Combining local history with Earth Day activities, Fairfax City’s HisTree Day was April 27 at Historic Blenheim.

Photos By Bonnie Hobbs/The Connection

The ever-popular hayride is about to start.

Illustrating a mid-19th-century laundry are (from left) Anna Lee and Isabelle Schwarz with Lee’s twins, (from left) Joey and Charlie, 4-1/2.

Lee Cramp with the Potomac Wheelmen representing 1890s bicyclists. That’s when women first started riding bikes to promote the suffrage movement.

From left are Anthony Jones and Dr. Michael Hill, both representing the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, Company B; and Ed Gantt, 23rd Regiment, U.S. Colored Troops. There were 175 units of Colored Troops – and nearly 200,000 African Americans total – who fought in the Civil War. Hill also portrayed Dr. Alexander Augusta, the first Black Union doctor.

Decorating cookies at Fairfax City’s information booth are (from left) Emily Humphreys and Phoebe Wilhelm of Girl Scout Troop 55065 of Providence Elementary.

George Mason’s 8th Green Machine Regiment Band performing at HisTree Day.