These fields and woodlands will be preserved thanks to a conservation easement on the Reynolds’ farm
Under
THE BIG
By Tina Badger
A
bout fifteen miles west of New Castle there is a place on Johns Creek where the hickory trees grow big and drop their bounty for wildlife – and for Lillie Reynolds and her family. I met Lillie in downtown New Castle and rode with her to her family farm in western Craig County where I found a place of quiet and solitude that will forever be preserved for future generations. It is abundantly clear why Lillie loves this land and wants to preserve it. It is quite, secluded, and brings fond memories to mind when she comes here. Lillie’s father, a coal miner who worked in Buchanan County, VA, purchased the property in 1952 to give his family a better way of life away from the coalfields of far Southwest Virginia. Lillie says she has a distinct memory of her first visit to the Craig County farm. “The grass was waist high!” Lillie remembers, and the expanse of land was very different from what she was accustomed to in the Jewell Valley where houses were built close on steep hills and in deep hollows of the coal mining community. The openness and 6 | Winter 2019–2020
quite solitude struck her as something special. Lillie’s father continued to work in the coalmines in Buchanan County while the rest of the family lived on the farm in Craig County. Her father would leave for a week while her mother and the six children stayed to work the farm. The family continued to build up the farm, growing crops, raising chickens, and caring for a milk cow. While her father did not spend much
time on the farm during his working years, Lillie recalls that his love for the land was evident. He always talked about creating a wildlife preserve on that land and wanted to preserve it for years to come. He recognized the value of the land and all that it supported and worked hard to instill the same value into his family. Her father’s love for the land made an impact on her and she was determined to honor her father’s wishes. When her John’s Creek provides a great place for the family to fish and enjoy the solitude on the Reynolds’ farm
