March 2018 Vol. 3, No. 1 FREE
Serving the Herald 62 years and counting
Tea parties
The legacy of a family
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Reaching out means inviting everyone in
Meet Emily Grabiec Director of Education and Outreach Longwood Center for the Visual Arts
PROMOTING ART IN THE COMMUNITY: For more than a decade, Emily Grabiec has been stirring things up, artistically speaking, throughout the greater Farmville area. Her job is to promote interest, interaction and participation regarding all things artistic and creative, not only for the Longwood community but also for area schoolchildren, adult residents, and amateur and professional artists. “We want to make our museum and our programs welcoming, inclusive and accessible,” said Grabiec. “I think anything we can do to promote a love and appreciation for art helps make Farmville a great place to live.” IN THE COMMUNITY • Area Youth Art Exhibition: Each spring the LCVA’s lower level is filled with the Annual Area Youth Art Exhibition, a show featuring the works of thousands of pre-K through 12th-grade students, including public, private and home school students. • Art After Dark: Eclectic and fun, this regular program invites the entire community to join in artist-led, hands-on activities, ranging from fountain pen workshops to dance lessons. • Camp Unity: Every summer LCVA staff provide art supplies and teach a weekly art lesson to participants in this four-week camp for adults with intellectual disabilities. At the conclusion of the camp, which is run by Crossroads Community Services, the museum mounts an exhibition of artwork created by the campers. • Free Family Workshops: Free workshops with art activities for children and parents are centered on occasions including Valentine’s Day and Dia de los Muertos.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT MY JOB: I love having the opportunity to create programs that promote art and creativity. I get to share my own passion for art every day.
grabiecea@longwood.edu | 434.395.2503
CITIZEN LEADERS: Longwood People Contributing to a Great Community
Summer 2016 Vol. 1, No. 1 FREE
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Undebatably Henry Sixty years of hometown news
Civil War Santa
Familiar with Farmville
History and holiday fun combined
Exhibit with an artist’s-eye view
A love of reading Right in the Heart of Virginia
High Bridge
Green Front Accessories
Flippen leads hike into history
Where dogs are front and cent er
A proud heritage
Fairly uncertain
Dowd keeps the family land alive
A look at the county fair m
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Feature Buckie Fore’s been keeping an eye on the news for the past 62 years. Starting at the Herald after graduation from high school in 1956, he’s done everything from managing the ad department to helping with a grandson’s paper route. “I’ve seen 55 years of evolution of the newspaper industry — from hand-set type to computer offset,” he says. During his years at the Herald, Buckie also pursued a career in the military, retiring from the National Guard in 1993 as a brigadier general. For Buckie Fore, service is the name of the game — to country, community and Herald readers.
Publisher — Betty Ramsey Betty.Ramsey@FarmvilletheMag.com Designer — Troy Cooper Troy.Cooper@FarmvilletheMag.com
Editorial Marge Swayne Marge.Swayne@FarmvilletheMag.com
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Morgan White Morgan.White@FarmvilletheMag.com Emily Hollingsworth Emily.Hollingsworth@FarmvilletheMag.com Titus Mohler Titus.Mohler@FarmvilletheMag.com
Advertising Director — Jackie Newman Jackie.Newman@FarmvilletheMag.com Steve Wallace Steve.Wallace@FarmvilletheMag.com Rachel Fielding Rachel.Fielding@FarmvilletheMag.com
Contributors: Robin Sapp, Jay Wilkerson, Bob Flippen and Sue Carter Cover photo by Marge Swayne On the web: www.FarmvilletheMag.com To subscribe, contact Circulation@FarmvilletheMag.com Farmville the Magazine P.O. Box 307 Farmville, VA 23901 (434) 392-4151 Farmville the Magazine is published eight times annually by Farmville Newsmedia LLC. Copies are available free at businesses throughout the Heart of Virginia. For convenient mail delivery of each issue, cost is $30 per year.
Tea parties lend a hand
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A Look into the Past
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Also... Publisher’s Notebook Good Reads Serving it Up From the Ground Up Where Am I?
5 6 8 10 13
Artist in Residence Catching Up With... Party Pix Town and Gown Why I Love Farmville
14 24 32 50 51
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Publisher’s Notebook
Spring greeting and reading I
t’s with heartfelt joy that I write the publisher’s note for the March edition of Farmville the Magazine. It’s been an interesting winter — temperatures in the 70s one week, then cold and freezing the next, with half a foot of snow to boot! Warm, cold, warm, cold — over and over again with no end in sight, or at least so it seemed as I, yet again, donned my coat, scarf and gloves to keep out the cold. Being a warm weather girl, the days of winter slowly ticked by for me. Many mornings, the sunrise gave hope that, at last, the weather was turning warm, only to have those hopes dashed and once again met with more Betty Ramsey, cold, rain, snow and ice. It has been a long winter. Publisher Welcome, spring! In this issue you’ll find plenty of stories to enjoy. Turn to Page 19 where Marge Swayne once again spins her magic with the written word and the eye of the camera as she talks with Farmville favorite Buckie Fore. For 62 years Fore has served the Herald. In “Call of Duty: Above & Beyond,” you’ll discover there is much more to Fore than meets the eye. Feeling ambitious with a few hours to spare? Frances Lewis was kind enough to share her recipe for her famous homemade rolls on Page 9. I can almost
smell them cooking now. This spring, whether you have a green thumb or not, Jay Wilkerson has surefire tips on how to grow the beautiful but often considered hard-to-grow African violets on Page 10. Last but not least, take a trip back in time on the Farmville & Powhatan Railroad with area historian Bob Flippen on Page 46. There are many more stories within these pages, and we hope you will enjoy them. As this is a magazine about and for you, dear readers, we welcome your ideas and invite you to share with us what you would like to hear more about by sending us a note at P.O. Box 307, Farmville, VA 23901, giving us a call at (434) 392-4151 or sending me an email at Betty.Ramsey@FarmvilletheMag.com. We publish Farmville the Magazine in the months of March, April, May, June, September, October, November and December. We invite you to pick up a copy of the latest issue as there is sure to be someone you know inside — a neighbor, family member, a friend or perhaps even you! If you want Farmville the Magazine delivered to your home or office, we offer subscriptions for $30 per year — just enough to cover the postage. To subscribe, call us at (434) 392-4151. Thanks for reading, and we look forward to seeing you next month. Betty Ramsey is publisher of Farmville the Magazine. Her email address is Betty.Ramsey@FarmvilletheMag.com.
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Farmville the Magazine
Good Reads
By Robin Sapp Director of the Cumberland County Public Library
Books for late winter reading Fiction
— Adult Fiction.
