Newsletter of Tom Perry's Website Of Patrick County Virginia History
The Free State Of Patrick Internet History Group
Click Here To Contribute To The Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund For The Victims Of April 16, 2007
"We are the Hokies. We will prevail, we will prevail. We are Virginia Tech. " -- Nikki Giovanni
http://www.vt.edu/remember/ Virginia Tech We Remember Webpage
Notes From The Free State Of Patrick Volume Four Number Six June 2007
"There is nothing new in the world except the history you don't know" -- Harry Truman
The
Free State Of Patrick Is A Sponsor Of The Star Theatre
The Free State Of
Patrick Supports The Patrick County High
School Alumni Association
Memorial Day 2007
Memorial in Richmond honors Virginians killed in war on terror including Patrick County's own Jonathan Bowling
Click here for story and video at left top of link. http://www.wdbj7.com/Global/story.asp?s=6566012
Congratulations To Lee Ann Riekehof College Graduate Magna Cum Laude
Theodore Guynn's 80th Birthday Party
Below right Chris, Kayla and Ann Guynn Markwith, Bertie, Theodore, Jamie and Teddy Guynn at the Ararat Ruritan Building on May 6, 2007, at Theodore's surprise party. Over 200 people came to celebrate with us.
Below left, Betty Perry, Jamie Guynn and Theodore. Below right Reverend/Ruritan Kelly Giese and Sadie Smith.
Below left, Gray and Louise Guynn. Below right, Bertie and Theodore Guynn
Below, some people are lucky to have one father. I had two. With Theodore Guynn and Erie "sistible" Perry.
Photos Courtesy of Carolyn Choate.
Most Everything I Know I Learned From Theodore Guynn
With recent events at Virginia Tech I have come to see how fleeting a thing life can be and how important it is to say things while we still have the opportunity. Today, I want to tell you that most everything I know I learned from Theodore Guynn.
In 1927 the United States government had a budget of 2.7 million dollars, a first class stamp cost $0.02, the New York Yankees of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig were known as “Murder’s Row,” Yale and Illinois were co-champs of college football, The Jazz Singer was the first talking movie, the musical Show Boat opened on Broadway and the German economy collapsed after the harsh terms after World War One were unable to be met giving rise to the hatred of Adolph Hitler.
Pearlie
Martin Guynn and sister Velda.
Pearlie Martin Guynn gave birth to her third child on May 5, 1927, to go with Lola born in 1913 and Dick in 1917. The baby boy named Theodore came into an Ararat, Virginia, where wood was the main source of heat on a cold night with no electrical power or phone service. His birthplace was on Willis Gap near the home of Ewell Harold, where Theodore would plant the orchards still in use today.
In May 1927, the Mississippi River was in the process of one of the greatest floods in history. Grauman’s Chinese Theater opened in California and Charles Lindberg land in Paris after becoming the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic. Theodore shares a birthday with diverse people as Karl Marx born in 1818. Three years later in 1821, Napoleon died on St. Helena Island. Two years before Theodore was born on May 5, 1925, John Scopes was arrested for teaching Evolution in Dayton Tennessee and on May 5, 1961, Allen Sheppard first man in space.
One day short of Theodore’s fifth birthday my mother Betty Jane Hobbs Perry was born outside Augusta, George, and we celebrate her 75th birthday and this year she will celebrate her 50th wedding anniversary to my father Erie Meredith Perry.
George
Guynn
The son of George Guynn grew up in a world two years before “Black Friday” and the Great Depression. His father known as a staunch Republican passed down to me to be what Mrs. Bill Clinton would call the “Vast Right Wing Conspiracy.” The story goes that Lawrence Burton was showing Governor Harry Byrd around the town of Stuart when Burton spied George Guynn coming up the street towards them. Burton encouraged Byrd, a very conservative Democrat, to cross the street to avoid Guynn. When Byrd asked why Burton supposedly said, “There comes George Guynn, the biggest Republican in Patrick County.” Byrd replied, “Well, he sounds like a fine fellow. I want to meet him.”
When it comes to politics Theodore always likes to engage me as to what my opinion is and not to force his opinion on me. Theodore taught me that “DarnBunchInStuart” (Children Read This Webpage) is all one word and that our county seat run by Democrats is the definition of corruption, which sadly it still is long after Harry Byrd and George Guynn met in “Historic Uptown.”
