Harrisonburg, city (2020 pop.
51,814), seat of Rockingham co., NW Va., in the Shenandoah Valley; settled
1739, inc. 1916. It is a processing center in a poultry, dairy, and
livestock area. Manufactures include computers, clothing, paper and metal
products, machinery, building materials, transportation equipment,
chemicals, furniture, animal feeds, and fertilizers. Gen. T. J. (Stonewall)
Jackson ended his renowned Valley Campaign just E of Harrisonburg in 1862,
and his leading cavalry general, Turner Ashby, was killed there. James
Madison Univ., Eastern Mennonite Univ., and the headquarters of George
Washington National Forest are in the city. Limestone caverns and the
Shenandoah National Park are nearby.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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