“Sing, Unburied, Sing: A Novel” by Jesmyn Ward — With over four stars and five literary awards, author Jesmyn Ward weaves the tale of 13-year-old Jojo, his addict mother, Leonie, and his little sister, Kayla, who live in rural Mississippi. Leonie is black, and Jojo’s father, Michael, is white and in prison. The three live with Leonie’s parents, Mam and Pop. Mam is slowly dying of cancer, and Jojo looks up to Pop as an example of what a man should be. Each character battles their own demons, and Jojo realizes his life is about to change when his mother takes him and his sister to pick up his father who is being released from Parchman State Penitentiary
“Year One: Chronicles of the One, Book 1” by Nora Roberts — This highly-anticipated book is from New York Times best-selling author Nora Roberts. The definition of Doom — death, destruction or some other terrible fate. Doom is what is being referred to as the deadly virus released in Scotland on New Year’s Eve. Traveling through countries and over continents, Doom would kill over a billion people in only a few short weeks. However, there are survivors, those who seem to be immune to the virus. Among these are a young mother and her newborn twins and Jonah and Rachel, the paramedic and doctor who delivered
them. Also immune are those who seem to have gifts — magical abilities that allow them to move objects and to see into a person’s soul. Lana and Max are two people with these gifts and have yet to determine how and why these abilities have grown. Soon the survivors will form a group that will experience the end of one world and the beginning of the next — Adult Fiction. “The Story of Arthur Truluv” by John Elizabeth Berg — For the past six months, Arthur Moses has followed the same routine — get up, get dressed and eat lunch with his wife. He travels every day with his lawn chair and packed meal to eat at the cemetery where Nola has been since
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November. As he walks to his wife’s marker, he reads others along the way, imagining their lives as if he knew them. Maddy skips high school and comes to the cemetery to find solitude in the midst of a busy city. Her mother is dead; she was cremated 18 years ago when Maddy was just a baby. She wishes she knew more about her but her father won’t talk about her, and leaves Maddy wondering what her mother was like. Arthur has seen Maddy before and wonders why such a young girl is there; he also wonders if the ring in her nose hurt very much when it was pierced. He thinks he will ask her the next time he sees her. He will also ask her how she is doing, and the two will become unlikely friends who share grief and loss and happiness and hope — Adult Fiction. “The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street” by Karina Yan Glaser — The five Vanderbeeker children, Isa, Laney, Jessie, Oliver and Hyacinth, have lived in their brownstone house in Harlem, New York, their whole lives. They live there with Mama and Papa, their dog, Franz, their cat, George Washington, and their house rabbit, Paganini. Just above them on the third floor lives their landlord, Mr. Beiderman, who likes lots of privacy and quiet. It’s not Oliver’s fault that his baseball accidentally crashed through Mr. Beiderman’s window or that Franz sometimes forgets that Mr. Beiderman’s
front door is not a bathroom. Isa even moved to the basement to practice her violin because Beiderman hates instruments, especially someone playing them. But now, just five days before Christmas, Mama and Papa tell the kids that their lease is not being renewed, and they will have to move by the end of the month. The children come up with a plan. They will prove to Mr. Beiderman that he will have his peace and quiet and convince him to let them stay — Juvenile Fiction. Non-Fiction
“Martin Rising: Requiem For a King” by Andrea Davis Pinkney & Brian Pinkney — This story, written in prose and with beautiful illustrations, tells of the last few months of King’s life. Centered on the 1968 sanitation strike in Memphis, Tennessee, it chronicles the injustices experienced by black men who worked for lesser wages than their white counterparts. Peaceful protest led by King’s contemporary, Reverend James Lawson, yielded no results in coming to amiable agreements to end the strike. Finally, near the end of March, King comes and marches with blacks and whites in what turns into a full-scale riot. The Pinkneys continue in verse to describe King’s speech at the Mason Temple and his untimely death on the terrace of the Lorraine Motel, April 4, 1968. They consider how his assassin, James Earl Ray, became the man who would
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kill such a great leader. They end the book with a celebration of King’s legacy and life and a reminder to carry out what he started — Young Adult NonFiction. “Black Fortunes: The Story of the First Six African Americans Who Escaped Slavery and Became Millionaires” by Shomari Wills — Most everyone enjoys a success story where someone beats the odds and turns the tables in their lives. “Black Fortunes” is just that kind of book. Author Shomari Wills shares the story of six amazing men and women, who just happen to be African-American, who beat the odds and became millionaires. Mary Ellen Pleasant was born in Virginia and married a wealthy former plantation owner. However, she did not gain her wealth through marriage but by creating several restaurants in California. By investing her money, she helped establish the Bank of California. Robert Reed Church was the son of a white steamboat captain and a black enslaved seamstress. His mother died when he was only 12 at which time his father took him in to work on the boat as a cabin boy and steward. He escaped death several times as a child and adult, and he and his wife were successful entrepreneurs in Memphis in 1865. Hannah Elias, Annie Turnbo Malone, O. W. Gurley and C. J. Walker are the other black millionaires featured. This book is both exciting and encouraging.
FREE
Undebatably Henry Sixty years of hometown news
Familiar with Farmville Exhibit with an artist’s-eye view
Sum mer 2016 Vol. 1, No .1 FREE FREE
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Farmville the Magazine
Serving it Up
Frances’ rolls
Story and photos by Titus Mohler
W
hen it comes to her abilities in the kitchen, Frances Lewis, of Meherrin, has a reputation that precedes her. At a cookout that happened recently at her church, Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church, she brought a chicken and vegetable stew. Lewis recalled, “Somebody said, ‘Did you make the stew? Because you make it so good, I’m going to eat some of that.’” When asked how long she has been active in the kitchen, she said, “I’ve always done it. My father died when I was 13, and I took over cooking then … ” Lewis grew up on a tobacco farm in Meherrin, and while she admitted that she had to grow up quickly in some ways, she said, “It was a good life.” She honed her cooking skills as an assistant to
her mother. Lewis, set to turn 90 in May, has developed some popular dishes over the years. “People like my chicken and dumplings and my barbecue — they’re the two that they really like,” she said. Many are also big fans of her variation on rolls that she simply calls, “Frances’ rolls.” “My mother used to make them all the time, but she made them different than I do,” Lewis said. “I make (them) the easy way. Now, she put eggs in hers and all of that, which I don’t.” After Lewis’ version became a big hit, “everybody wanted the recipe, so I just made it and gave it to them all at church,” she said. She enjoys using her cooking abilities whenever the opportunity arises.
“I always cook for the church, cook something, but I had friends in the other night for supper,” she said. “and I try to cook twice a week now since my husband died, and I eat leftovers the rest of the time.” She said he has folks over and cooks for them every chance she gets. At her church, a turkey supper is held the Saturday before Thanksgiving. “We usually feed about 250,” she said. She noted that last year, she cooked one of the turkeys, made dressing and cooked gravy. And, of course, she made rolls. “One year, I made 600,” she said. Asked what she enjoys most about cooking, Lewis said, “Knowing that people would eat it — that’s the main thing, I think.”
