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Dedicated to the History of Burke, Virginia | P.O. Box 243 Burke, VA 22009

Burke’s Bluesman

It’s a good time to revisit the theme of “notable people from the Burke area.”  On this occasion, we’ll look at one of our most renowned musicians.

John Jackson was born February 25, 1924, in Woodville, Rappahannock County, Virginia, to tenant farmers Suddy and Hattie Jackson.  (Sources vary as to a middle name, but his vital records indicate that he had none.)  With his thirteen siblings, he grew up in the foothills of the Blue Ridge, helping his parents with the constant variety of tasks to be done on the farm.

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Fairfax County Irish Residents

The early population of Fairfax County, Virginia was composed primarily of Northern Europeans, many of whom were holders of land grants or individuals designated to act as caretakers of land grants for their proper owners living in England. Over time, English paupers migrated to this country and served as laborers or overseers for the large landowners. Later, these laborers acquired small parcels of land and became yeoman farmers. Their primary crop was tobacco, supplemented by small grains, such as wheat, oats, and Indian corn.

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Clara Barton’s Career and Service at Saint Mary of Sorrows Catholic Church at Fairfax Station: by Mary Lipsey

In Baltimore, Maryland on April 19, 1861, Union soldiers of the 6th Massachusetts Infantry, who were traveling to defend Washington DC, were badly injured by Confederate sympathizers. Learning that the men were being cared for in the US Senate Chambers, Clara Barton, who grew up in Massachusetts. used her own supplies to minister to her “Massachusetts boys.” Barton’s requests to friends and relatives for additional supplies were quickly answered.

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