Halifax County 5

I 9 0 7

HALIFAX C O U NTY

V IR G IN IA

” A H AND BO O K

P rep are d u nder the Direction of the

B O A R D O F SU P E R V ISO RS

A LF R E D J M O R R IS O N

EVERETT WADDEY C O

R ICHM OND, VIRG INIA

C O N TENTS

— PART I. DESCRIPTIVE

I .

II . TH E COU NTY . II I.

IV .

—TH T V . E OWNS .

—TH E OU NT Y VI. BUSINESS OF THE C R — ScH O OLS E . VII . AND CHURCH S — . L NE L E . VIII MINERA S AND MI RA WAT RS . — IX . WATER POWERS . — X . SUG G ESTIONS . — XI. STATISTI CS . — PART II. HISTORICAL .

—1 —1 52 I. 676 7 . — 2— 1 1 . II. 75 776 — — 1 1 0. III . 776 83

— - 1 0 1 5 . IV . 83 86

- — V . 1865 1 907 .

T e r r r n l n a ain h w ite m en e his a k ow e e ts to t . ust t d c dgm C p W . G

Morton to a ain M ren to he R ev Flourno oul in to Mr . t t . ; C p . F ch; y B d ; T E Di erson and to the ount O ials . . ck ; C y fﬁc .

HALIFAX COUNTY 5

Cou Go er me in he T r n enni l r nty v n nt t e ke t a Yea .

u d e ir Sixt uit . J I I M R SD E H ouston. g ( h C c ) . W LL A BARK AL , ’ ommonwealth s Attorne n. . . D OU DI H ousto C y WOO B L N, Treasu r r e . S LEY ou t oston. , h B ou nt and ircuit r C y C Cle k CRADDDCK . She i r H n. . P . SH EPH D ousto ff W AR ,

B r oard of Su pe visors .

H . . L CY air an ano S C A (Ch m ) Ro ke District cottsburg .

R . S . B U anist r Dis S e tri t ou t oston. BAR O R , B c h B

L. . I E R C ir Distri t In ram . W , B ch c . g C C aln t tri t o o u D o is o o o o o o o o o o o o W c . D W . OWE N” T E is n . . DIC E S Meadsville D ri t H ousto R . . D t . K R ON, c , F

E . . A. I I S Mount ar el Distmct Tur evill e W LK N , C m b F n . is ir a R . TUC R ed a nk D tri t ili K, B c V g

Dr. . v R P . TH O R NTO N Stau nton Distri t Re u li an ro e , c , p b c G

S u perintendent ofPu blic S chools

Pa es . . F . . TH S . E . SD E R D O BARK AL , c

Commissioner of Accou nts and Commissioner in Chancery .

L H n. E J. T I S EIG H ous to B N WA K N ,

mmissioners o R e enu e o v . . C f

is ri ou t oston. U ES ourt H ous e D t t . . S H . . W Q ARL , C c h B

s r ter rin s . H S rn i t i t . l us S t e . T. . TR Y M ou D B A N A , h c C p g ’ r n is ri l a s Mill . T. D No er t t . WE t D G CAR LL, h c C y

Su perintendent of the P oor

H T . . . . TH M P R R . D S US D O ON , O ON, F

Exa miner ofRecords for SixthJu dicial Circuit

WILEIAM P . SD E Hous ton. BARK AL ,

Cou nty Su rveyor

H Houston. M . E C FR N ,

r r o ations M ayors of the Fou Co p r .

Y ir ilina . A. H HO T E S EY H ouston. ES R . L A L , A , V g

lover. n . A. G Y SEP H STEBBI S JR Sou t osto . E JO N , , h B C GR OR , C

* 2 1 1 Die Feb . 907 d ,

8 HALIFAX COUNTY

T H E C O UNTY .

Study the map of Halifax County which accompanies — t h . t sa his andbook Compu e the area of the county y , 27 30 — 800 miles by some square miles , and then make

a few comparisons . Halifax county is larger than Saxe

— s Coburg Gotha , a German State and an hereditary con ti u n l i t tio a monarchy . Halifax county s larger than Buck inghamshire in England ; and little smaller than the land

surface of the State of Rhode Island . The population of Buckinghamshire in England is almost The population of Saxe - Coburg—Gotha in Germany is more than — Buckinghamshire and Saxe Coburg- Gotha are

both of them agricultural regions . In 1 900 the po ula ul w as tion of Halifax county, an agric tural county , i i s We . Therefore , it pla n that have room for more citizens This book Is In part intended to Show that we have more — than roomi that in the great industrial awakening of the South there are few sections which should offer more to the

’ farmer , the manufacturer and the man of commerce than f Halifax county o fers.

II .

TH E COUNTY .

Vir inIa The County of Halifax in g lies in. the Middle Region of the state and extends over half a degree of — — latitude from the Virginia North Carolina boundary ° \ l 36 he 3 a b . paral el , to t 7th p rallel and a little eyond

The 79th parallel of longitude traverses the county . Hali fax county forms a part of the great undulating plain whi ch e gently rises from the limit of tidewater to the low, brok n

‘ ranges of hills that make the outlines of the Blue Ridge HALIFAX COUNTY 9

Mountains . There is the width of one county between

H alifax and the Piedmont country . The mountains to the west protect us from cy clones and tornadoes . The gulf s t w e have tream tempers our climate , our winters are shor , . extremes neither of heat nor of cold . Rain is abundant .

. Streams and springs are everywhere We . have health .

Our lands respond to good treatment and yield wealth . Our location makes it practicable forus to raise not only

s one crop a year , but two crops a year or even three crop

- i . re s s a year We are discovering that our a stock country , — — that stock cattle and sheep and hogs pay and pay handsomely if we give them half a chance . Our tim ber has been culled , but we have timber in plenty , and we have wood b y the million cords . Although an agricultural county we manufacture and we have only just begun to see what the possibilities are in the manu

a u n f ct ri g line . Our waterpower is such that our two great rivers might be half lined w ith mills and factories ; our two lesser rivers likewise ; and our smaller streams could

h . furnis almost as much power again . Although an agri cultural county we have ten banks with deposits aggregating a million and a quarter dollars and more . Our county has

e be n ﬁnanced with home capital , and what that means will be understood when it is remarked that more than one of our b ank ofﬁcials came home - after the civil war to face H ruin . alifax is an agricultural county , but its mineral deposits are of great value . Grain lands , pasturage , to

s — i bacco land , fruit lands river bottoms and h ghlands — s hf s it power sites , mine , climate , healt ulne s is the truth f 1 50 that we have much to o fer , and the whole within but

sea s miles of the coast , direct communication , and Wa h ington and the northern cities only a few hours away . HALIFAX COUNTY

TH E COUNTY .

Wh C y is this ounty of Halifax , with all its natural

t * - n nn n advan ages , Sparsely settled in the Ter Ce te i al 1 907 ? year , Simply because more than forty years are necessary to make conditions normal after a war that has ’ been fought at peoples doors . Lands which before the Civil War were worth four and ﬁve times their present r i b e rating , afte the war were thrown out of cultivat on , cause neither capital nor labor was to be had for the proper w n orking of them . Pla tations before the war were little dominions . The extensive system was the only system in m h repute . The war changed the basis of proﬁt fro t e

' extensive to the intensive system , but it requires time for a people to understand fully that conditions have been changed . The extensive system still pays well if the investor has

f . su ficient capital . For the average farmer in the county e and for the average settler the intensive , diversified syst m w a — is a ill p y best that , the careful handling of an acre ge 200 “ 200 not exceeding . Thoroughly fence acres , work each part of the place to the best advantage , keep enough u s stock to make man re , raise hog and good forage crops , confine the money crop to an area small enough to be f handled with high e ficiency . keep eternally busy , and Y Halifax county Is the place for you . our surplus may be invested on the spot . The years will bring dividends

— - of various sorts . Soil exhaustion is a worn out term . And there is no soil that responds more quickly than this

to intelligent management . Fields need no rest . They

* hird It must not b e forgotten that b y thelast census Halifax standst in popu lation (not inclu ding city population) among the countl es of HALIFAX COUNTY 1 1

i . need variety . They l ke to work Keep them at it .

’

a roof on . ou i Keep , them They will smile at you and y w ll smile at them . Some time ago a farmer in the eastern part of the county had planted his tobacco cropﬁfou r acres . A man came along and wanted to buy the ﬁeld . m 0 The far er said he would sell for the value of the cr p , no

. see . more , no less The other man said he would about it 42 6 . That crop brought $ , after paying warehouse charges

Those were four average acres of upland , recently cleared

. t i of small pine Next year hey w ll be in wheat , and the the following year in grass or clover , according to rotation we practice . r- 426 This fou acre , $ crop suggests something on the tobacco side , a very important side . On the other hand , read the following statement of a settler who left the North “ west for Halifax county : I am a German farmer w ho

- lived about twenty ﬁve years in the Northwestern states . I left the Northwest on account of the cold and long winters and also because the land was too high priced to a make farming p y . About thirteen years ago I moved to Halifax county , near South Boston , Virginia . I bought an 800acre plantation . I kept about sixty head of cattle and began to improve with stable manure , green crops

s C . (crim on clover, and owpeas) , and good plowing Now a t I have ﬁne farm, cost me only about what it would in the Northwestern states , and I can grow about the same amount of grain to an acre as in the Northwestern states .

H a I sowed last year an upland ﬁeld in German millet . r 2 t ha vested tons of y to the acre , sold at South Boston market for a ton . Another ﬁeld I sowed in the

s w as . fall with crim on clover , after the oat crop harvested I mowed this ﬁeld May 1 2th and had It ton of clover hay to the acre . Soon after I plowed the land again , and H 50 planted to corn the middle of June . arvested about 12 HALIFAX COUNTY

bushels of corn to the acre . So the clover hay and corn

u mm r w a crop value in one s e s about $35 per acre . We w have about twelve months the year to ork the land , a

ﬁne mild climate , plenty of ﬁrewood , clear soft water , d springs and streams all over , goo neighborhood , schools h h and churches . I t ink t is is the best country now in our ’ U farmer . nited States for Immigrants , especially German p

IV . T H E COUNTY . Halifax county lies in the bright tobacco belt of Southern

choIC Virginia , which means that a man has the e of being

a r a general f rmer , o of concentrating upon one of the most highly specialized branches of " farming to be found in the

d . worl , or of being both general farmer and specialist

Roughly , the county is triangular in shape , the Staunton — River forming the longest side from northwest to south u east . The Dan River ﬂows through the so thern part

of the county , making a junction with the Staunton at a m o r . t southeaste n angle of , the county Fro this point Tidewater (only 70 miles distant) the united rivers are

known as the Roanoke . Besides the Dan and the Staun ton H alifax two , . county is watered by other rivers , the

Banister and the Hyco . The basin of the Banister lies The b etween the valleys of the Dan and the Staunton .

Hyco ﬂows Into the Dan from the South . An inspection a s of. the mp will show how the numerou tributaries of these larger streams furnish water and water power

throughout the county . A division of the SouthernRailway (Richmond and

Danville) runs through the county of Halifax , from the

northeast curving to the southwest . Another division

* r F . . Joh11 ra e Sou t oston R . D C m , h B , HALIFAX COUNTY 13

Of the Southern Railway (Norfolk and Danville) skirts i the southern boundary of the county , between the V rginia h Nort Carolina line and the Dan River . The Norfolk

Va . . and Western (Lynchburg , , and Durham , N sion) bisects the county from north to south . The Tide

s i water Railroad , from Norfolk to the coal ﬁeld , w ll i parallel the Staunton River to the north . Few count es ni i H in Virgi a have more railroad m leage than alifax .

n n : 1 H s The four tow s of the cou ty are ( ) ou ton , the Of county seat , at the centre the county on the Norfolk 2 and Western Railroad . ( ) South Boston , the county metropolis , a little south of the centre , at the crossing of the Southern and the Norfolk and Western . (3) Virgilina i a min ng town , in the southern part of the county on the

- 4 Norfolk Danville division of the Southern . ( ) Clover , in the eastern part of the county on the Richmond- Dan i v lle division of the Southern . The county of Halifax is divided into eight magisterial

s : 1 Banister tw o sides district as follows ( ) , bounded on ‘ 2 B rch . i by rivers , the Banister and the Dan ( ) , with the

l k al t i s . 3 B ac W nu Dan as t southern boundary ( ) , bounded on the north b y the Dan and traversed b y the

. 4 . Hy co . ( ) M eadsville through which runs the Banister ' M t a n w n and 5 . C r el l i b t ee ( ) m , y g e the Dan the North i k . d Ban Carol na line (6) Re , of which the Dan forms the

northern boundary and through which the Hy co runs .

7 Roan ke s . ( ) o , between the rivers Bani ter and Staunton

8 S tau nton w t ( ) , ith the Staunton river for nor hern bound

ary . Every district has a river and a railroad . In addi

ha its tion , every district s telephone line and on the average

three rural mail delivery routes .

Red Bank is a mining district . There is enough power at the Hy co Falls to smelt Copper and reﬁne gold at many

points in the Red Bank district of the Virgilina Belt . The 1 4 HALIFAX COUNTY

f its w - Bu falo Lithia Springs , ( waters a orld famous pre scription for the uric acid diathesis) are less than ﬁve miles ﬁ to the east . The Talley Falls are suf cient to dot Roanoke district with manufacturing plants . Banister is a com m r ial e c and manufacturing district . Its products go to states from Connecticut to Texas . Its wholesalers keep men on the road throughout the South and the Southwest . Its tobacco market is in magnitude the second of its type M a ill in Virgini a . e dsv e is a typical bright tobacco dis e — tri t light , quick soils that make the texture and the coloring . Staunton district produces a tobacco quite as all ' i ht good , that is , the best ; and the same is true of e g o w districts though not s emphatically as of these t o .

Birch , Black Walnut , Mt . Carmel , Roanoke , Staunton , Banister are excellent grain farm districts and the men who care for stock and give stock careare not failmes in these districts . In Mount Carmel and Birch districts cattle are being raised extensively and with conspicuous success .

TH E TOWNS .

N — SOUTH BOSTO South Boston , besides being the second bright tobacco market in Virginia (and therefore

manufactu rin / and o in the world , no doubt) , is a g a j bbing ﬁn town . After s ome research the writer cannot d its Vir inIa parallel in g , not simply for rapid growth but for 1 0 solid enterprise . In 87 there was nothing but a house

- or two where South Boston now stands . The place was

- incorporated in 1884 . Within twenty two years there have grown U p here great warehouses and factories and dr mills ; ﬁve banks ; wholesale houses ( y goods , groceries ,

h - i hardware , clot ing) ; exceedingly well equipped pr vate HALIFAX COUNTY 1 5

mi residences ; and the conco tants of these , churches and i i schools . The bus ness men of Hal fax county were not

i da O or long paralyzed by the war , and w th every y the pp tu nities for business in the county are becoming more manifest . The town of South Boston lies on the north bank of the o river Dan , at the crossing f the Norfolk and Western i and Southern Railways . Approach ng the place from ff is . the hills to the South , the view o ered an excellent one The great county bridge that spans the river here is a con spicu ou s feature . Just above it is the long steel trestle ” of the N . W . road which curves finely over the flats . To the west of that is the dam and power house that fu r nish electricity to light the town and run the greater part of its machinery . The town extends up from the river f and along the Slight bluf that overlooks it . One catches only a glimpse of the residence section . But the factory ’ plants are in full view , flanked by rows of tenants houses .

