Dear Family:

 

Dr. Jack’s passing meant the end of an era…  Wanda made the Eidson Genealogy her life’s work and did an amazing job of research and interpretation then published three remarkable books on the genealogy and Dr. Jack assisted by proofreading and providing moral and financial support.  They were assisted in the early years by Merrill and Madie Eidson of Waco TX, Ted and Mary Eidson of Fort Worth, and others.  Yes, they were all Texans and all very devoted to the cause.  Sadly all of them are now gone.  Dr. Jack was such a gentleman and a gentle man and our family has lost a good one.  Through the years I have met new cousins at the family reunions and become attached to them all so that when a member of our family is lost, I feel it personally.  Dr. Jack, our family is eternally grateful to you and our hearts go out to your children.

 

Have you ever considered the fact that George Washington, our first president, was born in the same year (1732) our immigrant, Edward Eidson, died?  All this happened in Northern Neck Virginia, specifically in Westmoreland County (Washington’s birth) and Richmond County (Edward’s death).  The 17th National Eidson Family Reunion is ready to go in Northern Neck where our immigrant lived his entire life in America beginning as early as 1706.  We plan to visit the site where his land was located in Richmond County, just across from Porridge Pot which has a history of its own.  On Saturday, those who are interested can join me on a tour of sites in Northern Neck which were important to our ancestors and also sites which were important to our first president, George Washington.  There is a family tradition that we have a common ancestor to George but so far that link has not been proven.  Hopefully at some point DNA testing will provide these answers but that hasn’t happened yet.  Ed Mason, who attended our Augusta GA reunion, will be sharing more about his research with the Washington connection hopefully on Friday evening before we do our Saturday field trip.

 

Planning our national family reunion is not easy and especially challenging in a place like Northern Neck which still is not very commercial.  I have identified an inn which will house our group, the Northern Neck Inn, but the hard part is lining up a venue and caterer for our Saturday evening dinner event.  I’m always mindful of the cost involved.  I’m pleased with the cost associated with the Inn but wish I could have held the costs down more for the dinner.  I’ve agonized and run the numbers many times and have found it necessary to implement $35.00 charge for the dinner and the associated expenses which includes tax, gratuity, and venue rental.  I know you will find that the dinner and fellowship will be worth it and I look forward to seeing lots of cousins there.  Full details for the reunion are on subsequent pages.  So far, I have heard from Texas, Indiana, Virginia, Tennessee, New Jersey, and Georgia cousins planning to attend.

 

I hope you will plan to come to Virginia a few days early and stay a few days later because it is amazing how much there is to see and do in Virginia, particularly if you are a history buff.  There is Williamsburg, which was the capital of Virginia during Edward’s entire lifetime, a fascinating place to immerse yourself in the life and times of the colonial period in which our Edward lived.  Numerous battle sites from the War Between the States as well as museums and other historical sites.  It also has come to my attention that there are branches of our family particularly interested in wineries and Virginia has 250 of them, about ten of which are located in Northern Neck itself, including Athena, Belle Mount, General’s Ridge, Good Luck Cellars, Insleside, Jacey, Oak Crest, The Dog and Oyster, The Hague, and Vault Field Vineyards.

 

I need some clever person to make a suggestion for a souvenir.  Something that could be put on a t-shirt or pen or bag.  Maybe something about our immigrant or head of the family getting his start in Northern Neck???

 

I look forward to seeing lots of cousins at this reunion, both old and new… pun intended.

 

 

Judy          


REUNION 2014

17TH NATIONAL EIDSON FAMILY REUNION

October 17-19, 2014

 

Northern Neck Inn
4522 Richmond Road
Warsaw VA 22572-0157

 

Phone:   804-333-1700
Toll free:  877-838-4260
Fax:  804-333-1708

 

Email:  reservations@northernneckinn.com
http://www.northernneckinn.com/

 

RESERVATIONS: 877-838-4260

Family members need to ask for the "Eidson Family Reunion" rate.  

Friday-Saturday Two night minimum is required.

 

                                       King or Double Queen Beds                       $79.99 per night

                                                                                                              

Please join us in the breakfast/hospitality room upon arrival Friday afternoon/evening for a time of getting acquainted or reacquainted. 

    The main event will be the Saturday evening dinner which will be catered in a local facility.  One of the most fun parts of Saturday Night’s Dinner is the GIFT EXCHANGE!  Please do not forget to bring a small item, usually something of regional interest (from your home town or state) or handmade crafts that have a special personal touch to them.  Those who bring a gift will exchange with others for a nice memento to take home from the reunion.  Be sure to wrap the gift and place your name inside so the recipient can search you out to thank you.

Also, we always love to have family members who have musical talent to provide a couple of songs for entertainment, so anyone who would like to provide entertainment on Saturday evening should contact Judy (eidson@verizon.net) with particulars.

    Sunday morning just before check-out, we will meet for our special memorial service to remember family and friends we have lost since the last reunion and to say good-bye to the new family and friends we have met at this reunion.

