It promised such intrigue: shots fired (illegally, no less), no doubt between historic figures, passions inflamed, possibly a wound, a death ... But like so many bits of highway history in a speed-obsessed society, this sign on Virginia Route 120 southbound, at the Military Road ramp onto Old Glebe Road, has become one more passed-up opportunity to learn.
Too bad, because in spite of Americans' tendency to zip by them, historical road markers are making a comeback, thanks in part to new state programs that have reinvigorated an old genre.
New, more detailed, markers are filled with tales of ordinary people doing extraordinary things, and the organizations behind them want to ensure that their groups get recognized for their contributions to our collective history.
"We want to tell more of the story," says Scott Arnold, author of "A Guidebook to Virginia's Historical Markers: Third Edition," to be released by the University of Virginia Press early next year.
As manager of the historical highway marker program at the Virginia Department of Historic Resources from 1999 to 2005, Mr. Arnold saw the replacement of 400 old signs with new ones that "tell more of the story" -- among them the "illegal duel" marker on Route 120 -- and the installation of more than 900 additional markers.
A similar move can be seen in Maryland, where the Maryland Historical Trust has administered the state highway marker program since 1988.
According to the Trust's Nancy Kurtz, Maryland has about 800 state markers; 32 of them have been placed since the program was reactivated in 2001 with a new emphasis on statewide significance rather than simply local history -- and several of them have been rewritten for accuracy and to replace outmoded language.
Meanwhile, towns, counties and other localities have been placing their own markers, celebrating events and individuals of both local and national significance.
The juicy details
That doesn't mean we can dismiss historic duels, even if illegal. Try again:
By Kathryn Watson - The Washington Times
Shirley Sherrod, the Agriculture Department employee whose hasty dismissal by the Obama administration sparked a national uproar over race, said Thursday that she will sue the conservative blog mogul who posted the edited video that led to her removal. Published 12:39 p.m. July 29, 2010
By Shaun Waterman - The Washington Times
updated 1 hour, 59 minutes ago
The Obama administration is asking Congress for new powers to fight identity fraud after undercover government investigators obtained U.S. passports using forged documents for the second time in less than two years. Published 1:25 p.m. July 29, 2010
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