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FRANCES’ ROLLS INGREDIENTS 2 cups warm water 1/2 cup sugar 6 cups flour 2 yeast cakes (or dry yeast) 6 tablespoons of oil 1 teaspoon of salt INSTRUCTIONS Dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water for about five minutes. Add oil and salt, then flour. Put in about four cups of flour and mix well. Add the rest, and knead until smooth. Let rise in a warm place until double (about two hours). Turn dough out on a floured board. Knead about three or four times. Make rolls and place in a greased pan. I roll my dough and cut with a juice glass. Let rise until doubled again and bake in hot oven 425 degrees for about seven to eight minutes until brown.
Frances Lewis holds a batch of her rolls, which are among her culinary creations that have proven to be quite popular with many at her church and beyond.
Bear Creek Lake | High Bridge Trail | Holliday Lake | Pocahontas Powhatan | Sailor’s Creek Battlefield | Twin Lakes
800-933-PARK (7275) | www.virginiastateparks.gov
10 Farmville the Magazine
Demystifying African violets
From the Ground Up
Story and photos by Jay Wilkerson
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M
y first experience with African violets was seeing them on my grandmother’s windowsill. I was always told how delicate and finicky they were, which added to my amazement at her botanical wizardry. The truth is, these plants are quite easy to deal with if you play by the rules; they require much less attention than most people realize. Once they are in a suitable location, they truly thrive on neglect. The first task after selecting a healthy specimen is to repot your new plant. It is best to use African violet-specific soil because it has the ideal composition and pH. Violet roots prefer to be cramped, so resist the urge to use pots larger than 6 inches. When it comes time to
repot an old plant, just cut off some of the lower roots and reset your plant deeper in the same container and then cover the exposed stem with soil. Containers larger in diameter can lead to problems with watering and disease. Violets need a fair amount of light, but never direct sun, which can burn the leaves. Choose a bright location on the east or south side of the house. Some windows benefit from a sheer curtain or blinds to diffuse intense rays. You can also use artificial light by hanging a cheap 48-inch fluorescent light 12 to 18 inches above your plants. Use one cool and one warm bulb to provide a full spectrum. Plug the light into a timer, set it to run for about 12 to 14 hours and
let the plants rest at night. This is a great way to grow houseplants in an area that does not get adequate natural light. If you are comfortable with the temperature in the room where your violets are, they will be too. Ideal temperatures range between 65 and 75 degrees. They can tolerate cooler temperatures for short periods, if the soil is not saturated. In general, houseplants can tolerate cool temperatures and being wet, just not at the same time. Allow African violets to go slightly drier during winter months, if your location is cool. Watering may be the biggest challenge. I highly suggest using self-watering pots. These
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12 Farmville the Magazine magical containers take all the guesswork out of watering and have been the key to my success. Check them periodically; if the water in the lower reservoir is touching the upper portion, the plants will be happy. These pots also help keep the leaves dry. Refill the reservoir with tepid water containing a dilute solution of African violet fertilizer, and that’s it. There, the secret is out! Few indoor plants are as notoriously intimidating as the African violet. Many people I’ve encountered have been relentlessly frustrated while attempting to coax their plants into bloom only to watch them eventually perish. One important thing to keep in mind is that anyone who gardens will inevitably experience failure, whether we admit to it or not. These failures are learning opportunities and not declarations of a brown thumb. Everyone can grow these little beauties, and I encourage you to give it a shot.
Above, Wilkerson presents the selfwatering pots that he described as the key to his success in growing and caring for African violets. At left, African violets come in striking varieties.
Jay Wilkerson presents some African violets at B&M Greenhouse, where he worked for 10 years before becoming the horticulturist for the Town of Farmville.
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Where Am I? The Heart of Virginia offers beautiful scenery and architecture throughout downtown Farmville. “Where Am I?” offers residents a chance to identify one of our hidden gems across town. If you think you know where this photo was taken, email your answer to WhereAmI@FarmvilletheMag. com. We’ll draw one lucky name from among the correct answers for an annual subscription to Farmville the Magazine.
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Artist in Residence
Called “globe,” this is a 2017 photograph taken by Alex Grabiec.
‘A way to look at the world’ Story by Titus Mohler Photos by Alex Grabiec
A
lex Grabiec’s relationship with photography began at an early age, taking mental snapshots. “I think a lot of people who end up starting, it’s like there’s a family camera, and I can’t remember how old I was, but I always remember (I) liked looking through the frame, and it made just a picture — just by looking at it, not even taking the picture, that’s what it is,” he said. He noted being able to frame, crop and move things around. “It’s a relationship with the world and looking at the world or seeing the world — or attempting to,” he said. Grabiec now works full time at HampdenSydney College as the visiting assistant professor of fine arts, teaching black-and-white, 35 mm and digital photography and another course called
Narrative Strategies in Visual Art, which is photoheavy but can also include video art, painting, performance or sculpture work. He also works part time at the Longwood Center for the Visual Arts as an exhibitions project coordinator. Discovering that the family camera helped him reach this place in his career, and the next key moment that informed his growing interest in photography came as he saw a photo develop. “I remember pretty distinctly in high school,” he said, “I took a photo class, like a basic blackand-white, put my first print into the developer and watched it come out — it was like, ‘Oh, wow, that’s kind of it, that’s magic. Look at that.’” He said the print was terrible, totally overexposed, but just the moment of seeing the picture appear was remarkable.
His relationship with photography went through further evolution when he went to college to learn more about it. “Studying it really made me look at the medium differently,” he said. He noted that professors who have provided him with feedback, guidance and mentorship helped him understand that photos do a lot. He came to understand photography “as a way to look at the world, see the world, maybe translate the world or all of these different things …” he said. Grabiec also noted being significantly impacted by the work of Japanese photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto. At a showing of Sugimoto’s photography, Grabiec said he was “legitimately floored” by the pictures he saw. “They’re beautiful, but they’re also very philo-
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This 2016 photo shows Alex Grabiec exploring how we see and how things are represented.
YOU ARE INVITED TO JOIN US ON CAMPUS FOR
OPEN HOUSE
MARCH 7 or MARCH 21 Other dates by appointment
The fun begins in the Lower School Media Center! 8:45 a.m. Coffee and doughnuts with John Melton, Head of School 9 - 9:30 a.m. Learn all about Fuqua School from our students - Q & A 9:30 a.m. Campus tours
To register—contact the Director of Admissions at (434) 392-4131 or visit FuquaSchool.com.
Fuqua School is located at 605 Fuqua Drive, Farmville. Fuqua School is accredited by Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS) and a member of National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and The Cum Laude Society—international organization that honors academic excellence. Fuqua School admits students of any race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to the students.