Left, Dick
Guynn in Germany Christmas 1945 and Theodore in Havana Cuba.
Theodore graduated from Blue Ridge High School. He joined the United States Navy and served on the aircraft carrier the U. S. S. Princeton in the Atlantic Ocean in 1945-46. He visited places such as Havana Cuba. His brother Dick served in the U. S. Army in Europe.
Bertie Hill
Guynn
In 1947, Theodore married Bertie Hill. They celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary this year. Theodore farmed and like his father began to deliver the mail.
On November 4, 1960, I came into Theodore and Bertie’s lives and for many years I stayed at the Guynn place growing up in a bucolic existence literally on the farm in Ararat. Looking back I jokingly regard the next seven “Glorious” months as a great time. I was Theodore Guynn’s and Erie Perry’s only son. I was first in line to the thrones of two great houses, but then on June 24, 1961, that changed with the birth of Theodore Martin “Teddy” Guynn.
For the next three years Teddy and I were together constantly and some of our exploits then and later have become legendary within our families. There was the time that Theodore left us in his big black Ford on Main Street in Mount Airy for just a few minutes. Teddy decided that driving could not be that hard and took the car out of gear and down Main Street we went BACKWARDS. Luckily, no one was hurt and now Theodore laughs at the story.
Tom
Perry and Teddy Guynn enjoying some watermelon.
There is the famous photo of Teddy and I eating watermelon on the sidewalk beside Bertie and Theodore’s house. We grew up working in the fields on the farm. I remember how good the massive lunches Bertie fixed us. I can still taste the fresh corn and my belief that pinto beans and corn bread covered in chow-chow and ketchup should be the national meal. I remember the time that Teddy and I thought that Theodore’s red 501 Ford Tractor (lots of Ford vehicles and Buicks around the Guynn house) would look much better with black rims on the wheels instead of the white rims it came with. We discovered that the buckets of tar around the Rippey House would meet this need very nicely and our handy work could still be seen on the tractor many years later when Theodore bought a big blue Ford tractor.
I learned patience with children and to laugh at their exploits because when you have to take a bath in gasoline to get tar off your body, the temptation to strike a match by the irate owner of the tractor might have been too much for a lesser man than Theodore Guynn.
I recently went through Bertie and Theodore’s photo collections where I discovered that I really did run from Bertie’s camera so there are not very many photos of me, but lots of Teddy such as the one shown here where I jokingly say he must have been trying out for the Sound of Music.
Is
Teddy trying out for the Sound of Music?
Teddy and my Eden like existence came crashing to a halt in January 1964, when Elizabeth Ann Guynn came into our world. A sister, who we loved to make cry by knocking the bottom out of her crib, now pushed me down the list to third. For me, the very next week The Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show taking me on the road to become a guitar playing wanna be rock star, who still loves British or Irish bands to my native American music. No doubt this was due to the trauma of having a sister. It led to many memorable fights over the 8-track player at the barn between Bertie wanting to listen to Conway Twitty and myself wishing to hear Sgt. Pepper for the one thousandth time.
Elizabeth Ann Guynn with her father and brother, who is still in shock.
Theodore was a man who enjoyed his work. Many was the day in the tobacco field beside him that I can remember him humming as he primed tobacco. If you say pick we know you never worked in tobacco around here anyway. So, one thing I learned from Theodore was every Loretta Lynn song or at least the tune to them.
Back to the sister, a sister who could prime tobacco as good as any boy and drive a tractor. Tractor driving was something we all learned from Theodore before we could drive a car. I had a particular talent with the tractor. I was the best at pulling the front end out of tobacco sleds than anyone in the entire world because I popped the clutch to quick and destroyed the front part of many a tobacco sleds. I later learned that tobacco sleds were great places for kissing girls, but that is another story. One thing I learned from Theodore Guynn was anger management because if my destroying tobacco sleds was not enough the day Old Joe, the mule turned over a completely loaded sled spilling the money crop on the ground, I saw Theodore Guynn lose his temper. Now Theodore about age 40 was a chiseled human being, who looked like a body builder. Looking back I can see the people from PETA coming for Theodore because the mule’s life was in danger, but he quickly regained his composure. Neither I nor the mule suffered any physical abuse from our destruction of tobacco sleds and I do not remember seeing Theodore lose his temper again. Well almost never.