Stemmeries and prizeries loom up . A reservoir overtops b is the whole . Even a traveller passing through y train

" given some index Of the extraordinary activity of this H H ali ax >l< U B of f . South Boston has the advantage of a competitive freight rate , which enables manufacturers and j obbers to ship products and goods to all points of the compass as cheaply as other towns of greater size . The manufacturing con cerns and the big wholesale houses are Shipping goods to the Southwest at the same rate as the same goods are shipped from New Y ork . “From its earlier days South Boston has been a market for tobacco . The amount of bright leaf sold during the

D in Mar 1 907 the town vote a on issu e of the ur g ch, , d b d greater part of which will b e applied to w ater su pply and street im

rovements p . ' 16 HALIFAX COUNTY tobacco year ending August 3 1 st last in the seven ware

: su m houses here , was pounds of leaf for the 0 54 9 . 9 of , being an average of $ per hundred ; pounds of scrap for or an average of per hundred ; total pounds sold which brought to the farmers marketing here the su m of 3 1 1 906 1 1 90 From August , to January , 7 the sales were pounds There is no town known as a tobacco market that is d b etter eqq pe for handling the weed than South Boston . Al l of the leaf is sold in seven large and well- lighted ware — houses , the proprietors of which have an enviable reputa tion among the farmers of the surrounding country for

c . liberality , fair dealing and ac ommodating spirit There are four large and splendidly equipped stemming establishments here besides a dozen prizeries for handling h the leaf tobacco . T e stemmeries are owned and con

“ ducted by the American Tobacco Company , the R . J . th Reynolds Tobacco Company , e Imperial Tobacco Com

B . . pany , of Great ritain and Ireland , and C W Walters and Company respectively . In addition to these tobacco ﬁrms there are eight or ten private buyers who reprize the weed and ship it to the tobacco manufacturing centres of the world . The South Boston market draws its leaf tobacco from H Pitts lvania the counties of alifax , y , Charlotte , Prince

Edward and Campbell , in Virginia , and from Person ,

Granville and Caswell counties , in North Carolina . South Boston has had great success in the matter of j obbing and wholesaling . The idea of an Inland town of inhabitants doing a j obbing business that runs lip into the millions per year is something a little unusual in the mercantile world . There are here three wholesale L grocery houses , the R . W . awson Grocery Company ,

18 HALIFAX COUNTY of the leading manufacturing centres of the industrial

South .

its The Barbour Buggy Company , with wagon manu factu ri n its s g branch and immen e storage warehouse , mak

“ s its e ing three large establi hments , and acr s of lumber

s es y ards , is one of the large t concerns , if not the larg t of

its u . has kind , in the So th The Barbour Buggy Company been manufacturing buggies for many years , and a few years ago absorbed the Virginia Wagon Company , of this conﬁnes its place , which work to the manufacture of farm '

w . b agons The combination , now known y the one name

has of the Barbour Buggy Company , three very large l establishments , which , with the umber yards , dryingkilns and railway side trackage , cover eight acres of land . The establishment is Supplied with the latest machinery w 250 300 from cellar to garret , and ith to hands regularly employed they turn out fourteen thousand vehicles 1 per year . In 893 this ﬁrm was p roducing only thirty six buggies a year .

s These buggies , surreys , wagons and drays are old thorou ghou t the South Atlantic States from Virginia to as Florida , and far to the Southwest as Alabama , Mississ ippi , Louisiana and Texas . The timber consumed in these factories comes from the forests of Virginia and North

Carolina . Another buggy factory in the town is owned and oper H . a ated b y R . A . arrell Mr . Harrell has a f ctory supplied a with suit ble machinery , from which he turns out about eight hundred buggies and sewing—machine wagons per H i . s b IIt annum trade is mostly in the South , he ‘ sells

saw some buggies and machine wagons in the West . I k him ma ing a shipment to Colorado today . HALIFAX COUNTY 1 9

TheCentury Manu facturing Company makes and sells “ ” v s all o er the South the famou Century cloth , (now “ called Linonette known to dry goods merchants far s h i i . s s s and near They al o make ot er dre s good , l nen ﬁn h n l w is I u s ins and . is S a tings , bleach long cloths This a outh

s i s i it Bo ton concern , run w th South Bo ton cap tal , and i does an immense busine ss . The r factory is located in i w e h r w South Carol na , h re t ey are ight on the ground ith the raw material .

s i w The Bo ton Manufactur ng Company , of hich Joseph

is is Stebbins the president , simply a shirt factory , but something of an unusual one . The company makes only i is i 50 one kind of shirt , a negl gee that made to reta l at

n e is can b e a . ce ts , and the wond r how it sold at th t ﬁgure The company employs white women and girls and gives

e and an them proﬁtable employm nt in a neat y factory , where every attention is gi ven to health and comfort of “ ” the workers . The Boston , the name of the shirt

is in all turned out, demand over the South , and the com pany cannot keep up with its orders . Plans are now ﬂ — a lar w being drawn for ger factory , that ill more than double the present cap acity of ﬁfty dozen garments per day . This is the only shirt factory in the South that makes negligees for the trade .

a s u The Century Cotton Mills , est bli hed here abo t ten

s b . . . . s year ago y T S Wilson and C A Lukin , are now

s s i lea ed for a term of year to the Paramount Knitting M lls ,

i a n - of Ch cago . This comp ny ru s a number of ﬁrst class

ti i s knit ng m ll in the West , and they have leased the cotton mills here in which to make knitting y arns for consu mp wn tion in their o knitting factories . The Century Mills employ 125 hands and run spindle s . They consume nearly or quite bales of raw and s cotton per year , turn out about pound of 20 HALIFAX COUNTY

knitting yarns per day , all of which are Shipped from the Th factory door to the knitting mills in the West . e Para mount Company and the Century Mills Company have united to build here a handsome little brick school house for the use of the employes of the mill and their children .

Three teachers , one for the kindergarten and two for the b common school , are employed and paid y the company . h T ere are really three schools , the kindergarten and the the common school for children in the day , and a night . school for the beneﬁt of s u ch of the operatives as wish to avail themselvesof it . All are well attended . The South Boston LumberCompany has one of the best I equipped plants of its kind in the State . ts capacity is

da ft . per y , and its output goes to the local trade h a . t h lmost solely Such is e building activity In t is region . It must no t be forgotten that South Boston had a ﬁre last June that cut a swath right throughthe business centre of the town and destroyed some of the c largest stores and fa tories and warehouses , but one might * forget it if not reminded of it . Somehow it always happens ' in iv as even as l e a town South Boston , that a good sized ﬁre wakes the people up and causes them to throw new

' ﬁr of energy into things . It is certain that the e last June

’ has made S outh Boston people do a little more hustling ’

. As than before For instance , a Business Men s sociation ,

another name for a Chamber of Commerce , has been organ - an a ize u. It has sixty odd active members dz splendid

ff . corps of o icers , as follows : T . B Johnston , president ;

n - ose teb b i s Jr. w oe . . J pt , , ﬁrst president ; R S Barb our ,

- n d . seco d vice president , and Howar L Edmunds , secretary

and treasurer .

* A re in er ame Mar 28 1907—in the s a e of anot er ﬁre in m d c , ch , h p h , surance The ﬁnancial solidity of Sou th Boston has been

T is ater ﬁre has also een a e t tested within the ten months . h gre b cc p ed

“ as matter of a t as onl in i ental to the owt of the town. f c , y c d gr h HALIFAX COUNTY 2 1

South Boston has as handsome private residences and as substantial and commodious churches as any Virginia i i its the c ty of twice or three t mes size , and all Protestant

“ denominations are represented . A large new hotel ,

l b u smess . thorough y equipped , will soon be ready for H The Opera ouse , which is a part of the Masonic Temple , 1 s a handsome hall with a seating capacity of As supplementary to the very adequate summary of the larger activities of South Boston given above , there should n be mentio ed the Boston Brick Company , brick and

uf . . cement block man acturers ; the J A Mebane Company , uf Inc . , man acturers of electrical supplies ; and the South

n Ino. Boston Ice Compa y , T

The fraternal orders represented at South Boston , all

as : of which are in ﬂourishing condition , are follows Junior Order U nited American Mechanics (for information apply to A . H . Vaughan) ; Independent Order of Odd Fellows

(for information apply to A . P . Gilbert) ; and two lodges i of Anc ent , Free and Accepted Masons , viz : South Boston

h h r . . 9 1 andS e e d . 99 Lodge No , p Lodge No South Boston 1 Lodge No . 9 owns the handsome Masonic Temple prop rt e y , on the third ﬂoor of which are the halls where all the fraternal orders meet . The ﬁve banks which are at once the symptom and the guarantee of the prosperity of this town are— Planters H and Merchants Bank , ( enry Easley , President) ; Bank of South Boston , (Joseph Stebbins , President) ; South

Boston Savings Bank , (Henry Easley , President) ; First i H Nat onal Bank , (R . . Edmondson , President) ; Boston

1 . T t. 90 F ran S . oo son Ri m on imes Dis atch O c 7 k W d : ch d p , , 6 l n t e over ll . ou o b TThe real estate ﬁrm of W . D . Hi Co sh d

it n ten ea ﬁrm ha s tle n H ali a ount look ed . W hi y rs this s et d i f x C y betw een 200 and 250 families from the West and the Northw est. 22 HALIFAX COUNTY

. . d . k National Bank , (J J Lawson , Presi ent) [For Ban

see . Statistics , Sec XL] “ In short, South Boston is a striking example of that

the n ' realization by people of the e tire South , bankers ,

s co- O merchant and farmers , of the power of peration in the proper handling and marketing of the two great staples — of the South . Such co operation has brought about a community of interest which is destined to exert a very great influence upon the entire business interests of the South and of that portion of the business world which is in any w ay dependent upon these staples or upon the general prosperity of the >x< >x< — HO USTON . F1V 6 miles north of South Boston is Hons

ei htheenth ton , the county seat , which dates from the g

centu ry . Population at present 800. The residence street of Houston is one of the most beautiful streets in i i V rgin a , and like several of the streets of South Boston only needs a more efﬁcient macadamizing to make it

r ar so n thoroughly satisfactory . Where oads e good duri g r" r f the greate part of the yea it is di ﬁcult to remember , w hen they are good , that there comes a short season when .

they grow bad . The county and circuit court house at

H ouston is a ﬁne old building In the classic style . It stands i e in a square about wh ch are rang d , after the accepted ’ ’ s ofﬁcers s c fashion of other day , county and lawyer san on tums . The co urthouse is equipped with e of the safest and most commodiou s records depositories to be found in I i Virginia . t s a matter to be devoutly thankful for that

when county records are going up in flames elsewhere , these valuable documents (containing data since the

' establishment of the cou nty one hundred and ﬁfty - four

’

1 1 . M a nu ac rer s ecord Dec . 3 9 f tu R , 05 HALIFAX COUNTY 23 years gone b y) are placed bey ond the reach of the vandal H s has its tw o ﬁre . ou ton electric plant and banks , those other beacons of light . There are at H ouston a brick a i l i y ard of good cap c ty , a ﬂour mi l , two corn m lls , two

s tw o st dr hotel , hardware ores , two drug stores , three y

1 o ri H s ce es s . goods tores , and four g (one whole ale) ouston has as rcﬁn m n long been known a centre of culture and e e t . h i The town as six churches and a h gh school . Plans are being drawn for the ere ction there of a ste am drying house under the auspices of the Bright Tobacco Protective Asso ciation of >x< >x<

— i a H G L A . t t s VIR I IN Take the ra n ou ton , transfer at

is as a i and so e w Den ton , go e t three st t ons , r ach the to n of

i i a as i i w . V rg lina , aptly n med be ng a l ne to n The contrast

u is striking . Y o have come from an atmosphere of the

r In i i i a e e . V courts , where p c dent rules rg l n they think

ha of making precedents . The town s a touch of the

n ar in . i metropolitan . Thi gs e do g The town s neither

a u w h i old nor l rge , but it looks to a fut re hic sc ence and

v ir ilina s capital are going to m ake bright . V g i the centre of the Virgilina Belt which has been made known to the min

i i s ing world through eng neering and m ning j ournal ,

ni i s rs . as O expert repo t , etc , a ﬁeld of great pportu t e , n i i s i i C . a s e pec ally opper Outs de the co l areas , there probably no region in Virginia the name of which is more

i ia m i a . fam l r to the real of the h gh ﬁn nce Moreover ,

Virgilina is a tob acco market . Its two warehouses sell between a million and a million and a half pounds of

h ha a s e . T e s tobacco a y ar town a b nk , even com mercial is s tw o s establ hment , hotel , two schools , and n h as three churches . Grass does well i t is district and many as ﬁfty head of cattle a year are marketed b y one of

>l‘ Pres n H n E erson Meadsville . de t al a D i T. Di i i ivis o . , f x , ck , 24 HALIFAX COUNTY

the more progressive farmers of that interesting border

country . Near Virgilina is found perhaps the largest commercial orchard in the county (the Elliott Orchards

' and Viney ards . ) Here is a large acreage in pears and i vines . The Virg lina Belt (Red Bank District) is a mining

is country but it not necessary to sink shafts there , or any

where else in the county in order to get money . Sink the

plowshare ten inches deep and good returns come up . >x< — CLO V ER The town of Clover lies in the Roanoke Dis trict six on the Southern Railway , miles from the eastern bo undary of the county . The tobacco sales at C lover

approximate pounds . The Bank of Clover ,

z although organi ed but seventeen months , shows deposits of 00 It was near b y this town that the farmer made $426 in tobacco on four acres of land which the other man refused to buy for that price . Clover has ﬁve churches , two warehouses , seven commercial establish d ments , (not including a drug store) a hotel and a gra ed schooL u Scottsb rg , between Clover and South Boston , although not yet a town is an important market village . Scottsburg has three warehouses for the sale of tobacco (and much

s tobacco is sold) , a bank , two churches , a high chool , and

ﬁve commercial establishments . H alifax is an agricultural county and one of the best .

Its commercial life is also very active .

TH E BUSINESS OF THE CO UNTRY .

While it is true that the industrial development of the

South is going forward with amazing rapidity , it is never

heless a u h x l a t true th t , by virt e of t e e tent of the agricu tur l

26 HALIFAX COUNTY

’ a ye ars at least 1 00 per cent . The f rmers are all buying improved tools and of a better q u ality than they have ” r n n s s ove do e before . A other ﬁrm say ; We ell two and three times as much machinery and ﬁve times as much wire (at least one half of it woven) as we did four years

a a is . as ag o . The c rlo d lot our unit now And for build

n . i e ia a s et . g mat r l , n il , iron , etc , we can scarcely g enough The traveller b y road has ample evidence of these state

ments as he goes through the county . The old fence is going do wn everywhere and the impro ved fence is going

u se w i is up , the of h ch reallyan additional capitalization of the farm far in excess of the actual outlay . One sees machinery and wire fencing on exhibit at the country store and the stock looks fresh because it is often turned ' r i over . There are probably thirty g a n mills in the county

n u as a i O e o ou . today , y m ll p rator will tell y if y ask him And there are certainly more than twenty sawmills in H alifax county . An average of about four grain mills and three sa wmills t o the district . The country merchant is a very important factor in the

Hi i is b usiness of the country . s place of bus ness the local news exchange and that of itself entitles him to the warm f m An i a fections of the com unity . y soc al centre in the

w s e is country , if good ill and good moral prevail th re , worth all it costs . But the country merchant needs no defence .