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Alex Grabiec stands in a gallery of his photography work on display at Hampden-Sydney College’s Brinkley Hall. He serves as the visiting assistant professor of fine arts at Hampden-Sydney and also works part time at the Longwood Center for the Visual Arts. Inset below, this Alex Grabiec photo from 2015 is called “steps.” sophical,” Grabiec said. “He’s pondering things. And there’s one series that he has where he goes to old movie theaters … really classic, beautiful architecture movie theaters, goes to the very back row, sets up his large-format camera.” Grabiec said Sugimoto shoots with an 8-by-10 camera, so it’s enormous. “The movie starts, he opens the shutter, and then the movie ends, and he closes the shutter,” Grabiec said. “The light fills in all these nooks and crannies within the architecture, and it’s beautiful, but then the screen is just this big, blown-out rectangle, and so it’s a whole movie in one frame, so we’re really dealing with light and time ... ” He said he thinks that Sugimoto goes back to the themes of light and time constantly throughout his work, and it manifests itself in a lot of different ways. He noted that as he looked at Sugimoto’s stunning prints, “I remember feeling like and thinking, it’s like, ‘You can do this with photography? You can think through it?’ And, ‘Oh, yeah, I want to do this. I want to think through this medium and express through this medium and try to carve out a little space for myself in the world with photo.’” Grabiec earned his bachelor’s degree at Longwood University in 2007, and he earned a master’s degree in photographic and electronic media from
the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2016. Describing what inspires much of his photography, he tried to avoid being vague, since that can be easy to do when speaking on that subject. “Certainly looking at other artists serves as a source of inspiration, and not just photographers, but painters and sculptors and video artists,” he said. “But also, like most people, books and music …” Sometimes the inspiration can be particularly close to home. He said the source of inspiration
for both his last body of work and the one he is currently working on is his 19-month-old son, Henry. As for what Grabiec likes to think about through the medium of photography, he said, “I’m really interested in how we see and how things are represented. … I know that’s still pretty general, but like, what’s the nature of looking or the ways we see things is pretty interesting to me, like the line of the visible and the invisible and how photography can maybe act (as) that line in between.”
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This 2015 photo by Alex Grabiec is called “detectors in a field.�
Alex Grabiec presents a waterfall in this 2015 photograph.
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Story and photos by Marge Swayne
Buckie Fore stands in a familiar spot in the Herald’s ad department. Working on the same layout table he used in 1956, he composes one of his twice-weekly ads for Haley Auto Mart.
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During a typical paper route, Buckie Fore delivers papers on one side of the street, and his wife Joyce takes the other side. They deliver papers around town twice a week.
T
he sun’s shining as Buckie Fore and his wife Joyce load 99 copies of the Farmville Herald into their Toyota van to begin another Thursday afternoon paper route. Twice a week the couple delivers papers to neighborhoods around town. “We’ve been doing this since our grandsons started delivering papers,” Joyce says. “We’re still helping one of them out.” As she talks, Joyce deftly inserts newspapers into plastic bags. “It rained last night, and the ground’s wet,” she adds. The first stop is the Regional Visitor’s Center. “I’ll take Magi her paper,” Joyce says of Tourism and Visitor Center Coordinator Magi Van Eps. “She needs to know what’s going on around town,” Buckie says with a nod. Creating the ads to let folks know what’s going on in and around Farmville has been his job for over six decades. “Back in the day, 85 percent of the Herald’s busi-
ness came from Main Street,” Buckie says. “We’d call on merchants, get our ads ready, and then go back with a proof. We just about wore out the Herald’s back steps!” Today, at the age of 79, Buckie’s still at the Herald, although his schedule is lighter. “I handle the Haley Auto Mart account,” he says. “That’s about 15 hours every two weeks.” Twice a week he and Joyce deliver papers. “Of all the things I’ve done, delivering newspapers is among the most mundane,” he says with a smile. Many customers, in fact, don’t realize that their “paperboy” is a retired brigadier general. “One customer asked me if I was a real general,” Buckie adds with a laugh. “I said, ‘Yes, sir — I’m as real as it gets.” The real story of how Buckie became a general is even more interesting; he continued to work at the Herald while pursuing a military career. “It all started when I was a senior in high school,
and J. Barrye Wall asked my teacher, Hallie Fleetwood, to recommend someone in the senior class to be an ad saleman,” Buckie recalls. Mrs. Fleetwood recommended Buckie, so he went to see Mr. Wall. “We talked about the newspaper and what was expected of me, and finally Mr. Wall said, ‘If I like you, I’ll hire you for six months, and if you like us, you can stay.’” Buckie says. “That’s how I started.” Further defining Buckie’s future, Mr. Wall brought up the National Guard. “One day Mr. Wall said, ‘Buckie, it doesn’t seem right for me to lose you to the military. I want you to check into the National Guard, and if you like it, think about joining,’” Buckie relates. Buckie did check out the Guard and decided to join. “At that time we drilled two hours every week and had a two-week summer encampment,” he says. It was a schedule that allowed Buckie to meet
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Buckie Fore, is pictured as a graduate from Officer Candidate School and later in his career as a brigadier general.
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his military obligation and still work at the Herald. Eight years later, however, when Buckie was recommended for Officers Candidate School, he knew that schedule would change. Again he sought Barrye Wall’s advice. “Mr. Wall asked me if I wanted to go” Buckie recalls. “I told him I thought it would be all right, but I’d need to borrow some money.” Buckie recalled how Barrye Wall chewed on his cigar as he considered the request. “Buckie,” he said. “Go on down to Planters Bank and tell Mr. Bondurant to give you $1,500. I’ll be along to sign the note when I get a chance.” “I never forgot that conversation,” Buckie adds. “The newspaper management was always patriotic. All I had to say was ‘I need to be gone from this day to that day,’ and we made arrangements to do it. I would have to work ahead, but then everybody at the paper would fill in. That’s the way it was back then — we had teamwork.” Buckie advanced through the ranks of the Guard, and in 1987 was offered a chief of staff position. Barrye Wall had passed away, so Buckie went to see Bill Wall. When Buckie told Bill he had accepted the chief of staff position for the 29th Infantry Division (light) at Ft. Belvoir, Bill’s response was typical. “Are you coming back?” he asked. “And how long will you be gone?” As it turned out, Buckie was gone six years but did return to Farmville when he retired from the Guard in in 1993. Before long, Barrye Wall’s grandson, Steve Wall, was knocking on the door. “After many, many visits from Steve, I went back to work for the Herald in February 1994,” Buckie says. “I picked up like I’d never been gone.” Now in 2018, Buckie’s still on the job.
22 Farmville the Magazine “I’ve seen the newspaper evolve from hand-set type to hot type to computer offset — probably 55 years of evolution of the newspaper industry,” he says. For the Haley ad he does twice a week, Buckie continues to use “old-fashioned” skills he learned years ago. Working on the same layout table he used in 1956, Buckie puts these ads together “by hand.” “I enjoy doing the work, and I enjoy staying in touch with the business world,” he adds.
