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FliKSKXTl-:])  HY 


1907  ^  ^5, 


HALIFAX  COUNTY 

VIRGINIA 

A  HANDBOOK 


Prepared  under  the  Direction  of  the 
BOARD   OF  SUPERVISORS 


BY 


ALFRED  J.  MORRISON 


EVERETT  WADDEY  CO., 
Richmond,  Virginia 


1907 


Uj  w  <^'  f 


)\\^Y\% 


1  ()avr\je^1ubv^n  \kl 


CONTENTS. 


Part  I.— DESCRIPTIVE 


I. 

II. 

III. 

IV. 


The  County. 


V. — The  Towns. 

VI. — The  Business  of  the  Country. 
VII. — Schools  and  Churches. 
VIII. — Minerals  and  Mineral  Waters. 
IX. — Water  Powers. 
X. — Suggestions. 
XI. — Statistics. 

Part  II.— HISTORICAL. 

I.— 1676-1752. 

II.— 1752-1776. 
III.— 1776-1830. 
IV.— 1830-1865. 

v.— 1865-1907. 

The  writer  must  tender  his  acknowledgments  to  Captain  W.  G. 
Morton;  to  Captain  M.  French;  to  the  Rev.  Flournoy  Bouldin;  to  Mr. 
T.  E.  Dickerson;  and  to  the  County  Officials. 


HALIFAX  COUNTY  5 


County  Government  in  the  Ter-Centennial  Year. 

Judge  (Sixth  Circuit) William  E,.  Barksdale,  Houston. 

Commonwealth's  Attorney Wood   Bouldin,   Houston. 

Treasurer Thomas     Easley,     South     Boston. 

County    and    Circuit    Cleric Gran    Craddock. 

Sheriff W.    P.    Shephard,    Houston. 

Board  of  Supervisors. 

H.    C.    Lacy    (Chairman)    Koanoke    District Scottsburg. 

R.   S.   Barbour,   Banister  District South  Boston. 

L.  W.  Rice,     Birch     District Ingram. 

D  W  Owen     i  -^^^^^  Walnut  District Denniston. 

T.  E.  DicKERSON,  Meadsville  District Houston,  R.  F.  D. 

A.   E,   WiLKiNS,   Mount   Carmel   District Turbeville. 

R.   F.   Tuck,   Red  Bank   District VirgiKna. 

Dr.   R.   P.   Thornton,   Staunton  District,    Repubhcan  Grove 

Superintendent  of  Public  Schools 
Thos.  E.  Barksdale,  Paces.  R.  F.  D. 

Commissioner  of  Accounts  and  Commissioner  in  Chancery. 
Benj.  Watkins  Leigh,  Houston. 

.Commissioners  of  Revenue. 

H.  W.  Quarles,  Court  House  District South  Boston. 

T.    B.    Traynham,    Southern   District .....Cluster   Springs. 

G.  T.  Card  well.   Northern  District Clay's  Mill. 

Superintendent  of  the  Poor 
R.  D.  Thompson,  Houston,  R.  F.  D. 

Examiner  of  Records  for  Sixth  Judicial  Circuit 
William  P.  Barksdale,  Houston. 

County  Surveyor 
M.  French,  Houston. 

Mayors  of  the  Four  Corporations. 

R.  Holt  Easley,  Houston.     A.  Hayes,  Virgilina. 

Joseph  Stebbins,  Jr.,  South  Boston.     C.  A.  Gregory,  Clover. 


*Died  Feb.  21,  1907 


PART  I, 


DESCRIPTIVE. 


8  HALIFAX  COUNTY 

I. 

The  County. 

Study  the  map  of  Halifax  County  which  accompanies 
this  handbook.  Compute  the  area  of  the  county — say, 
27  miles  by  30 — some  800  square  miles,  and  then  make 
a  few  comparisons.  Halifax  county  is  larger  than  Saxe- 
Coburg-Gotha,  a  German  State  and  an  hereditary  consti- 
tutional monarchy.  Halifax  county  is  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  200,000.  The 
population  of  Saxe-Coburg-Gotha  in  Germany  is  more  than 
220,000.  Buckinghamshire  and  Saxe-Coburg-Gotha  are 
both  of  them  agricultural  regions.  In  1900  the  popula- 
tion of  Halifax  county,  an  agricultural  county,  was  37,197. 
Therefore,  it  is  plain  that  we  have  room  for  more  citizens. 
This  book  is  in  part  intended  to  show  that  we  have  more 
than  room — 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 
Halifax  county  offers. 

II. 

The  County. 

The  County  of  Halifax  in  Virginia  lies  in  the  Middle 
Region  of  the  state  and  extends  over  half  a  degree  of 
latitude — from  the  Virginia-North  Carolina  boundary 
parallel,  36°  50',  to  the  37th  parallel  and  a  little  beyond. 
The  79th  parallel  of  longitude  traverses  the  county.  Hali- 
fax county  forms  a  part  of  the  great  undulating  plain  which 
gently  rises  from  the  limit  of  tidewater  to  the  low,  broken 
ranges  of  hills  that  make  the  outlines  of  the  Blue  Ridge 


HALIFAX  COUNTY  9 

Mountains.  There  is  the  width  of  one  county  between 
HaUf ax  and  the  Piedmont  country.  The  mountains  to  the 
west  protect  us  from  cyclones  and  tornadoes.  The  gulf 
stream  tempers  our  climate,  our  winters  are  short,  we  have 
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  for  us  to  raise  not  only 
one  crop  a  year,  but  two  crops  a  year  or  even  three  crops 
a  year.  We  are  re-discovering  that  ours  is  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  by  the  million  cords.  Although  an 
agricultural  county  we  manufacture  and  we  have  only 
just  begun  to  see  what  the  possibilities  are  in  the  manu- 
facturing line.  Our  waterpower  is  such  that  our  two  great 
pivers  might  be  half  lined  with  mills  and  factories;  our 
two  lesser  rivers  likewise;  and  our  smaller  streams  could 
furnish  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 
been  financed  with  home  capital,  and  what  that  means  will 
be  understood  when  it  is  remarked  that  more  than  one  of 
our  bank  officials  came  home  after  the  civil  war  to  face 
ruin.  Halifax  is  an  agricultural  county,  but  its  mineral 
deposits  are  of  great  value.  Grain  lands,  pasturage,  to- 
bacco lands,  fruit  lands — river  bottoms  and  highlands — 
power  sites,  mines,  climate,  healthfulness — it  is  the  truth 
that  we  have  much  to  offer,  and  the  whole  within  but  150 
miles  of  the  sea  coast,  direct  communication,  and  Wash- 
ington and  the  northern  cities  only  a  few  hours  away. 


10  HALIFAX  COUNTY 

III. 

The  County. 

Why  is  this  county  of  Hahfax,  with  all  its  natural 
advantages,  sparsely*  settled  in  the  Ter-Centenninal 
year,  1907?  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 
rating,  after  the  war  were  thrown  out  of  cultivation,  be- 
cause neither  capital  nor  labor  was  to  be  had  for  the  proper 
working  of  them.  Plantations  before  the  war  were  little 
dominions.  The  extensive  system  was  the  only  system  in 
repute.  The  war  changed  the  basis  of  profit  from  the 
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 
sufficient  capital.  For  the  average  farmer  in  the  county 
and  for  the  average  settler  the  intensive,  diversified  system 
will  pay  best — that  is,  the  careful  handling  of  an  acreage 
not  exceeding  200.  Thoroughly  fence  200  acres,  work 
each  part  of  the  place  to  the  best  advantage,  keep  enough 
stock  to  make  manure,  raise  hogs  and  good  forage  crops, 
confine  the  money  crop  to  an  area  small  enough  to  be 
handled  with  high  efficiency,  keep  eternally  busy,  and 
Halifax  county  is  the  place  for  you.  Your  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.     The 5^ 

*It  miist  not  be  forgotten  that  by  the  last  census  Halifax  stands  third 
in  population  (not  including  city  population)  among  the  counties  of 
Virginia. 


HALIFAX  COUNTY  11 

need  variety.  They  like  to  work.  Keep  them  at  it. 
Keep  a  roof  on  them.  They  will  smile  at  you  and  you  will 
smile  at  them.  Some  time  ago  a  farmer  in  the  eastern 
part  of  the  county  had  planted  his  tobacco  crop — four 
acres.  A  man  came  along  and  wanted  to  buy  the  field. 
The  farmer  said  he  would  sell  for  the  value  of  the  crop,  no 
more,  no  less.  The  other  man  said  he  would  see  about  it. 
That  crop  brought  $426,  after  paying  warehouse  charges. 
Those  were  four  average  acres  of  upland,  recently  cleared 
of  small  pine.  Next  year  they  will  be  in  wheat,  and  the 
following  year  in  grass  or  clover,  according  to  the  rotation 
we  practice. 

This  four-acre,  $426  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  who 
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 
make  farming  pay.  About  thirteen  years  ago  I  moved 
to  Halifax  county,  near  South  Boston,  Virginia.  I  bought 
an  800  acre  plantation.  I  kept  about  sixty  head  of  cattle 
and  began  to  improve  with  stable  manure,  green  crops 
(crimson  clover,  and  cowpeas),  and  good  plowing.  Now 
I  have  a  fine  farm,  cost  me  only  about  k  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. 
I  sowed  last  year  an  upland  field  in  German  millet.  Har- 
vested 2i  tons  of  hay  to  the  acre,  sold  at  South  Boston 
market  for  $20.00  a  ton.  Another  field  I  sowed  in  the 
fall  with  crimson  clover,  after  the  oat  crop  was  harvested. 
I  mowed  this  field  May  12th  and  had  ih  ton  of  clover  hay 
to  the  acre.  Soon  after  I  plowed  the  land  again,  and 
planted  to  corn  the  middle  of  June.     Harvested  about  50 


12  BALIFAl  COUNTY 

bushels  of  corn  to  the  acre.  So  the  clover  hay  and  corn 
crop  value  in  one  summer  was  about  $35  per  acre.  We 
have  about  twelve  months  the  year  to  work  the  land,  a 
fine  mild  climate,  plenty  of  firewood,  clear  soft  water, 
springs  and  streams  all  over,  good  neighborhood,  schools 
and  churches.  1  think  this  is  the  best  country  now  in  our 
United  States  for  immigrants,  especially  German  farmers."* 

IV. 

The  County. 

Halifax  county  lies  in  the  bright  tobacco  belt  of  Southern 
Virginia,  which  means  that  a  man  has  the  choice  of  being 
a  general  farmer,  or  of  concentrating  upon  one  of  the  most 
highly  specialized  branches  of  farming  to  be  found  in  the 
world,  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- 
east. The  Dan  River  flows  through  the  southern  part 
of  the  county,  making  a  junction  with  the  Staunton  at  a 
southeastern  angle  of  the  county.  From  this  point  to 
Tidewater  (only  70  miles  distant)  the  united  rivers  are 
known  as  the  Roanoke.  Besides  the  Dan  and  the  Staun- 
ton, Halifax  county  is  watered  by  two  other  rivers,  the 
Banister  and  the  Hyco.  The  basin  of  the  Banister  lies 
between  the  valleys  of  the  Dan  and  the  Staunton.  The 
Hyco  flows  into  the  Dan  from  the  South.  An  inspection 
of  the  map  will  show,  how  the  numerous  tributaries  of 
these  larger  streams ,  furnish  water  and  water  power 
throughout  the  county. 

A  division  of  the  Southern  Railway  (Richmond  and 
Danville)  runs  through  the  county  of  Halifax,  fromx  the 
northeast  curving  to  the  southwest.     Another    division 

*Johii  Cramer,  South  Boston,  E,.  F.  D. 


HALIFAX  COUNTY  13 

of  the  Southern  Railway  (Norfolk  and  Danville)  skirts 
the  southern  boundary  of  the  county,  between  the  Virginia- 
North  Carolina  line  and  the  Dan  River.  The  Norfolk 
and  Western  (Lynchburg,  Va.,  and  Durham,  N.  C,  Divi- 
sion) bisects  the  county  from  north  to  south.  The  Tide- 
water Railroad,  from  Norfolk  to  the  coal  fields,  will 
parallel  the  Staunton  River  to  the  north.  Few  counties 
in  Virginia  have  more  railroad  mileage  than  Halifax. 

The  four  towns  of  the  county  are:  (1)  Houston,  the 
county  seat,  at  the  centre  of  the  county  on  the  Norfolk 
and  Western  Railroad.  (2)  South  Boston,  the  county 
metropolis,  a  little  south  of  the  centre,  at  the  crossing  of 
the  Southern  and  the  Norfolk  and  Western.  (3)  Virgilina 
a  mining  town,  in  the  southern  part  of  the  county  on  the 
Norfolk-Danville  division  of  the  Southern.  (4)  Clover, 
in  the  eastern  part  of  the  county  on  the  Richmond-Dan- 
ville division  of  the  Southern. 

