30 Years of VC&NS
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The Tiller A Publication of the Virginia Canals and Navigations Society Spring 2007 Volume 28, Issue 1 30 Years of VC&NS 2 The Tiller President JRBF Committee Chairman Dan River Robert M. “Buddy” High Robert M. “Buddy” High Bob Carter General Delivery See President 1141 Irvin Farm Rd. Valentine, VA 23887 Reedsville, NC 27320 [email protected] Watercraft Operations [email protected] (434) 577-2427 William E. Turnage 6301 Old Wrexham Pl. Eastern Virginia Vice-President Chesterfield, VA 23832 Kyle Schilling Douglas MacLeod [email protected] 30 Brook Crest Ln. PO Box 3119 Stafford, VA 22554 Lynchburg, VA 24503 Board of Trustees (434) 577-2427 [email protected] Natalie Ross PO Box 8224 Northern Virginia Recording Secretary Charlottesville, VA 22906 Myles “Mike” R. Howlett Jean High [email protected] 6826 Rosemont Dr. General Delivery Term: 2007-2012 McLean, VA 22101 Valentine, VA 23887 [email protected] [email protected] Douglas MacLeod (434) 577-2427 See Vice-President Richmond Term: 2006-2011 Vacant Corresponding Secretary Lynn Howlett William E. Trout, III, Ph.D. Rivanna River 6826 Rosemont Dr. 35 Towana Rd. Peter C. Runge McLean, VA 22101 Richmond, VA 23226 119 Harvest Dr. [email protected] [email protected] Charlottesville, VA 22903 Term: 2005-2010 Treasurer [email protected] Atwill R. Melton William E. Turnage 1587 Larkin Mountain Rd. See Watercraft Operations Southeast Virginia Amherst, VA 24521 Term: 2004-2009 George Ramsey [email protected] 2827 Windjammer Rd. Richard Davis Suffolk, VA 23435 Archivist/Historian See VCNS Sales [email protected] Phillip Eckman Term: 2003-2008 902 Park Ave. Colonial Heights, VA 23834 District Directors Staunton River [email protected] Roy Barnard Appomattox River 94 Batteau Rd. Nancy Trout Webmaster Alta Vista, VA 24517 35 Towana Rd. George Ramsey, Jr. [email protected] Richmond, VA 23226 [email protected] [email protected] Upper James River VCNS Sales Central James River Thomas M. Kastner Richard Davis David Haney Cedar Hill 4066 Turnpike Rd. RR 1 Box 338 1093 Forge Rd. Lexington, VA 24450 Evington, VA 24550 Lexington, VA 24450 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] The Tiller 3 Table of Contents 4. Letter from VC&NS President and JRBF Chair, ~~Robert M. “Buddy” High 5. In Memoriam, Dewey Wood ~~Robert M. “Buddy” High 5. The Elizabeth River ~~Amy W. Yarsinske Virginia Canals and 6. Happy Anniversary for VC&NS: 30 Years ~~Minnie Lee McGehee Navigations Society 7. Where Are They Now? 6826 Rosemont Dr. Mary Garner McGehee McLean, VA 22101 8. A Dream Deferred: The Virginia Canals and Navigations Society Ed and Georgia Barbour is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. ~~Ashley Egan 10. Sandra Day O’Connor Membership Information: ~~Myles “Mike” R. Howlett Dues apply to the calendar year and entitle 11. Canal Diggin’ Man John Henry members to all editions of The Tiller for that ~~William Trout, Ph.D. calendar year. 14. The James R. Batteau or Tobacco Boat; An Authentic Replica for Virginia Membership Dues: (Reprint with Addendum) Life Membership, Single $300.00 ~~William Trout, Ph.D Life Membership, Couple $400.00 Single Individual $18.00 Couple $20.00 Sustaining Member $30.00 Patron $65.00 Non-profit Organization $18.00 For-profit Organization $30.00 Students, Schools, Libraries $8.00 Correction: In the last issue of the Tiller, Nancy Trout not William Trout wrote the “Highlights of Spring Meeting in Pe- VCNS Publications tersburg, Virginia” article. Publications Coordinator Douglas MacLeod On the Cover: [email protected] An unfinished painting by Georgia Barbour, many of her unfinished works have been completed by The Tiller, Editor and Art Director local artists (See Page 9) and were on display at Ashley Egan Cafe Cubano in Charlottesville, VA throughout the [email protected] month of May. The Sweep Photo Courtesy of Pastor Liz Embrey Peter C. Runge On the Back Cover: [email protected] Dewey Wood on the Maple Run. 4 The Tiller The VC&NS President and JRBF Chairman Robert M. “Buddy” High This has been a busy winter and spring. next year. We had a wonderful fellowship and Since I donated the Brunswick Belle Batteau (For enjoyed our tour of the falls on the Appomattox the story see The Tiller, Winter 2006-2007, Volume River at Petersburg and learned a lot about the plans 27, Issue 4) to the Roanoke Canal Society, I had by both Dominion Resources & Friends of Lower to get busy building a new batteau for the 22nd Appomattox River (FOLAR) for exciting new annual James River Batteau Festival. We picked ventures in the surrounding area. up the lumber the latter part of January and we Make your plans now to attend the James now have the