Helping a grandson with the weekly paper route is another way of staying in touch — sometimes in an up-close and personal way. Buckie and Joyce still remember the cold rainy day they found Jackie Stuart in her yard and unable to get up. “She went out to walk her dog, slipped on wet grass and broke her hip,” Joyce recalls. “We called the rescue squad and stayed there until her daughter came.” Another customer, Ruth McMurtray, looks forward to seeing Buckie and Joyce on paper days.
Above, Buckie Fore hands Ruth McMurtray her paper. “They’re the best!” McMurtray says of Buckie and Joyce. Top right, Jackie Stuart, at left, is thankful Joyce, center, and Buckie came to her rescue while they were delivering papers one cold rainy day. Stuart had slipped on some wet grass in her yard and broken her hip. Middle right, Buckie Fore discusses a weekly ad for Haley Auto Mart with General Manager Chris Call, at left, and Sales Manager Dane Smith, at right. Bottom right, on paper days Buckie heads for the Herald basement to pick up papers and pull tear sheets for Haley Auto Mart.
“They’re the best,” she says as Buckie hand delivers a paper. Another customer on the route has arthritis, so Buckie places her paper (without rubber band) on a screened porch. “We love our customers,” Joyce says as Buckie smiles agreement. For Buckie Fore, who went from high school student to brigadier general during his years at the Herald, it’s all about service — and all in a day’s work.
Farmville the Magazine
Jane Anderson, of Deluxe Cleaners, shares a smile as Joyce hands her a paper.
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Catching Up With...
Katisha Sargeant Story by Morgan White
K
atisha Sargeant, a Prince Edward County native, graduated from Prince Edward County High School in 2010. During high school she was on the track team for one season her freshman year. “I was in (Future Business Leaders of America) for a couple years,” Sargeant said. “I was on the drama team for all four years. I was on the forensics team for, I want to say, three years.” Her time involved with drama led to her current residence in Los Angeles, California. She’s been there since January 2015. Does she miss Prince Edward County? “Oh my god, yes,” she said in the middle of a laugh. “Home is always going to be home. I can’t hear birds chirping here, I can’t see the stars when I look up at the sky — the simple things like that that you never really think about.” She said as far as things that she’s taken to the city from the county, sometimes when she gets comfortable around people, she’ll slip back into her southern accent. “People are always like, ‘Where are you from?’” Sargeant said. “I’m always like, ‘I’m from Virginia, a really, really small town. You’ve probably never heard of it. It’s called Farmville.’ Then I get all the jokes about the Facebook game, and I’m just like, ‘No, it’s a really cool town … super small, but it’s a super great place.” She cited her high school drama teacher, Debbie Rush, as a significant reason for why she moved to California in the first place. “I used to be really shy and quiet, especially in elementary and middle school, and then in drama I really fell in love with the stage,” Sargeant said. “After I went to undergrad, I was like, ‘OK, what’s next?’” She said all the things Rush had taught her, she took those to California, where she moved to get her master’s in acting for film. “I owe so much to her, and she doesn’t even know it,” Sargeant said. She attended University of North Carolina for her bachelor’s degree and the New York Film
Farmville the Magazine
Academy in Los Angeles for her master’s degree. “I’m still looking for a big one,” Sargeant said regarding a break. “Have I been in stuff? Yes. Can I be seen on television? Yes. But, I’m still looking for something big,” she said with emphasis on big, “I’m still looking for my co-starring role.” She said she doesn’t think she’s been in anything that people would know. Sargeant’s mother, Pamela Goodson, still lives in Prince Edward County. “She supported me. She was the one who always took me back and forth to drama practice,” Sargeant said. “She saw all my plays in high school. She really believed in me.” She said coming from a small town to a big city reminds her of individuality. “In big cities you can find so many people that look alike and sound alike and do the same things,” Sargeant said. “... In a small town there’s so much individuality because there’s like the one guy who works on the old Chevys down the street, and all he’s known for is he rebuilds Chevys… It’s stuff like that that I kind of miss, and it reminds me to always bring pieces of myself to my work instead of falling into the generalized trap of cookie-cutter people.”
Farmville, we’re covering things big and small
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26 Farmville the Magazine
Story and photos by Emily Hollingsworth
Haley Abbott, left, Jamie Moore and her family prepare for a special tea by Kate Sewalk. Also pictured are Vacelo Moore and Suzanne Moore, far right.
Tea parties
Farmville the Magazine
lend a hand
Story by Emily Hollingsworth Photos by Kate Sewalk
W
hen Haley Abbott, 9, entered the tea room within the 15-acre Crystal Pointe Farm in Curdsville, on Route 633 off of Route 15, it was like stepping into a tea party enthusiast’s paradise. A beautiful blue tablecloth with intricate patterns lay underneath circular pieces of lace that would be used for the three-course meal served by farm owner and host Kate Sewalk. Wearing a wide-brimmed hat and a pair of white gloves, Haley comes ready to take part in the sophisticated event. Sewalk has started hosting private tea parties for families and friends in the area. But the parties serve a unique purpose. Those who make reservations to enjoy the morning or afternoon teas must bring donations to their nonprofits of choice. Many of the donations benefit nonprofits in the Heart of Virginia.
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Pictured above is one of Kate Sewalk’s favorite cutlery sets. The set, made with blue porcelain with 24-karat gold lining, was believed to have been crafted in St. Petersburg in Russia. At right, Sewalk prepares for a tea party she hosts at her home, Crystal Pointe Farm. ‘THE LEGACY OF MY FAMILY’ Mike Sewalk was always hungry. Sewalk said Mike, her grandfather, had come to work in coal fields with his family in Pennsylvania. She described her grandfather as being constantly hungry, and constantly on the lookout for a next meal. Mike ended up meeting a butcher who gave him scraps to help him keep going during the Great Depression-era, where hunger was a continuous, stark reality, Sewalk said. “He was 12 at the time,” Sewalk said. She said when her grandfather married her grandmother and had a family, he would make sure his children didn’t have to experience what he did. “(He would have a) 24-inch loaf of bread on the table, with butter and a knife,” Sewalk said, who noted her grandfather and grandmother had 13 kids of their own. In addition, Mike and his son, Chester, Sewalk’s father, played in a band. She said Mike was the only member of his small community to own a truck. When he would play in nearby areas, Mike and Chester wouldn’t ask people for money. They would ask them for food instead. She said they would collect piles of corn, cabbage and potatoes in Mike’s truck, and haul them back to their community. Once they were
Farmville the Magazine
back, Chester and Mike would make sure everyone there had as much as they wanted. “We’ve kind of been doing that in our family ever since,” Sewalk said. Many of the nonprofits the tea parties have helped include organizations that focus on hunger. This includes St. Theresa’s Food Pantry in Farmville, Maysville Presbyterian and Chestnut Grove Baptist Church in Buckingham, Glenn Memorial Baptist Church in Prospect and the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank among others. “Feeding people has been the legacy of my family,” Sewalk said.
and Ms. Sewalk made sure she was very much a part of it. She felt very included, very important.” Vacelo and Suzanne decided to donate to St. Theresa’s food pantry.
