Old Mill, Long Walk, Women of the Past

Saturday, September 29, 2018

Well, today is our last day in southern Virginia.  We started out looking for this old wrecked mill we passed earlier in the week.  We had to retrace our steps to find it and we did.

We then went on to Farmville, VA and had lunch at La Patota Grill.  Sometimes you really luck out, the food here was great.

After such a good lunch we had to work off a few calories so we decided to cross the High Bridge.  This was a railroad bridge built in 1854.   (From Wikipedia) The site was surveyed and the bridge engineered by C. O. Sanford, who later reported to the stockholders of the Southside Railroad: "there have been higher bridges not so long, and longer bridges not so high, but taking the length and height together, this is, perhaps the largest bridge in the world."

The bridge is 2400 feet long, and at one time there was pedestrian and wagon traffic on one level and the railroad on the upper level.  It was partially destroyed during the civil war and played a part in Lee's final retreat from Petersburg in the last days of the War.

It was a mile to the bridge, a mile across and back, and a mile back to the truck.

We were pretty tired after our hike, but, the event we were looking forward to was to start at 7:30 at the Appomattox Court House National Historic Park.  It was the 7th Annual Lantern Tour.  This tour featured six women who contributed in multiple ways to the Appomattox of today.  From the 1860's through the 1960's.  They each had a remarkable tale to tell.

We followed our lantern carrying tour guide to the McLean house to hear Mrs. McLean (1865) tell us about her husband Wilmer and the day General Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia.

Then we heard from Miss Fanny Berry (1880) An enslaved women on the plantation of George Abbitt, talk as a free woman reflecting on and recounting stories of life in Appomattox during the last day of the war.

Mrs. Mariah Meeks (1869) she and her husband owned the general store.  Their son, Lafayette, died early in the war.  She is now a widow and needs to decide what to do.

Patty Guild (1865) wife of the doctor, traveled with the Confederate army from Petersburg to Appomattox Court House.  She witness some of the fighting that took place during the last days of the war.

Mrs. Mildred Harris (1964), who as a young girl, watched the courthouse burn down in 1892.  She returned to the park in 1964 when the Court House/Visitor's Center was rebuilt.  Note:  She was the most believable actress.  We really felt like Millie was there telling us about her life.

Finally we heard from Mrs. "Georgie" Gurney (1961).  She was the wife of Hubert "Sandy" Gurney, the first superintendent of the park.

This was truly a lantern tour so we were unable to take any pictures.  We ended the evening having hot cider and cookies in the Visitor's Center.  I wouldn't mind doing the 8th Annual tour next year.

What is that light in the sky? Great History Day

Friday, September 28, 2018

It rained all night and so hard, I was afraid we would float away.  We did wake up to sunshine this morning.  But, the rain found a way into the bedroom last night.  Because we are not completely level we are thinking that due to the unusually hard rain it somehow found a way to leak somewhere around the slide.  About half of the bedroom carpet is soaked.  We turned up the A/C and have fans running but it is going to take a long time to get it dried out.

Our explorations took us to Appomattox Court House National Historical Park today.  This is where General Lee surrendered to General Grant effectively ending the Civil War.  It is a self-guided tour through the Villiage of Appomattox Court House, but we started out at the visitor's center in the old Appomattox Courthouse.  Notice the difference.  The courthouse is the building and Court House is the village. We were lucky to be there at the beginning of a Ranger Talk.  I thought I knew a lot about the Civil War, but I learned so much from his talk.  We learn so many myths and inaccuracies. The surrender occurred on April 9, 1865.  The park has restored many of the buildings that were there including the McLean Home where the Generals met.

Courthouse, Visitor's Center

McLean House

Grants Table

Lee's Table, they never sat at the same table.

Inside the McLean House

The monumental job of printing over 28,000 parole passes.

Parole Passes 

Old Jail Building

Too Much Rain

Thursday, September 27, 2018

Rain, rain, and more rain.  We always try not to let the rain stop us from doing things, but it came close today.  We went to Danville, VA today.  I hoped to walk along their riverfront trail, and also explore the historic part of town.  We managed to do a few things, but the rain was relentless.