The  county  of  Halifax  is  divided  into  eight  magisterial 
districts  as  follows:  (1)  Banister, 'honnded  on  two  sides 
by  rivers,  the  Banister  and  the  Dan.  (2)  Birch,  with  the 
Dan  as  its  southern  boundary.  (3)  Black  Walnut, 
bounded  on  the  north  by  the  Dan  and  traversed  by  the 
Hyco.  (4)  Meadsville,  through  which  runs  the  Banister. 
(5)  Mt.  Carmel,  lying  between  the  Dan  and  the  North 
Carolina  line.  (6)  Red  Bank,  of  which  the  Dan  forms  the 
northern  boundary  and  through  which  the  Hyco    runs. 

(7)  Roanoke,   between  the  rivers  Banister  and  Staunton. 

(8)  Staunton,  with  the  Staunton  river  for  northern  bound- 
ary. Every  district  has  a  river  and  a  railroad.  In  addi- 
tion, every  district  has  its  telephone  line  and  on  the  average 
three  rural  mail  delivery  routes. 

Red  Bank  is  a  mining  district.  There  is  enough  power 
at  the  Hyco  Falls  to  smelt  copper  and  refine  gold  at  many 
points  in  the  Red  Bank  district  of  the  Virgilina  Belt.     The 


14  HALIFAX  COUNTY 

Buffalo  Lithia  Springs,  (its  waters  a  world-famous  pre- 
scription for  the  uric  acid  diathesis)  are  less  than  five  miles 
to  the  east.  The  Talley  Falls  are  sufficient  to  dot  Roanoke 
district  with  manufacturing  plants.  Banister  is  a  com- 
mercial 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 
in  Virginia.  Meadsville  is  a  typical  bright  tobacco  dis- 
trict— light,  quick  soils  that  make  the  texture  and  the 
coloring.  Staunton  district  produces  a  tobacco  quite  as 
good,  that  is,  the  best;  and  the  same  is  true  of  all  eight 
districts  though  not  so  emphatically  as  of  these  two. 
Birch,  Black  Walnut,  Mt.  Carmel,  Roanoke,  Staunton, 
Banister  are  excellent  grain  farm  districts  and  the  men 
who  care  for  stock  and  give  stock  care  are  not  failures  in 
these  districts.  In  Mount  Carmel  and  Birch  districts 
cattle  are  being  raised  extensively  and  with  conspicuous 
success. 


The  Towns. 

South  Boston. — South  Boston,  besides  being  the 
second  bright  tobacco  market  in  Virginia  (and  therefore 
in  the  world,  no  doubt),  is  a  manufacturing  and  a  jobbing 
town.  After  some  research  the  writer  cannot  find  its 
parallel  in  Virginia,  not  simply  for  rapid  growth  but  for 
solid  enterprise.  In  1870  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  up  here  great  warehouses  and  factories  and 
mills;  five  banks;  w^holesale  houses  (dry  goods,  groceries, 
hardware,    clothing);  exceedingly   well-equipped   private 


HALIFAX  COUNTY  15 

residences;  and  the  concomitants  of  these,  churches  and 
schools.  The  business  men  of  Hahfax  count}^  were  not 
long  paralyzed  by  the  war,  and  with  every  day  the  oppor- 
tunities for  business  in  the  county  are  becoming  more 
manifest. 

The  town  of  South  Boston  lies  on  the  north  bank  of  the 
river  Dan,  at  the  crossing  of  the  Norfolk  and  Western 
and  Southern  Railways.  Approaching  the  place  from 
the  hills  to  the  South,  the  view  offered  is  an  excellent  one. 
The  great  county  bridge  that  spans  the  river  here  is  a  con- 
spicuous 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  fur- 
nish electricity  to  light  the  town  and  run  the  greater  part 
of  its  machinery.  The  town  extends  up  from  the  river 
and  along  the  slight  blufP  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 
the  whole.  Even  a  traveller  passing  through  by  train  is 
given  some  index  of  the  extraordinar}^  activity  of  this 
Hub  of  Halifax.* 

South  Boston  has  the  advantage  of  a  competitive  freight 
rate,  which  enables  manufacturers  and  jobbers  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  York. 

'Trom  its  earlier  days  South  Boston  has  been  a  market 
for  tobacco.     The   amount  of  bright  leaf  sold  during  the 


*  During  March,  1907,  the  town  voted  a  bond  issue  of  $85,000,  the 
greater  part  of  which  will  be  apphed  to  water  supply  and  street  im- 
provements. 


16  HALIFAX  COUNTY 

tobacco  year  ending  August  31st  last  in  the  seven  ware- 
houses here,  was:  13,277,873  pounds  of  leaf  for  the  sum 
of  $1,314,968.54,  being  an  average  of  $9.90  per  hundred; 
1,103,236  pounds  of  scrap  for  $38,060.83,  or  an  average 
of  $3 .  45  per  hundred;  total  pounds  sold  14,381,109,  which 
brought  to  the  farmers  marketing  here  the  sum  of  $1,353- 
019.39.  From  August  31,  1906  to  January  1,  1907  the 
sales  were  8,027,306  pounds— $640,987.09. 

There  is  no  town  known  as  a  tobacco  market  that  is 
better  equipped  for  handling  the  weed  than  South  Boston. 
All  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 
liberality,  fair  dealing  and  accommodating  spirit. 

There  are  four  large  and  splendidly  equipped  stemming 
establishments  here  besides  a  dozen  prizeries  for  handling 
the  leaf  tobacco.  The  stemmeries  are  owned  and  con- 
ducted by  the  American  Tobacco  Company,  the  R.  J. 
Reynolds  Tobacco  Company,  the  Imperial  Tobacco  Com- 
pany, of  Great  Britain  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 
the  counties  of  Halifax,  Pittsylvania,  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 
jobbing  and  wholesaling.  The  idea  of  an  inland  town  of 
4,000  inhabitants  doing  a  jobbing  business  that  runs  up 
into  the  millions  per  year  is  something  a  little  unusual  in 
the  mercantile  world.  There  are  here  three  wholesale 
grocery  houses,  the  R.  W.  Lawson  Grocery  Company, 


HALIFAX  COUNTY  17 

Easley  Grocery  Company  and  Blackwell  and  Walker,  all 
of  whom  do  a  flourishing  business. 

The  Virginia  Implement  and  Hardware  Company  and 
R.  A.  Penick  and  Son  are  wholesale  hardware  dealers,  and 
they  sell  goods  in  several  States.  The  Farmers'  Hard- 
ware and  Supply  Company,  a  concern  with  large  capital, 
began  business  in  March,  1907.  The  Keystone  Drug 
Manufacturing  Company  sells  its  own  proprietary  medi- 
cines and  other  drugs  to  the  retailers  of  several  states,  and 
they  are  doing  a  large  business. 

The  wholesale  dry  goods  and  notion  house  of  the  Steb- 
bins,  Lawson  and  Spraggins  Company  carry  a  regular 
stock  of  $300,000,  and  sell  goods  from  Alexandria,  Va., 
to  Corpus  Christi,  Texas.  They  keep  twelve  traveling 
men  on  the  road  all  the  time  and  sell  great  quantities  of 
goods  in  Virginia,  North  and  South  Carolina  and  northern 
Georgia.  They  also  sell  quantities  of  special  goods  in 
Alabama,  Florida,  Mississippi,  Louisiana  and  Texas,  and 
up  as  high  as  Tennessee  and  Kentucky.  The  total  sales 
of  this  house  for  a  year  are  beyond  the  million  dollar 
mark.  Their  immense  store  is  packed  from  cellar  to 
garret  with  dry  goods  from  the  common  sheetings  to  the 
finest  silks  and  dress  goods,  and  with  all  manner  of  laces, 
ribbons,  notions,  etc. 

With  such  a  tobacco  trade  and  with  so  many  manufac- 
turing establishments,  employing  large  numbers  of  hands, 
it  is  but  natural  that  South  Boston  should  have  many 
prosperous  retail  merchants.  There  are  fifty-odd  of  them 
here  in  one  line  and  another,  and  some  of  the  retail  stores 
are  as  handsome  establishments  as  are  to  be  found  in  any 
town  of  three  times  the  size  of  this. 

South  Boston  has  already  made  its  mark  as  a  manu- 
facturing town,  and  I  am  inclined  to  the  opinion  that  in 
years  to  come,  and  a  very  few  years  at  that,  it  will  be  one 


18  HALIFAX  COUNTY 

of  the  leading  manufacturing  centres  of  the  industrial 
South. 

The  Barbour  Buggy  Company,  with  its  wagon  manu- 
facturing branch  and  its  immense  storage  warehouse,  mak- 
ing three  large  establishments,  and  its  acres  of  lumber 
yards,  is  one  of  the  largest  concerns,  if  not  the  largest  of 
its  kind,  in  the  South.  The  Barbour  Buggy  Company  has 
been  manufacturing  buggies  for  many  years,  and  a  few 
years  ago  absorbed  the  Virginia  Wagon  Company,  of  this 
place,  which  confines  its  work  to  the  manufacture  of  farm 
wagons.  The  combination,  now  known  by  the  one  name 
of  the.  Barbour  Buggy  Company,  has  three  very  large 
establishments,  which,  with  the  lumber  yards,  drying  kilns 
and  railway  side  trackage,  cover  eight  acres  of  land. 
The  establishment  is  supplied  with  the  latest  machinery 
from  cellar  to  garret,  and  with  250  to  300  hands  regularly 
employed  they  turn  out  fourteen  thousand  vehicles 
per  year.  In  1893  this  firm  was  producing  only  thirty- 
six  buggies  a  year. 

These  buggies,  surreys,  wagons  and  drays  are  sold 
thoroughout  the  South  Atlantic  States  from  Virginia  to 
Florida,  and  as  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- 
ated by  R.  A.  Harrell.  Mr.  Harrell  has  a  factory  supplied 
with  suitable  machinery,  from  which  he  turns  out  about 
eight  hundred  buggies  and  sewing-machine  wagons  per 
annum.  His  trade  is  mostly  in  the  South,  but  he  sells 
some  buggies  and  machine  wagons  in  the  West.  I  saw 
him  making  a  shipment  to  Colorado  today. 


HALIFAX  COUNTY  19 

The  Century  Manufacturing  Company  makes  and  sells 
all  over  the  South'  the  famous  ''Century  cloth/'  (now 
called  ''Linonette")  known  to  dry  goods  merchants  far 
and  near.  They  also  make  other  dress  goods,  linen  finish 
waistings,  bleach  muslins  and  long  cloths.  This  is  a  South 
Boston  concern,  run  with  South  Boston  capital,  and  it 
does  an  immense  business.  Their  factory  is  located  in 
South  Carolina,  where  they  are  right  on  the  ground  with 
the  raw  material. 

The  Boston  Manufacturing  Company,  of  which  Joseph 
Stebbins  is  the  president,  is  simply  a  shirt  factory,  but 
something  of  an  unusual  one.  The  company  makes  only 
one  kind  of  shirt,  a  negligee  that  is  made  to  retail  at  50 
cents,  and  the  wonder  is  how  it  can  be  sold  at  that  figure. 
The  company  employs  white  women  and  girls  and  gives 
them  profitable  employment  in  a  neat  and  airy  factory, 
where  every  attention  is  given  to  health  and  comfort  of 
the  workers.  ''The  Boston,''  the  name  of  the  shirt 
turned  out,  is  in  demand  all  over  the  South,  and  the  com- 
pany cannot  keep  up  with  its  orders.  Plans  are  now 
being  drawn  for  a  larger  factory,  that  will  more  than 
double  the  present  capacity  of  fifty  dozen  garments  per 
day.  This  is  the  only  shirt  factory  in  the  South  that 
makes  negligees  for  the  trade. 

The  Century  Cotton  Mills,  established  here  about  ten 
years  ago  by  T.  S.  Wilson  and  C.  A.  Lukins,  are  now 
leased  for  a  term  of  years  to  the  Paramount  Knitting  Mills, 
of  Chicago.  This  company  runs  a  number  of  first-class 
knitting  mills  in  the  West,  and  they  have  leased  the  cotton 
mills  here  in  which  to  make  knitting  yarns  for  consump- 
tion in  their  own  knitting  factories. 

The  Century  Mills  employ  125  hands  and  run  8,088 
spindles.  They  consume  nearly  or  quite  4,000  bales  of 
raw  cott9n  per  year,  and  turn  out  about  6,000  pounds  of 


20  HALIFAX  COUNTY 

knitting  yarns  per  day,  all  of  which  are  shipped  from  the 
factory  door  to  the  knitting  mills  in  the  West.  The  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 
common  school,  are  employed  and  paid  by  the  company. 
There  are  really  three  schools,  the  kindergarten  and  the 
common  school  for  the  children  in  the  day,  and  a  night 
school  for  the  benefit  of  such  of  the  operatives  as  wish  to 
avail  themselves  of  it.     All  are  well  attended. 

