by Chief Ranger Brad Thomas and Education Support Specialist John Gresham

York River State Park will start 2020 without one of its long time staff members.  The friendly and knowledgeable Jerome D. Traver passed away on December 6, 2019 at age 83, but his contribution to the park lives on.

Sharing his knowledge

Before joining the park staff, Jerry served his country in the U.S. Navy for 30 years. He saw involvement in the Korean War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the Vietnam War. Jerry was given full military honors on January 10, 2020 at the Albert G. Horton Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery in Suffolk.

After the military, he concentrated on agriculture and history and soon obtained an Archeology degree. After retiring at age 63, Jerry didn’t slow down. He came to York River State Park as a part time Contact Ranger in 1999. On his walks after work, the lover of history kept noticing shards of pottery and other relics of the colonial period on the park’s fossil beach.

In 2001, he secured a permit to dig in the park to discover other historic sites of the past plantations that eventually became the park. With his archival research and equipment, Jerry found remains of the homes of John Blair and William Henderson. Brick foundations of these finds are located and easily seen on the Powhatan Forks and Spur trails intersection and the Mattaponi and Woodstock Pond trails intersection. 

He also uncovered areas that once had a blacksmith’s shop, slave quarters, wheelwright’s shop, brick kiln, and a fort that dated back to Bacon’s Rebellion in 1676.  Thousands of artifacts are attributed to his meticulous findings.

At a dig site with junior rangers

Jerry was an active member of the Friends of York River State Park and participated in various activities. On Estuaries Day, he would have a small display of older model tractors. From May through September, guests joined him for the “Past Plantation Tour” to the sites he discovered. We will continue this park program in honor of Jerry for the 2020 season.

Present park staff who knew him and worked with him for the past 20 years will miss him dearly. The park will always be grateful for his contribution of discovering its hidden history and the legacy Jerry left behind to future park guests.