Father
of the bride
Teddy, Ann and I grew up in the tobacco field. We climbed trees in the yard, played in the sandbox, walked the farm down to the Ararat River, where we swam and they were baptized just above the bridge on Hunter’s Chapel Road crossed the river. We learned that you did not kill a black snake and we learned that the bottomland near the river was a great place to kiss girls. I thought we once saw a UFO, Bigfoot and every other sort of unexplained creature or event known to man or late cable television shows.
In 1967, Teddy and I started Blue Ridge High School. It did not become an elementary school until 1973 when I had one memorable year with my own father as Principal. We grew up with Winston and Champ Reynolds almost next door and did not realize that we were the first desegregated first grade in Patrick County history. It was the “Summer of Love” as the Hippies were taking over San Francisco and the already mentioned Beatles released Sgt. Pepper. In 1980, it was Theodore Guynn who told me John Lennon was killed one morning on my way to Surry Community College as I often stopped in to have some sweet tea, my main addiction, and see what was going on with Theodore and Bertie.
Square
dancing at the Ararat Ruritan building.
One thing Theodore Guynn did not teach me was square dancing as there were some things that were just not cool in the 1970s, but he did teach me to appreciate bluegrass music. Many times we went to Posey Boyd’s were the whole family played an instrument. Theodore Guynn bought me my first guitar. Well, actually I worked all summer to buy a Yamaha FG-75 in tobacco. So Theodore I guess taught me a work ethic and that a guitar is much more enjoyable to play when you work all summer in the heat to pay for it rather than to just have it given to you.
I was never a hunter and a horrible fisherman. Did not have the patience for it then, but it was Theodore Guynn that taught us to shoot and to respect a gun and the power of life and death and responsibility that owning one carried. One memorable moment was the first time I shot a shotgun behind the Rippey House. After pulling the trigger I found myself flat on my back with a very sore shoulder much enormous laughter of Theodore Guynn.
It was Theodore Guynn who claims to have potty trained me. He recounted it at my 40th birthday party when he told how let me walk around in a full diaper until I learned my lesson. Then he hit the punch line saying he thought that was pretty good for a ten year old.
Teddy's
step-children Kandy and Brad
Over the years life has a way of moving people away from the place they started, but every once in a while I still try to stop in and learn another life lesson from Theodore and Bertie. Theodore taught me that it was alright to love step-children, which moved me further down the list.
Theodore's granddaughter Kayla Markwith
With Kayla Markwith’s birth I now find myself almost out of the top ten, but to be on Theodore Guynn’s list is an honor. Someone once told me that it is not so much what you do in life as the memories you leave your family and friends. Well, Theodore, old son, if that is true then you have done a great job.
Theodore Guynn always liked to talk history with me and I am sure part of my love of it comes from spending time with him. If he did not know the answer he knew who did, which usually meant going to see Carrie Sue Bondurant Culler. When I started raising money to save J. E. B. Stuart’s Birthplace, Theodore found out that a local funeral home owner had sent in what Theodore thought was not enough. Unknown to me, he went to the funeral home and informed the stingy funeral home owner that he had buried every Guynn for generations and that if he ever expected to bury another he would give more money to save Stuart’s Birthplace. I learned from Theodore Guynn that your children may not be always right, but when they do something positive you support what they do. The thing I will always remember about Theodore Guynn was that if you were one of his children as I claim to be then there was nothing you could not do. I never remember him being anything, but positive about anything I was doing. He did not wear his Christian faith on his sleeve he taught us by his example and he never thought about himself first.
Teddy, Jamie Guynn, Chris, Kayla, Ann Guynn Markwith, Bertie and Theodore Guynn
So in Virginia this year we celebrated 400 years of Englishmen in America. We celebrate the 200th birthday of Robert E. Lee. Theodore, I have read and studied many great people. Some came from Ararat, Virginia, such as Zeb Stuart Scales and Jeb Stuart. Some came to Ararat, Virginia, such as my father who thinks he is Erie “sistible.” So we wish you a happy birthday Theodore because of all of the men I have never known a better one.
Tom Perry’s comments made during a PowerPoint presentation at Theodore Guynn’s 80th Birthday Party on May 7, 2007, at the Ararat Ruritan Building.
Theodore left to right on brother Dick's shoulders, with brother Gray, in the U. S. Navy and around age 40.