‘A FUN THING’ For the first course, Sewalk served Haley and her party cranberry orange scones with marmalade and honey butter. As no tea party is complete without a pairing brew, Sewalk served the scones with a pomegranate goji berry green
tea. Sewalk prints her own menus, which guests can peruse before the next course. The courses and teas take work, but Sewalk said she wouldn’t have it any other way. She said she uses teas that come from around the globe, varying in texture, color and taste that can complement a food as effortlessly as a glove on one’s hand. Other teas Sewalk creates include Rooibos tea, based in South Africa, which has a vivid red color and described with a somewhat nutty taste
‘GIVES SO MUCH’ Vacelo Moore, Haley’s great-grandmother, said they had celebrated Haley’s birthday in the past by going to tea parties. But the venue required a drive to Lynchburg. Vacelo said when they found out about Sewalk’s tea parties, they looked forward to celebrating Haley’s birthday in a sophisticated fashion closer to home. “We were really excited when we found out about this one; Suzanne Moore, Haley’s grandmother and I decided to give this gift to her,” Vacelo said. Vacelo said they began the day arranging for Haley to get her nails done., and then traveled to Crystal Pointe Farm. From the hats that hung on a rack that people could use to the beautifully set table, Vacelo said she, the family and Haley were smitten right away. Most significantly, Vacelo said that Sewalk had even given Haley a gift bag. In the gift bag was a nail decorating set. “That was a nice touch,” Vacelo said. Vacelo said she was struck by how much Kate wanted to make the event the best it could be for Haley. “Kate knew (the tea party) was for her birthday, so she made her feel really special,” Vacelo said. “I can’t say enough about how good Kate is,” Vacelo said. “She’s so welcoming and makes everyone so comfortable.” Jamie Abbott, Haley’s mother, said attending a tea party close to home had all of the comfort of visiting a good friend for tea. She said this was especially the case for Haley. “She felt very much a part of it,” Jamie, whose family lives in Cumberland County, said. “It wasn’t a little girl at a table. It was a young lady,
Above is an example of the tea room set up by Kate Sewalk of Crystal Pointe Farm in Buckingham. Sewalk hosts private tea parties to raise funds for area nonprofits.
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30 Farmville the Magazine and an organic mango pear white tea Sewalk said the white tea leaves are often picked early in the harvesting season. The cutlery sets also have their own stories. Sewalk described a set she is particularly excited about: a cobalt blue porcelain China set based from St. Petersburg, Russia, with 24-karat gold lining. She said she believed the set was made by a well-known porcelain crafting company called Lomonosov in the mid 1700s. “I have to have this,” Sewalk said when she first saw the set. She bought the set from eBay. Sewalk said
a delivery person brought the package to her door in the rain. She was shocked when she opened the package. “It was wrapped like it was in the 1950s,” Sewalk said. She said the cutlery was wrapped in straw, corrugated cardboard and twine. She expected the set to be in a million pieces. “Not a crack, a blem(ish),” she said, laughing. Sewalk has just as much fun putting together the party as the guests have had enjoying it. She expressed pride recounting watching Haley take a sip of the goji berry tea and tell her mom, delighted, she could taste the same flavors in the tea as the scone.
“She goes, ‘Mom, you can taste the same flavors,’” Sewalk said, laughing. “She gets it. She has a delicate palate.” Sewalk, a member of the Buckingham Chamber of Commerce, said news of the parties spread by word of mouth. She said the parties are private, and said she only serves high teas, which often require the most delicate cutlery and tableware, to fewer than six people. She said being retired has let her pursue the tea parties and better yet, pursuing the parties so the proceeds go to good causes. “I’m happy,” Sewalk said. “I work my buns off, but I know I’ve been truly blessed.”
Farmville the Magazine
Above, family members gather for a tea party that raised funds for St. Theresa’s Food Pantry in Farmville. Pictured are, from left, Suzanne Moore, Haley Abbott, Vacelo Moore and Jamie Moore. At right, Haley Abbott, 9, readies for a proper tea party at Crystal Pointe Farm. Kate Sewalk hosts the tea party, and participants donate funds to the charity of their choice. Opposite, a scrumptious assortment of desserts, including raspberry tarts, caramel pecan fireflies and chocolate truffles are on the menu created by Kate Sewalk for special teas she hosts at her home.
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PartyPix
LONGWOOD UNIVERSITY’S MLK SERVICE CHALLENGE As part of Longwood University’s week of activities honoring Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK), the MLK Service Challenge on Jan. 20 drew 120 student participants who served others in a variety of ways at several sites in the area. PHOTOS BY TITUS MOHLER
Light Houngheke and Jessica Newcomb
Maria Kirby, Janese Quick, Jenna Tomayko and Teresa Fruchterman
Kasie Miller, Sadie Hodges and Abby Jones
Kennedy Culbreath, Madison Lockamy and Maddie Hommey
Kayla Hogues and Destiny Stith
Chyanne Correa and Brittney Branch
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Emily Barksdale and Katie Loomis
Shaunah Smyre and Jahnay Davis
Jacob Reimers, Daniel Marques, Willy Miezan and Josh Hanratty
Luke Ahalt and Sam Behan
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Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration The Southside Virginia State University Alumni Association held its 12th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration on Jan. 13. The commemoration included a speech by Dr. Wendy Lyle-Jones, lunch for attendees and songs performed by Torrie Patterson. PHOTOS BY Morgan White
Elzora Stiff and Flossie Hudson
Cynthia Chalise Bernard and Pattie Cooper-Jones
Eva Abbott and Anna Mack
Warren and Shondra Walker
Sasha Johnson, Spring Johnson and Sam Jones
Briana and Lynette Gee
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John Baker, Phyllis Baker and Stephanie Baker
Vernon Elam, Ahmiya Elam and June Elam
James Ghee and Mary Ghee
Michelle Lipscomb-Brown and Dr. Wendy Lyle-Jones
David Moore, Cheryl Gee and Beulah Womack
Barbara Marshall, the Rev. Maurice Finey and James Scott
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Buckingham chamber banquet Members of the Buckingham Chamber of Commerce sought to honor members of the community through its Jan. 15 chamber banquet. After enjoying a hearty meal and bidding on items for a silent auction, participants were awarded for their volunteer service, youth service, business of the year and lifetime achievement. PHOTOS BY Emily Hollingsworth
Sita Rose and Krishna Jo
Wanda Albrecht and Martha Louis
Elton and Arlene Layden
David and Tanner Wise
Wanda and Gary Albrecht
Dave Ball
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Margaret Stout and Jessica Myers
Jewel Harris and Jason Wharam
Steve Wheeler
Carroll Gathright
Linda and Dewey Elder
Shelton and Margaret Johnson
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PartyPix