The  South  Boston  Lumber  Company  has  one  of  the  best 
equipped  plants  of  its  kind  in  the  State.  Its  capacity  is 
50,000  ft.  per  day,  and  its  output  goes  to  the  local  trade 
almost  solely.     Such  is  the  building  activity  in  this  region. 

It  must  not  be  forgotten  that  South  Boston  had  a 
$200,000  fire  last  June  that  cut  a  swath  right  through  the 
business  centre  of  the  town  and  destroyed  some  of  the 
largest  stores  and  factories  and  warehouses,  but  one  might 
forget  it  if  not  reminded  of  it.  *Somehow  it  always  happens 
even  in  as  live  a  town  as  South  Boston,  that  a  good  sized 
fire  wakes  the  people  up  and  causes  them  to  throw  new 
energy  into  things.  It  is  certain  that  the  fire  of  last  June 
has  made  South  Boston  people  do  a  little  more  hustling 
than  before.  For  instance,  a  Business  Men's  Association, 
another  name  for  a  Chamber  of  Commerce,  has  been  organ- 
ized. It  has  sixty-odd  active  members  and  a  splendid 
corps  of  officers,  as  follows:  T.  B.  Johnston,  president; 
Joseph  Stebbins,  Jr.,  first  vice-president;  R.  S.  Barbour, 
second  vice-president,  and  Howard  L.  Edmunds,  secretary 
and  treasurer. 

*A  reminder  came,  March  28,  1907 — in  the  shape  of  another  fire,  in- 
surance $400,000.  The  financial  sohdity  of  South  Boston  has  been 
tested  within  the  ten  months.  This  greater  fire  has  also  been  accepted 
as  matter  of  fact,  as  only  incidental  to  the  growth  of  the  town. 


HALIFAX  COUNTY  21 

South  Boston  has  as  handsome  private  residences  and  as 
substantial  and  commodious  churches  as  any  Virginia 
city  of  twice  or  three  times  its  size,  and  all  the  Protestant 
denominations  are  represented.  A  large  new  hotel, 
thoroughly  equipped,  will  soon  be  ready  for  business. 
The  Opera  House,  which  is  a  part  of  the  Masonic  Temple, 
is  a  handsome  hall  with  a  seating  capacity  of  600."* 

As  supplementary  to  the  very  adequate  summary  of  the 
larger  activities  of  South  Boston  given  above,  there  should 
be  mentioned  the  Boston  Brick  Company,  brick  and 
cement  block  manufacturers;  the  J.  A.  Mebane  Company, 
Inc.,  manufacturers  of  electrical  supplies;  and  the  South 
Boston  Ice  Company,  Inc.f 

The  fraternal  orders  represented  at  South  Boston,  all 
of  which  are  in  flourishing  condition,  are  as  follows:  Junior 
Order  United  American  Mechanics  (for  information  apply 
to  A.  H.  Vaughan);  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows 
(for  information  apply  to  A.  P.  Gilbert);  and  two  lodges 
of  Ancient,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  viz:  South  Boston 
Lodge  No.  91,  and  Shepherd  Lodge  No.  99.  South  Boston 
Lodge  No.  91  owns  the  handsome  Masonic  Temple  prop- 
erty, 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 
and  Merchants  Bank,  (Henry  Easle}^,  President);  Bank 
of  South  Boston,  (Joseph  Stebbins,  President);  South 
Boston  Savings  Bank,  (Henry  Easley,  President);  First 
National  Bank,  (R.  H.  Edmondson,  President);  Boston 


*  Frank   S.   Woodson:  Richmond  Times  Dispatch,  Oct.  7,  1906- 
t  The  real  estate  firm  of  W.  D.  Hill   &  Co.  should  not    be  over- 
looked.    Within  ten  years  this  firm  has   settled  in  Halifax  County 
between  200  and  250  families  from  the  West  and  the  Northwest. 


22  HALIFAX  COUNTY 

National  Bank,   (J.  J.  Lawson,  President).     [For   Bank 
Statistics,  see  Sec.  XI.] 

In  short,  South  Boston  is  a  striking  example  of  ''that 
realization  by  the  people  of  the  entire  South,  bankers, 
merchants  and  farmers,  of  the  power  of  co-operation  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  ol  the  business  world  which  is 
in  any  way  dependent  upon  these  staples  or   upon   the 

general  prosperity  of  the  South."* 

i«   *   * 

Houston. — Five  miles  north  of  South  Boston  is  Hous- 
ton, the  county  seat,  which  dates  from  the  eightheenth 
century.  Population  at  present  800.  The  residence 
street  of  Houston  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  streets  in 
Virginia,  and  like  several  of  the  streets  of  South  Boston 
only  needs  a  more  efficient  macadamizing  to  make  it 
thoroughly  satisfactory.  Where  roads  are  so  good  during 
the  greater  part  of  the  year  it  is  difficult  to  remember, 
when  they  are  good,  that  there  comes  a  short  season  when 
they  grow  bad.  The  county  and  circuit  court  house  at 
Houston  is  a  fine  old  building  in  the  classic  style.  It  stands 
in  a  square  about  which  are  ranged,  after  the  accepted 
fashion  of  other  days,  county  officers'  and  lawyers'  sanc- 
tums. The  courthouse  is  equipped  with  one  of  the  safest 
and  most  commodious  records  depositories  to  be  found  in 
Virginia.  It  is  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  countv  one  hundred  and   fifty-four 


Manufacturer's  Record  Dec.  31,  1905. 


HALIFAX  COUNTY  23 

years  gone  by)  are  placed  beyond  the  reach  of  the  vandal 
fire.  Houston  has  its  electric  plant  and  two  banks,  those 
other  beacons  of  light.  There  are  at  Houston  a  brick 
yard  of  good  capacity,  a  flour  mill,  two  corn  mills,  two 
hotels,  two  hardware  stores,  two  drug  stores,  three  dry 
goods  stores,  and  four  groceries  (one  wholesale).  Houston 
has  long  been  known  as  a  centre  of  culture  and  refinement. 
The  town  has  six  churches  and  a  high  school.  Plans  are 
being  drawn  for  the  erection  there  of  a  steam  drying  house 
under  the  auspices  of  the  Bright  Tobacco  Protective  Asso- 
ciation of  Virginia.* 

*  *  * 

ViRGiLiNA. — Take  the  train  at  Houston,  transfer  at 
Deniston,  go  east  three  stations,  and  so  reach  the  town  of 
Virgilina,  aptly  named  as  being  a  line  town.  The  contrast 
is  striking.  You  have  come  from  an  atmosphere  of  the 
courts,  where  precedent  rules.  In  Virgilina  they  think 
of  making  precedents.  The  town  has  a  touch  of  the 
metropolitan.  Things  are  doing.  The  town  is  neither 
old  nor  large,  but  it  looks  to  a  future  which  science  and 
capital  are  going  to  make  bright.  A^irgilina  is  the  centre  of 
the  Virgilina  Belt  which  has  been  made  known  to  the  min- 
ing world  through  engineering  and  mining  journals, 
expert  reports,  etc.,  as  a  field  of  great  opportunities, 
especially  in  copper.  Outside  the  coal  areas,  there  is 
probably  no  region  in  Virginia  the  name  of  which  is  more 
familiar  to  the  realm  of  the  high  finance.  Moreover, 
Virgilina  is  a  tobacco  market.  Its  two  warehouses  sell 
between  a  million  and  a  million  and  a  half  pounds  of 
tobacco  a  year.  The  town  has  a  bank,  seven  com- 
mercial establishments,  two  hotels,  two  schools,  and 
three  churches.  Grass  does  well  in  this  district  and  as 
many  as  fifty  head  of  cattle  a  year  are  marketed  by  one  of 

*President,  Halifax  Division,  T.  E.  Dickerson,  Meadsville. 


24  HALIFAX  COUNTY 

the  more  progressive  farmers  of  that  interesting  border 
country.  Near  Virgihna  is  found  perhaps  the  largest 
commercial  orchard  in  the  county  (the  Elliott  Orchards 
and  Vineyards.)  Here  is  a  large  acreage  in  pears  and 
vines.  The  Virgilina  Belt  (Red  Bank  District)  is  a  mining 
country  but  it  is  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. 

*  *  * 

Clover. — The  town  of  Clover  lies  in  the  Roanoke  Dis- 
trict on  the  Southern  Railway,  six  miles  from  the  eastern 
boundary  of  the  county.  The  tobacco  sales  at  Clover 
approximate  1,250,000  pounds.  The  Bank  of  Clover, 
although  organized  but  seventeen  months,  show^s  deposits 
of  $20,000 .  00  .  It  was  near  by  this  tov\^n  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- 
ments, (not  including  a  drug  store)  a  hotel  and  a  graded 
school. 

Scottsburg,  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 
tobacco  is  sold),  a  bank,  two  churches,  a  high  school,  and 
five  commercial  establishments. 

Halifax  is  an  agricultural  county  and  one  of  the  best. 
Its  commercial  life  is  also  very  active. 

VI. 

The  Business  of  the  Country. 

''While  it  is  true  that  the  industrial  development  of  the 
South  is  going  forward  with  amazing  rapidity,  it  is  never- 
theless true  that,  by  virtue  of  the  extent  of  the  agricultural 


HALIFAX  COUNTY  25 

interests  of  the  South,  agriculture  is  yet  the  foundation 
of  the  business  of  that  section.  A  change  from  poverty  to 
prosperity  of  the  farmers,  and  a  change  from  land  without 
a  selling  value  to  land  in  demand  at  an  advance  of  50  to 
150  per  cent  over  the  nominal  price  of  one  or  two  years 
ago  is  the  most  far-reaching  development  in  Southern  ad- 
vancement of  the  last  quarter  of  a  century.  It  is  far- 
reaching  in  many  ways.  It  means  that  within  the  last 
year  or  two  (1903-1905)  Southern  farm  properties  have 
increased  not  less  than  $1,000,000,000  in  value  probably 
at  least  $1,500,000,000."  That  is  true,  and  Halifax 
county  has  had  its  part  in  this  general  advancement. 
More  of  our  farmers  than  at  any  time  previous  are  realiz- 
ing that  the  farmer  must  succeed  who  practices  persistent 
plowing  and  cultivation  of  the  land  throughout  the  year 
(possible  with  us);  and  that  this  method  will  not  injure 
the  crop-producing  capacity  of  the  land.  Steady  improve- 
ment will  be  the  result.  In  our  climate  if  a  farmer  only 
plows  and  breaks  his  land  deeply  and  finely,  he  is  bound 
to  get  the  results,  more  particularly  if  he  uses  his  brains  as 
well  as  his  muscle,  finds  out  all  that  his  land  is  capable  of 
doing  and  makes  it  do  it.  Progress  means  nothing  more 
than  keeping  alive  and  carrying  out  intelligently  ideas 
that  come  from  observation  and  reading.  It  is  not  every- 
where that  plowing  can  be  done  throughout  the  year. 
That  is  not  all.  We  can  raise  hogs  at  three  cents  a  pound 
or  less,  and  cattle  at  a  figure  as  low  in  proportion.  We 
have  the  advantages.  Nature  is  alt  on  our  side  if  we  only 
manage  her.  These  things,  taken  together  with  the  possi- 
bilities from  our  tobacco  lands,  make  of  us  an  exceptional 
region.     There  can  be  no  doubt  about  that. 

One  hardware  and  implement  company  in  South 
Boston  says:  ''We  figure  that  our  trade  in  improved  farm 
implements,  etc.,  has  increased  in  the  last  four  or  five 


26  HALIFAX  COUNTY 

years  at  least  100  per  cent.  The  farmers  are  all  buying 
improved  tools  and  of  a  better  quality  than  they  have 
ever  done  before. "  Another  firm  says:  ''We  sell  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 
ago.  The  carload  lot  is  pur  unit  now.  And  as  for  build- 
ing material,  nails,  iron,  etc.,  we  can  scarcely  get  enough. " 
The  traveller  by  road  has  ample  evidence  of  these  state- 
ments as  he  goes  through  the  county.  The  old  fence  is 
going  down  everywhere  and  the  improved  fence  is  going 
up,  the  use  of  which  is  really  an  additional  capitaHzation 
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 
over.  There  are  probably  thirty  grain  mills  in  the  county 
today,  as  any  mill  operator  will  tell  you  if  you  ask  him. 
And  there  are  certainly  more  than  twenty  sawmills  in 
Halifax  county.  An  average  of  about  four  grain  mills 
and  three  sawmills  to  the  district. 