Blue Ridge School Ceremony May 17, 2007
Above left, Supervisor Jonathan Large, Bertie and Theodore Guynn, Erie Perry, Louise and Gray Guynn, Delcie Montgomery, Kathy Clements, Maxine Smith with Clyde and Peggy Marshall. Above right, Marie, Gray, Louise, Theodore and Bertie Guynn, the family of Lola Weatherman.
On May 17th at 1:30 p.m. a ceremony was be held to honor eight teachers and staff for their service to the Patrick County School System was held. Last year Tom Perry worked with Supervisor Jonathan Large, School Board Member Billy Aldridge and the staff of Blue Ridge Elementary School and the School Board Office to honor his father retired Blue Ridge Principal Erie M. Perry and thirty others with twenty years of service in the school system from the Dan River District or at Blue Ridge School. Visit the webpage on Blue Ridge School History to learn more about last year’s ceremony at http://www.freestateofpatrick.com/blueridgeschool
Honorees For 2007
Teachers Staff
Evelyn Hazelwood Clarence Bowman
Katie
Hiatt Gray Bowman
Agnes King Otis Clements
Betty Kirkpatrick Jewell Haynes
Lola Weatherman
Comments Given By Tom Perry On May 17
Thank you all for coming today. I especially want to thank those former honorees who contributed to continue this project, Peggy and Clyde Marshall, Dorothy George and Maxine Smith. I would like to thank the Blue Ridge PTO and especially Ann Guynn Markwith, Lola Weatherman’s niece, who twice has come through to assist with this project.
The original idea here was to honor the service of people while they are still alive. We made some mistakes last year, but I would rather try and fail than not to try at all. We should remember the positive contributions that people make and we should say thank you. I wanted to honor my father’s nearly thirty years of service to the school system of Patrick County and am glad he could join us today for this event.
I especially want to thank Supervisor Jonathan Large, whose family gave the two acres of land for this school 118 years ago. Without you Jonathan this would have never happened. Thanks to Principal Deekens, School Board Member Billy Aldridge and congratulations to Superintendent Judy Lacks on her service and her upcoming retirement. No disrespect to Mrs. Lacks, but the new Superintendent Roger Morris co-wrote a novel about J. E. B. Stuart. You can never have too many books about Ararat’s own J. E. B. Stuart. Today we honor Betty Kirkpatrick, who retires this year after taking care of the J. E. B. Stuart books and all the books in the Patrick County High School Library.
James Ewell Brown “Jeb” Stuart did not attend Blue Ridge School. Nor did Orlean Puckett, but the third most famous person from Ararat, Bob Childress I believe did. The children here today have these famous people from the same place they come made their imprint on this nation whether in the military, helping to bring children into the world and saving the souls of those before they left this mortal coil. One person who did attend Blue Ridge was Fred Brim, who due to our nation’s segregation policy had to watch the bus go by him every morning because of his race he could attend Blue Ridge, but he became the principal of Blue Ridge Elementary.
I brought my first grade annual, Harvest, with me today as Fred Brim taught Chemistry and Math in 1967. We were the first segregated class in Patrick County history. It was the “Summer of Love” when hippies were invading San Francisco and The Beatles released Sgt. Pepper. That year the annual was dedicated to one of our honorees Evelyn Martin now Hazelwood, who taught Math. Another honoree was Lola Weatherman, who taught Home Economics and sponsored the Future Homemakers of America. We are pleased to have Lola’s brothers Theodore and Gray Guynn with us along with wives Bertie and Louise and niece Marie Guynn, who is the Secretary of this school.
Katie Hiatt taught fourth grade in 1967. Two years later she would teach third grade and be my teacher. I did not have much hair in the 1960s, but Katie Hiatt found it.
Bus Drive Otis Clements was in the annual and we are pleased to have his daughter in law, our former Dan River District Supervisor Kathy Clements with us today. After school I walked across the road and spent several hours with Agnes King, who we honor today. Aunt Aggie was a place for Coca-Cola, Fifth Avenue candy bars and talk about history when not playing Rook with Arthur Boyd.
These nine people we honor today did as the marker says they touched the future they taught. If you do not think a bus driver influences the kids on his or her bus, you never rode from Willis Gap all the way to Patrick County High School. Today we honor the service of
Clarence Bowman
Gray Bowman
Otis Clements
Jewel Haynes
Evelyn Hazelwood
Katie Hiatt
Agnes King
Betty Kirkpatrick
and 94 years young Lola Weatherman, Aunt Lola.
