Petersburg

The colorful history of Petersburg is a story rife with tragedy and perseverance. Petersburg, a city 25 miles south of Richmond, was devastated by the effects of the Civil War. By 1915, the city had rebuilt itself into a vital business center with 25,000 citizens-equally populated by whites and African Americans. The city had a military base, deep water port and shipyard, and was considered well equipped for competition in national agricultural and manufacturing markets. The numerous museum...