 

    Now a few pieces of general information you may need:

 

1.    Hotel Reservations:  September 17 is the cut-off date for the rooms which are blocked for the reunion.  However, this does not mean you cannot make reservations; it means that we cannot guarantee room availability at the special rate.   Please make your own reservations by calling the hotel directly.  It would be wise to book early since the hotel expects to be at full capacity for the weekend.  Reservations must be made directly with the Inn to guarantee the group rate.

2.    Payment:  Individuals must make their own reservations with credit card or cash.  

3.    Check in is 3:00 pm and checkout is 11:00 am.

4.    Breakfast:  The Inn offers a complimentary continental breakfast and complimentary coffee.

5.    Dinner Reservations:  The dinner will be catered and a site selected which will accommodate the number of reunion attendees.  It is essential that a preliminary count be made early so the appropriate arrangements can be made.  Please let Judy know via e-mail, mail, or phone as soon as possible your intentions to attend, this is non-binding and only requested so I will know how to make arrangements. Then make your dinner reservations with payment before September 30.  Our buffet dinner will consist of tossed salad, sliced roast beef, fried chicken, potatoes, green beans, rolls, tea and coffee and, for dessert, cheese cake with cherries.  $35.00 when paid in advance and we must have a final count by September 30.  This fee includes all taxes and gratuities.  $12.50 for children ages 4-10, under age 4 is complimentary.

6.    Gift Exchange:  Remember to bring a handmade item or something of regional interest representing your hometown for the gift exchange and family photos and mementos to share with the rest of us.

7.    Website:  Visit our Facebook site Eidson Genealogy for updates and questions, also Eidson.org for dinner reservation forms and other information.

 

 

Getting to Warsaw VA

 

From Richmond VA take Rt. 360 East.  The Northern Neck Inn Warsaw is located 50 miles east of Richmond just across the Rappahannock River.

 

·         10 miles from Tappahannock Local Airport

·         55 miles from Richmond International Airport – RIC

·         75 miles from Williamsburg – Newport News Airport – PHF

·         100 miles from Norfolk Airport – ORF

·         105 miles from Reagan National Airport -- DCA

 

 

 

 

Please send your dinner reservations and remittance by September 30 to:

 

 

Judy Houghton

232 Blue Jay St.

Danville, VA  24541

434-822-2388

Eidson@verizon.net

 

____ Adult Dinner Reservations @ $35.00  (includes all tax and gratuities)  

 

____ Child's Dinner Reservations (ages 4-10) @ $12.50 (includes all tax and gratuities)  

 

____ Child's Dinner Reservations (to age 4) @ no charge

 

$ ___________Amount enclosed

 

Name:__________________________________

 

Address: ________________________________

 

City, State, Zip ___________________________

 

Email: ____________________________  Telephone: _______________________

 

Telephone numbers & E-mail addresses will not be shared with anyone outside the family association.

 

 

 

 


Northern Neck History (reprinted from Northern Neck Inn website)


Originally inhabited by eight Virginia Indian tribes who established villages along its shores, Virginia's Northern Neck is one of the most historic regions in Virginia. In 1608, our first tourist, Captain John Smith, referred to it "as a place heaven and earth never agreed better to frame man's habitation."


This peninsula nestled between the Potomac and the Rappahannock Rivers and spilling into the Chesapeake Bay was part of the enormous 1649 land grant by Charles II, known as the Fairfax Grant. The bountiful waters of the Potomac and Rappahannock Rivers, and the Chesapeake Bay supported and induced English settlement. The English built stately homes and farmed tobacco for export to England, which became the basis of the Northern Neck's economy during the Colonial era. The Northern Neck's most famous son, George Washington, born on Pope's Creek off of the Potomac River, called the region "the Garden of Virginia." Our nation's fifth president, James Monroe, was born in Westmoreland County in 1758.


The Lee family of Virginia called the Northern Neck home and built Stratford Hall in the 1730s, of bricks fired from the clay soil on the premises. A son of Thomas Lee, Richard Henry Lee, co-wrote the Westmoreland Resolves, which proposed American independence in 1766 in protest against the Stamp Act. Richard Henry Lee and his brother Francis Lightfoot Lee were the only two brothers to sign the Declaration of Independence. The last Lee to survive to maturity, Robert E. Lee, was born at Stratford Hall in 1807.


During the Steamboat Era, from 1813 to 1927, the Northern Neck utilized the network of about 600 steamboats to move people and products throughout the Chesapeake Bay region. In addition to facilitating trade of local produce, seafood and tobacco for manufactured goods, spices, and fruits, the steamboat made the Northern Neck more accessible to Baltimore and provided the residents with entertainment from the James Adams Floating Theater that circulated ports of call throughout the Chesapeake Bay region.


The waters of the Potomac River, Rappahannock River, the Chesapeake Bay and their tributaries provide a haven for boaters and water enthusiasts, and have supported a fishing industry for generations. At the present, Colonial architecture, small-town charm, bed & breakfast inns, eight wineries, seventeen museums, historic sites, marinas and retail shops are among the valuable assets that attract visitors to the area.