H-SC holds Winter Ball Hampden-Sydney College (H-SC) held a Roaring Twenties themed Winter Ball on Feb. 2 which saw more than 400 people in attendance. Attendees enjoyed 20s themed decor, food, music and dancing. PHOTOS BY Morgan White
Charles Sands, Anne Sands, Laura Lee Cook and Candy Cook
John Nixon and Parker Nixon
Emily Hinkle and Will Fussy
Clarice Maxxheuss , Brennan Baught, Caelan Gold and Ally Bartlett
Patsy Pelland, Katie Pelland, Linda Cheyne and Stan Cheyne
Mary Grace Wilder, Jules Williams and Hailey Respess
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Joy Utzinger, May Reed and Randy Reed
Clay Robins and Sabrina Frongillo
Robert Bourne and Lauren Helber
Kristin Fischer and Mike Wolyniak
Austin Held and Adair Logue
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Grand opening celebrated More than 50 members of the community braved the early morning chill for the grand opening of the Dollar General store at the intersection of Route 460 and Rice’s Depot Road. Representatives of Dollar General and the Prince Edward County Board of Supervisors attended. PHOTOS BY Emily Hollingsworth
Betty Shanks, Crystal Caballero, Nancy Ford and Cheryl Mayton
Joan Dungans
Rolounda Hooker, Ambrohsia Smith, Willie Hartwill and Sedet Smith
Diane Jenkins and Debbie Sledd
Carol Robertson
Urscille Hamlin, Nannie Dove and David Barkley
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Levi Ware, Curtis Ware and Catherine Weaver
Abigail Fulcher, Aubrey Fulcher, Janet Bowman, Makayla Fulcher, Melissa Fulcher, Madison Fulcher and Barbara Schutt
Tre and Detra Deese
District 101 Supervisor Howard Simpson, Dollar General District Manager Michelle Romanac, Chairwoman Pattie Cooper-Jones, County Administrator Wade Bartlett and Dollar General Assistant Store Manager Jesse Woodall
Robert Manning, Phoenix Roberts and Kevin Manning
Jajuan, Sharon and Valencia Valentin
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Firefighters recognized Nearly 30 first responders in the Heart of Virginia were recognized for completing training programs and receiving certification relating to firefighting, responding in emergency situations, handling hazardous material and operating specialized machinery Jan. 28. The inaugural award ceremony, held at the Prince Edward County High School Auditorium, was hosted by the Prince Edward Area Firefighters Association. PHOTOS BY Emily Hollingsworth
David Mansueti, Dillon Tennis and Matt Fults
Farmville Fire Department Chief Dean Farmer and Chaplain Mark Mills
Frances Redford and Kelly Redford
Travis Finch, Cameron Wallace and Prince Edward Area Firefighters Association President Ralph Crawley
Meherrin Fire & Rescue Chief Trey Pyle, Leigh District Supervisor Jerry Townsend and Afred Washington
Clint Hammock, Kelly Hammock and Zoe Farley
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Geoffrey Goodwin, Dean Farmer and Matt Fults
David Mansueti, Dillon Tennis, Jon Conner and Walter Whitt
Nick Hinkle, Brian Torney and Colin Corini
Marcus Ayoub, Sarah Lawson, Corey Childers and Colin Penn
James and Erin Newman
Rice Volunteer Fire Department Chief Wes Reames, Tracy Ellington and Farmville Police Department Chief Andy Q. Ellington
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14th Annual Taste of Farmville The Farmville Rotary Club hosted the 14th Annual Taste of Farmville on Jan. 25 at the STEPS Inc. building in Farmville. The event saw more than 600 residents turn out to get a taste of cooking from community members, organizations and businesses. PHOTOS By Morgan White
Jessie Williams, Madeline Buczek and Casey Tharpe
Tim and Melissa Shirk
Tim Schoonmaker, Penny Garrett, Gladys Torres and Brenda Rodriguez
Emmalee Klein, Dan Mossler and Kerry Mossler
Andy and Joy Stump
Rachel Williams and Javon Booker
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Porsha Harris and Jerry Stuart
Susan Hines and Kathyn Nasburg
Frankie Todt and Cindy Watson
Jen Fraley, Bob Jefferson and Sue Carter
Jason Meeks and Roy Johnson
Cheryl Gee, Nikki Morrison, Robert Foley and Billie Jo Bailey
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A Look into the Past
Stock certificate No. 1 for the Farmville & Powhatan Railroad was purchased by the Town of Farmville for 120 shares.
Above is an 1891 rail pass for the Farmville & Powhatan Railroad. The rail pass was issued to employees and VIPs for travel along the line. Pictured at right are coupons for the first bond mortgage for the Farmville & Powhatan Railroad Company.
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Depicted on a 1907 postcard is this large wooden trestle that traversed the low grounds beneath Lancer Park. All that remains today is a solitary brick bridge pier at the Appomattox River.
“Faith a nd Pov erty ”: The Farmville & Powhatan Railroad Story by Bob Flippen
C
hartered in 1884, the Farmville & Powhatan Railroad became the consolidation of an existing coal hauling rail line with a newly constructed extension from Moseley to Farmville. The new line served commuters and freight between Farmville and Bermuda Hundred for 25 years. The first component was The Bright Hope Railway and Coal Co. formed in 1877, to carry coal from the Clover Hill Coal Mines at Winterpock to Osborne’s Landing. In May 1881, the Bright Hope converted to a 3-foot narrow gauge and extended the line 11 miles from Chester to Bermuda Hundred. It also built a spur line 4.5 miles from Winterpock to Eppes Falls.
48 Farmville the Magazine These changes were all completed by October, 1882. On July 23, 1889, the F. & P. purchased at foreclosure, the line and property of the Bright Hope Ry. Co. for $200,000. By early 1890, the extension line to Farmville was completed. The 1890s was the most successful period of the Farmville & Powhatan Railroad. However, by 1901, the cost of maintenance, employees and interest on borrowed money, led to the nickname- “Faith and Poverty.” Six trains operated on the road, numbers one, three, four, five, six and 10. Engines burned wood or coal and had air brakes. The freight hauled mainly consisted of coal, lumber, pulpwood, tobacco and railroad ties. There were several spur lines accessing the Cumberland coal pits from the main line. In 1905, Langbourne Williams, Administrator of the Ginter Tobacco estate, purchased the F. & P. for $125,000. The name also changed at this time to The Tidewater and Western Railway. The demise of the T. & W. began with the discovery of the Pocahontas coal seam in southwest Virginia. The superior quality in vast quantities replaced demand for the Chesterfield and Cumberland County coal deposits. The introduction of a new form of transportation known as the automobile, also led to a decline in service that helped coin a new moniker- “The Tired and Weary.” In the ten years from 1905-1915, the line had a deficit of $72,000. With no interest from any purchasers and weary of costly law suits, Williams abruptly discontinued service. The people of Powhatan and Cumberland contested the closing and the State Corporation Commission referred the case to the State Supreme Court in June, 1917. At first, the Court refused dissolution without a two-thirds majority vote from the stockholders. In September 1917, the Court reversed its decision, permitting the company to dismantle the line and sell its assets. In 1918 the rails were taken up and sold to the French Government for use in World War I. Two locomotives were sold to a Hopewell factory and the remaining property was bought by a Chesterfield Salvage Co. in 1919, for $45,000.