Like the Friends of Quakers who believe in Peace, I hope today we bring some peace of mind to those who spent their lives touching the future educating the children of Patrick County. These nine and the thirty-one from last year who touched the future.
Help Our Regional History Library Expand
Click Here To Read About The Bassett Historical Center Building Fund
Click Here To Red About Patrick County Collections At The Bassett Historical Center
Bassett Historical Center Building Fund $176,554.15 raised of $800,000.00
Pat Ross Honored By Daughters Of The American Revolution
Pat Ross in the O. E. Pilson Collection Room at the Bassett Historical Center.
“It was a bright day for the history of Bassett when a baby girl was born to Marie Grogan Clay and Charles Eugene Clay. This little baby girl is our Pat Ross today. She was taught a love of books and music from an early age. She started out as a music major at Mary Washington College before Paul Ross won her heart and they were married. In fact the ghosts here at Pocahontas Bassett Baptist Church talk of her playing the organ with her bare feet. She instilled this love of books and music to both her daughters, Anne Marie and Fran. However, it was the love of books that won her to her life’s career.
In the early 1980s Pat started to work in the Bassett Public Library where she catalogued, processed the books as well as serving the patrons in both circulation and genealogy. At this time she worked under two great mentors, Martha Jane Wells Clark and Shirley Bassett. An addition was built to the back of the library to house the genealogy which had been stored in the basement. Pat and Shirley Bassett were then able to expose people to the value of genealogy. Pat continued this effort after the retirement of Mrs. Bassett.
In 1992, the Bassett Public Library merged with the Blue Ridge Regional Library. Pat continued in genealogy and the preservation of our local history, while continuing with other library duties. Under her leadership the genealogy department grew to the point that a much larger space was needed to house all the family histories, genealogy and history of the area, the Commonwealth of Virginia and the nation. Patronage in genealogy/local history grew at an unprecedented page, 1329% from 1992 to 1998. Through fundraising efforts at the Bassett Branch Library was moved across the street from the original Bassett Public Library. This left the original facility to be used for family history and local history becoming the Bassett Historical Center.
Since 1998, patronage has increased by 125% each year. In fact, there were 7447 patrons doing research at the Center in 2006, 1238 more than in 2005. Much of this growth is due to the work ethic and courtesy of Pat Ross. She greets all with a smile and readiness to help with what ever research one is doing. This can be difficult at times because there have been as many as fifty-four patrons in one day. She comes in early, takes only a few minutes for lunch and works at home for patrons. He title since 2000 has been Historical Center Director. She has one full time assistant, Anne Copeland and two part time assistants and numerous volunteers. They all work tirelessly in completing an inventory of donated collections and maintaining current date of the more than 9,000 family histories.
Pat envisions more for the Bassett Historical Center. Bassett was known as the home of Bassett Furniture Industries for years, but is now becoming known as having the premier history/genealogy in the entire state. She helped organize a committee to work on raising money to build an addition to the center, enlarging it by 4,000 square feet. Through hers and the efforts of others about $200,000 has been raised of the $800,000 needed.
On behalf of the General Joseph Martin Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, we want to commend and thank Pat Ross for her contributions in preserving our priceless history. Today we are recognizing her for her service to the community. In appreciation for your work, Pat, we wish to award you this certificate which reads, “Certificate of Award for Women in American History.” –Daphne Stone
Henry County Civil War Roster Available at Bassett Historical Center
Henry
County in the Civil War, 1861-1865 is on sale by the
Bassett Historical Center Building Committee as a
fund-raiser.
Half the profits from this book go to the fund, to build
an addition to their great library. This book contains
the military records of Henry County Soldiers as well as
some letters and other articles of interest. If you
would like to
send a donation to
them, or buy a book to help them, you can contact Pat
Ross at
baslib@hotmail.com for more information.
FUN IN FIELDALE
Thanks to everyone who came by the table at the Fieldale Heritage Festival. Shown above with a table about the Mount Airy and Eastern Railroad that Collinsville's Kenney Kirkman and I worked on together. Once used as a retreat for Marshall Field and Co. executives, below is the Fieldale Lodge, now The Club House Bed and Breakfast. Paul Ross and I rode up from the Fieldale Heritage Festival to visit the site. Thanks to our guide Tracy, who worked on the National Register of Historic Places nomination for the lodge.