His position is sec ure as one of the most useful of citizens .

‘ H is store is a focus of information as well as of gossip .

H is s s his O i i ma bu iness , if he u es pportun t es , y redound greatly to the beneﬁt of his neighborhood as well as to his

H m a f own legitimate proﬁt . e y frequently o fer fresh

H m a meats for sale . e y take orders for the handsome

m a clothes advertised in the magazines . He y even keep — magazines a well chosen stock and set up something

H e m a of a b ook stall . y and does become an agent for HALIFAX COUNTY 27

i s i farm mach nery and a buyer of egg for Sh pment . From sixty to ninety dozen eggs are shipped several times a w n s in H a i eek from cou try store the county of l fax . There are considerably more than a hundred country merchants

H a in the county of alifax . The cl im of completeness is i not made for the l st given below . These names were secured from two wholesale dealers in the town of South

s in i i r Bo ton , and conjunction w th a l st of farme s (Sec . X . ) w i ill be useful to the intend ng settler . Who knows more about the Si gniﬁcant facts in regard to a neighborhood than the busiest men in the neighborhood ? The list follows :

. n . . s e . i s a S F Adam , Turbevill ; W O Atk n , Black W l ut ;

i . H . n . . s Jo eS W J Anderson Son , Loft ; J Boyd Son , n s . . a e . I. Blane and Ba s . Alton ; W W Bl , Alton ; J Bray ,

H a i . . a s Nathal e ; ubert Bl ne , May o ; W M B te , Republican

. . . . . a sse Grove ; E L Blackwell , Mt Carmel ; C C B ss , Ba s ;

i . . . . a es J G B t , Republ can Grove ; W B Cumby , Mountain ’ Chafﬁn s i w s H ous Road ; Bro , Clay s M ll ; Crensha Bro ,

D . . n . . H . . lai . dz C ton , R F ; E Cruse Son , Bayon e ; T B h a . . . bourne , Wolf Tr p ; F W C aney , Sutherlin ; W . W

s . . a . . Crenshaw,Stebbin ; J W Can da , Lennig ; C C Chaney ,

. . a a s s . . t s dz Birch ; E L C n da , Cro s Road ; H C Co e Son ,

H . . D . a i s . . G ou ton , R F ; Chaney Owen , Paces ; R C rr ng

h l r u ﬁe d os . . . u Cr tc ton , Mt La rel ; v May o ; N G Davis

H . a . . . CO . G , Stovall ; enry Daniels , Barksd le ; C R L

. . St . Gravitt , Black Walnut ; J E Green Son , Mt Laurel ; D H C . E . Guthrie , Nathalie , R . F . . ; J . W . Glass , Vernon ill ,

D . . . H . H R ; F . ; R C ill , Lennig ; E O . ubbard , Leda ;

H H . H H s . s R . A . ender on , igh Point ; J ayne Son , Elmo ;

H . H s . G . T . Holland , ermo a ; J M Irby , Vernon ill ; Jen

i . H Co . e s . e n ng Bro , Cody ; J Jordan , R publican Grove ;

J . M . Lacy , Scottsburg ; J . T . Lacks , Noland ; N . B . Lacks ,

s . . Cc . . . Cross Road ; R L Lacy , Scottsburg ; S A Lacks ,

. 8 Co . . . Lennig ; Le Prad Bros ; , Stovall ; J E Mitchell 28 HALIFAX COUNTY

M D . . raw Mc w ll cC . . o e Alchie ; B S , Nathalie ; J W , Loftis ;

. . Co . . . G B Martin , Carrington ; Mickle , Nathalie ; D E

M . ﬁl . oore e d Co . , News Ferry ; A E Newhill , Lennig ;

. . s . . W J Pierce , News Ferry ; Powell Bro , Plato ; W H

. . . . R a Powell , Terrell ; J H Puryear, Denniston ; W L y , M a l ds il e . . . e v . ; J E Redd , Sutherlin ; J E Ragland , Hy co ;

. . D C J . Robertson , Christie ; R . L Roarkes , Nathalie ,R . F . . ; n . . R od e . . d s W R Roarkes , Noland ; T C Rodden , ; Stebbins

J. . . . Hankins, Ingram; J Salmon , Mt Laurel ; Short Y r e Tra n ates , Nathalie ; Tate Car , R publican Grove ; y n s . ham Bro , Black Walnut ; Tray ham Bros Thompson ,

. . W Harmony ; Tune Henderson , Vernon Hill ; M F illard , f ’ D Y . Mo fett s ; W . W . Weatherford, Houston , R . F . . ; E .

Co . . . c . . Wimbish , Nathalie ; E B , Pa es ; J P _ W' imbish

‘

D. l u n o . . i C . W b o r Wilkins , Mt Carmel ; G , Houston ,

. D. . . . C Co R F ; Wirt Wilbourn , larkton ; Wilkins Bros ,

’ Turbeville .

The 11ve Wi country merchant , naturally , could not thout h wh the farmer . At t e pomt it will be understood y the banks of Halifax county Show in deposits .

CHURCHES AND S CHOOLS .

Education is not second .to commerce in the life of a

' eo le if no t e p p , for other reason han because ducation n Bu adva ces Commerce . t it Is certainly true that with an o o : r y pe ple the chronol gical sequence stands Ag iculture ,

Commerce , Education . Therefore it is suprising that _ not in a county such as H alifax, where both agriculture and ’ s i s commerce ﬂouri h , the county s rece pts for school Should ﬁgure well up in the list (9th) among the 1 00 counties of

V 30 1 906 . irginia , for the year ending September , The followingis a statement from the Superintendent of Public HALIFAX COUNTY 29

i Schools , who for more than twenty years has g ven his time and his energies to the upbuilding of the system under his care

PUBLI C SCHOOLS AND TEAC HERS or H ALIFAX

COUNTY .

— H Hi 3 . s o gh Schools One at ou ton , one at Sc ttsburg ,

' is and one at South Boston . Besides these , there a ﬁrst class incorporated H igh School at Cluster Springs* (Black

Walnut District) , not under State control . Also , there is one colored H igh School at H ouston under church con trol ; and one independent colored High School at l Meadsvil e . — 1 3 . Graded Schools White , 1 5 . Colored , — AC i . TE HERS H gh , Graded , and Common Schools — White 1 30. — Colored 76 . — L e . PUPI S High , Grad d , and Common Schools White— 3552 — L Colored 3033 . 1 — Outline of what is now on foot l st. Consolidation of the schools . At a recent meeting in the Birch Creek

* Clu ster Sp ring s has been an edu cational centre for this region

a rs T a a w ell- no n s ool r for m ny y ea . here w s k w ch here befo e the ’ r H al ax ou n wit n onl a fe ou r n w a . if C ty is hi y w h s dista ce o f the

U niversit of ir inia the State Female Nor al S ool the Vir y V g , m ch ,

l esi es t ese a ginia Po ytechnic Institu te . B d h St te institu tions the lead na i nal ll ar v r a i l ing denomi t o co eges e e y ccess b e .

TIn this connection it is important to observe the ﬁgures for the ’ assesse valu ation of ro ert in H ali a ou nt Au itor s R e ort d p p y f x C y , d p , l — ear en in Se t. 30 1 906 . R ea t w ite olore y d g p , y h , c d , Personalt —w ite olore y h , c d , 30 HALIFAX COUNTY

District it w as decided that SIX schools be put into one building b y the l st of October . Other districts are asking

a B a s i for consolid tion . y me ns of con olidat on and trans h n portation t e methods of teachi g will be vastly improved .

2 are d. We looking to local taxation and loans from the

i u at 4 State L terary F nd per cent to enlarge , repair , and equip our school buildings and grounds .

‘ i i is e du cators . o 3d. We are invit ng dist ngu hed t put before our people the great importance of improving the rural schools . ’ s hi . s s Lastly The clerk of South Bo ton s Schools , in la t

’ Hi h School monthly report , stated that the g building at that place would be renewed or greatly enlarged b y the n Opening of the next school term . (Bonds i the amount u a of have been a thorized for immediate issu nce . ) ‘ The people are b egininng to show that they are willing to submit to such an increase in the school tax as will be for the best advantage of our school sy stem . [For further

i see School Statist cs , Sec XL]

>1< >x<

The Churches of the co u nty are numerous and faithfu lly — . ix administered . , S denominations are represented the

Baptist , the Methodist , the Presbyterian , the Episcopal

s e . has the Chri tian , and the M nnonite What been

i of oi- H i sa d _ a neighboring county is equally true al fax “ The Sabbath is universally observed; and the people almost without exception attend upon the ordinances of divine worship . It is due to the colored people to say w i i i u was that , h le their rel g ous instr ction not neglected

e s w . before the war , n arly all the churche o ned by them t i e d have been buil s nce they were mancipate , and mainly wn ” o s . i s see out of their re ources [For Church Statist c , Sec XL] ' HALIFAX COUNTY 31

VIII .

MINERALS AND MINERAL WATERS .

' H alifax county lies in the great Virginia area of cryst al line rocks in w hich are found many of the most important

i H minerals and ore deposits in the state . alifax forms

of st s i se i s articu one the mo intere t ng ct on of this area , p larly in regard to Copper and gold . There Should be good O pportunities for the mining and manu facturing of k aolin f in in s . a r e the ea tern part of the county On Bu f lo C e k ,

s a a a i the northwe tern angle of the county , v lu ble l ght

i a i n an a colored trap occurs . This s a gneiss form t o d m kes

ro i n r an excellent building stone . I n s fou d in the no thern

o n a r o ea . a part of the c u ty , bout B o kn l There are sl te

s s s i in the s u n a . depo it near Chri t e , o ther p rt of the county

i i e l w i h e inI Ialifax The Virg l na Copp r Be t , of h c half li s

has descr as a i c unty , recently been ibed d stri t of unu s a s h se O u i i s ual advant ge , w o pport n t e are

i e e n s : r i s The wr ter , an xp rt , co tinue Copper p opert e never had a better Opportunity than the present one for proﬁt i h e . t e es able op ration W th pr ent demand for copper , the Virgilina district deserves se rious consideration as a

ab u n potential source of the met al . Its ores are rich and d

i s i e en a s m ant , adm rably u t d for conc tr tion , and ome of the

- ﬂu xin and e lie 1 0 i b 6 self g , th y only m les y rail from a

. a Copper smelter on Atl antic tidew ater . A hundred c mps

‘ the u s ni so in So thwe t are mi ng ore not half rich , and are

s in a es in no w a s s i paying melt g ch rg y les onerou , wh le ” ha their output s to travel miles to market . The accompanying sketch map show s the lay of the land . — * ° i r n M . E w ar K. Ju : E n nee in a d inin Jou rna l Dec 1 1 906 d d dd g g g , , r earin R o s of ir ilina o er is ri t T o as See also : 1 . o e D t C pp B g ck V g C pp c , h m r — 1 n u ll eolo ical ociet of A e i a iii . 35 76 902 L . atso S 3 3 W ; B G g y m c , x pp , ;

r n T. . a n. r e o i H . ee a L E i ia e s ts . o c 2 . i n o D d ts o V g C pp p , W W d W [

nomi eolo I No . 4 1 906 c G gy , , , } 30 HALIFAX COUNTY

District it w as decided that SIX schools be put into one building b y the 1 st of O ctober . Other districts are asking

B a s i an for consolidation . y me n of consolidat on d trans

a ion s n port t the method of teachi g will be vastly improved .

2 are n a d. We looki g to local taxation and lo ns from the

i u at 4 and State L terary F nd per cent to enlarge , repair , equip our school buildings and grounds .

1 i is e du cators . o 3d. We are inviting dist ngu hed t put before our people the great importance of improving ”the rural schools . ’ h . is t Lastly The clerk of South Boston s Schools , in las

' Hi h School monthly report , stated that the g building at that place would be renewed or greatly enlarged b y the n Opening of the next school term . (Bonds i the amount a of have been authorized for immediate issu nce . ) ‘ The people are b egininng to show that they are willing to submit to su ch an increase in the as i _ school tax w ll be for the best advantage of our school system . [For further

i see School Statist cs , Sec XL]

The Churches of the co u nty are numerous and faithfu lly

- . administered . . Six denominations are represented the

s Bapti t , the Methodist , the Presbyterian , the Episcopal

‘

e . has the Christian , and the M nnonite What been said of a neighboring county is equally true of H alifax “ The Sabbath is universally observed; and the people almost without exception attend upon the ordinances of divine w orship . It is due to the colored people to say w i i i c w as that , h le their rel g ous instru tion not neglected

e s w before the war , n arly all the churche o ned by t hem

t i d have been buil S nce they were emancipate , and mainly ”

. s i s see out of their own resources [For Church Stati t c ,

Sec XI . ]

32 HALIFAX COUNTY

ﬁ . 1 I Lu EQ?

u dora

naconda

Virg il ina HALIFAX COUNTY 33

' Of these mines the H igh H ill property is operated b y the Virginia Copper Company of Virgilina and 1 36 Liberty

. i St. s s e , New Y ork The company about to in tall a redu

s i tion plant . The proces is one dev sed especi ally for the treatment of these ores . The plant will have a capacity of 200tons .

An ofﬁcial of the Seaboard Mine states : The Sea

o . board Copper C , is an Incorporated Company under the the s laws of State of New Jersey , capital tock s b hares at par value . The property owned y this Company consists of 1 55 acres of mineral lands in H alifax n Cou ty , Va . The underground development work con

12 . 2 . r s 1 1 5 ft. 0ft 60 es ec ists of three shafts , , and ft deep p tively . Levels aggregating 350 feet have been driven from these shafts opening up a valuable body of Copper ore . The mine is well equipped with the best of mining machin ery suitable for working the property to a depth of 500 feet . During the present year a Concentration plant to

50 24 is i handle tons of material per hours to be nstalled , a large part of this machinery already being on the grounds . The railroad is only three miles distant and this property Should be “ making regular shipments to a ” smelter b y July l st next .

G oldb ank Inc h The Mine , ( ) , w ich began work three 1 8 1 56 years ago , owns 7 acres , has gone feet and deeper , runs ten stamps and will shortly add ten more to the plant ,

- ﬁve works twenty hands , and has milled already a large amount of paying ore . The expense of working totals not 10 more than per ton , and the ore will average $ 1 — $ 5 per ton amalgamation process . On the same vein ldb ank H r G o . as the Mine , oward B os and Luce , of Buffalo , n s . have begun operatio A third gold mine , not now in 34 HALIFAX COUNTY

O peration , is the Gills Mountain Mine , about two miles n from the G oldb a k . It is interesting to note that in the latest report of the Auditor of Virginia HalifaxCounty stands ahead of such as in counties Augusta , Montgomery , Bedford , and Smyth the assessed valuation of mineral properties . >x< >x<

As has f been stated , the Bu falo Lithia Springs are three H miles from the eastern boundary of the county of alifax . H a s . alifax , that is to y , lies within the Lithia Water Belt No doubt an analysis of many unanalyzed springs of the

' county would Show therapeutic proportions of the lithiu m carbonates . The Wolf Trap Well (Roanoke District) is

- — seventy four and one half feet deep . The water has an . b extensive sale . Its composition is shown y the following n H a l 1 r . . a s s . y , by P of M B ardin

One U nited States gall on of 23 1 cu bic inches contains :

Sodiu m Carbonate

Lithium ar onate C b . Amm oniu m Carbonate Calciu m Carbonate Magnesiu m Carbonate Strontiu m Carbonate

Iron ar onate C b . Mang anese Carbonate

SodiumChloride Sodiu m Bromide

Sodiu m Io i d de . So ium i ra e d N t t . Potassiu m Sulphate

So i S l a e d u m u ph t . Alu minum Phosphat Silica

Bariu m Carbonate .