Started out at the Visitor's Center to get some maps and information.  Tobacco was king in this town back in the days.

Our first stop was the spot of a train wreck that inspired the song, "Wreck of the Old 97".  You can no longer see down into the gorge because there is too much plant growth.

Next, we decided to walk down Millionaires Row whether it was raining or not.  We lucked out and the rain let up for a little while.  Newfound wealth from the tobacco industries and the Dan River textile giant built these Victorian and Edwardian-era homes.

It started raining again so we just drove around the town.  Many very large buildings that I believe are old warehouses were everywhere.

Had enough rain, went to 2 Witches Brewery and had a flight and free popcorn.  This brewery was named for two little girls in witches costumes one Halloween.  One which is now the owner's wife and the other is her sister.

Ho-Hum Day

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Expecting rain this afternoon so we decided to take care of some repairs and shopping today.  We have two windows that the latch locks have broken.  Bruce purchased an upgraded hose system for our Black Tank when we were at the Hersey RV show a couple of weeks ago.  He needs some type of piece to make the connection to the valve a little better.  So we went to an RV supply store near Lynchburg but struck out on both counts.  Then we decided to go to Camping World in Roanoke, VA.
No window latches, but he did solve the sewer hose situation.  Bought some window locks at Lowes, hoping that might work.  That didn't work so now we have to return those.

We have been having a recurring problem with Cali.  We thought she was having UTI problems and four different vets in four different states have treated her.  But, our MD vet told us that stress from traveling can create this problem too.  He recommended a calming spray to help relieve the stress.  The first night out she started sitting in the litter box over and over.  She was fine earlier in the day so we thought we would give this stuff a try.  Went to PetSmart and got some.  Expensive stuff.  Tried it when we got home and she hasn't been in the box all evening.  Maybe there is something to this.

On our way home we stopped at Buffalo Wild Wings.  Always wanted to try this restaurant.  It was OK but not really worth the cost.

Today's only quirky picture was along Route 29.

Exploring Hurt and Lynchburg

Tuesday, September 25, 2018

After a breakfast of ham, eggs and hashbrowns and some tidying up we went exploring.  Drove south to the town of Gretna, very small, and then turned north through many other small towns along the way.  As we passed thru Hurt, VA, we saw this:

This industrial site was enormous.  After a bit of Googling, I found out that is was the site of the old Klopman Mills property.  Klopman Mills employed about 1,300 people at its peak and closed in 2007.  The company opened in the 1940s but was sold in the 1950s to Burlington Industries.  The plant dyed and sold cloth.  I am sure this small town was devastated by this closure.  But, there is good news.  Announced in 2016 this property will become an industrial park.  Southern Virginia Multimodal Park.  Best of luck to this community and the developing of this park.

That orange dot is me.

After exploring the abandoned industrial park we drove on into Lynchburg.  We walked along the Blackwater Creek Trail and the Riverwalk.  This part of Lynchburg look very up and coming with old buildings becoming condos and apartments and many shops and restaurants.

Walking, biking, rowing, and skating.

 Along Blackcreek Trail:

Along the Riverwalk:

This is an air handling unit disguised as a school bus.

Next, we went toThe Old City Cemetery.  From their brochure:  The Old City Cemetery, established in 1806, is one the oldest public cemeteries in the United States that has been in continuous use since its founding.  Nearly 20,000 people are buried here--most before 1925--including political, religious, social, and cultural leaders, the city's indigent and "strangers," veterans of every major American war and conflict from the Revolution to Vietnam, and over 2,200 Confederate soldiers from fourteen states.  Three-quarters of those buried here are African American, both free and enslaved.  More than one-third are infants and children under the age of four.

There are several museums throughout the cemetery, the Pest House, Medical Museum, the Hearse House and Caretakers' Museum, Station House Museum and a Chapel.

A little shopping and back to the RV for dinner and a quiet evening.