"The Clubhouse Resort was built in 1917 as the Marshall Field & Co. Clubhouse, later known as the Fieldcrest Lodge. You can find books and brochures in the lobby that tell the story of how the Marshall Field & Co. Clubhouse, Fieldcrest Mills and the entire town of Fieldale, Virginia came to exist."
Click here for more information about The Club House Resort http://www.theclubhouseresort.com
I found this 1899 map of Virginia while in a store front while at Fieldale. Below are several different views showing Patrick County and the region. Note that some of the place names no longer here.
Surry County Civil War Round Table Comes To An End
"After some serious discussions between myself and John Cail, we have decided to end the meetings of the Surry County Civil War Round Table that met in the Mount Airy Public Library. We came to feel that the group was not growing and we were carry most of the load for the last three years in giving programs and finances. While the many loyal attendees such as Esther Johnson, Cecil Felts, Charles Brintle and others who attended our last meeting at Laurel Hill may be disappointed with this outcome, we appreciate their support and hope everyone will continue to study about the years surrounding the Civil War individually." -- Tom Perry
"Always give your best, never get discouraged, never be petty; always remember, others may hate you,
but those who hate you don't win unless you hate them, and then you destroy yourself." --Richard Nixon
The Reynolds Homestead, Subject Of New Publication
Jim Crawford of Virginia Tech recently released Rock Spring Plantation: Incubator of Two American Industries about the history of the Reynolds Homestead in Patrick County 30 page booklet including bibliography traces the history of the Reynolds Family and the tobacco industry in Virginia. The booklet is available at the Reynolds Homestead for $7.50 or by contacting Jim Crawford at swinginggate@cox.net for more information.
Ararat History
"I am looking for photos and information about Reverend Robert Childress "The Man Who Moved A Mountain" and Aunt Orlean Hawks Puckett, the famous midwife from the Puckett Cabin on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Both of these people along with J. E. B. Stuart are from Ararat, Virginia. I am looking for information about where they lived, photos and stories about them for a future webpage about both." -- Tom Perry
Fifth Sunday Programs At The Hollow History Center
July 29 and September 30, 2007
July 29, Genealogy Festival at The Hollow History Center 11:30 a.m. until 4 p.m.
September 30, Fall Festival At The Hollow History Center from 11:30 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Admission is $6 per adult with children under 14 free.
Click Here To See The New Exhibit On The Dinky Railroad
Click Here To Learn More About The Mount Airy and Eastern Railroad "The Dinky"
News From the Website
New Web Pages
Reynolds Family History www.freestateofpatrick.com/rjrh.htm
The Dinky Railroad To Kibler Valley www.freestateofpatrick.com/dinkyrr.htm
Patrick County Military Wall Of Honor http://www.freestateofpatrick.com/wallofhonor.htm
Historic Ararat Virginia http://www.freestateofpatrick.com/ararathistory.htm
If you would like to receive this monthly email newsletter, please send an email to freestateofpatrick@yahoo.com with the word ADD in the subject line or visit www.freestateofpatrick.com for more information.Membership is up to 419 people interested in Patrick County History and receiving the monthly email newsletter.
The Free State Of Patrick website www.freestateofpatrick.com reached 56,000 hits in May.
Feedback From A Member
"Recently I was in the Elizabeth Cemetery and found that the grave stone for Mary Headen
J. E. B.
Stuart's Sister) had finally succumbed to its several long
time cracks. I cannot remember if I told you the story that
when, in my younger days, asked an older lady who was buried
in the plot with the chain around it - she said that twins
were buried there.
In William A. Stuart's (J. E. B. Stuart's brother) journal he
wrote in March of 1869 - "March 18 - Returned from Richmond
home - expected to stop over in Wytheville at the RR
Convention but hearing of Ellen's illness hastened home.
March 19 - Arrived at home early in the morning - found
Ellen doing well - but the little twins dead. Mrs. Spiller
came with me - Buried the twins in the evening in a metallic
case." I also found the twins death in a Smyth County Court
record. Attached is a picture of the chained area that could
be the burial place of the Stuart twins."
-- Jerry Catron, Salt
ville, Virginia
Question About Hughesville?
|
My
name is Bob Graham. I recently
discovered there is a cemetery in
Patrick County, Virginia called
Archelaus Hughes Cemetery. The history
of the place mentions a name of
Hughesville. Was there ever a place
called that or could that be because
there were several houses of Hughes
family living together? I am a
descendent of Archelaus M. Hughes and am
wanting to know more about the area that
they lived in. If anyone can be of help
I would appreciate it.