Z in ar onate c C b . HALIFAX COUNTY 3 5

Calcium Floride Titanic Oxide

Organic Matter (yielding ammonia) .

Total g rants Carbon Dioxide associated with the above carbonates

— - in the so called b i carbonates

GASES .

ar on Dioxi e frec u i in es C b d , c b c ch Nitrogen Oxyg en

Total The waters of the Cluster Springs (Black Walnut dis trict) have been known locally for years . These springs are literally clustered and several of them are valuable . — The Calcic Lithia Spring is of a class in repute in the

i s treatment of certa n disorders of the bladder , and of ome ” varieties of chronic dyspepsia . The Sulphur spring is

n a valuable medicinally . A an lysis of the Cluster springs L is b . . . . ithia Water given , made y Prof J W Mallett , M i t D h D . D. . . n versi r n P . . . S U o Vi i ia . . , , LL , F R , y f g

— COMP OSITION Parts per Million.

Potassiu m Sodiu m Lithiu m Calcium

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Radicle of Sulphuric Acid Radicle of Phosphoric Acid 36 HALIFAX COUNTY

Radicle of Nitric Acid Distinct Trace Ra i le of ar oni A i d c C b c c d . Radicle of Meta-Silicic Acid H ro en Meta-Sili i A i 1 86 yd g c c c d . 7 H roxi e Hydroxal Alum . yd d r ani Ma r O g c tte . Minu te Trace T al ot .

° ASES : — u i enti eters er liter a C t 0 and 760 mm . Ox G b c c m p ( C . ) y en Nitro en ar on D oxide g , g , C b y ,

So useful a neighbor as the Buffalo Lithia should not be on undescribed . This is e of the best known mineral U r waters in the nited States , and has a very la ge sale in this country and abroad . The water is of great medicinal u val e , and is regarded almost as a speciﬁc in the treat

t . ment of uric acid diathesis , gou and rheumatism It is m w u sed with reat also g beneﬁt in cases of renal calculus ,

' ' he d and in es inal disor stone in t bla der , and in nervous t t ders . Residents in Halifax county have been known to Say

- ’ that nO medicines are needed there . A slight exaggera

' tion erha s . w atei fp p Certainly , if abundant and pure e an was ev r absolute preventive anywhere , there should be no sickness here . Man is mortal , but he has as fair a chance for a long life In this region as in any on the top side of the globe .

WATER POWER .

f A man of large business a fairs in the county , quite i C familiar with the condit ons , states that Halifax ounty is the best watered county in Virginia and has more unde veIOped water power than any other county in the State . “ “ For instance , says this gentleman , there are the Hyco

38 HALIFAX COUNTY

Falls , eight miles east of South Boston on Dan River ,

w i , here horse power can be developed . Three m les

s h acros , northeast , there are the Talley Falls w ere the river Staunton descends 18 feet in about two miles . The

w is Brookneal water po er good for horse power , and

M cIver s r the Fall , seven miles above B ookneal come down 1 two i . s 8 feet in less than m les Besides these great power , i the Ban ster and the Hy co , with their tributaries furnish

many smaller ones . And at the present time the only development on anything like a large scale is found at South Boston (South Boston Electric and Power Com

- o o . pany ) , and at Houst n (Banister Dan Mills C mpany) n The county of Halifax , instead of being left behi d in the n i . industrial race , is going to be right the front The

u co nty is built that way . The Dan River has not yet been mapped by the United

States hydrographers , but the charts here given for the Staunton River (Roanoke Basin) will substantiate the v claims made abo e , if there could be any doubt about

‘ v them . It should be added that the fall of the Dan Ri er in theﬁve miles above its ﬁrst junction with the Staun

u ton must be q ite forty feet . “ In most cases where there i s a power site on Staunton

i is he R ver , there suitable rock for masonry , and t bed of v the river is suitable for foundations . From Clarks ille to .

is 25 . Randolph , as will be seen , the section miles long 49 2 Fall from Randolph about feet , average about feet an . 300 600 per mile The width varies from to feet , b ks

b ottom of i 1 e? low , r ver bowlders and rock , valley to mil ’

i . s w de The large falls in thi stretch is Talley s , near l 8 s . Abbyville , about mile above Clarksville The tota fall i 1 Q s some 8 feet in a distance of t miles . Remainder

sl0 e of a comparatively uniform p , with an occasional fall w of a foot or t o .

40 HALIFAX COUNTY

E SUG G STIONS .

It is believed that this handbook will be read b y many people who may become interested in Halifax County as i a section in which to l ve and be prosperous . The exact

is value of advice questionable , but the adviser may at

is least be tolerated if he is sincere and not a fanatic . It the object of this short chapter to offer a few intelligent suggestions . h m Our country as a w ole , thanks to democracy , is ore or

- less homogeneous . But there must exist in every section

of it certain local peculiarities . For example , there are in f the U nited States many di ferent ways of calling cows. On comi ng 1 nto a new region it is certainly well to observe

— n s keenly la d , people , manners , customs , everything . its m Every community has long established custo s , the — result of the commonsense of its people acting and re acting h upon t e conditions around them . The experience of a ’

i . man s ne ghborhood is very valuable to him Observe , h and digest t e facts that come in your w ay . In order that y ou may be able to see bey ond the horizon in y our business and get the best from the experience of

e . many people , subscribe for som good agricultural paper No apology is offered for advising every settler i n Halifax County to take the S ou thern Planter We listen to a wise ,

man talkgand we are helped b y what he says . How can r we fail tofb e helped by following the wise remarks of many successful farmers ? Suppose y ou read in such a p aper but one paragraph a year that points the w ay to reducing — expenses or saving trouble or increasing proﬁts y ou

have been paid for the outlay . It is very likely you will ﬁnd a paragraph or a page or anadvertisement of that HALIFAX COUNTY 41

’ sort in every month s issue of a good agri cultural paper i the b u siness which makes a Spec alty of of your section . so mi Just as with manners and customs , with far ng opera — o . i . tions in a new region G Slow Keep the bra n busy . Y ou will ﬁnd great assistance to brain work in the S oicth em P lanter and in the Bulletins of the Agricultural depart ments both at Washington and at A short w list of useful Bulletins is given belo . These reports are prepared solely to assist the farmer in his work and are sent on ‘ application to the Secretary of Agriculture at Washington

i U . S . Department of Agr culture :

’ 2 1 . Farmers Bulletin No. 6 Practical Suggestions for

Farm Buildings . ’ 1 i . Farmers Bulletin No . 50. Clear ng New Land ’ 2 u 1 . . Farmers B lletin No . 9 Barnyard Manure ’

44 . Farmers Bulletin No . Commercial Fertilizers , n Composition a d U se . ’

i . 1 i Farmers Bullet n No 99 . Corn Grow ng . ’

. 1 . Farmers Bulletin No 8 Corn Culture in the South . ’ 1 Farmers Bulletin No . 00. Hog Raising in the South . ’

2 2 . H Farmers Bulletin No . 7 A Successful og and

Seed Corn Farm .

* — Halifax county lies betw een tw o Experiment Stations the one at at a Pitts lvania ount and the ot er at Sa e arlotte oun Ch h m, y C y, h x , Ch C

* T e a ion a a a i a n on o a o t at at ty . h St t t Ch th m devotes ts tte ti to t b cc ; h r r r r E er ourtes is Saxe to the best methods fo the gene al fa me . v y c y extended the visitor and a great deal may b e learned b y a personal ex h ount of amination of what is being done at these stations . In t e C y

H ali ax at H o la k alnu t Distri t is oun the lar est to a o f ( yc , B c W c ) f d g b cc see ar in the w orl w ere 100 us els of to a o see are ro u e d f m d, h b h b cc d p d c d

r The ro u t oes to Australia Ital Sout A eri a ana a a ea . y p d c g , y , h m c , C d r r Wherever tobacco is grown in this country o ab oad . HALIFAX COUNTY

’ Farmers Bulletin No . The Culture of Tobacco . ’ Farmers Bulletin No . Some Essentials in Beef

Production . ’ Farmers Bulletin No . Poultry Raising on the

Farm . ’ Farmers Bulletin No . Practical Suggestions for

Fruit Growers .

North Carolina Dept . of Agriculture . Raleigh , N. C .

Alfalfa Growing .

To this list must be added one other title : Civil Govern ment of Virginia . By William F . Fox , Superintendent of

Schools , Richmond , Va . Published by Richardson ,

Y . Co . 5 0 s Smith , New ork and Chicago [Price cent ]

Especially Chapters VIII and IX , on County and Dis trict organization . It is a good thing to understand thor oughly the government of the county in which you live .

Pardon so many suggestions . The average farmer , knows about these things . It is the hundredth man who

u ‘ is the target of these remarks . When y o have once got e ou settled and have b gun operations , y will find it well to u make a rough map of your place , s fficient to show the w the distribution of y our fields and oodland , and acreage

ou of each division of the place . By this method y will be able to know accurately what goes into each ﬁeld (culti

" u and s off vation , man re , what come of each ﬁeld . This manner of handling a place is essential for economy i l Y ou and the most intelligent application of your cap ta .

' well that will do , is , to keep a farm book , charging up — ‘ everything in its proper place a new book for each farm year so that there may be a complete record of what has HALIFAX COUNTY 43

an been done i n the w ay of rotations dresults . It has been said that the man who kno ws what he is doing is generally doing pretty well . m n’ n s i . e ow In conclu ion , another l st is given These k

, what they are doing , and they will be very pleased , (the ou writer is sure) to answer letters of inquiry . After y

a have settled ne r them , they will be among y our best possible advisers :

. A . . . . A J . Green , lton R G D Pottage , News

J . F . Davis , Birch . Ferry .

H . B l w . oe te s . Thos . B . Clark , Clarkton . J , Ne Ferry L w s . . . . Ed ard Butt , Clover W Rice , Paces

. Re d . H . . J . Walton Clover D Overby , Bank D H . . . . . i . E . R . Monroe , Crystal ll G T Dodson , R F ,

Theodore Frederickson , Republican Grove .

Clover . J . E . Thomas , Republican

S . S . Brandon , Delila . Grove .

H m s H s . . . W . . Ed und , ou ton S S Wyatt , Republican

H ? . W . C . Slate , y co Grove M r k s H . . cCo mic R ...... H Walton , R F D No J , Scott

1 . . , Ingram, Va burg

s . Dr . S . T . A . Kent , Ingram . D . B . Ea ley , Scottsburg S2 W . C . Carrington , Mayo . W J . A . Anderson , South Bos

M ads ille . . . . . e v R C Dodd , ; ton , R F D Bos Stephen Ferguson , Mead John Cramer , South

R. . . ll . svi e ton , F D

. . i i . W . Banks Wilkins , Mt . Car A E W lk ns , Turbeville

. mel . A . A . Owen , Turbeville

. H . . . . W . . Dorin , Mt Laurel J M Irby , Vernon Hill

M Dowell H . L . . c C . W . Roller , Mt . aurel T J ,Vernon ill

l . . s s . T . S . Wil on , New Ferry El iott Bros Virgilina 44 HALIFAX COUNTY

It is the object of this handbook to furnish information . so o If in general much has been acc mplished , it now only remains to supply certain statistical data in regard to the county of Halifax and to give a brief statement concerning r its histo y .

STATISTICS .

Halifax county belongs in the 6th Congressional District

i i (Carter Glass , Lynchburg , Virg n a , Representative in Congress) ; the 6th Judicial Circuit ; and the 2 1 st Senato

. O . rial District , (H Kern , Sutherlin , Virginia , State Sena

- of . tor) , the State of Virginia Among the thirty nine

Senatorial Districts of Virginia , Halifax and Rockingham are the only counties which form of themselves Senatorial H Districts . The representatives from Halifax in the ouse of Delegates of Virginia for the term ending in January ,

1 . . . B 906 A . , were J Glenn , South Boston , and M B ooker ,

South Boston .

h . 1 By t e U S . Census of 900 the population of Halifax was In population the county stands third among the counties of Virginia, exclusive of the cities . Although

i i third in population , the cr m nal charge account of Halifax for the past year has been the 1 6th from the top of the list . 30 1 906 For the year ending September , , warrants for free school purposes to the amount of were w e b the o x dra n on the State Tr asury y c unty of Halifa , onl two _ ﬁ and , y counties can show a larger gure for that

“ . in i s item With not a city with its lim ts , the a sessed valuation of personal property for H alifax the past. ﬁscal year stood 9th in the list for the counties of the state . in And as showing the bus ess activity of the county , the

e . u tax on d eds , etc , in the co nty of Halifax amounted to more , during the past ﬁscal year , than in any other county HALIFAX COUNTY 45

H a in Virgima . alif x stood second in the amount of i i — cap tal of ncorporated j oint stock companies , after H enrico county . at

AGRICU LTU RE .

B 1 900 H Pitts lvania y the census of , alifax , y , Fauquier ,

Loudoun , Caroline and Accomac counties report nearly

1 - he 7 of t total acreage in corn for the State of Virginia .

H Pi ts lvania 1 - 5 Of alifax , Bedford , Franklin and t y report

H i i an . P ttsvlv ia the total acreage devoted to oats al fax , , and Mecklenburg counties contributed per cent of the total acreage for tobacco in Virginia . The value of the farm property Operated b y colored farmers in Virginia was 7 6 per cent of the total value for the State

ST TI STIC S F OR H IF X OU TY F OM U . S . E SUS 1900 E S A AL A C N R C N , , AR A F OLLOW S ;

V l es of arm ro ert enditu res . a u F P p y . Exp 46 HALIFAX COUNTY

1 0 The State Auditors Report 9 6 , supplies the follow ing ﬁgures for Halifax T LIVE S OCK .

and Jennets .

ASSESSED VALU ATIONS . * A . . Personal Property White Colored

Total — i Real Property . Land and build ngs , town lots and u b ildings . White Colored

Total ’ 1 906 [State Auditors Report , ]

BANKS .

CAPITAL DEPO SITS .

A . Planters Merchants

Bank , South Boston .

B . Bank of South Boston .

C . South Boston Savings Bank

D . First National Bank , South

Boston . .

* There w ere taxed in the cou nty of Halifax during the past year sewing machines valu ed at The sewing machine is a consider

a le a or in domes i nl tw o ou n ies in ir inia can S b f ct Z t c life . O y c t V g how more sewin a hines an H g m c th alifax .

48 HALIFAX COUNTY

Chu rches. sto P a rs .