The  country  merchant  is  a  very  important  factor  in  the 
business  of  the  country.  His  place  of  business  is  the  local 
news  exchange  and  that  of  itself  entitles  him  to  the  warm 
affections  of  the  community.  Any  social  centre  in  the 
country,  if  good  will  and  good  morals  prevail  there,  is  worth 
all  it  costs.  But  the  country  merchant  needs  no  defence. 
His  position  is  secure  as  one  of  the  most  useful  of  citizens. 
His  store  is  a  focus  'of  information  as  well  as  of  gossip. 
His  business,  if  he  uses  his  opportunities,  may  redoimd 
greatly  to  the  benefit  of  his  neighborhood  as  well  as  to  his 
own  legitimate  profit.  He  may  frequently  offer  fresh 
meats  for  sale.  He  may  take  orders  for  the  handsome 
clothes  advertised  in  the  magazines.  He  may  even  keep 
magazines — a  well  chosen  stock — and  set  up  something 
of  a  book  stall.     He  may  and  does  become  an  agent  for 


HALIFAX  COUNTY  27 

farm  macliinery  and  a  buyer  of  eggs  for  shipment.  From 
sixty  to  ninety  dozen  eggs  are '  shipped  several  times  a 
week  from  country  stores  in  the  county  of  Hahfax.  There 
are  considerably  more  than  a  hundred  country  merchants 
in  the  county  of  Halifax.  The  claim  of  completeness  is 
not  made  for  the  list  given  below.  These  names  were 
secured  from  two  wholesale  dealers  in  the  town  of  South 
Boston,  and  in  conjunction  with  a  list  of  farmers  (Sec.  X.) 
will  be  useful  to  the  intending  settler.  Who  knows  more 
about  the  significant  facts  in  regard  to  a  neighborhood 
than  the  busiest  men  in  the  neighborhood?  The  list 
follows : 

S.  F.  Adams,  Turbeville;  W.  0.  Atkins,  Black  Walnut; 
W.  J.  Anderson  &  Son,  Loftis;  J.  H.  Boyd  &  Son,  Jones; 
Blane  and  Bass,  Alton;  W.  W.  Blane,  Alton;  J.  I.  Bray, 
Nathalie;  Hubert  Blane,  Mayo;  W.  M.  Bates,  Repubhcan 
Grove;  E.  L.  Blackwell,  Mt.  Carmel;  C.  C.  Bass,  Basses; 
J.  G.  Bates,  Repubhcan  Grove;  W.  B.  Cumby,  Mountain 
Road;  Chaffin  Bros.,  Clay's  Mill;  Crenshaw  Bros.,  Hous- 
ton, R.  F.  D.;  E.  H.  Cruse  &  Son,  Bayonne;  T.  B.  Clai- 
bourne,  Wolf  Trap;  F.  W.  Chaney,  Sutherlin;  W.  W. 
Crenshaw,  Stebbins;  J.  W.  Canada,  Lennig;  C.  C.  Chaney, 
Birch;  E.  L.  Canada,  Cross  Roads;  H.  C.  Cotes  &  Son, 
Houston,  R.  F.  D.;  Chaney  &  Owen,  Paces;  R.  C.  Carring- 
ton,  Mt.  Laurel;  Crutchfield  Bros.,  Mayo;  N.  G.  Davis  & 
Co.,  Stovall;  Henry  G.  Daniels,  Barksdale;  C.  R.  L. 
Gravitt,  Black  Walnut;  J.  E.  Green  &  Son,  Mt.  Laurel; 
C.  E.  Guthrie,  Nathalie,  R.  F.  D. ;  J.  W.  Glass,  Vernon  Hill, 
R.  F.  D.;  R.  C.  Hih,  Lennig;  E.  0.  Hubbard,  Leda; 
R.  A.  Henderson,  High  Point;  J.  H.  Haynes  &  Son,  Elmo; 
G.  T.  Holland,  Hermosa;  J.  M.  Irby,  Vernon  Hill;  Jen- 
nings Bros.,  Cody;  J.  H.  Jordan  &  Co.,  Republican  Grove; 
J.  M.  Lacy,  Scottsburg;  J.  T.  Lacks,  Noland;  N.  B.  Lacks, 
Cross  Roads;  R.  L.  Lacy  &  Co.,  Scottsburg;  S.  A.  Lacks, 
Lennig;  Le  Prad  Bros.  &  Co.,  Stovall;  J.  E.  Mitchell, 


28  HALIFAX  COUNTY 

Alchie;  B.  S.  McCraw,  Nathalie;  J.  W.  McDowell,  Loftis; 
G.  B.  Martin,  Carrington;  Mickle  &  Co.,  Nathalie;  D.  E. 
Moorefield,  News  Ferry;  A.  E.  Newhill  &  Co.,  Lennig; 
W.  J.  Pierce,  News  Ferry;  Powell  Bros.,  Plato;  W.  H. 
Powell,  Terrell;  J.  H.  Puryear,  Deimiston;  W.  L.  Ray, 
Meadsville;  J.  E.  Redd,  Sutherlin;  J.  E.  Ragland,  Hyco; 
C.  J.  Robertson,  Christie;  R.  L.  Roarkes,  Nathalie, R.  F.  D. ; 
W.  R.  Roarkes,  Noland;  T.  C.  Rodden,  Roddens;  Stebbins 
&  Hankins,  Ingram;  J.  J.  Salmon,  Mt.  Laurel;  Short  & 
Yates,  Nathalie;  Tate  &  Carr,  Republican  Grove;  Trayn- 
ham  Bros.,  Black  Walnut;  Traynham  Bros.  &  Thompson, 
Harmony;  Tune  &  Henderson,  Vernon  Hill;  M.  F.  Willard, 
Moffett's;  W.  W.  Weatherford,  Houston,  R.  F.  D.;  E.  Y. 
Wimbish  &  Co.,  Nathalie;  E.  B.  Wimbish,  Paces;  J.  P. 
Wilkins  &  Co.,  Mt.  Carmel;  G.  D.  Wilbourn,  Houston, 
R.  F.  D.;  Wirt  Wilbourn,  Clarkton;  Wilkins  Bros.  Co., 
Turbeville. 

The  country  merchant,  naturally,  could  not  live  without 
the  farmer.  At  this  point  it  will  be  understood  why  the 
banks  of  Halifax  county  show  $1,360,000  in  deposits. 

VII. 

Churches  and  Schools. 

Education  is  not  second  to  commerce  in  the  life  of  a 
people,  if  for  no  other  reason  than  because  education 
advances  commerce.  But  it  is  certainly  true  that  with 
any  people  the  chronological  sequence  stands:  Agriculture, 
Commerce,  Education.  Therefore  it  is  not  suprising  that 
in  a  county  such  as  Halifax,  where  both  agriculture  and 
commerce  flourish,  the  county's  receipts  for  schools  should 
figure  well  up  in  the  list  (9th)  among  the  100  counties  of 
Virginia,  for  the  year  ending  September  30,  1906.  The 
following  is  a  statement  from  the  Superintendent  of  Public 


HALIFAX  COUNTY  29 

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

Public  Schools  and  Teachers  of  Halifax 
County. 

High  Schools — 3.  One  at  Houston,  one  at  Scottsburg, 
and  one  at  South  Boston.  Besides  these,  there  is  a  first 
class  incorporated  High  School  at  Cluster  Springs*  (Black 
Walnut  District),  not  under  State  control.  Also,  there 
is  one  colored  High  School  at  Houston  under  church  con- 
trol; and  one  independent  colored  High  School  at 
Meads  ville. 

Graded  Schools— White,  13. 
Colored,  15. 
Teachers — High,  Graded,  and  Common  Schools. 
White— 130. 
Colored— 76. 
Pupils— High,  Graded,  and  Common  Schools. 
White— 3552 
Colored— 3033.t 

OutHne  of  what  is  now  on  foot — 1st.  Consolidation  of 
the  schools.     At   a  recent   meeting  in  the   Birch  Creek 


*  Cluster  Springs  has  been  an  educational  centre  for  this  region 
for  many  years.  There  was  a  well-known  school  here  before  the 
war.  Halifax  County  is  within  only  a  few  hours'  distance  of  the 
University  of  Virginia,  the  State  Female  Normal  School,  the  Vir- 
ginia Polytechnic  Institute.  Besides  these  State  institutions  the  lead- 
ing denominational  colleges  are  very  accessible. 

fin  this  coimection  it  is  important  to  observe  the  figures  for  the 
assessed  valuation  of  property  in  Halifax  County,  Auditor's  Report, 
year  ending  Sept.  30,  1903.  Realty— white,  $3,455,064;  colored, 
$255,239;  Personalty— white,  $2,010,923;  colored,  $157,340. 


30  HALIFAX  COUNTY 

District  it  was  decided  that  six  schools  be  put  into  one 
building  by  the  1st  of  October.  Other  districts  are  asking 
for  consolidation.  By  means  of  consolidation  and  trans- 
portation the  methods  of  teaching  will  be  vastly  improved. 

2d.  We  are  looking  to  local  taxation  and  loans  from  the 
State  Literary  Fund  at  4  per  cent  to  enlarge,  repair,  and 
equip  our  school  buildings  and  grounds. 

3d.  We  are  inviting  distinguished  educators  to  put 
before  our  people  the  great  importance  of  improving  the 
rural  schools. 

Lastly.  The  clerk  of  South  Boston's  Schools,  in  his  last 
monthly  report,  stated  that  the  High  School  building  at 
that  place  would  be  renewed  or  greatly  enlarged  by  the 
opening  of  the  next  school  term.  (Bonds  in  the  amount 
of  $20,000  have  been  authorized  for  immediate  issuance.) 

The  people  are  begininng  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  system.  [For  further 
School  Statistics,  see  Sec  XL] 

*  *  *  * 

The  Churches  of  the  county  are  numerous  and  faithfully 
administered.  Six  denominations  are  represented — the 
Baptist,  the  Methodist,  the  Presbyterian,  the  Episcopal, 
the  Christian,  and  the  Mennonite.  What  has  been 
said  of  a  neighboring  county  is  equally  true  of  Halifax — 
''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 
that,  while  their  religious  instruction  was  not  neglected 
before  the  war,  nearly  all  the  churches  owned  by  them 
have  been  built  since  they  were  emancipated,  and  mainly 
out  of  their  own  resources."  [For  Church  Statistics,  see 
Sec  XL] 


HALIFAX  COUNTY  31 

VIII. 
Minerals  and  Mineral  Waters. 

Halifax  county  lies  in  the  great  Virginia  area  of  crystal- 
line rocks  in  which  are  found  many  of  the  most  important 
minerals  and  ore  deposits  in  the  state.  Halifax  forms 
one  of  the  most  interesting  sections  of  this  area,  particu- 
larly in  regard  to  copper  and  gold.  There  should  be  good 
opportunities  for  the  mining  and  manufacturing  of  kaolin 
in  the  eastern  part  of  the  county.  On  Buffalo  Creek,  in 
the  northwestern  angle  of  the  county,  a  valuable  light 
colored  trap  occurs.  This  is  a  gneiss  formation  and  makes 
an  excellent  building  stone.  Iron  is  found  in  the  northern 
part  of  the  county,  about  Brookneal.  There  are  slate 
deposits  near  Christie,  in  the  southern  part  of  the  county. 

The  Virgilina  Copper  Belt,  of  which  half  lies  in  Halifax 
county,  has  recently  been  described  as  "sl  district  of  unu- 
sual advantages,  whose  opportunities  are  neglected."* 
The  writer,  an  expert,  continues: '' Copper  properties  never 
had  a  better  opportunity  than  the  present  one  for  profit- 
able operation.  With  the  present  demand  for  copper, 
the  Virgilina  district  deserves  serious  consideration  as  a 
potential  source  of  the  metal.  Its  ores  are  rich  and  abund- 
ant, admirably  suited  for  concentration,  and  some  of  them 
self-fluxing,  and  they  lie  only  160  miles  by  rail  from  a 
copper  smelter  on  Atlantic  tidewater.  A  hundred  camps 
in  the  Southwest  are  mining  ore  not  half  so  rich,  and  are 
paying  smelting  charges  in  no  way  less  onerous,  while 
their  output  has  to  travel  2,000  miles  to  market."  The 
accompanying  sketch  map  shows  the  lay  of  the  land. 

*Edward  K.  Judd:  Engineering  and  Mining  Journal,  Dec.  1,  1906' 
See  also:  1.  Copper  Bearing  Rocks  of  Virgilina  Copper  District, Thomas 
L.  Watson;  Bull.  Geological  Society  of  America,  xiii  pp.  353-376,  1902; 
2.  Virginia  Copper  Deposits,  W.  H.  Weed  and  T.  L.  Watson.  [Eco- 
nomic Geology,  I,  No.  4,  1906.] 


