Japanese. April 9, 1942.
Picture 2: Japanese Soldiers celebrating their victory at Bataan.
Picture 3: Soldiers leave Mariveles at the southern tip of the Bataan Peninsula to embark on the Bataan Death March.
Picture 4: American soldiers are granted a pause during the Bataan Death March.

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