Tims River facts for kids
Tims River, once known as Negro Run, is a small stream about 1.8 miles long. It flows into the Robinson River and is located inside the beautiful Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.
Why Names Change: A History Lesson
For a long time, many places in the United States had names that were mean or disrespectful, especially towards African-Americans. These names are called "slurs" or "derogatory" terms, meaning they are insulting. Tims River was one of these places.
It was first called Tim's River way back in 1753. Later, in 1933, it was officially named with a very offensive word. Then, in 1962, the government ordered that this offensive word be changed to "Negro" for all geographic features. While "Negro" was used to replace a worse word, it still reminded people of a time when African Americans were treated unfairly.
How Tims River Got Its New Name
In November 2015, a person who enjoyed hiking in the area wrote a letter to the National Park Service. They were worried about the name "Negro Run" and suggested changing it to "Oak Run" because it was near a place called White Oak Canyon. It's thought that African-American families lived in that area during the Jim Crow era, a time when laws unfairly separated people based on their race. This history likely led to the name given in 1933.
After receiving the letter, the head of Shenandoah National Park started the process to change the creek's name. They contacted the Board of Geographic Names, which is the group that decides official names for places in the U.S. This Board then asked local history groups for their ideas.
The historical society in Madison County thought the creek should be named "Dyer Run," after a family who lived there before the park was created. By December 2016, the local African-American community and the historical society worked together. They agreed on a new name to suggest to the Board of Geographic Names.
At a meeting on December 8, 2016, the National Park Service and the Madison County Historical Society decided to withdraw their earlier suggestions ("Freedom Run" and "Dyer Run"). Instead, they both proposed renaming Negro Run to "Tims River." This new name was officially approved by the Board of Geographic Names on February 9, 2017. This change was an important step in removing offensive names from our maps.