Fork T . H . Binford Grace

Halifax B . D . Thames

High View H . G . Crews

Hunting Creek C . A Woodson

Millstone W . T . Creath

M . u North Fork Wm . H dson l Repub ican Grove W . T . Creath ' H Rodgers Chapel . G . Crews

Scottsburg J . M . Luck

South Boston P . A . Anthony ’ Winn s Creek J . H . Bass

25 . 3666 Number Churches , Total Membership 1 906 [Minutes , Dan River Baptist ]

* CHRISTIAN CHURCH .

Ingram Church , Ingram

n . Pleasa t Grove Church , News Ferry U C nion hurch , Virgilina

r 3 . . Number Churches , Membe ship

A fourth church is contemplated near Nathalie .

EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

is Antrim P ar h.

h ’ n . St . Jo s Church Houston ’

n . St . John s Chapel , near Housto

Roanoke P arish.

’ St . Thomas s Church , Clarkton

Christ Church , Mt . Laurel

St . Lukes Church , Clover

>lg a ics nis e h e man ir ilina . Mr. V St tist ur b t e Rev . N w f h d y , g HALIFAX COUNTY 49

r Randolph P a ish.

i r . . Trin ty Chu ch , South Boston s Grace Church , New Ferry

i 7 . . Number Churches , Membersh p 1 906 i ia [Report , Council , Diocese of Southern Virg n ] METHODIST EPIS C O PAL CHURCH r — B ed etter li a i cu it ev. . E . L b H a f x C R ,

M e s ille ad v .

r . Union Church , near News Fe ry

H . Asbury Church , near Vernon ill M a l M K ndr e e dsvi le . c e e Church , near

Republican Grove Church , near . . Republican Grove .

Clover Bottom Church , near . . Republican Grove .

Pitts lvania- H Cedar Forest Church , near y alifax

line .

6 . s Number Churches , Member hip ,

a — M r East H li ax Circu it Rev. J . T. oo e f ,

l r C ove .

Clover Church Clover .

h . . . Mt . Laurel Churc Mt Laurel

‘ iI Scottsb rg Church Scottsburg . n Co cord Church . . Crystal Hill . 4 1‘ . s . 30 Number Churches , Member hip — h ali a r t ev. . . A M . arme S ou t H x Ci cu i R W T . H a nes t C l f y ,

Olive Branch Church , Mt . Carmel .

Cedar Grove Church , near . Residence .

Calvary Church , near Delila . H H . armony Church , near . armony

4 . s . Number Churches , Member hip — ir u it . errink H ir il na . H oo C c Rev B . S . V i y , g

Virgilina . Virgilina .

* T. A . ar el S a is i nis h . . n t t t s fur e b t e Rev . Ha es Mt . c h d y W y , C m 50 HALIFAX COUNTY

Mt . Canaan Church Virgilina .

Shady Grove Church , near Hyco . n Cherry Hill Church , near Cluster Spri gs .

4 . Number Churches , . Membership 41 1

ou th B st n n st n ircu it- S o o a d H ou o C e . v T. il i R W . W l ams , t S ou h Boston.

Main St . Church South Boston .

Cotton Mill District Church South Boston .

Houston Church . . Houston .

Nu mb r hu rches 3 . b e C . 4 , Mem ership 3 8

h h 2 . u 1 r e l . 1 4 Total No C c s Total Membership . . 9 6 PRESBYTERIAN CHURC H

Providence Church , [organized,

(Large Sunday School . ) Merc Seat 1837 yé Church , Sutherlin [organized , ]

(Large Sunday School . ) u C Spring Hill Ch rch , luster Springs [organized 38

(Good Sunday School . ) s n 1842 South Bo ton Church , [orga ized , ]

(Large Sunday School . )

. l 1867 Mt Carme Church , Turbeville , [organized ,

(Sunday School . )

Oak Level Church , Stebbins ,

(Good S unday School . ) Meadsville 887 Church , [organized , 1

~ 11m . N b er . Churches , 7 Membership

ETC . CROPS ,

w ha Farm products are heat , corn , rye , oats , y , and o tobacco . This county ranks sixth in the producti n of

*Dates given here for the reason that material could not b e secured

_ s i n tatisti s furnis e b in time for inclusion in the historical ect o . S c h d y

th v T. n News err . e Re . S . Wilso , F y HALIFAX COUNTY 51

corn , and third in oats of the counties of the State . Fruits , vegetablesand dairy produce are of importance and prove i valuable with proper care and attention . The ra sing of is Of ﬁne stock , horses , cattle and Sheep , a source proﬁt , especially Sheep raising , which is being conducted very ”

k . u . s ccessfully Timber : hic ory , oak , pine and poplar mi u 1 906 [Com ssioner of Agric lture , ]

DISTANCES .

By rail from South Boston to

Richmond , Va Va Lynchburg , U s Charlottesville , ( niver ity of Virginia)

Danville , Va

Norfolk , Va

Washington , D . C .

Philadelphia . New Y ork

ELEVATIONS .

Barksdale

Clover .

Denniston . Houston Ne ws

Scottsburg “

South Boston .

Virgilina .

Wolf Trap . Average of 52 HALIFAX COUNTY

FREIGHT RATES .

SOUTH BOSTON TO

Per hu ndred in car l oad lots :

Cattle per car of lb s

Rate on s ee and o s sa e ( h p h g , m as l catt e . )

Ve eta les er u n re in car loa g b , p h d d d

lo s . t .

Lu mb er per hundred car lots

ertilizers er ton incar loa lo s F p d t .

— AIL A B . R RO NORFOLK AND WESTERN D .

I “ “ $4 Pg O 5 2 5 5 ” “ 8 1 3 ? B T v-l C 9 E WEEN H C 0 i 5°: Q 53 SOUTH ST 9 BO ON 533 E A 1 “ gg 8 8 o 94 H £4 ' l m 8 - CD " | - 4 3 k g a : $4 g as s-s £1 0 ?

E 53 £2353 E g g 5 .

L n ur 6 . 7 y chb g .

Richmond 8 $27 50

Nor olk 1 5 1 1 15 f . HALIFAX COUNTY 53

SOUTH BOSTON

per ton.

per ton'

LABOR .

F arm lab or: 1 0 $ per month onthe average , and rations twelve pounds of bacon and a bushel and a half of corn meal . Good farm hands can frequently be had for less .

i r nt 4 . Domest c e va s: . 0 S 0 5 . 00 $ to per month , and board

LAWS .

- A . U Every male citizen of the nited States , twenty one has years of age , who been a resident of the State two w years , of the county , city , or to n one year , and of the f precinct in which he o fers to vote , thirty days , next pre in w ff ceding the election hich he o ers to vote , has been en registered , and has paid his State poll taxes , Shall be titled to vote for members of the General Assembly and all ofﬁcers elected b y the people .

s B . For registration a person mu t own property upon h ff whic , for the year next preceding that in which he o ers

s i to register , state taxe have been paid aggregat ng at least an one dollar ; or , must be able to read y section of the Constitution submitted to him and give a reasonable sec explanation of the same ; or , if unable to read such 54 HALIFAX COUNTY

tion , able to understand and give a reasonable explana tion thereof when read to him by the ofﬁcers of registra tion .

C . The General Assembly may levy a tax on incomes x in excess of si hundred dollars per annum .

D . Whenever a franchise tax shall be Imposed upon a n corporation doing business in this State , or whe ever all v the capital , however in ested , of a corporation chartered under the laws of this State , shall be taxed , the shares of s tock issued by any such corporation , shall not be further taxed .

E . The General Assembly , shall levy a State capitation tax of , and not exceeding , one dollar and ﬁfty cents per annum on every male resident of the State not less than twenty- one years of age ; one third of which capitation tax shall b e paidb y the State into the treasury of the county

- In which it was collected . The other two thirds to be applied exclusively In a1d of the public free schools of the State \ F a of b e ' . Every householder or he d a family Shall

to se1z u re entitled hold exempt from levy , , garnishment or sale under any execution his real and personal property to the value of not exceeding to be selected by him b e Provided , that such execution not for the purchase of said property ; or for services rendered b y a laboring person or mechanic ; or for a la wful claim for taxes ; or for rent . 1 902 [Extracts from Constitution of the State of Virginia , ]

NEWSPAPERS . HOUSTON — ali a ecord A r r H d r E . H x R dve tise . . e de l f , B E y , ditor SOUTH BOSTON

H li ax azette a G . . ; f , W W Ward , Editor

B st n e s z . S ou th o o N w . . , R H Bea ley , Editor

56 HALIFAX COUNTY

C . C . OFFI E DISTRI T OFFICE DISTRICT .

Ramble , Red Bank Stovall , Staunton u n nTu b Sta to r eville . Republican Grove , , Mt Carmel

Residence , Black Walnut Vernon Hill , Birch

Scottsburg , Roanoke Virgilina , Red Bank

' 1 1 n S na , Banister Vole s , Staunton

South Boston , Banister Watkins , Roanoke

Wolftra t Stebbins , Birch p , Banis er

‘ r l liver es Ru a M ail De y Oﬁic .

No . OF TE S S OFF CE OU . O T I R P . 1 Nathalie — 1—2 1 2 News Ferry . . 1 Paces 1 1 1 Republican Grove . 1 1—2 Crystal Hill . . Scottsburg Houston 1—2—3 South Boston 1—2—3

1 . . 1 Ingram Vernon Hill . 1 1—2—3—4—5 Lennig . Virgilina l 1 Meadsvil e .

RAILROAD MILEAGE .

A. Southern Railway

B . Norfolk and Western R . R

Total SCHOOLS

A . Money available for schools in Halifax 1906—190 County (Session , 7)

[More than 1 5 per cent increase over the preceding year . ] : B . Seating capacity of schoolhouses

White . Colored HALIFAX COUNTY 57

C . Number of schools districts .

s r ts Di t ic .

Banister . .

Roanoke .

Staunton .

Meadsville Birch Creek

Mt . Carmel

Black Walnut . .

Houston

South Boston .

Total 130 [State Superintendent of Public Instruction]

U . TEMPERAT RE , PRECIPITATION , ETC

Mean tem eratu re 56 76 p , Spring ; Summer , ; Autumn ,

58 39 57 . e ; Winter , ; Annual , Highest temperature ver recorded 1 02 in Jul y ; Lowest temperature ever recorded

6 below zero in January . Average precipitation , Spring , 12 mn inches ; Summer , inches ; Autu , inches ;

44 . Winter , inches ; Annual inches Average monthly

depth of snowfall during winter inches .

. W . . Prevailing wind direction , Spring N ; Summer S W ;

n . . . W. . W . Autumn S ; Wi ter , N ; Annual , N W H Throughout alifax County , the rolling contour of the

its land , together with elevation and distance from the s a s e , cau e ranges in the monthly and seasonal mean temperatures as well as in the daily range and variability

of temperature . Sharp and sudden temperature changes , though not frequent, occur and most often in the autumn

and winter . 58 HALIFAX COUNTY

An increase observed in the daily range of temperature to v seems be due to a con ectional circulation of the air ,

maml i caused y by the phys cal conditions of the region .

It is greatest in the western part of the county .

U . . Va . [ S Weather Bureau , Richmond , ]

. . V Director E A E ANS , ,

limatolo ical ervice C g S .

TAXES .

ee a s r a i a [S L w fo c p t tion tax. ] A 1 0 . on the $ 0 , (Red Bank District Apportioned as follows

a . For State purposes

' 10 other u r oses For County purposes , [schools ; p p

r 10 F o . District purposes , [Schools ; Roads

Total

m 1 v 00. B. Inco es taxed per cent on amounts o er $6

ra l A . C . Corpo tions liab e as under

TELEPHONE COMPANIES AND LINES . — A. Dan River TelephoneCompany Operating between — the Dan River and the Virginia North Carolina line .

Head ofﬁce , South Boston . — * . S . B . South Boston Telephone Company outh Boston — C . Virginia North Carolina Telephone Company . Operating mainly a long the line of the Norfolk and West f . R . o ern R , the middle region Halifax County from North

to South . — D . Virgilina Telephone Company Virgilina . *The South Boston Company has been absorbed b y the Dan River i om an C p y . HALIFAX COUNTY 59 — e . E . W st Halifax Telephone Company Operating f in the West and North of Halifax County . Head o ﬁce ,

Ingram .

TOBACCO .

By the census of 1 900 tobacco was reported as grown in Virginia by farmers who obtained from OIin acres a yield of p dS . This shows an s increase in production of pound , or per cent in the ten years from 1890to 1 900. The average area for each farm upon which tobacco was grown was acres . In the production of tobacco , by the census of 1 900 Pitts lvania , Halifax , y and Mecklenburg counties

4 Of contributed 3 . 7 per cent the total acreage for the State and 30. 5 per cent of the total production . The ' followin g table is interesting , giving the per cent of gross income from the farms in Virginia on the total investment in farm property :

n v . Hay and grain , ( ot fed to li e stock) per cent ( i N Vegetables .

Fruits .

Dairy Produce Tobacco

While the capital invested in tobacco lands is relatively not excessive and while allowance must be made for ex

u penses , the ﬁg re is startling .

64 HALIFAX COUNTY

ir mi ans. travelled, Colonel Byrd , most cultivated of V g The Colonel took along with him in the expedition of 1 733 Maj or William who had been the Survey or for

V 1 o irginia in the Commission of 727 . Maj or May came

also on his own account , for North Carolina had endowed H him as well as the Colonel . e was to surv ey ﬁrst Colonel ’ Byrd s land and then his own - a goodly estate of

acres . The surveying party was made up of Colonel

Byrd , Maj or Mayo , and some ten assistants . The Colonel “ : no w we de atcht writes The weather befriending us , sp f s In and marcht our little a fair good time , in a Body to the

2 mileS n Line . After a March of we got upon Ca e Creek where we saw the same Havock amongst the Old Canes in h that we had observed ot er places . and a whole Forest

. h oi Y oung Ones Springing up In t eir Stead . [No doubt

u the work of a freshet] . We purs ed our Journey over Hills and Dales till w e arrived at the second ford of the

Dan , which we passed with no other Damage than sopping

of t e a little . our Bread and shipping some water at h Tops ” of our Boots .

. C They ame within Sight of a great body of Indians ,

. i Catawbas so they thought Along the Irv n , River they found grass as high as a man on horseb aek Keeping ’ west the party reached Hatcher s Creek . Near the Banks of this Creek we found a large Beech Tree with the ‘ - H . . ut it J. following Inscription c upon the Bark of , H B a 24 h H B . f l t . , y here the of May , It was not fﬁ mitials the di cult to ﬁll up these with following names , Ben amm Joseph Hatcher , Henry Hatcher , and j Bulling 3 l a 60 ton , Indian Traders , had odged ne r that place

w a t e . years before , in their y to h Sauro Town

* The Ma o River w as na e for Ma or Ma o and the villa e ofMa o y m d j y , g y r r m in therefo e called afte hi . HALIFAX COUNTY 65

om 1n H C g back , the party followed the yco for some distance , a branch of which they called Jesuit Creek

' ncam u onH * because it misled them . We e pt p y co River pretty high up and had much ado to get our H ouse in order before a heavy Shower descended upon u s* About a mile below the Mouth of Hy co lives Aaron L Pinston Wilson u , “at a quarter belonging to Thomas ] pon hi i Te wahominy Creek . T s man is the h ghest Inhabitant

u reacons on the So th side of the Dan , and yet himself ” And perfectly safe from danger . he would be safe , the w olves Colonel adds , if bears and I were as harmless to

’ stock as the Indians . Some where in this region the Colonel lost a pair of gold “ buttons . He says : I paid for violating the Sabbath b y ” losing a pair of gold buttons . This classic party Of explorers appears to have forded the Staunton about ’ ’ McClean s Mill . Colonel Byrd s Land of Eden began at the southwestern corner of the present Halifax County . — The bounds of that Eden were : in length 1 5 miles 3 — 1 miles broad at the west end and mile broad at the Est .

