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Bank of Clarke County

A commercial bank organized in Berryville in the winter of 1881. Its directors decided in February of that year to put up a building of its own, and the Clarke Courier followed the work from the decision through to the roof going on in September. The foundation dig is the reason this collection holds a record of human remains found on the site.

What the sources support

The Clarke Courier of 2 June 1881 reported that workmen digging the foundation for the Bank of Clarke County's building came upon the bones of some four or five human bodies, within two or three feet of the surface, bearing evidence of having been buried a number of years.

✓ Supported by a source
See the source and its limits
✓ Supported by a sourceAn account exists

The Clarke Courier of 2 June 1881 reported that workmen digging the foundation for the Bank of Clarke County's building came upon the bones of some four or five human bodies, within two or three feet of the surface, bearing evidence of having been buried a number of years.

What the source supports

That a local newspaper reported human remains found during the bank's foundation work in 1881.

Uncertainty

A single newspaper item. No inquest, coroner's record, burial register or other account of the discovery has been found, and nothing independent confirms the number of bodies or the depth.

Source

Reporting

Evidence role: supports. The opening of the item, read from the page image.

Clarke Courier, Berryville, Va., 2 June 1881, page 3: "Human Relics Exhumed"

Clarke Courier, Berryville, Va. · 1881-06-02 (publication)

Locator: Page 3, item headed "Human Relics Exhumed", opening

Relevant passage
On Monday, while workmen were engaged in digging the foundation for the building about to be erected by the Bank of Clarke County, they came upon the bones of some four or five human bodies, found within two or three feet of the surface, and bearing evidence of having been buried there a number of years.

Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.

Open source

Source family: clarke-courier-1881-06-02-human-relics. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.

AI-assisted source check (Claude Opus 5) · 2026-09-23. How this project checks its sources

The Clarke Courier tracked the bank building through 1881: in February the directors decided to erect it and appointed a committee, in March work awaited brick, by September it was under roof, and by late November it was nearly complete.

✓ Supported by a source
See the source and its limits
✓ Supported by a sourceAn account exists

The Clarke Courier tracked the bank building through 1881: in February the directors decided to erect it and appointed a committee, in March work awaited brick, by September it was under roof, and by late November it was nearly complete.

What the source supports

A construction sequence for the building, as reported week by week in one newspaper.

Uncertainty

Assembled from five short notices in the same paper, all read as existing OCR and none checked against the page image. The notices give no contractor, no measured dates for starting or finishing, and no description of the excavation itself.

Source

Reporting

Evidence role: contextualizes. The bank named and due to open, five months before the dig.

Clarke Courier, Berryville, Va., 17 February 1881, page 3: local items, the new bank organized

Clarke Courier, Berryville, Va. · 1881-02-17 (publication)

Locator: Page 3, local items, the new bank

Relevant passage
We are informed that the institution will be kn w i [known] as the Bank of Clarke County, and that it will be opened for business about the first of next April.

Checked: Existing OCR reviewed. Original image not independently inspected.

Open source

Source family: clarke-courier-1881-02-17-local-items. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.

Reporting

Evidence role: supports. The decision to build, February 1881.

Clarke Courier, Berryville, Va., 24 February 1881, page 3: local items, decision to erect a bank building

Clarke Courier, Berryville, Va. · 1881-02-24 (publication)

Locator: Page 3, local items, the directors

Relevant passage
It was also decided to erect a Dank [bank] build ing, with the modern conveniences, and a committee was appointed to contract for tbs [the] same.

Checked: Existing OCR reviewed. Original image not independently inspected.

Open source

Source family: clarke-courier-1881-02-24-local-items. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.

Reporting

Evidence role: supports. Work waiting on brick, March 1881.

Clarke Courier, Berryville, Va., 24 March 1881, page 3: "Building Enterprise"

Clarke Courier, Berryville, Va. · 1881-03-24 (publication)

Locator: Page 3, item headed "Building Enterprise"

Relevant passage
The building for the Bank of Clarke County will bo [be] begun as soon as the brick can te [be] obtained.

Checked: Existing OCR reviewed. Original image not independently inspected.

Open source

Source family: clarke-courier-1881-03-24-building-enterprise. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.

Reporting

Evidence role: supports. Under roof, September 1881.

Clarke Courier, Berryville, Va., 15 September 1881, page 3: local items, the bank building under roof

Clarke Courier, Berryville, Va. · 1881-09-15 (publication)

Locator: Page 3, local items, the bank building

Relevant passage
The Bank of Clarke County building is now under roof. It is quite a large struc ture, and when finished will no doubt be an ornament to our town.

Checked: Existing OCR reviewed. Original image not independently inspected.

Open source

Source family: clarke-courier-1881-09-15-local-items. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.

Reporting

Evidence role: supports. Nearly complete, November 1881.

Clarke Courier, Berryville, Va., 24 November 1881, page 3: local items, the bank building nearly completed

Clarke Courier, Berryville, Va. · 1881-11-24 (publication)

Locator: Page 3, local items, the bank building

Relevant passage
Tho [The] building erected by the Bank of Clarke County is nearly completed, and in the next thirty days that institution will bo [be] prepared to receive deposits and do other business.

Checked: Existing OCR reviewed. Original image not independently inspected.

Open source

Source family: clarke-courier-1881-11-24-local-items. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.

AI-assisted source check (Claude Opus 5) · 2026-09-23. How this project checks its sources

Also indexed as: Bank of Clarke.

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