Top, this engine along the Tidewater & Western was operated by E.B. Cheatham, of Farmville. It was known for the deer antlers mounted in front above the light. In the photo above, an 1890 topographical map shows the F & P crossing the Appomattox River in the low grounds beneath Lancer Park and paralleling Plank Road, crossing Airport Road and then traveling along state Route 45 to the Cumberland courthouse.
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At left is an engine at Gray’s siding near Sunnyside along state Route 13 in Cumberland County. Above is a 1901 railroad schedule published in The Farmville Herald, listing all stops.
Pictured, above left, is a passenger ticket for the Farmville & Powhatan Railroad Company listing various destinations. At left is a telegram form from 1900. The F & P owned the telegraph line, but it was operated by the Western Union Telegraph Company with the railroad receiving 50 percent of tolls collected at offices. Above is an engine somewhere along the line in Cumberland County.
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Town and Gown
‘We are a family’ O
n February 23, 1905, a Chicago lawyer named Paul Harris invited three of his friends: Gustave Loehr, a freemason, Silvester Schiele, a coal merchant, and Hiram Shorey, a tailor, to a meeting. Harris’ mission was to unite the abilities of these individuals in an effort to create a club that would not only better the Chicago community, but the world. The formula was simple — “provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.” This idea, within just a few years, grew into the mission of one of the largest charity and volunteer organizations in the world - Rotary International (RI). Today, RI consists of 30,000 clubs and 1.2 million members worldwide. The Rotary Foundation, the philanthropic arm whose claim to fame is that it has funded near-eradication of polio, receives perfect scores and five stars on Charity Navigator. A third descendant of the original Chicago club, is our own Rotary Club of Farmville. Chartered in 1938, our club has become a pillar of the wider Farmville community. In its 80 years of existence, the Rotary Club of Farmville has assisted in establishing some of the most useful programs in the area. We purchased freezers for FACES, which vastly improved the variety of food provided. We were amongst the first to pledge support to the Southside Virginia Family YMCA. We built a popular playground at the entrance of Wilck’s Lake, to name a few. Rotary Club of Farmville continuously supports local charities, and we pride ourselves on the fact that 100 percent of funds raised here stay here. Superb community support of our events, such as Taste of Farmville, enables us to continue to do this.
But our club is actually even more than that. It is the spirit and the essence of Farmville community itself. We are a family. Through weekly meetings at lunch or happy hour time (your choice!) or both, and via quirky traditions such as singing at the beginning of every meeting or paying for feeling happy, we grow closer and more powerful as a group. This power enables us to continually promote the ofSUE CARTER is the human ficial values of Rotary International: service, fellowship, resources director and Title IX coordinator at Hampden-Sydney diversity, integrity, and leadership — values that FarmCollege and the current president ville itself naturally embraces. Groups such as Interact at of the Rotary Club of Farmville. She is also an adjunct professor Fuqua School and Rotaract at Hampden-Sydney College, at Longwood University in its replicate these values amongst our future leaders, and our sociology department and a community benefits! volunteer with both Prince Edward Volunteer Rescue Squad and Five years ago, I was approached by a community Hampden-Sydney Volunteer member donning a Rotary Wheel on her lapel. She invited Fire Department. me to lunch at Charleys Waterfront Café on a Thursday at noon. I went, and ultimately became a Rotarian. Every Thursday since then, I have been at Charleys on Thursday at noon unless I am traveling. In those instances, I visit other Rotary Clubs where I absolutely feel that I belong just like I do at our own Rotary Club of Farmville. At the end of each meeting, wherever in the world it may be held, Rotarians join together in reciting the Four Way Test. Of all the things we think, say, or do, we ask ourselves: 1. Is it the truth? 2. Is it fair to all concerned? 3. Will it build goodwill and better friendships? 4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned? Come join us for lunch or happy hour to discover a fifth and secret part of this test — is it fun?
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Why I Love Farmville
Rita Odom Moseley Q: What has kept you in Farmville for the majority of your life?
A: The size of the town is what has kept me here. I love that it’s small and quiet, it fits my character. The comfort of living in a small town and the personal contacts you find in the community are heartwarming. Q: What did you learn about Farmville through the process of writing and releasing your book, “No School?”
A: I learned what a great community this is and that Farmville is putting forward a sincere effort for change. The response I received, particularly from my book signing at the Moton Museum and iamritaodommoseley.com, was overwhelming, unbelievable and unforgettable. My feeling grew stronger through my writing process in seeing the changes and the sincere effort of the community to be kind and respectful to others. During that process my feelings evolved on how I felt about Farmville, but what I learned and saw the day of releasing my book was the love and support the community had for me, and I thank them again with everything within me. Q: Theoretically, you are visiting a foreign country. You haven’t been in Farmville for six months. You’ve just arrived back to town. What’s the first thing you do?
A: The first thing I would do is to find out what has changed, what new establishment is here and what has occurred during my absence. Next I would look for upcoming events to attend around town and find places where I can relax and enjoy the peacefulness. Q: What is your favorite thing about Farmville?
A: My favorite thing about Farmville is the fact that I can walk or drive any direction in a short time to get what I need. I also like the fact that Farmville is providing medical facilities and bringing in medical specialists, eliminating the need for long drives out of town.
Q: What are some of your favorite things to do in Farmville on the weekends?
A: Finding a quiet place near water is a favorite because it calms me and allows me to take pictures of unnatural creations such a frozen zigzag ice path in the middle of the melted lake or silhouettes of objects on the water. I am always in search of places to walk, but most of my time is spent working on several projects, usually future books where I spend unbelievable hours at the library. Occasionally, I may meet a friend at a restaurant or take in a movie. Q: Describe the Farmville community.
A: The Farmville Community is very unique. It is growing in leaps and bounds and has recently shown there are no limits of what it can accomplish. It seems as though people in the community are taking the time to be kind, polite and respectful, such as holding the door for you, smiling or speaking in passing, allowing you to go first, etc. I judge people by the way I am treated by them. The changes I am seeing and the many services being provided to all communities are very refreshing. What I am proudest of in the Farmville Community is that it has not allowed divisiveness to change it.