The Colonel spelt as he pleased . "

1752—1776

Du rIng the nineteen years that followed after the Survey of Eden great progress was made in the settlement of the — country west of the Staunton Aaron Pinston began to

* Hyco must b e an Indian name . ’ Aaron s ree ou tless ets its name rom Pins on h ion ﬂC k d b g f t t e P eer. Thomas ils on as a e er of the su rve in art I W w m mb y g p y . f h Pinston ma ave had a Wol Tra sou t o t e Dan in t ose a s. I y h f p h , h d y — h S e estover M anu scri ts . Journe to t e Lan f n 14 e W o E e . ff. é , p y d d , pp S 1 e tem er 733 . p b , 66 HALIFAX COUNTY

have neighbors and the bears and wolves moved farther 1 4 — west . In 7 6 Lunenburg County was set off from Bruns

wick , and Six years later the populations along the Dan and the Staunton had increased sufﬁciently to warrant a n division of Lunenburg . Pi ston may have lived to see his u frontier cabin s ccessively in the counties of Surry , Bruns wick , Lunenburg , and Halifax , as the genealogical table for the county of Halifax will Show ’

1 634 Isle of Wight ( , one of the eight orig

‘ . inal shires of Vir

ginia) .

Surry ( 1 652)

Brunswick ( 1720)

Lunenburg ( 1 746)

Halifax ( 1 752)

a was Of l f H lifax named for the Earl Ha i ax , one of the distinguished family of Montagu , who was First Lord of the Board of Trade about thatt ime and as such interested . Car himself greatly in the Welfare of the Colonies . The liest records are not i only valuable but are good reading

b ei n s also . They g At a meeting of the Justice ap pointed ’ for Halifax County at Hampson Wade s House the XIXth HALIFAX COUNTY 67 day of May in the XXVth year of the Reign of our Sov erei n e the in g Lord King G orge Second , and the year of Ou r Lord Christ one Thousand seven hundred and ﬁft éh y two a Commission of the Peace was produced from the ’ H H is t onorable Robert Dinwiddie , Majesty s Lieu enant Governor and Commander in Chief of the Colony and Dominion of Virginia bearing date at Williamsburg the — twenty eighth day of April in the year of our Lord one — Thousand seven hundred and ﬁfty two and directed to * i i n i r William Byrd , W ll am Wyn e , Peter Fonta ne , Jun ,

James Terry , William Irby , Nathaniel Terry , Robert H Wade , Hampson Wade , Andrew Wade , ugh Moore , and ”

w . Sher ood Walton , Gentlemen

At this ﬁrst Meeting the usual oaths were administered . i w as f N athan el Terry sworn Sheri f ; George Currie , Clerk of the Court ; Thomas Nash , Surveyor ; and Clement Read ’ Lim n u r e b . (of g , later of Charlotte) King s Attorney John

‘ s Light , Jo eph Faris , and Abel Lee were appointed Con

. n stables Nicholas Hayle , Robert Jo es , and James Irwin were recommended as Justices. A deed from John Owen

' l w as l to Thomas Stoval acknow edged , and a license from Lunenburg County was produced by John Boyd to keep at his house a ferry over Dan River . It was prayed of Lunenburg County , through Clement Read , that the bonds for a bridge over Banister River be assigned

w a u . s to Halifax Co nty Further , it ordered that William Irby and Andrew Wade take lists of Tithab les from the Point of Fork (Dan‘ and Staunton) up to Bu ffaloe upon . Staunton James Terry to take the lists from the mouth of Buffaloe Creek up Stanton River to the extent of the n H County (1. e . as far as the Piedmo t Country) ; and ugh

Moore from the mouth of Miery Creek up Dan River . f Ordered , that the Sheri f forthwith agree with workmen to build a prison twelve feet square at the place appointed

* Son ofColonel William Byrd of the Survey of 1733 . 68 HALIFAX COUNTY

t . for the next Cour to be held Ordered , that the next Court be held at Richard Dudgeon ’s “ where Thomas Wilson ” now lives . 1752 At the July Court , , George Currie came into Court ’ and - proposed to Run a Line fromthe mouth of Aaron s Creek a dew west course twenty- ﬁve miles up and to strike the centre of the County* as near as can be estimated v and as the con enience of water will admit of , at his own w will also cost and charge , and that he at his farther cost

and charge build a Court house , prison, stocks , and pillory n ” as soon as conve iently he can . Sworn as Justices :

“ E ckhols a B w Richard , Thom s Calloway , Richard ro n ,

William Irby , Merry Webb , Peter Wilson William Wynne

G u illi tine w . John g , and John O en 1 753 H In , at the March Court , the onorable Jus tices

’ “

t t . an ﬁxed impor ant ra es Pursuant to _ Act of Assembly C and i the ourt set rate the follow ng Prices of Liquors , Diet ,

’

' Stab la e Lodging , Fodder, Provender , g , and Pasturage at and for which the several ordinary Keepers in this county — are to entertain and sell the ensuing year viz :

For Good West India Ru m pr . 0—1 0 hi —O e Gallon. £ s llings p nce - 0 2 6 New England Rum pr . Gall 0 5 0 French Brandy pr . Quart Virginia P each or Apple 0 1 — Brandy pr . G allon 7 6

* e ore 1 6 he ourt H ous w as NearCallands in Pittsylvania . B f 7 7 t C e “ mo e o he east—the name ourt House Bran h near ount v d t t C c , C y The Pitts l vania line run in 1 6 Line hﬁrch in i ates the site . 7 7 C , d c y , , came so near this Court House that the seat of government w as moved ’ ' i r N. . of Ho on. abou t 1 769 to Faulkner s Crossing abou tth ee m les N. E ust

In 1 2 the ourt H ouse w as a e at anister w i e a e H ouston 79 C pl c d B h ch b c m .

in 18 with the a vent of the Norfolk and Western Railw a . There 90, d y o na s n in ot r na is littlein a name b u t there is less in s e e t a e es . , m m h h m HALIFAX COUNTY 69

Whiskey pr. Gallon [undecipherable] F ’ . 1 rench Claret pr Quart . 0 0 Portugal or French White

Wine pr .

Madeira Wine pr . Quart r English Strong Beer , p . Quart Bottle

r. Virginia Strong Beer \ p Qu art [Undecipherable] Diet the Meal for a Break fast A Hot Dinner

Lodging In Clean Sheets , for each man Stab lage and Fodder for a 1 Horse , Night

Pasturage for each horse , 24 hou rs 0 0

Indian Corn pr . Gall 0 0 We pay a little less today for a gallon of corn than was b ’ y law demanded in the year 1753 . John Boyd s Ferry

charges at this time were , four pence for a man ; four W r pence for a horse ; heel carriages , fou pence for each

At 1753 was the March Court a Grand Jury appointed , are inter good and lawful men of the county , whose names — esting John Bates , Foreman ; John Kerby, Edward

Parker , William Lawson , Edmund Floyd , Hance Hen drick , Robert Wilkins , Robert Moore , Francis Kerby,

Peter Wilson , William Armstrong , Daniel Green , Daniel

Smith , Richard Dudgeon , John Hanna, David Lawson,

Alexander Irvin . The following May ( 1753) Court was held at Punch

Spring which is called the Court House . This is probably 70 HALIFAX COUNTY

d Callands , but uring these years Court was frequently held at which is confusing . From 1753 to 1755 several Captains of foot companies were appointed :

Thomas Calloway , Thomas Dillard , Andrew Wade , Francis

W . Lawson , Hugh Moore , and Peter ilson In 1 763 the Justices present at a Court were : George n n J Watki s , Thomas Gree , ames Roberts , Robert Wooding , G B Theophilus Lacy , John Coleman , eorge oyd , Matthew

Sims , Elij ah Hunt . There were present at the March 1 4 Y Court , 77 : Nathaniel Terry , Thomas uille , Walter

Coles , and Isaac Coles . how It is remarkable persistent names have been in, the

county , only corroborating the statement so often made — that the South is the genuine America wherezthe English u stock is to be fo nd . Observe the names of the Burgesses — — from the cou ntv 1753 1776 :

1 1 53 . 7 Nov ,

a e WIllIam H arms. John B t s , 1 1 755 May , 5 Au . 5 1 75 g ,

u m , Sam el Har s , John Bates a 0 1 758 M rch ,

14; 1 758

a . Robert W de , Nathaniel Terry 12 1 4 . 76 Jan ,

1 4 . . 30 76 e Oct , Nathaniel T rry , Edward Booker 1765 Edward Booker , — 765 1 768 . 1 Edward Booker , Walter Coles

1769 . May , Nathaniel Terry , John Lewis — 2 1 1 l s . . 769 77 Nov Nathanie Terry , Walter Cole

6 1 ' - T ~ err Isaac . Nathaniel y , Coles £15; 2; 1 Mi a ali 77 . c n June , Nathaniel Terry , j Watki s

There was a . time when all of Halifax belonged to the

Established Church . When Hal ifax County was divided

72 HALIFAXCOUNTY

n n mi Tu stall , Joh Donalds d , Benj a n W Thom s r Dickson , illiam p Moses Te ry , W illiam Sims , Walter Coles , Edward Wade , Isaac Coles ,

John Coleman , William Terry , Michael Roberts , John R agland , Armistead Washington , Joseph Hobson , George n Carrington , Thomas Davenport , John Faulk er, Edmund Theawt King , Joseph Sandford , Thomas , John Ervine ,

r. Daniel Wilson , Thomas , Clark , Evan Ragland , J , Joseph

m . Haynes , Tho as Lipscomb , John R Scott Francis Petty ,

Daniel Parker , George Camp , William Thomas , John n n hn Watti to Col uett . g , Achilles q , Hansom Clark , Jo A s o Fowlke , Charles Meriwether, Adam Toot , Edward B yd ,

Thomas Clark , Beverly Sydnor, Joseph Hewell , Samuel

‘ s t hi William , Li tlebury Royster , Benj amin Rogers , C lton Screevor a Palmer, John Haynes , Tori n , Robert Crute ,

W z Granville Craddock , Edward Carlton , illiam Fit gerald ,

e . Isham Chasteen , I are Torian , Isaac Medley , John R k m Coo e . , Willia Scott fl Bishop Meade cites , as in uential in the revival of the B u Episcopal Church in Halifax , the r ces , the Ligons , the

Wimb ishes Greens , the , the Leighs , the Banks , the Logans ,

Boru ms Edm undsons G the , the , the Fontaines , the arring l * tons , the Bai eys .

1776—1830

n m The Rev . Alexa der Gordon , Parson of Antri Parish t “ for thir een years , a Scotchman , being disappointed with

the new order of things in 1 775 retired from the Parish .

*An old Episcopal Church at Meadsville w as sold some twenty years

a o an old ur stoo at ataw a whi was move to Clarkton. g ; ch ch d C b , ch d ’ ’ h was When St. Jo n s ur w as uilt at H ouston old St. Mark s ur h Ch ch b , Ch c h sold to t e Methodists . HALIFAX COUNTY 73

Other natives of North Britain retired . The hand of the Scotch merchant was hard upon the planter before the Th Revolution . e Magistrates were upright and judi i l c a ly minded men . It must have given more than one of a sit them gre t pleasure to in judgment upon a factor ,

' reasonably charged with disaffection to the cau se of the colonies . At a court held for Halifax County in 1 776 ColeS Present , Nathaniel Terry , James Baker , Walter

Arrell Isaac Coles , John Coleman , Elij ah Hunt , John i — “ Tunstall , and Will am Terry for the purpose of exam ining several natives Of North Britain (subjects of George

s the Third , King of Great Britain) re iding within the county and being supposed to come within the Statute went - Staple of T y seventh of Edward III , Chapter the seventeenth The Resolution of the Assembly and Statute Staple aforesaid was read Donald McNichol (a native of North Britain and Factor for James Murdoch and Company , Merchants in Glasgow , w as o anu arv 1 776 and s at the ﬁrst day of J , ) appeared and on considering the disposition and conduct of the said

' tou chin America Donald , g and G reat Britain , the Justices are of Opinion that he ought to depart as directed the said ” Resolution . Also , James Steven , John Calder, Hector McNeil h , John Smit , Walter Robertson , Thomas Hope , “ alland ‘ dis and James C ﬁall Scotchmen , were found of a ” position and conduct to make their departure salutary .

This exodus of the Scotch merchants meant business . It meant that George the Third (no longer our “Sovereign S O many of whose counsellors were Scotchmen , was being deﬁed by his American possessions . The Clerk of H 1 776 . alifax County in , Paul Carrington , Sr , was one of

* Per a s allan s in Pitts lvania w ere the rst H alifax ourt House h p C d y , h ﬁ C s me om n too ets its na fr Ja es alla d. d, g m C 74 HALIFAX COUNTY the foremost men of the colony in adopting the measures that looked to a separation from the British Empire . ’s “ ” Paul Carrington estate , Mulberry Hill lay partly in Halifax and doubtless that is the explanation of his Clerk

Ship of Halifax from 1764 to 1776 . Judge Carrmgton was a member of both Committees of Safety ( 1775 and 1 774 1 775 17 6 and a delegate to the Conventions of , , 7 , and He was a member of the ﬁrst General Court of 1 Virginia and became its Chief Ju stice . In 779 he was

elected a Judge of the Court of Appeals , which position he

" held until his reS1gnation in 1807 . In his letter of resig “ nation , written to Governor Cabell , he says : I think it time for me to retire from public business to the exalted ” ’ station of a private citizen . Judge Carrington s ho use “ ” at Mulberry Hill presents almost the same appearance h wa today as when it was built in t e year 1755 . He s a

~ public man from his youth . During his time , he was ’ e King s Attorney of four several counties , and he h ld any

number of O fﬁces besides .

u r ; George Carrington , a son of the elder Pa l Car ington n succeeded his father 1 the Clerkship of Halifax . George

Carrington held the ofﬁce from 1 776 to 1797 . He lived “ ” u at Oak Hill , an estate j st across the Dan River from

u BostOIi In v ‘ he w as 1 st So th , the Re olutionary War , _ ’ Lieu tenant of Armstrong s Troop C avalry] . He and

‘ ms n i k Ar tro g won the battle of Quimby Br dge , a ﬁerce s ir the mish where British cavalry charged across the bridge , U part of which had been taken p , and had a desperate * i battle with the colonial troops . George Carr ngton was a m H General of militia and a brilliant an. e was a delegate

* See Was in ton Irvin : Li e o Washin ton and Hu w Blair , h g g f f g ; gh Grigsby : Virginia Convention of1 776 HALIFAX COUNTY 7 5

i 1 788 an from Hal fax in the Convention of , dwas later a r influ member of the State Senate , of g eat popularity and ence .

on s . Edw ardéﬁf An er of Judge Paul Carrington , Sr , ’ Carrington was an ofﬁcer of Lee s Legion . General Lee speaks of him in the highest terms f I t is still remem ’ bered in this region how Maj or Carrington got Greene s Dan army across the on the retreat before Cornwallis , preceding the battle of Guilford Court Hou se On the 1 5th of February G reene had j ust succeeded in crossing the river Dan when Lord Cornwallis appeared on the Opposite bank . At this point Cornwallis gave up the pursuit and turning to the South established himself

il r . at H lsborough, No th Carolina The battle of Guilford t Revolu Court House , one of the decisive ba tles of the 25th hi tion , followed on March , after w ch Lord Corn wallis retreated across North Carolina towards Wilming

. w as at Y ton His next important engagement orktown , w h 1 . . 9t here he surrendered to General Washington , Oct Th us, it appears that Greene and Cornwallis passed w through Halifax County t ice in the month of March , ‘ —' T “ 1 78 1 . he armiés followed what is kno wn as the River ” ’ ’ Blank s Ferr w ? Road , from Milton to Z y [Ir in s Ford ] where l Greene seems to have crossed and then recrossed , on the track of the southward moving noble lord . There is a tradition that Corn wallis made his headquarters at an inn (the building is still in existence) which stood on the

River Road , about two miles to the east of Turbeville .