32 


HALIFAX  COUNTY 


HALIFAX  COUNTY  33 

Of  these  mines  the  High  Hill  property  is  operated  by 
the  Virginia  Copper  Company  of  Virgilina  and  136  Liberty 
St.,  New  York.  The  company  is  about  to  install  a  reduc- 
tion plant.  The  process  is  one  devised  especially  for  the 
treatment  of  these  ores.  The  plant  will  have  a  capacity 
of  200  tons. 

An  official  of  the  Seaboard  Mine  states:  "The  Sea- 
board Copper  Co.,  is  an  Incorporated  Company  under  the 
laws  of  the  State  of  New  Jersey,  capital  stock  $300,000 
shares  at  $1.00  par  value.  The  property  owned  by  this 
Company  consists  of  155  acres  of  mineral  lands  in  Halifax 
County,  Va.  The  underground  development  work  con- 
sists of  three  shafts  115  ft.,  120  ft.,  and  260  ft.  deep  respec- 
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 
handle  50  tons  of  material  per  24  hours  is  to  be  installed, 
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  by  July  1st  next." 

The  Goldbank  Mine,  (Inc.),  which  began  work  three 
years  ago,  owns  178  acres,  has  gone  156  feet  and  deeper, 
runs  ten  stamps  and  will  shortly  add  ten  more  to  the  plant, 
works  twenty-five  hands,  and  has  milled  already  a  large 
amount  of  paying  ore.  The  expense  of  working  totals  not 
more  than  $5.00  per  ton,  and  the  ore  will  average  $10- 
$15  per  ton — amalgamation  process.  On  the  same  vein 
as  the  Goldbank  Mine,  Howard  Bros,  and  Luce,  of  Buffalo, 
have  begun  operations.     A  third  gold  mine,  not  now  in 


34  HALIFAX  COUNTY 

operation,  is  the  Gills  Mountain  Mine,  about  two  miles 
from  the  Goldbank. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  in  the  latest  report  of  the 
Auditor  of  Virginia  Halifax  County  stands  ahead  of  such 
counties  as  Augusta,  Montgomery,  Bedford,  and  Smyth  in 
the  assessed  valuation  of  mineral  properties. 
*     *     *     * 

As  has  been  stated,  the  Buffalo  Lithia  Springs  are  three 
miles  from  the  eastern  boundary  of  the  county  of  Halifax. 
Halifax,  that  is  to  say,  lies  within  the  Lithia  Water  Belt. 
No  doubt  an  analysis  of  many  unanalyzed  springs  of  the 
county  would  show  therapeutic  proportions  of  the  lithium 
carbonates.  The  Wolf  Trap  Well  (Roanoke  District)  is 
seventy-four  and  one-half  feet  deep.  The  water  has  an 
extensive  sale.  Its  composition  is  shown  by  the  following 
analysis,  by  Prof.  M.  B.  Hardin: 

One  United  States  gallon  of  231  cubic  inches  contains: 

Sodium  Carbonate 0.24027  grains. 

Lithium  Carbonate 0.01726 

Ammonium  Carbonate 0.00128  " 

Calcium  Carbonate 7.41222  " 

Magnesium  Carbonate 5 .09221  " 

Strontium  Carbonate 0.38489 

Iron  Carbonate 0.06007 

Manganese  Carbonate 0 .  0134  " 

Copper  Carbonate . 0.001234  " 

Sodium  Chloride 2.62956  " 

Sodium  Bromide 0.00630  " 

Sodium  Iodide : .  . .  .  0.00065 

Sodium  Nitrate 2.62548  " 

Potassiiun  Sulphate 0 .  06356  " 

Sodium  Sulphate 0.06007  " 

Alimiinum  Phosphate 0.04432  " 

Silica • 2.01780  " 

Barium  Carbonate trace 

Zinc  Carbonate. trace 


HALIFAX  COUNTY  S5 

Magnesium  Borate trace 

Calcium  Floride trace 

Titanic  Oxide trace 

Organic  Matter  (yielding  ammonia) trace 

Total 20.66836  grains 

Carbon  Dioxide  associated  with  the  above  carbonates 

in  the  so-called  bi-carbonates 6.06682       " 

Gases. 

Carbon  Dioxide,  free 12 .  38  cubic  inches 

Nitrogen 3.60     "         " 

"Oxygen 1 .70     "         '' 

Total 17.68     " 

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 
treatment  of  certain  disorders  of  the  bladder,  and  of  some 
varieties  of  chronic  dyspepsia."  The  Sulphur  spring  is 
valuable  medicinally.  An  analysis  of  the  Cluster  springs 
Lithia  Water  is  given,  made  by  Prof.  J.  W.  Mallett,  M. 
D.,  Ph.  D.,  LL.  D.,  F.  R.  S.,  University  of  Virginia. 

Composition — Parts  per  MiUion. 

Potassium 1 .  132 

Sodium 9 .  185 

Lithium .  045 

Calcium 4.829 

Magnesium 5 .  074 

Aluminum .  110 

Iron .494 

Manganese .034 

Chlorine 5.106 

Flourine Trace 

Radicle  of  Sulphuric  Acid 2 .056 

Radicle  of  Phosphoric  Acid .  .639 


36  HALIFAX  COUNTY 

Radicle  of  Nitric  Acid Distinct     Trace 

Radicle  of  Carbonic  Acid 27.296 

Radicle  of  Meta-Silicic  Acid : 67.938 

Hydrogen  Meta-Silicic  Acid 1 .  786 

Hydroxal  Alum.  Hydroxide .206 

Organic  Matter Minute  Trace 

Total 125.930 

GASES: — Cubic  centimeters  per  liter  (at  0°  C.  and  760  mm.)  Oxy- 
gen, 4.14;  Nitrogen,  10.31;  Carbon  Dyoxide,  16.57. 

So  useful  a  neighbor  as  the  Buffalo  Lithia  should  not  be 
undescribed.  This  is  one  of  the  best  known  mineral 
waters  in  the  United  States,  and  has  a  very  large  sale  in 
this  country  and  abroad.  The  water  is  of  great  medicinal 
value,  and  is  regarded  almost  as  a  specific  in  the  treat- 
ment of  uric  acid  diathesis,  gout,  and  rheumatism.  It  is 
also  used  with  great  benefit  in  cases  of  renal  calculus, 
stone  in^the  bladder,  and  in  nervous  and  intestinal  disor- 
ders. 

Residents  in  Halifax  county  have  been  known  to  say 
that  no  medicines  are  needed  there.  A  slight  exaggera- 
tion perhaps.  Certainly,  if  abundant  and  pure  water 
was  ever  an  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. 

IX. 

Water  Power. 

A  man  of  large  business  affairs  in  the  county,  quite 
familiar  with  the  conditions,  states  that  Halifax  County 
is  the  best  watered  county  in  Virginia  and  has  more  unde- 
veloped water  power  than  any  other  county  in  the  State. 
"For  instance,"  says  this  gentleman,  "there  are  the  Hyco 


HALIFAX  COUNTY 


37 


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Plan  and  Profile  of  Staunton  River  from  Clarksville  to  Green  Hill  Ferry. 


38  HALIFAX  COUNTY 

Falls,  eight  miles  east  of  South  Boston  on  Dan  River, 
where  6,500  horse  power  can  be  developed.  Three  miles 
across,  northeast,  there  are  the  Talley  Falls  where  the 
river  Staunton  descends  18  feet  in  about  two  miles.  The 
Brookneal  water  power  is  good  for  5,000  horse  power,  and 
the  Mclver  Falls,  seven  miles  above  Brookneal  come  down 
18  feet  in  less  than  two  miles.  Besides  these  great  powers, 
the  Banister  and  the  Hyco,  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- 
pany), and  at  Houston  (Banister-Dan  Mills  Company). 
The  county  of  Halifax,  instead  of  being  left  behind  in  the 
industrial  race,  is  going  to  be  right  in  the  front.  The 
county  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 
claims  made  above,  if  there  could  be  any  doubt  about 
them.  It  should  be  added  that  the  fall  of  the  Dan  River 
in  the  five  miles  above  its  first  junction  with  the  Staun- 
ton must  be  quite  forty  feet. 

"In  most  cases  where  there  is  a  power  site  on  Staunton 
River,  there  is  suitable  rock  for  masonry,  and  the  bed  of 
the  river  is  suitable  for  foundations.  From  Clarksville  to 
Randolph,  as  will  be  seen,  the  section  is  25  miles  long. 
Fall  from  Randolph  about  49  feet,  average  about  2  feet 
per  mile.  The  width  varies  from  300  to  600  feet,  banks 
low,  bottom  of  river  bowlders  and  rock,  valley  i  to  1  mile 
wide.  The  large  falls  in  this  stretch  is  Tallej^'s,  near 
Abbyville,  about  8  miles  above  Clarksville.  The  total  fall 
is  some  18  feet  in  a  distance  of  24  miles.  Remainder 
of  a  comparatively  uniform  slope,  with  an  occasional  fall 
of  a  foot  or  two. 


''The      section       from 
Randolph    to     Brookneal 
is  in  length  about  32  miles. 
Total  fall  from  Brookneal 
48  feet,    average  per  mile  ^ 
1 . 5,  width  about  400  feet,  Jyj 
banks  high,  bottom  bowld-  |^j 
ers    and     rock.      Neither  ifli' 
falls   nor   ripples   of    any  |Jg 

extent.  Just  above  Brook-  .fji|i ,„ 

neal  there  is  a  fall  of  18  "  1  ""^  I 
feet  in  If  miles.  From 
Green  Hill  Ferry  to 
Brookneal,  a  distance  of 
8  miles,  there  is  a  fall  of 
64  feet."* 

In  this  day  of  vast  pro- 
jects, it  is  very  comforta- 
ble for  a  county  to  know 
that  great  water  powers 
are  on  two  sides  of  it;  in 
its  southeastern  district; 
and  that  throughout  its 
extent  water  powers  are 
found  on  a  lesser  but  en- 
tirely practicable  scale. 

^Hydrography  of  Virginia. 
N.  C.  Grover  and  R.  H.  Bolster 
(Geological  Survey  of  Virginia) 
1906.  p.  166.  Hydrographic 
Stations  were  established  at 
South  Boston  and  at  Randolph, 
Aug.  27,  1900. 


40  HALIFAX  COUNTY 

X. 

Suggestions. 

It  is  believed  that  this  handbook  will  be  read  by  many 
people  who  may  become  interested  in  Halifax  County  as 
a  section  in  which  to  live  and  be  prosperous.  The  exact 
value  of  advice  is  questionable,  but  the  adviser  may  at 
least  be  tolerated  if  he  is  sincere  and  not  a  fanatic.  It  is 
the  object  of  this  short  chapter  to  offer  a  few  intelligent 
suggestions. 

Our  country  as  a  whole,  thanks  to  democracy,  is  more  or 
less  homogeneous.  But  there  must  exist  in  every  section 
of  it  certain  local  peculiarities.  For  example,  there  are  in 
the  United  States  many  different  ways  of  calling  cows. 
On  coming  into  a  new  region  it  is  certainly  well  to  observe 
keenly — lands,  people,  manners,  customs,  everything. 
Every  community  has  its  long  established  customs,  the 
result  of  the  commonsense  of  its  people  acting  and  re-acting 
upon  the  conditions  around  them.  The  experience  of  a 
man's  neighborhood  is  very  valuable  to  him.  Observe, 
and  digest  the  facts  that  come  in  your  way. 

In  order  that  you  may  be  able  to  see  beyond  the  horizon 
in  your  business  and  get  the  best  from  the  experience  of 
many  people,  subscribe  for  some  good  agricultural  pap'r^r. 
No  apology  is  offered  for  advising  every  settler  in  Halifax 
County  to  take  the  Southern  Planter.  ^  We  listen  to  a  wise 
man  talk  and  we  are  helped  by  what  he  says.  How  can 
we  fail  to  be  helped  by  following  the  wise  remarks  of  many 
successful  farmers?  Suppose  you  read  in  such  a  paper 
but  one  paragraph  a  year  that  points  the  way  to  reducing 
expenses  or  saving  trouble  or  increasing  profits — you 
have  been  paid  for  the  outlay.  It  is  very  likely  you 
will  find  a  paragraph  or  a  page  or  an  advertisement  of  that 


HALIFAX  COUNTY  41 

sort  in  every  month's  issue  of  a  good  agricultural  paper 
which  makes  a  specialty  of  the  business  of  your  section. 
Just  as  with  manners  and  customs,  so  with  farming  opera- 
tions in  a  new  region — Go  Slow.  Keep  the  brain  busy. 
You  will  find  great  assistance  to  brain  work  in  the  South- 
ern Planter  and  in  the  Bulletins  of  the  Agricultural  depart- 
ments both  at  Washington  and  at  Richmond.*  A  short 
list  of  useful  Bulletins  is  given  below.  These  reports  are 
prepared  solely  to  assist  the  farmer  in  his  work  and  are 
sent  on  application  to  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture  at 
Washington — 

U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture: 

Farmers'  Bulletin  No.    126.  Practical  Suggestions  for 

Farm  Buildings. 
Farmers'  Bulletin  No.  150.  Clearing    New    Land. 
Farmers'  Bulletin  No.  192.  Barnyard  Manure. 
Farmers'  Bulletin  No.    44.  Commercial   Fertilizers, 

Composition  and  Use. 
Farmers'  Bulletin  No.  199.  Corn  Growing. 
Farmers'  Bulletin  No.    81.  Corn  Culture  in  the  South. 
■      Farmers'  Bulletin  No.  100.  Hog  Raising  in  the  South. 
Farmers'  Bulletin  No.  272.  A    Successful    Hog    and 

Seed  Corn  Farm. 