new Brunswick Belle soaking in River Batteau Festival which will start in Lake Gaston. The swelling process should be Lynchburg, Virginia on Saturday June 16, 2007 and finished in a few more days. I still have a lot of end on Saturday June 23, 2007 at Maiden’s Landing caulking to do before heading to Lynchburg. near Richmond. We are planning for good food, We had our Annual VC&NS Meeting in good fellowship and good water levels. Please let Petersburg this past weekend with not as much me know if you have any questions. attendance from the members as I had hoped. Next year, I plan to dedicate my efforts to Even with the small crowd I feel we did seek ways to encourage more membership accomplish a lot. In my report to the members I participation. If you have any ideas or suggestions reported that the finances were in good shape: we please feel free to contact me. We have a good have the Medallion at the Welcome Center in mission and beautiful resources with all the rivers Chesapeake lined up to be installed and we are and history, so let’s become involved and make excited about making plans for having a retreat our Canal Society flourish. “Buddy” High on Brunswick Belle, Photo by Seth Browder and Courtesy of Holt Messerly The Tiller 5 In Memoriam I struggle to come up with the words to say what my heart feels today. I know I have lost such a good friend; but I am so privileged to have known Dewey. Our Batteau family will not be the same but we have all been blessed with our wonderful memories. The spirit of Dewey will live on in all the lives he has touched. My prayers go out to all the heavy hearts today and especially Sarah. ~~Buddy High Above: Dewey Wood aboard the Maple Run in 2003. Right: Dewey Wood and Buddy High at the Annual Meeting in 2004. Photos by Holt Messerly The Elizabeth River 5IF&MJ[BCFUI3JWFS I wanted to let all of you know that the Elizabeth River book, nearly 400 pages in length and over 185 photographs, will be making its appearance in late May. So many folks have reminded me that such a substantive volume on the river is much needed and a long time coming. The book is landmark in the depth of its content on the river—it is 150,000-plus words—and there was amazingly no desire on the part of the publisher to cut anything, thus the river’s story is told in very :BSTJOTLF 5IF complete form. I have attached the cover art/copy for you all to see. &MJ[BCFUI Please look for it in late May, but I wanted the Society to hear from 3JWFS me and not a publicist that it was coming. "NZ8BUFST:BSTJOTLF Best regards, Amy W. Yarsinske 6 The Tiller HAPPY ANNIVERSARY FOR VC&NS: 30 YEARS! ~~Minnie Lee McGehee The Virginia Canals and Navigations From the beginning of the Society, the Society was formed in 1977 when a group of Virginia rivers and their tributaries were enthusiasts who love rivers and old canals and acknowledged as districts and members were locks and dams met in Richmond. Their stated appointed to be chairmen of those streams. Society aims for action mirrored their purpose, their goals members in the districts helped the chairs; and as and their ambitions: a result great activities and achievements in ...to preserve and enhance conservation, public recognition of rivers and Virginia’s rich waterways heritage in all its historical sites have been constantly reported and fascinating aspects. History, archaeology, recognized in THE TILLER and newspapers. local lore and legend, restoration, Annual meetings have been held in these preservation, park and trail development— districts and this has added to public awareness of these are some of the many areas of interest the treasures we have inherited along our our members pursue to their own great waterways and the need to preserve the quality of satisfaction and frequently to the lasting the river watersheds. Many districts hold special benefit of their communities and to our events during the year to increase public state. awareness; they also hold workdays when hands- THE TILLER, the Society’s publication, on preservation efforts have improved the sites of begun in spring 1980 and edited by Russell H. navigation remains. Harding, has covered the activities of the When Joe Ayers and people in Columbia organization and has printed very significant, built the first replica of the James River batteaux, original, and interesting research done by the the Society helped them. This first batteau members and other contributors. The publication completed a trip to Richmond on Friday, June l, has endured, holding the membership together and 1984. The Navigation Society continued to promoting the aims of the Society, and has grown support the building of authentic replicas of the into a very presentable journal.