Thank you,
Bob Graham
304 17th Ave. N.
Greenwood, MO 64034
email: graham_rw@sbcglobal.net
|
Lies, Darn Lies (Children Read This Website) and Statistics
On May 23, 2007, I took notice of the statistics relating to this website. There had been 57, 720 hits since inception. Below are the percentages for the individual pages with some interesting outcomes
Webpage % # of hits
Home 23% 13,381
Native-American 9.4% 5442
Newsletter 7.2% 4167
Patrick County 7.1% 4136
About 5.3% 3062
Links 5.1% 2959
Laurel Hill 4.5% 2629
Book 3.9% 2254
Hollow Hist Center 3.2% 1880
Regional 2.6% 1515
Calendar 1.7% 1024
African-American 1.4% 890
Virginia 1.0% 607
Covered Bridge 0.4% 247
Interestingly the Native-American Page gets more traffic than any other page than the Home page. I think this is due to sharing of history from Doug Belcher of Henry County, who supplied much of the information for that page. The African-American page gets very little traffic in spite of great information from Cynthia Wilson of Seattle, Washington, and my efforts to make leaders of the Black community aware of this page. The Hollow History Center receives more traffic and if you realize the webpage for that site is not very old the numbers are impressive while the page for Patrick County’s covered bridges gets very little traffic.
There are disappointing trends due to the fact that with over 400 members you would assume that the members would read the newsletter each month when notified, but usually only about ¼ of the members read the Newsletter page month based on the stats. Virtually none of the people involved in tourism or history are members. The purpose of this webpage was to promote my work on Patrick County and my books, but also to show how we can use history to promote Patrick County in very rough economic times. The majority of members are people outside the county whose family has some connection to Patrick County. I thought I should take stock of the webpage and the numbers and my thoughts about what I started out to do and what I will now focus on.
Patrick County Author Martin Clark Speaks For Mount Airy History Museum
On Friday May 18, Patrick County's own Martin Clark, author of The Many Aspects of Mobile Home Living and Plain Heathen Mischief spoke with author David Baldacci for the Mount Airy Museum. Below right signing books and left, Martin, his wife Deana, David Baldacci, Patrick County natives Candace Sammons and Vera Reynolds
Courtesy of the Mount Airy Museum
Eric and Susan Wittenberg Visit Mayberry
On Friday May 18 Eric (shown below) and Susan Wittenberg came to Mount Airy on their way home to Columbus, Ohio, after speaking at the Pinehurst NC Civil War Round Table. Eric is the author over 13 books on Civil War Cavalry and this was his first visit to Laurel Hill, Birthplace of J. E. B. Stuart.
Photo by Susan Wittenberg
Improvements At Laurel Hill
Ronnie Haynes recently constructed a new storage building and walled enclosure for the trash dumpster at Laurel Hill.
Click Here To Take the Online Laurel Hill Tour
Cover Photo Chosen For Patrick County Images Of American Book
Tom Perry's new book of photos will go to the publisher in July with an expected publication before Christmas 2007.
Coming in 2008 Notes From The Free State Of Patrick Volume One
Visit Tom Perry's Table At The Following Local Events
June 16, Patrick County Covered Bridge Festival, Woolwine Virginia.
July 7-8, Crafts In The Meadows, Meadows of Dan, Virginia.
July 28, Kibler Valley River Run, Danube Presbyterian Church.
July 29, Genealogy Festival, The Hollow History Center, Ararat, Virginia.
August 11, Meadows of Dan Virginia Folk Festival.
September 8, Bassett Virginia Festival.
September 30, Fall Festival, The Hollow History Center, Ararat, Virginia.
Above Bristol Sunday Newspaper of March 7, 2007. Below Blue Country Magazine October 2006.
Copyright 2007 Tom Perry. No material to be used without permission.
Contact Information: Tom Perry P. O. Box 50 Ararat VA 24053 freestateofpatrick@yahoo.com
Sponsors Are Available Via Credit Card Here!
Sponsorships For The Free State Of Patrick webpage are available yearly for $25.
Thanks to our sponsors for 2007 The Wolf Creek Farm and the White Sulphur Springs.