^Halif  ax  county  lies  between  two  Experiment  Stations — the  one  at 
Chatham,  Pittsylvania  Comity,  and  the  other  at  Saxe,  Charlotte  Comi- 
ty. The  Station  at  Chatham  devotes  its  attention  to  tobacco;  that  at 
Saxe  to  the  best  methods  for  the  general  farmer.  Every  com-tesy  is 
extended  the  visitor  and  a  great  deal  may  be  learned  by  a  personal  ex- 
amination of  what  is  being  done  at  these  stations.  In  the  County  of 
Halifax  (at  Hyco,  Black  Walnut  District)  is  found  the  largest  tobacco 
seed  farm  in  the  world,  where  100  bushels  of  tobacco  seed  are  produced 
a  year.  The  product  goes  to  Australia,  Italy,  South  America,  Canada— 
wherever  tobacco  is  grown  in  this  country  or  abroad. 


42  HALIFAX  COUNTY 

Farmers'  Bulletin  No.    82.  The  Culture  of  Tobacco. 
Farmers'  Bulletin  No.    71.  Some  Essentials  in  Beef 
Production. 

Farmers'  Bulletin  No.  141.  Poultry   Raising   on   the 

Farm. 
Farmers'  Bulletin  No.  161.  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, 
Smith  &  Co.,  New  York  and  Chicago.  [Price  50  cents.] 
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 
is  the  target  of  these  remarks.  When  you  have  once  got 
settled  and  have  begun  operations,  you  will  find  it  well  to 
make  a  rough  map  of  your  place,  sufficient  to  show  the 
distribution  of  your  fields  and  woodland,  and  the  acreage 
of  each  division  of  the  place.  By  this  method  you  will  be 
able  to  know  accurately  what  goes  into  each  field  (culti- 
vation, manure,  etc.,)  and  what  comes  off  of  each  field. 
This  manner  of  handling  a  place  is  essential  for  economy 
and  the  most  intelligent  application  of  your  capital.  You 
will  do  well,  that  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 


been  done  in  the  way  of  rotations  and  results.  It  has  been 
said  that  the  man  who  knows  what  he  is  doing  is  generally 
doing  pretty  well. 

In  conclusion,  another  list  is  given.  These  men  know 
what  they  are  doing,  and  they  will  be  very  pleased,  (the 
writer  is  sure)  to  answer  letters  of  inquiry.  After  you 
have  settled  near  them,  they  will  be  among  your  best 
possible  advisers: — 


A.  J.  Green,  Alton. 

J.  F.  Davis,  Birch. 

Thos.  B.  Clark,  Clarkton. 

Edward  Butts,  Clover. 

J.  H.  Walton,  Clover. 

E.  R.  Monroe,  Crystal  Hill. 

Theodore  Frederickson, 
Clover. 

S.  S.  Brandon,  Delila. 

W.  H.  Edmunds,  Houston. 

W.  C.  Slate,  Hyco. 

R.  H.-Walton,  R.  F.  D.  No. 
1,  Ingram,  Va. 

Dr.  S.  T.  A.  Kent,  Ingram. 

W.  C.  Carrington,  Mayo. 

R.  C.  Dodd,  Meadsville. 

Stephen    Ferguson,    Mead- 
sville. 

W.  Banks  Wilkins,  Mt.  Car- 
mel. 

W.  H.  Dorin,  Mt.  Laurel. 

C.  W.  Roller,  Mt.  Laurel. 

T.  S.  Wilson,  News  Ferry. 


R.  G.  D.  Pottage,  News 
Ferry. 

J.  H.  Boelte,  News  Ferry. 

L.  W.  Rice,  Paces. 

D.  Overby,  Red  Bank. 

G.  T.  Dodson,  R.  F.  D., 
Republican  Grove. 

J.  E.  Thomas,  Republican 
Grove. 

S.  S.  Wyatt,  Republican 
Grove. 

H.  J.  McCormick,  Scotts- 
burg. 

D.  B.  Easley,  Scottsburg. 

J.  A.  Anderson,  South  Bos- 
ton, R.  F.  D. 

John  Cramer,  South  Bos- 
ton, R.  F.  D. 

A.  E.  Wilkins,  Turbeville. 

A.  A.  Owen,  Turbeville. 

J.  M.  Irby,  Vernon  Hill. 

T.J. McDowell, Vernon  Hill. 

Elliott  Bros.,  Virgilina. 


44  HALIFAX  COUNTY 

It  is  the  object  of  this  handbook  to  furnish  information. 
If  in  general  so  much  has  been  accomphshed,  it  now  only 
remains  to  suppl}^  certain  statistical  data  in  regard  to  the 
county  of  Halifax  and  to  give  a  brief  statement  concerning 
its  history. 

XI. 

Statistics. 

Halifax  county  belongs  in  the  6th  Congressional  District, 
(Carter  Glass,  Lynchburg,  Virginia,  Representative  in 
Congress);  the  6th  Judicial  Circuit;  and  the  21st  Senato- 
rial District,  (H.  0.  Kern,  Sutherlin,  Virginia,  State  Sena- 
tor), of  the  State  of  Virginia.  Among  the  thirty-nine 
Senatorial  Districts  of  Virginia,  Halifax  and  Rockingham 
are  the  only  counties  which  form  of  themselves  Senatorial 
Districts.  The  representatives  from  Halifax  in  the  House 
of  Delegates  of  Virginia  for  the  term  ending  in  January, 
1906,  were  J.  A.  Glenn,  South  Boston,  and  M.  B.  Booker, 
South  Boston. 

By  the  U.  S.  Census  of  1900  the  population  of  Halifax 
was  37,197.  In  population  the  county  stands  third  among 
the  counties  of  Virginia,  exclusive  of  the  cities.  Although 
third  in  population,  the  criminal  charge  account  of  Halifax 
for  the  past  year  has  been  the  16th  from  the  top  of  the  list. 
For  the  j^ear  ending  September  30,  1906,  warrants  for 
free  school  purposes  to  the  amount  of  $20,740.07  were 
drawn  on  the  State  Treasury  by  the  county  of  Halifax, 
and  only  two  counties  can  show  a  larger  figure  for  that 
item.  With  not  a  city  within  its  limits,  the  assessed 
valuation  of  personal  property  for  Halifax  the  past  fiscal 
year  stood  9th  in  the  list  for  the  counties  of  the  state. 
And  as  showing  the  business  activity  of  the  county,  the 
tax  on  deeds,  etc.,  in  the  county  of  Halifax  amounted  to 
more,  during  the  past  fiscal  year,  than  in  any  other  county 


HALIFAX  COUNTY 


45 


in   Virginia.     Halifax   stood   second   in   the    amount   of 

capital    of    incorporated    joint    stock    companies, — after 

Henrico  county. 

*  *  *  * 

AGRICULTURE. 

By  the  census  of  1900,  Halifax,  Pittsylvania,  Fauquier, 
Loudoun,  Caroline  and  Accomac  counties  report  nearly 
1-7  of  the  total  acreage  in  corn  for  the  State  of  Virginia. 
Halifax,  Bedford,  Franklin  and  Pittsylvania  report  1-5  of 
the  total  acreage  devoted  to  oats.  Halifax,  Pittsylvania, 
and  Mecklenburg  counties  contributed  34.7  per  cent  of 
the  total  acreage  for  tobacco  in  Virginia.  The  value  of 
the  farm  property  operated  by  colored  farmers  in  Virginia 
was  7 . 6  per  cent  of  the  total  value  for  the  State. 

Statistics  for  Halifax  County  from  U.  S.  Census,  1900,  are  as 

FOLLOWS  : 


Number  of 
Farms. 

Acres  in  Farms. 

Values  of  Farm  Property. 

.a 

Total. 

i 

Land  and 
Improve- 
ments (ex- 
cept build- 
ings). 

Buildings. 

4,092 

3,899 

492,103 

239,614 

S2,322,810 

$1,106,960 

Values  of  Farm  Property. 

Gross 

Income 

(not  fed  to 

live  stock) , 

I 

Expenditures. 

Implements 
and 
Machinery. 

Live  Stock. 

1 

Fertilizers. 

$174,180          $564,189 

i 

$1,778,983 

$197,000 

$131,790 

46 


HALIFAX  COUNTY 


The  State  Auditors  Report  1906,  supplies   the   follow- 
ing figures  for  Halifax: 

Live  Stock. 


Horses,  Mules,  Asses 
and  Jennets. 

Cattle. 

Hogs. 

Sheep. 

Goats. 

6,569 

8,740 

9,132 

1,335 

86 

ASSESSED  VALUATIONS. 
A.  Personal  Property.* 

White $2,010,923 

Colored 157,340 


Total $2,168,263 

B.  Real  Property. — Land  and  buildings,  town  lots  and 
buildings. 

White  (522,070  acres) $3,455,064 

Colored  (34,163  acres) 255,239 


Total, 


$3,710,303 

[State  Auditors'  Report,  1906.] 


BANKS. 

Capital 

A.  Planters    &    Merchants 

Bank,  South  Boston $100,000 

B.  Bank  of  South  Boston 50,000 

C.  South  Boston  Savings  Bank  10,000 

D.  First  National  Bank,  South 

Boston 25,000 


Deposits. 

$383,900 

275,000 

75,000 

235,000 


♦There  were  taxed  in  the  county  of  Halifax  during  the  past  year  2,537 
sewing  machines  valued  at  $26,686.  The  sewing  machine  is  a  consider- 
able factor  in'^domestic  life.  Only  two  counties  in  Virginia  can  show 
more  sewing  machines  than  Halifax. 


HALIFAX  COUNTY  47 

E.  Boston  National  Bank, 
South  Boston  (organized  in 

1906) 50,000                  52,600 

F.  Bank  of  Halifax,  Houston..  13,000                 88,400 

G.  Peoples  Bank,  Houston. ...  11,100                163,000 

H.  Bank  of  Virgilina 10,000                  65,000 

I.  Bank  of  Clover  (organized, 

1905) 10,000                 20,000 

J.  Bank  of  Scottsburg  (organ- 
ized, 1906) 10,000                    7,800 

Total $289,000          $1,365,700 

[January,  1907,  Bank  Statements.] 

CHURCHES.* 

Baptist  Church. 

Churches.  Pastors. 

Aaron's  Creek  J.  K.  Faulkner 

Arbor  W.  W.  Reynolds 

Beth  Car  J.  M.  Luck 

Bethel  J.  A.  Beam 

Black  Walnut                •  W.  W.  Reynolds 

Catawba  B.  D.  Thames 

Childrey  J.  H.  Bass 

Crystal  Hill  J.  M.  Luck 

Clover  T.  H.  Binford 

Clover  Bottom  J.  W.  Barbour 

Cross  Roads  W.  T.  Creath 

Dan  River  C.  A.  Woodson 

Ellis  Creek  C.  A.  Woodson 


*It  is  to  be  regretted  that,  although  every  effort  was  made  to  secure 
the  figures,  no  reports  could  be  had  showing  the  Su.itus  of  the  colored 
churches  of  the  county. 


48  HALIFAX  COUNTY 

Churches.  Pastors. 

Fork  T.  H.  Binford 
Grace 

Halifax  B.  D.  Thames 

High  View  H.  G.  Crews 

Hunting  Creek  C.  A  Woodson 

Millstone  W.  T.  Creath 

North  Fork  Wm.  M.Hudson 

Republican  Grove  W.  T.  Creath 

Rodgers  Chapel  H.  G.  Crews 

Scottsburg  J.  M.  Luck 

South  Boston  P.  A.  Anthony 

Winn's  Creek  J.  H.  Bass 

Number  Churches,  25.     Total  Membership    3666 

[Minutes,  DanRiver  Baptist  Assn'.,  1906.] 

Christian  Church.* 

Ingram  Church,  Ingram 8o 

Pleasant  Grove  Church,  News  Ferry 220 

Union  Church,  Virgilina 162 

Number  Churches,  3.     Membership 462 

A  fourth  church  is  contemplated  near  Nathalie. 

Episcopal  Church. 

Antrim  Parish. 

