Museum
Stafford Stories
Explore the stories and images of Stafford County. These stories are part of the history of a county, then a state, then a nation. It’s all connected. Stafford’s stories are America’s stories.
Historical Figure of the Week
John Fox
Born c.1770 – Died 1843
John Fox (c.1770-1843) was the younger half brother of Nathaniel Fox (1748-1819) who appears in late eighteenth century Stafford records. From 1791 to 1794 John served as Deputy Clerk of Court for Stafford County. He married Nancy “Ann” Threlkeld (1772-1828), the daughter and only child of Elijah Threlkeld (1744-1798). By means of this marriage he acquired Coal Trips on Aquia Creek. This outstanding piece of property had a fine landing from which commercial fishing was conducted for many years. John and Nancy lived there until around 1794 when they moved to Prince William County. John Fox represented Stafford County in the Virginia House of Delegates 1798-1799. Part of Coal Trips is now a Girl Scout camp very inaccurately named Cole’s Trip.
Additional Museum Features
Places
Explore the past with our interactive historical map, featuring artifacts and locations throughout history. Zoom in to discover more information and click on markers to learn more about specific time periods and places.
History Trail
Explore over 20 locations and countless stories that showcase the strength and resilience of the African American community over a span of 300 years in Stafford County.
Voices of Stafford
Listen to interviews from Stafford citizens who experienced first-hand the history and development of Stafford County. Among life experiences and changes observed in Stafford, some genealogy is included.
Get Involved
Discover Stafford is looking for volunteers for our upcoming events and projects. If you can spare some time to help out, it would be greatly appreciated. Even just a few hours can make a big difference