See Henr Lee : M emoirs o the War inthe S ou th. T , y f IR is possible that both Colonel Byrd and Lord Cornw allis crossed the

Dan at the old S i wit err a ove lar sville at the lowest oint of k p h F y , b C k , p r h is relia le union e o e t e nal u n tion of the two rivers . A ain it b f ﬁ j c g , b ’ tra ition t at Irwin s or w as a mile or tw o a ove Sou t oston and d h F d b h B ,

t at ere the armies rosse T is was w ere Ma or arrin ton live . h h c d . h h j C g d 76 HALIFAX COUNTY

In 178 1 Tarleton raided the country along the Staunton

River very near the Halifax line , just above Brookneal . Tarleton took much the same course as that followed by the Tidewater Railroad and for much the same reasons .

Only a short time ago a penny was found on Dan River ,

the 1 730 u r over in county , dating from in the time of O S n eig Lord George the Second . There is vague talk of a roster of soldiers furnished by n i . i Halifax the Revolution Ths lacking , more peaceful records must be employed to supplement the brief account ou t g iven above , in ﬁlling the Revolutionary and post

Revolutionary period . Follows a list of delegates from the

t As 1 73 1 830 - coun y to the General sembly , from 7 to , when

' the - new constitution went intO effect

n 1 M ca ah SeSS1o of 778 Nathaniel Terry and I j Watkins .

Session of 1 779 Micaj ah Watkins and John Coleman . May Session 178 1 James Bates T May Session 178 1 George Watkins Ocotb er Session 1 78 1 May Session 1782 John Coleman October Session 1 782

October Session 1 782 . — Isaac Coles Sessions 1806 07 1 2 May Session 78 . Daniels and Walker June Session ‘ 1788 1 Oct . Session 788 1 1 Oct . Session 79 Thomas Watkins 1 2 Oct . Session 79 May Session 18 1 3

1 13—14 1 41- 2 Sessions 8 ; 8 .

October Session 1789 Henry E . Coleman October Session 179 1 Davl d Clark October Session 1792 November Session 1794 Thomas Roberts HALIFAX COUNTY 77

1 H December Session 799 . Richard owson 1800 January Session ,

1 . s 800. Jo December Ses ion , hn B Scott Janu ary Session 1801

s 1800. December Se sion ,

' ‘ 1 01 January Session , 8 2 180 . December Session , William Terry

1803 . January Session , 1 —1 s 809 0. Session , 18 1 0—1 1 Sessions , William Terry Sessions 1806—7 l Sessions 1808—9 Joseph Sandford 1 1 0- 1 1 Sessions 8 . j — Sessions 1808 9 William B . Banks Sessions 1809—1 0 Melchizedeck Spraggins 24—2 Sessions 18 5 . Sessions 18 1 2—13 Sessions 18 13—14 John Hill Sessions 18 14—1 5 Sessions 18 14—1 5 Isaac Medley Sessions 18 12—13 Williamson Price — Sessions 18 1 7 18 ; Howson Clark Sessions 18 18—19 Sessions 18 17—18 Sessions 18 18—1 9 — SeSS1ons 1820 2 1 James Sneed Sessions 1822—23 Sessions 1834—35 — Sess1ons 1820 2 1 Richard Logan

22- Sessions 18 23 Clement R . Carrington — Sessions 1823 24 Sessions 1824—25 John B ' Carrington Sessions 1826- 27 Sessions 1835—36 78 HALIFAX COUNTY

Sessions 1826—27 John G iChalmers Sessions 1827—28 Sessions 1828—29 H enry E . Scott 1829—30 Sessions . It was in the Convention of 1829 that John Randolph

“ ' his h of Roanoke made famous remark , Call t em horned ” n h e 1 crease is . cattl , which did nothing to popularity a h John Randolph , Willi m Leig , Richard Logan , and

Richard N . Venable were the delegates to that Convention

8 . from the th district , in which Halifax was then included 2 i 18 7 . e In the spr ng of , Mr Randolph mad a great Speech at Halifax Court H ouse on the issues of the proposed

convention . It was estimated that from six _ to ten h — “ ’ h thousand people ad gathered to hear him . AS t e hour approached every countenance beamed with antic

i ation e p or was grave with anxiety , for the weath r ’ w as was a little inauspicious and Mr . Randolph s health ’

. t w d bad I was kno n that he had reache Judge Leigh s , b U t fears were entertained that he might be deterred by

’ '

the r. 10 weathe About o clock however , the thin clouds d 1 1 ’ s vanishe , and about o clock new passed like an electric

current through the vast multitude that he was coming . In an instant the crowd began moving slowly and noise

‘

lessly towards the upper tavern . Scarcely had they reached the summit of the Slope between the courthouse n and the tavern whe they saw him coming on horseback ,

his the d v . carriage in rear , ri en by one of his servants

AS he n drew ear , the crowd simultaneously divided to each e e o Side of , the street , making a broad av nu al ng which he e ﬁ and pass d , hat in hand , bowing to the ght to the left , l h w h unti he reac ed the lower tavern . The people it

n . AS u covered heads silently retu rned the salutation . j he

w ul w passed on to the lo er tavern , the m titude follo ed in

' profound silence . Alighting and going in for a feW mo

80 HALIFAX COUNTY

The congregation of Wynn ’s Creek Church worshipped at ﬁrst in a meeting house situated two and a half miles north of Houston . Hunting Creek still flourishes and is n of H al Situated in the ortheastern section ifax. On the h 1 4 formation of the Baptist Churc at Scottsburg , in 88 ,

Mu sterﬁeld Church was dissolved . The church stood to

n . the ortheast of Houston , on the road to Scottsburg

“ The Childrey Church j oined the Dan Ri ver Association in h 1872 and is vigorous . C ildrey is near Brookneal . The congregation of Millstone Church worships on the original — Meadsville on the site near , road from Houston to

Republican Grove . Arbor Church is active . Polecat u Church declined . A new meeting ho se was erected m 1836 n n and the name changedto Mount Ver on , on the Mou nd n . a b ow tain Road Miry Creek Li erty are extinct .

Miry Creek u nited with Arbor Church before 1840. Dan

nd the or1 1nal River Church is active today a on g Site , h w about three miles from Sout Boston . T elve Corner deri ved its namefrom the log b uilding of twelve corners 2 1 w . 1 0 in hich the church long worshipped June , 8 the name of the church was changed to Republican r D . . Grove . r. A B Brown was for years the pasto of the Republican Grove Church . s at s s s

’ n e o l Methodisn r Dr ; William W . Be n tt s Mem ria s of in Virginia gives few facts in regard to the Methodist Church

ra Idl in Halifax County . Methodism grew p y in Virn a 1 5 t h s after 77 , when there were no as many Met odi ts south

“ of the Potomac River (955) as there are in Halifax County

I 1 1 e today . In 78 there were Methodists r ported in

Virginia . Bishop Asbury , the father of the church in V on irginia , must have ridden often through Halifax his u long circuits . Speaking of his rides thro gh the country “ o n S r lying the Meherrin River , he ays , In this count y HALIFAXCOUNTY 81

haVe m l ma I to lodge half y nights in ofts , where light y be seen through a hundred places ; and the cold wind at the same time blowing throu gh as many . “ In 1 784 Halifax was a part of the South District of ” : Virginia Halifax , Mecklenburg , Bedford , Cumberland , w v m Amelia , Bruns ick , Sussex , Greens ille , Bertie . Ca den, H s . Portsmouth , William burg , anover and Orange In

1 784 the official title Presiding Elder first occurs . At di the first Council of the Metho st Church in Virginia , ’ ’ 1 2 Kell James O Kelly sat for the South District . In 79 O y

Bisho Asb u r began to be greatly antagonistic to p y , and O ’ by 1801 the O Kelly an Schism had made such advances ‘ “ ” — u as to take a distinct name The Christian Ch rch . ’ ’ . It is not stated whether O Kelly s Church w as much recruited in the H alifax section of his District . It is to be ’ regretted that Dr . Bennett s book gives so few local statis H f tics . ow di ﬁcult it is to remember that what everybody knows today is precisely what nobody will know to morrow . s as s s s s

H a The Rev . Alexander y , of Scotland , was inducted 1 into the parish of Antrim in 790. After the Revolution measures were taken for the erection of churches . Several 1 4 of the old ones had fallen upon evil times . In 79 it was reported that one church had been converted into

was a dwelling because there no title to the land ; another , out of repair , had been made over into a Baptist Church ; W a third , hich had been put to the double purpose of a w as stable and a tobacco barn , demolished and the timbers

w a used for a store ; a fourth s burned . The Revolution left the Episcopal Church greatly crippled in Halifax as in most counties . In 18 1 6 a small church was built some three miles from d the Court House , in which Mr . Hay preache a few times 82 HALIFAX COUNTY

1 1 . before his death in 8 9 Here also Mr . Ravenscroft

Nor h arolina o a ionall r a h t C cc s e c ed. (later , ﬁrst Bishop of ) y p This church was afterwards converted into a Methodist n 1 14 Church . Evan Ragla d died in 8 leaving a large n estate to the Episcopal Church . There was a cause i

1 0 z C 3 . hancery , and by 8 was reali ed by the church 1 2 1 . 5 30. Mr . Steel preached at Mt Laurel Church from 8 to 8 The church had been built largely by Episcopalians

The . b u t was free to others . Rev Charles Dresser became rector of the Ch urch at H alifax Court House in 1828 . He was s u cceeded in 1838 by the Rev . John Grammer . It is

’ — owing to Mr . Dresser s energetic interest that the facts ’ contained in Bishop Meade s book have been preserved . a Mr . Dresser went to Illinois and in that state. bec me President of Jubilee It IS an interesting s u fact that Mr . Dre ser , while rector of a ch rch at Spring f at Lin ﬁeld , Illinois , o ﬁciated the marriage of Abraham

v 4 1842 . coln and Mary Todd , No ember , The house occupied by Mr . Dresser in Springﬁeld was later bought by Mr . Lincoln and is often mentioned as the home of the

President . . Halifax County was made possible as a place of Settlement by the thorough work of Nathaniel Bacon ;

* n rammer ather D s r as su ee e b the Rev . Dr. Jo G Mr. 1 es e w cc d d y h , f of Dr o n Crammer a tain of o an A 53d Vir inia Infantr . . J h , C p C mp y , g y in s A. insol u c Dr 0. K v rammerw a re tor until his eat In 1870. Dr. G s c d h g

rammer and serve the aris u ntil his eat . in 1894. ceeded Dr. G d p h d h — H rb ert Kinsolvin n t. Rev . eor e e Fourofhis sons became clergyme R G g g , Lu ius Lee Kins olvin is o of Braz il as . ev . Bishop of Tex ; Rt R c g , B h p ; ’ Pa l s u r altimore Md. n D or of St. u D. e t Kinsol i . R A B . ev. . v R g , , c Ch ch; B , ,

o ears re or of rist ur rookl n N. Rev . (and for s me y ct Ch Ch ch, B y , L Kinso in e tor of the ur of the E i an arton W t e . lv R y h g, c Ch ch p ph y, B

“ Kinsol in and in 1 900 S k l or ollowe Dr. v H i s r nia Mr. ha e e t i i . gh , V g c f d f d g , kel Flourno oul in su ee e Mr. Shac the resent Re tor the Rev . p c , y B d cc d d

I is in restin to know the su ession in the ol est u r of the ford . t te g cc d ch ch

ount re konin t at is b the aris name . c y, c g, h , y p h HALIFAX COUNTY 83

on the soil of H alifax the Su rrender at Y orktown was fore shadowed ; Halifax supplied the clergyman who married i h s Ll Il COlIl Abraham L ncoln , and it a been thought that would not have become President if he had failed in his * suit fer the hand of Miss Mary Todd of Kentucky .

— 1830 1865 .

’ Martins Gazetteer of Virginia is a . valuable source of n informatio about the State as it was before the war . The book was published in 1834 and its facts are therefore to

be referred to 1830. The minuteness of Martin is wonder H H ful . e writes about alifax County : The county is

well watered and has an excellent soil . Much first rate 1 2 . 3 tobacco is raised Taxes paid in 8 on horses , 2 1 0 78 8 102 . studs , coaches , carryalls , gigs Expended 1832 on educating poor children in , Towns , ﬁ — etc Barksdale P . O: villages , post of ces , . This village l u u contains several dwel ing ho ses , one Baptist ho se of w orshi public p L one common school , a Sabbath School ,

a Missionary andTemperance Society , an apothecary , wheel

o . right , boot and Sh e factory , and a blacksmith The post' ofﬁce located at this place is perhaps the oldest

establishment in the county . The land of the surrounding

country is light and sandy , remarkably free and produc

. Banister tive : Post Village . Besides the usual county 2 buildings , this village contains 5 dwelling houses with nu mb er of a outhouses , mechanics Shops , etc . , two Spacious u Of ho ses public worship , one Episcopalian and the other

s H Methodist , a large and hand ome Masonic all (which advan has lately been erected of brick , in an elevated and

* See Abraham Li l nco n b Jo n . Ni ola 69 , , y h G c y, p 84 HALIFAX COUNTY

ta eou s tu a the l g si tion , about middle of the village , ) severa r handsome and commodious taverns , three general sto es

. h and one grocery The mechanics are a saddler , coac wheelri hts maker; two g , three blacksmiths , two tailors , one cabinet maker , and two boot and Shoe manufacturers . There are in this vicinity two extensive ﬂour manu factu r i two saw . ing m lls , mills , and two cotton gins The face of the country on each side of the village is very much and a nd broken , which causes it to be v ery long narrow , h u to n c t the o ses be built in a scattering ma ner , ex ep immediately arou nd the co urt house where all the stores and mechanics Sho ps are located . The village is remark b a t “ e a le for its he lth , being well eleva ed by a gradual asc nt of three quarters of a mile from the river. It is situated on h h t e main road from Fredericksburg to the Sout . Seven stages pass through weekly and eleven mails are received f T at the post o ﬁce . here is a race course In the neighbor * ar O . hood over which races e run nce a year Population , 250 and h s persons , of whom three are attorneys t ree phy i 4 h cians . County c ourts are held on the t Monday in every month . Quarterly , in March , June , August and November?“ Judge Leigh holds his Circuit Su perl or Court of Lawand Chancery on the l st of April and Septem ’ I r 4 m Bennett s t e . 1 m . . . S o P O: 6 ber , iles S W of Rich ond and 236 from Washington [It has been su ggestedthatthis is

— Bentle sville 1 1 . 5 P . O : Mayo ] y , miles from Richmond and l t Bloomsb u r h: 2 Black a nu . 30 from Washington . W g a nd Situated two miles south of Dan River , eight miles

m W . fro the North Carolina line , on the main S . stag e

r t . road leading f om Washington Ci y to S alisbury , N

a. are l and Milledgeville , Georgi There ocated here a dwelling house and a mercantile store ; and in the vicinity

* - — r I orte Mar rave I orte Sar e on and Fl . b Ni t we e mp d g , mp d p d , y y gh

‘ fa ous names in the ount e ore the w ar m c y b f . HALIFAX COUNTY 85

u s Of s two ho se public worship , one Bapti t and the other

is Presbyterian . The country around densely settled , and i w the land fert le , producing in abundance heat , Indian

Br n . k oo l : . 2 1 corn , tobacco , etc y Post Village Contains

w i s shO d ell ng houses , one mercantile tore , one druggist p , one tany ard , one boot and shoe factory , one coach and

r i tw o s ri wagon make , one ta lor , black mith Shops , a d one i . is i heal h house carpenter The situat on h gh and t v .

s Population 60 person ; one of whom is a physician .