St.  John's  Church,  Houston 145 

St.  John's  Chapel,  near  Houston 

Roanoke  Parish. 

St.  Thomas's  Church,  Clarkton 32 

Christ  Church,  Mt.  Laurel... 25 

St.  Lukes  Church,  Clover 58 

♦Statistics  furnished  by  tho  Rev.  Mr.  Newman,  Virgilina. 


HALIFAX  COUNTY  49 

Randolph  Parish, 

Trinity  Church,  South  Boston 108 

Grace  Church,  News  Ferry 49 

Number  Churches,  7.     Membership 417 

[Report,  1906  Council,  Diocese,  oL  Southern  Virginia.] 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church^  [South.]* 
Halifax  Circuit. — Rev.  B.  E.  Ledhetter, 
Meadsvitle. 

Union  Church,  near '. News  Ferry. 

Asbury  Church,  near Vernon  Hill. 

McKendree  Church,  near Meadsville. 

Republican  Grove  Church,  near.  .  .Republican  Grove. 

Clover  Bottom  Church,  near Republican  Grove. 

Cedar  Forest  Church,  near Pittsylvania-Halifax 

line. 

Number  Churches,  6.         Membership, 473 

East  Halifax  Circuit — Rev.  J.  T.  Moore, 
Clover. 

Clover  Church Clover. 

Mt.  Laurel  Church Mt.  Laurel. 

Scottsburg  Church Scottsburg. 

Concord  Church Crystal  Hill. 

Number  Churches,  4.     Membership 301 

South  Halifax  Circuit— Rev.  W.T.A.  Haynes,  Mt.  Carmel 

Olive  Branch  Church,  near Mt.  Carmel. 

Cedar  Grove  Church,  near Residence. 

Calvary  Church,  near Delila. 

Harmony  Church,  near Harmony. 

Number  Churches,  4.     Membership 413 

Hyco  Circuit — Rev.  B.  S.  Herrink,  Virgilina. 
Virgilina  Church Virgilina. 

♦Statistics  furnished  by  the  Rev.  W.  T.  A.  Haynes,  Mt.  Carmel. 


50  HALIFAX  COUNTY 

Mt.  Canaan  Church Virgilina. 

Shady  Grove  Church,  near Hyco. 

Cherry  Hill  Church,  near Cluster  Springs. 

Number  Churches,  4.     Membership 411 

South  Boston  and  Houston  Circuit — Rev.  W.  T.  Williams, 
South    Boston. 

Main  St.  Church South  Boston. 

Cotton  Mill  District  Church South  Boston. 

Houston  Church Houston. 

Number  Churches,  3.     Membership 348 


Total  No.  Churches. ..  .   21     Total  Membership..  1946 

Presbyterian  Church  [South.]* 

Providence,  Church,  [organized,  1831] 27 

(Large  Sunday  School.) 
Mercy  Seat  Church,  Sutherlin  [organized,  1837] 92 

(Large  Sunday  School.) 
Spring  Hill  Church,  Cluster  Springs  [organized  1838] .  .     38 

(Good  Sunday  School.) 
South  Boston  Church,  [organized,  1842.] 190 

(Large  Sunday  School.) 

Mt.  Carmel  Church,  Turbeville,  [organized,  1867.] 65 

(Sunday  School.) 
Oak  Level  Church,  Stebbins,  [organized,  1880] 83 

(Good  Sunday  School.) 
Meadsville  Church,  [organized,  1887.] 62 


Number  Churches,  7.     Membership 557 

CROPS,  ETC. 

''Farm  products  are  wheat,  corn,  rye,  oats,  hay,  and 
tobacco.     This  county  ranks  sixth  in  the  production  of 

*Dates  given  here  for  the  reason  that  material  could  not  be  secm*ed 
in  time  for  inclusion  in  the  historical  section.  Statistics  furnished  by 
the  Rev.  T.  S.  Wilson,  News  Ferry. 


HALIFAX  COUNTY  51 

corn,  and  third  in  oats  of  the  counties  of  the  State.  Fruits, 
vegetables  and  dairy  produce  are  of  importance  and  prove 
valuable  with  proper  care  and  attention.  The  raising  of 
fine  stock,  horses,  cattle  and  sheep,  is  a  source  of  profit, 
especially  sheep  raising,  which  is  being  conducted  very 
successfully.  Timber:  hickory,  oak,  pine  and  poplar." 
[Commissioner  of  Agriculture,  1906.] 

DISTANCES. 

By  rail  from  South  Boston  to — 

Miles.  Hours. 

Richmond,  Va 109  3.50 

Lynchburg,  Va 63  2. 50 

Charlottesville,  (University  of  Virginia)  . .    123  4.45 

Danville,  Va 32  1 .  00 

Norfolk,  Va 180  7.30 

Washington,  D.  C 236  8. 15 

Philadelphia 11.00 

New  York 14. 00 

ELEVATIONS. 

Feet 

Alton 800 

Barksdale 354 

Clover 486 

Denniston 640 

Houston 370 

News  Ferry 337 

Scottsburg 339 

South  Boston 318 

Virgilina 710 

Wolf  Trap 574 

Average  of  County 600-700 


52 


HALIFAX  COUNTY 


FREIGHT  RATES. 
A.— SOUTHERN  RAILWAY. 


SOUTH  BOSTON  TO 


I- 


Per  hundred  in  car  load  lots : 

Hay 

Grain 

Cattle  per  car  of  20,000  lbs 

(Rate  on  sheep  and]  hogs,  same 
as  cattle.) 

Vegetables,  per  hundred  in  car  load 
lots 

Lumber  per  hundi'ed  car  lots . 

Fertilizers  per  ton  in  car  load  lots .  . 


$0.10 
0.10 

$22.00 


.35 

.08 
1.70 


$0.10 
0.10 

$19.00 


.35 

.08 
1.70 


$0.15 
0.15 

$22.00 


.50 
.10 

2.40 


B.— NORFOLK  AND  WESTERN  RAILROAD. 


BETWEEN 

South  Boston 

AND 


PM^ 


8 


Wf^   \> 


(O    o 


1  = 
MO 


So 


II 


P^-S 


I  ^r 


mm 


pLi 

-I 


Lynchburg 
Richmond . 
Norfolk .  .  . 


$00.10 
.10 
.15 


.6 


.11 


.7 

.8 

,15 


$23.75 
$27.50 
$52.50 


S30. 00  $18.20 


$23.40 


$35.00  $35.00 


$45.00 


HALIFAX  COUNTY 


53 


TO 

South  Boston 

FROM 

Fertilizer,  car  loads:  Minimum 
20,000  pounds. 

Rinhmonfl                                  .  . 

$1.70  per  ton. 
$2.40  per  ton. 
$1.35  per  ton- 

Norfolk 

Lynchburg 

LABOR. 

Farm  labor:  $10  per  month  on  the  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. 

Domestic  Servants:  $4 .  00  to  5 .  00  per  month,  and  board. 

LAWS. 


A.  Every  male  citizen  of  the  United  States,  twenty-one 
years  of  age,  who  has  been  a  resident  of  the  State  two 
years,  of  the  county,  city,  or  town  one  year,  and  of  the 
precinct  in  which  he  offers  to  vote,  thirty  days,  next  pre- 
ceding the  election  in  which  he  offers  to  vote,  has  been 
registered,  and  has  paid  his  State  poll  taxes,  shall  be  en- 
titled to  vote  for  members  of  the  General  Assembly  and 
all  officers  elected  by  the  people. 

B.  For  registration  a  person  must  own  property  upon 
which,  for  the  year  next  preceding  that  in  which  he  offers 
to  register,  state  taxes  have  been  paid  aggregating  at  least 
one  dollar;  or,  must  be  able  to  read  any  section  of  the 
Constitution  submitted  to  him  and  give  a  reasonable 
explanation  of  the  same ;  or,  if  unable  to  read  such  sec- 


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 
in  excess  of  six  hundred  dollars  per  annum. 

D.  Whenever  a  franchise  tax  shall  be  imposed  upon  a 
corporation  doing  business  in  this  State,  or  whenever  all 
the  capital,  however  invested,  of  a  corporation  chartered 
under  the  laws  of  this  State,  shall  be  taxed,  the  shares  of 
stock  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  shah  be  paidby  the  State  into  the  treasury  of  the  county 
in  A^hich  it  was  collected.  The  other  two-thirds  to  be 
applied  exclusively  in  aid  of  the  public  free  schools  of  the 
State. 

F.  Every  householder  or  head  of  a  family  shall  be 
entitled  to  hold  exempt  from  levy,  seizure,  garnishment 
or  sale  under  any  execution  his  real  and  personal  property 
to  the  value  of  not  exceeding  $2,000,  to  be  selected  by  him — 
Provided,  that  such  execution  be  not  for  the  purchase  of 
said  property;  or  for  services  rendered  by  a  laboring  person 
or  mechanic;  or  for  a  lawful  claim  for  taxes;  or  for  rent. 
[Extracts  from  Constitution  of  the  State  of  Virginia,  1902.] 

NEWSPAPERS. 

Houston: 

Halifax  Record- Advertiser,   B.   E.   Hedderly,  Editor. 
South  Boston: 

Halifax  Gazette,  W.  W.  Ward,  Editor. 

South  Boston  News,  R.  H.  Beazley,  Editor. 


HALIFAX  COUNTY 


55 


POPULATION. 

Banister  District 6,678 

Birch  Creek  District 4,859 

Black  Walnyt  District 4,016 

Meadsville  District 3,013 

Mt.  Carmel  District 2,486 

Red  Bank  District 2,563 

Roanoke  District 7,879 

Staunton  District 5,703 

Total 37,197 


POST  OFFICES. 


Office.         District. 
Alchie,  Meadsville 
Alton,  Mt.  Carmel 
Basses,  Birch 
Birch,  Birch 
Carrington,  Roanoke 
Christie,  Black  Walnut 
Clarkton,  Staunton 
Clover,  Roanoke 
Cluster  Springs,  Black 

Walnut 
Cody,  Staunton 
Crystal  Hill,  Meadsville 
Danripple,  Black  Walnut 
Delila,  Mt.  Carmel 
Denniston,  Black  Walnut 
Dryburg,  Roanoke 
Elmo,  Birch 
Greendun,  Birch 
Harmony,  Black  Walnut 


Office.         District. 
Hermosa,  Staunton 
Houston,  Banister 
Hyco,  Black  Walnut 
Ingram,  Birch 
Jones,  Banister 
Leda,  Staunton 
Lennig,  Staunton 
Maxwelton,  Roanoke 
Mayo,  Black  Walnut 
Meadsville,  Meadsville 
Moffett,  Red  Bank 
Mount  Carmel,  Mt.  Carmel 
Mount  Laurel,  Roanoke 
Nathalie,  Staunton 
Neathery,  Banister 
News  Ferry,  Birch 
Noland,  Roanoke 
Omega,  Red  Bank 
Poolville,  Red  Bank 


56 


HALIFAX  COUNTY 


Office.         District.  Office.         District. 

Ramble,  Red  Bank  Stovall,  Staunton 

Republican  Grove,  StauntonTurbeville,  Mt.  Carmel 
Residence,  Black  Walnut      Vernon  Hill,  Birch 


Scottsburg,  Roanoke 
Sinai,  Banister 
South  Boston,  Banister 
Stebbins,  Birch 


Virgilina,  Red  Bank 
Volens,  Staunton 
Watkins,  Roanoke 
Wolftrap,  Banister 

Rural  Mail  Delivery  Offices. 


No.  OF 

Routes. 


Post  Office. 

Alton 1 

Clarkton 1-2 

Clover 1 

Cody 1 

Crystal  Hill 1 

Houston 1-2 

Ingram 1 

Lennig 1 

Meads  ville 1 


No.  OF 

Post  Office.  Routes. 

Nathalie 1-2-3 

News  Ferry 1-2 

Paces 1 

Republican  Grove .  1 

Scottsburg 1-2 

South  Boston 1-2-3 

Vernon  Hill 1 

Virgilina 1-2-3-4-5 


RAILROAD  MILEAGE. 

Miles 

A.  Southern  Railway 63 

B.  Norfolk  and  Western  R.  R 39 


Total 102 

SCHOOLS. 

A.  Money  available  for  schools  in  Halifax 

County  (Session,  1906-1907) $46,918.94 

[More  than  15  per  cent  increase  over  the  preceding  year.] 

B.  Seating  capacity  of  schoolhouses: 

White 4895 

Colored 3735 


HALIFAX  COUNTY  57 

C.  Number  of  schools  by  districts. 

Districts,  White.        Colored 

Banister 9  9 

Roanoke 24  17 

Staunton 29  9 

Meadsville 9  7 

Birch  Creek 18  12 

Mt.  Carmel 8  3 

Black  Walnut 11  H 

Red  Bank 10  3 

Houston 3  2 

South  Boston 9  3 

Total 130  76 

[State  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction.] 

