Entering the town of Winchester, Virginia, is like traveling back in time. My recent visit echoed those of Shawnee and other Native American tribes who lived for thousands of years in what today is Frederick County. More recently, European explorers came as early as 1606.
As I approached the small city (population about 28,000), I passed through a phalanx of familiar chain stores and fast-food restaurants. Then suddenly I found myself in another world—a history-rich setting that envelops visitors in the past without fuss or fanfare. Winchester is like a time capsule. Not an artificially created commercial attraction, it’s a real place where important chapters of U.S. history were written and remain.