M ead ll Centreton P . O : Plainly Centerville . svi e: Situ i ated at the head of navigation on Ban ster River . Con

s 1 2 w s tw o tain d elling hou es , general stores , one tobacco warehouse , one iron foundry and plow manufactory , one y n cabinet maker , one tan ard, one blacksmith , two exte sive ﬁou r w manufacturing mills , a ool carding machine , and a

s s w cotton gin . Population 70 per on ; of hom one is a

nt a re u r M ou u l P . . Re lican . L 0 b G ove. physician , p ‘ S cottsb u r : i g Post V llage , contains several dwelling houses ’ h s s O . one tavern , one mercantile tore , and one smith s p ’ t r 1 4 . arr n e 1 5 . . b Population 0 W e s S o P . O: miles S W y 2 i a . 05 W of Richmond and m les from W shington , Situated in the western part of the county . >x< >l< >1< >1<

* 1830w as 1840 The population of Halifax in In , 2 1850 1860 6 5 0. 1830 in , and in , , 2 From to 1860 there was much emigration from Virginia to the

West and the Southwest , and Halifax certainly contributed

w b . its share , as ill be seen y an inspection of the ﬁgures ’ Hence Martin s summary for 1830 probably holds good — for the thirty years preceding the war an agricultural

*In 1790 the o ulation was 1800 1 810 p p , , 1820 Pitts lvania w as set off ro H ali ax in 1767 Henr , y f m f ; y from Pittsylvania in 1777 ; and Franklin from Henry (wi th a part o f Bedford) in 1784 86 HALIFAX COUNTY

county and one of the best . For that very reason Halifax f w su fered extremely b y the ar. Where there was an industrial life before the war activity could be more readily ’ resumed . Therefore the county s achievement since the H n war has been all the more remarkable . alifax did ot ’ ’ Bu produce many general ofﬁces from 6 1 to 65 . t the county furnished companies to all three arms of the man as - u service , as v thirty three it has lately been g essed ,

certainly twenty companies ; Twenty companies from an arms bearing population of not much beyond 2000 is h sa . to y the least , a good showing W at is given here on the historical side professes to be merely a sketch through

u . out . It m st be less than that for the war period Bureau

u methods were distasteful to the So therner . There was l little of the Speculative in his ﬁghting . It has genera ly

been admitted that he fought . Card catalogues are used

s . now . We have learned that commerciali m is war The records are being collected and will after a time be pu b i h l s ed.

The Infantry roll is long :

c . . 1 . 8th Regiment , Company Capt James Thrift and

‘ - D . . 2 1 4 . . . th Regiment Company K Capt A Claiborne , n ” Dan River Compa y . — m 1 t . . W . . . 3 . 7 th Regimen Company D Capt . H Dulany ” Halifax Rifles . — ' — 4 h Rei ment Com an F . n . 38 t g p y Capt Jonatha Carter

e . and Capt . Lafay tte Jennings

" ? — C 53d . m n A Regi e t Company Brigade , ’ m H C ra mer. Pickett s Division ] Capt . John alifax ” Light Infantry Blues . s I/ieu tenants. . . . P C Edmunds , Ransom B Moon , Thoma J F . Barksdale , H . A . Edmondson , James D . Clay , Evan J .

rderl er eant ...... O S Ragland , A B Willingham y g A R Green

88 HALIFAX COUNTY

Lieu tenants: Thomas Tucker , Wood Bouldin , Jr R . V .

. Gaines , C . A . Hamner , Flavius Gregory , Thomas E Mar

Shall .

er eants: ...... Orderly S g C C Read , H A Walker , T C

Watkins , John Fore , Wy att Paris , George Bruce , William

Walker , J . A . Roberts .

Halifax was a racing region before the war . The County furnished its quota to the Cavalry — “ d Tr00 C . . 1 . 3 Regiment p , Black Walnut Cavalry

’ and a . . . C t. Capt . William Easley , Capt J O Chappell , p

Thomas H . Owen .

’ " at ‘ the rst or anization: l st S u b auerns ﬁ g Lieutenant ,

2d . . Thomas H . Owen ; Lieutenant , J W Hall ;

s . nts: . . Lieu tena J M Jordan , Thoma Hall

S ergeant: Thomas Tray nham .

Captain Owen was advanced to a colonelcy , and just

' before the close of the war received a commission as

Brigadier General . — H . . 2 . d 3 Regiment Troop Capt William Collins , ” ’ 3d i e w as Catawba Cavalry . [The Reg m nt in Wickham s ’ ’ D n ivIS1o . and Fitzhugh Lee s Brigade , Stuart s ] ’

a . . 3 . Capt in Thomas S Flournoy s Troop Cap tain \ h Flournoy later became Colonel of the 6t Cavalry . ’ Mu ain s h 4 Captain st Company . A part of t IS com \ H he pany was from alifax , whether in the infantry or t

cavalry the writer is uncertain . ’ - . 53d . Armistead S Company A Va Infantry , Brigade , ’ ma Pickett s Division , y serve as a typical Halifax Com T . e o pany his was an organized company b f re the war ,

and was the ﬁrst to be mustered in from the county . The company fou ght from North Carolina to Pennsylvania : at Bethel Church ; Seven Pines ; the Seven Days (includ ’ ing Malvern Hill) ; Second Manassas ; Harper s Ferry ; HALIFAX COUNTY 89

Sharpsburg ; Fredericksbu rg ; Suffolk ; Gettysburg (where ’

m s . C . s Gen . Ar i tead was killed) ; Newbern , N ; Drewry Bluff; Fort H arrison (here Captain Henry Edmunds was s s u 18 s greatly di tingui hed , J ne the Peter burg Richmond lines ; the H owlett H o use ; Five Forks ; Say ’ H ~ . ler s Creek ; Appomattox Court ouse , , where Capt i i Edmunds , as Sen or Capta n was in command of the regi ’ b v memb er ment . A letter written a r of the Company after Fort Harrison giv es a notion of what war meant to “ the H alifax soldier : Sandy (orderly sergeant Green) carried us on night picket duty through the battleﬁeld of da di se the y before , over dead bo es of men and hor s and within a hundred yards of the main fort . We were placed at a Spot where there had been a cabin , and when the lightning flashed I could see all around me as plainly as if

w a . k it was dav . There s a fearful cloud rising I too a the i an seat on rema ns of old chimney and as I looked over , i Y there stood , w thin ten feet , two ankees on the same errand as ourselves . Sandy gave me orders not to ﬁre unless there w as an advance in force . These Y ankees h J heard my orders and after a w ile one of them said , ohn ’

w . n . ou y , don t shoot If y do , we ill all be killed Both u armies will fire and we have no way to protect o rselves . “ n ” Agreed . I shall not fire unless y ou all adva ce . We ffi chatted for some time , until an o cer came around and

d s stopped them . Our or er were to come in at

a daybreak . We started as soon s the camp mules beg an u to bray , but j st before we reached our works , that had i i O been bu lt that night , our art llery pened on the fort and

* The onfe erate Monu ent at R an ol on the H ali ax si e in the C d m d ph, f d , or of the reastw or s t ere is a reli of Jul 1864 w en the b o f m b k h , c y , h y l ’ i A ris ir s . eneral Po Jennin s e e Stonem an s a van e . S G k g , ch ck d d c b k k m h

TheConfederate forces w ere old men and boys .

. . M r n of ov r H ali ax ou nt . Ca t W . o to l e T p G C , f C y 90 HALIFAX COUNTY we sought shelter in an old rifle pit some 100y ards in front of the works and there we spent the greater part if not o r w the whole day , without water food , bet een the fires of the opposing batteries . Pieces of brimstone would fall in our pit from the schrapnel of the enemy and the dirt in our front w ould be knocked on our heads . We moved out just about dark and j oined our Company in time to be n marched early all night , and early next morning I went n with Maj or Fairfax on a reconnoissance to find the e emy . The e two loss of Sl ep for nights nearly wore me out , but I lived on excitement and went into the fight as cheerfu lly ’ a Sou thall s s . I ever did I rememb er going to Henry . that

we s in t o night , and lept a feather bed , the ﬁrst time in w

Mr . years under a roof and in a bed . s Southall ﬁlled our

w e Com anv i haversacks and returned to the p next morn ng , n and then mo ved .to our former li es between the Appomat tox and the James .

1865—1 907 “t

The haversack . that was the trouble . Not every kind ’ u 1 1 n lady in 1864 co ld fill a v S ti g soldier s haversack . And 1 65 . in 8 , how extremely scarce the provender was i f Quotat ons for the cereal co fees , the long sweetening and such articles of commerce stood at a high figure . The money market was brisk . But as Mark Twain proved , w ou v hen y ha e little but money , no matter how good the fi

i ou mi h . money s, it does y g ty little good People had barrels of money and nothing to eat . The great produc

iv n a - t e ess of our soils w s in itself a handicap . Three fourths

* T ere is b u t one am of Veterans In the count é —H ali ax a h C p y f C mp , n ou t os on. om er: n : S t a H e Easl n . H . r A u ta t E . a r h B C m d y ey . dj N dy P0 ul ation: 1870 1880 1890 1900 f p , , , . HALIFAX COUNTY 91

of the land had been going without any proper attention i and was send ng up natural growths everywhere . The ? soldiers got back home to ﬁnd , what It was as if in a — — night for the war seemed a bad dream some devil had

been let loose to change the order of the universe . l i That same devi , or one very l ke him, kept on hanging

a around for a good ten years . If the war w s partial paraly i i sis , reconstruct on was . The old t mers turned ’coma

di . their faces to the wall and ed The younger men , dazed

b i s as they were y the general feeling of n ecurity , worked as they could and gradually eﬁected some system in the n chaos . Duri g the past ten years the South at large has been able to go forward in a geometrical progressionbecause during the years immediately following the war the younger

da s men of the South despised not the y of mall things .

Fortunately for Halifax County there was a remnant

of capital left in the county after the war . This was used sagaciously in the u p- building of the town of Sou th Boston which has done so much for theﬁnancial well- being of the n 1 county . From othing in 870but a store and a station

at the end of a bridge , (to the bridge also must be ascribed

s r a ha e in the rise of South Boston) , the town grew to be

important enough for incorporation in 1884 . In 1885 the

ﬁrst bank was established . The ﬁnances of the county were organized and what the organizers have accomplished

in a brief space is a matter of record elsewhere . The old town of Banister was incorporated in changing its H style to ouston at the approach of a railway . Virgilina and Clover were incorporated in 1899 and 1 900 respec

tively . God made the country and the country makes the

H - a town . alifax could not to d y be one of the wealthiest

* m‘ r r : E m n s on . T n a E . o nson Fi t ustees He . r s T H o N . ee J es J y d d , G , m h ,

on eo . H ol n u . in r e t E wi r s . . illin am M . arr t J. C g , G g C , d G bb , W W W gh 92 HALIFAX COUNTY counties in Virginia and the third county of the State in

- u u its was non rban pop lation , unless natural endowment excellent . Some of the ablest men of Halifax have s at as delegates from the county to the several State Conventions :

1 4 Convention of 77 Nathaniel Terry and Isaac Coles , or

Micaj ah Watkins . Convention of 1 775 (March 20) Nathaniel Terry and

Mi ca] ah Watkins .

Convention of 1775 (Ju ly 1 7) Micaj ah Watkins . Convention of 1775 (December 1 ) Nathaniel Terry and

Micaj ah Watkins . Convention of 1776 (May 6) Nathaniel Terry and Micajah

Watkins .

Convention of 1788 Isaac Coles and George Carrington . — Convention of 1829 30. [From the 8th District] John

Randolph , William Leigh , Richard

Logan . Richard N . Venable . 1 — 1 850 5 . F Pitts lvani a Convention of [ rom Halifax , y and

Mecklenburg ] William M . Tred

w a . y, John R Edmunds , James M .

William O . Whittle , Goode , George

W . Perkins . 1 l u n . Convention of 186 ThomasS . F o r oy 1 m 67 . Convention of 8 Willia L Owen and David Canada . Convention of 1901—1 902 Wood Bouldin and Joseph * Stebbins .

h C aracter and conduct make greatness . Halifax County _ has produced such men as the elder Richard Logan , Judge

* ’ F or sket es of the Clerks of the ount : See Johnson' s Vir tm ch C y , g a

Clerks . HALIFAX COUNTY 93

h * i . . W lliam Leig , John R Edmunds , Thomas S Flournoy ,

W . . . illiam L Owen Paul C Edmunds , James Bruce Judge i l H o . R e J hn W y , enry Edmunds .

“= E m ds a on o r ons i u ous servi es uilt for the Jo n R . un t e h d , m g h c p c c , b Confederate Government that section of the Sou thern Railw ay lying e een Dan n r ns b tw ville a d G ee boro . 6 011 CHI an CI'

ESTA BLIS HED 1 8 40.

RICHMO ND, VIRG INIA

The only agricu ltu ral paper of its kind in the world t at t the a mo th how when and what h ells f rmer every n , , ’ to n E u e com lete r farmers uid for pla t. very iss a p g e t Ed t d b actic and cientiﬁc a me tha month . i e y a pr al s f r r ’ 2 x n An b e nd com etent co s of 5 years e perie ce . a l a p rp ’ t b u t The n ui co u mn an w all of con ri ors . e q rers l s ers u t n q es io s . Y ou are perfe ctly welcome to a sample copy to see if ” it m u t thi d n e n t e co es p o s a va c o ic .

= The SouthernPlanter, K840, Richmond, Va.

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