TEMPERATURE,  PRECIPITATION,  ETC. 

Mean  temperature,  Spring  56;  Summer,  76;  Autumn, 
58;  Winter,  39;  Annual,  57.  Highest  temperature  ever 
recorded  102  in  July;  Lowest  temperature  ever  recorded 
6  below  zero  in  January.  Average  precipitation.  Spring, 
11.2  inches;  Summer,  12  inches;  Autumn,  10.1  inches; 
Winter,  10 . 7  inches ;  Annual  44  inches.  Average  monthly 
depth  of  snowfall  during  winter  4.1  inches. 

Prevailing  wind  direction,  Spring  N.  W. ;  Summer  S.  W; 
Autumn  S.  W.;  Winter,  N.  W.;  Annual,  N.  W. 

Throughout  Halifax  County,  the  rolling  contour  of  the 
land,  together  with  its  elevation  and  distance  from  the 
sea,  cause  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 
seems  to  be  due  to  a  convectional  circulation  of  the  air, 
caused  mainly  by  the  physical  conditions  of  the  region. 
It  is  greatest  in  the  western  part  of  the  county. 

[U.  S.  Weather  Bureau,  Richmond,  Va.] 
E.  A.  Evans,  Director, 
Climatological  Service. 

TAXES. 

[See  Laws  for  capitation  tax.] 

A.  $1 .  15  on  the  $100,  (Red  Bank  District  |1 .  25.) 
Apportioned  as  follows: 

a.  For  State  purposes $0. 35 

For  County  purposes,  [schools  .  10;  other  purposes 

.45.] 55 

For  District  purposes,  [schools  .  10;  Roads  .  15.] .  .         25 

Total $1.15 

B.  Incomes  taxed  1  per  cent  on  amounts  over  $600. 

C.  Corporations  liable  as  under  A. 

TELEPHONE  COMPANIES  AND  LINES. 

A .  Dan  River  Telephone  Company. — Operating  between 
the  Dan  River  and  the  Virginia-North  Carolina  line. 
Head  office.  South  Boston. 

B.  South  Boston  Telephone  Company. — South  Boston.* 

C.  Virginia-North  Carolina  Telephone  Company. — 
Operating  mainly  along  the  line  of  the  Norfolk  and  West- 
ern R.  R.,  the  middle  region  of  Halifax  County  from  North 
to  South. 

D.  Virgilina  Telephone  Company. — Virgilina. 

*The  South  Boston  Company  has  been  absorbed  by  the  Dan  River 
Company. 


HALIFAX  COUNTY  59 

E.  West  Halifax  Telephone  Company. — Operating 
in  the  West  and  North  of  Hahfax  County.  Head  office, 
Ingram. 

TOBACCO. 

By  the  census  of  1900  tobacco  was  reported  as  grown 
in  Virginia  by  44,872  farmers  who  obtained  from  184,334 
acres  a  yield  of  122,884,900  pounds.  This  shows  an 
increase  in  production  of  74,362,245  pounds,  or  153.3 
per  cent  in  the  ten  years  from  1890  to  1900.  The  average 
area  for  each  farm  upon  which  tobacco  was  grown  was  4. 1 
acres.  In  the  production  of  tobacco,  by  the  census  of 
1900,  Halifax,  Pittsylvania  and  Mecklenburg  counties 
contributed  34 . 7  per  cent  of  the  total  acreage  for  the  State 
and  30 . 5  per  cent  of  the  total  production. 

The  following  table  is  interesting,  giving  the  per  cent 
of  gross  income  from  the  farms  in  Virginia  on  the  total 
investment  in  farm  property: 

Hay  and  grain,  (not  fed  to  live  stock) 18 . 2  per  cent. 

Vegetables 33 . 5  '' 

Fruits 25.8  " 

Live  Stock 17.6  " 

Dairy  Produce 18 .8  " 

Tobacco 43.2  '' 

While  the  capital  invested  in  tobacco  lands  is  relatively 
not  excessive  and  while  allowance  must  be  made  for  ex- 
penses, the  figure  43 . 2  is  startling. 


PART  II, 


HISTORICAL. 


HALIFAX  COUNTY  63 


I. 

1676-1752. 


The  River  Dan  flows  through  the  Land  of  Eden.  That 
is  what  Colonel  Byrd  called  this  country  a  hundred  and 
seventy-five  years  ago.  It  must  be  remembered  that 
Pittsylvania  and  Franklin  and  Henry  were  only  districts 
of  Halifax  in  the  beginning.  Colonel  Byrd  had  gone 
through  this  country  in  1727,  as  Virginia  Commissioner 
to  run  the  line  between  the  colony  of  Virginia  and  that  of 
North  Carolina.  As  reAvard  for  his  distinguished  services 
the  Council  of  the  Colony  of  North  Carolina  presented  him 
with  20,000  acres  of  land  lying  just  on  the  border,  to  the 
south  of  what  was  to  be  Halifax  County  twenty-five  years 
later.  In  1733  the  Colonel  came  surveying  on  his  own 
account.  He  was  so  greatly  pleased  with  the  land,  as  one 
of  plenty  and  promise,  that  he  called  it  Eden. 

The  red,  untutored  savage  had  disappeared  from  the 
south  side  of  Virginia  before  1733,  or  if  he  was  found  there 
in  that  year  and  later  he  was  harmless.  Young  Nathaniel 
Bacon  had  broken  the  power  of  the  tribes  of  Meherrin, 
Appomattox,  and  Nottoway  in  1676.*  Bacon  and  his 
men  solved  the  problem,  notwithstanding  the  gallant, 
touchy  old  Sir  William  Berkeley.  After  1676  the  Indians 
were  never  strong  enough  in  the  region  south  of  the  James 
to  molest  the  planter.  Such  security  enabled  the  pioneer 
to  get  farther  and  farther  away  from  the  pleasant  tide- 
water shires.  After  1720  the  establishment  of  counties 
to  the  west  went  forward  rapidly.  When  Colonel  Byrd 
pitched  his  tent  on  the  Dan  and  the  Hyco  those  were  no 
mean  rivers  of  Brunswick  County. 

This  was  Colonel  William  Byrd  of  Westover,  compan- 
ion of  the  mad  Lord  Peterborough,  the   witty,  sprightly, 

*Bacon  came  as  far  as  the  banks  of  the  Staunton.  See,  Campbell's 
History  of  Virginia,  p.  307. 


64  HALIFAX  COUNTY 

travelled,  Colonel  Byrd,  most  cultivated  of  Virginians. 
The  Colonel  took  along  with  him  in  the  expedition  of  1733 
Major  William  Mayo,*  who' had  been  the  Surveyor  for 
Virginia  in  the  Commission  of  1727.  Major  Mayo  came 
also  on  his  own  account,  for  North  Carolina  had  endowed 
him  as  well  as  the  Colonel.  He  was  to  survey  first  Colonel 
Byrd's  land  and  then  his  own — a  goodly  estate  of  10,000 
acres.  The  surveying  party  was  made  up  of  Colonel 
Byrd,  Major  Mayo,  and  some  ten  assistants.  The  Colonel 
writes:  ''The  weather  now  befriending  us,  we  despatcht 
our  little  affairs  in  good  time,  and  marcht  in  a  Body  to  the 
Line.  After  a  March  of  2  miles  we  got  upon  Cane  Creek 
whejre  we  saw  the  same  Havock  amongst  the  Old  Canes 
that  we  had  observed  in  other  places,  and  a  whole  Forest 
of  Young  Ones  springing  up  in  their  Stead.  [No  doubt 
the  work  of  a  freshet].  We  pursued  our  Journey  over 
Hills  and  Dales  till  we  arrived  at  the  second  ford  of  the 
Dan,  which  we  passed  with  no  other  Damage  than  sopping 
a  little  of  our  Bread  and  shipping  some  water  at  the  Tops 
of  our  Boots." 

They  came  within  sight  of  a  great  body  of  Indians, 
Catawbas  so  they  thought.  Along  the  Irvin  River  they 
found  grass  as  high  as  a  man  on  horsebaek.  Keeping 
west  the  party  reached  Hatcher's  Creek.  ''Near  the 
Banks  of  this  Creek  we  found  a  large  Beech  Tree  wdth  the 
following  Inscription  cut  upon  the  Bark  of  it — 'J.  H.,  H. 
H.,  B.  B.  lay  here  the  24th  of  May,  1673.'  It  was  not 
difficult  to  fill  up  these  initials  with  the  following  names, 
Joseph  Hatcher,  Henry  Hatcher,  and  Benjamin  Bulling- 
ton,  3  Indian  Traders,  had  lodged  near  that  place  60 
years  before,  in  their  way  to  the  Sauro  Town." 


■'^The  Mayo  River  was  named  for  Major  Mayo,  and  the  village  of  Mayo 
in  therefore  called  after  him. 


HALIFAX  COUNTY  65 

Coming  back,  the  party  followed  the  Hyco  for  some 
distance,  a  branch  of  which  they  called  Jesuit  Creek 
because  it  misled  them.  "  We  encampt  upon  Hyco*  River 
pretty  high  up  and  had  much  ado  to  get  our  House  in  order 
before  a  heavy  Shower  descended  upon  us*  ***** 
*  *  About  a  mile  below  the  Mouth  of  Hyco  lives  Aaron 
Pinston,1|  at  a  quarter  belonging  to  Thomas  Wilsonf  upon 
Tewahominy  Creek.  This  man  is  the  highest  Inhabitant 
on  the  South  side  of  the  Dan,  and  yet  reacons  himself 
perfectly  safe  from  danger."  And  he  would  be  safe,  the 
Colonel  adds,  if  bears  and  wolvesj  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  by 
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  w^ere:  in  length  15  miles — 3 
miles  broad  at  the  west  end — and  1  mile  broad  at  the  Est. 
The  Colonel  spelt  as  he  pleased. § 

II. 

1752-1776 

During  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  be  an  Indian  name. 

^jAaron's  Creek  doubtless  gets  its  name  from  Pinston  the  Pioneer. 
tThomas  Wilson  was  a  member  of  the  surveying  party. 
jPinston  may  have  had  a  Wolf  Trap  south  of  the  Dan,  in  those  days. 
|See,  Westover  Manuscripts. — Journey  to  the  Land  of  Eden,  pp.  14  ff. 
September,  1733. 


66 


HALIFAX  COUNTY 


have  neighbors  and  the  bears  and  wolves  moved  farther 
west.^;  In  1746  Lunenburg  County  was  set  off  from  Bruns- 
wickjfand  six  years  later  the  populations  along  the  Dan 
and  the  Staunton  had  increased  sufficiently  to  warrant  a 
division  of  Lunenburg.  Pinston  may  have  lived  to  see  his 
frontier  cabin  successively  in  the  counties  of  Surry,  Bruns- 
wick, Lunenburg,  and  Halifax,  as  the  genealogical  table 
for  the  county  of  Halifax  will  show: — 


Isle  of  Wight  (1634,  one 
of  the  [eight  orig- 
inal shires  of  Vir- 
ginia). 


Surry  (1652) 


Brunswick  (1720) 


Lunenburg  (1746) 

I 

Halifax  (1752) 


Halifax  was  named  for  the  Earl  of  Halifax,  one  of  the 
distinguished  family  of  Montagu,  who  was  First  Lord  of 
the  Board  of  Trade  about  that  time  and  as  such  interested 
himself  greatly  in  the  welfare  of  the  Colonies.  The  ear- 
liest records  are  not  only  valuable  but  are  good  reading 
also.  They  beign — ''At  a  meeting  of  the  Justices  appointed 
for  Halifax  County  at  Hampson  Wade's  House  the  XlXth 


HALIFAX  COUNTY  67 

day  of  May  in  the  XXVth  year  of  the  Reign  of  our  Sov- 
ereign Lord  King  George  the  Second,  and  in  the  year  of 
our  Lord  Christ  one  Thousand  seven  hundred  and  fifty- 
two^a  Commission  of  the  Peace  was  produced  from  the 
Honorable  Robert  Dinwiddie,  His  Majesty's  Lieutenant 
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 
William  Byrd,*  William  Wynne,  Peter  Fontaine,  Jun^, 
James  Terry,  William  Irby,  Nathaniel  Terry,  Robert 
Wade,  Hampton  Wade,  Andrew  Wade,  Hugh  Moore,  and 
Sherwood  Walton,  Gentlemen." 

At  this  first  Meeting  the  usual  oaths  were  administered. 
Nathaniel  Terry  was  sworn  Sheriff;  George  Currie,  Clerk 
of  the  Court;  Thomas  Nash,  Surveyor;  and  Clement  Read 
(of  Lunenburg,  later  of  Charlotte)  King's  Attorney.  John 
Light,  Joseph  Paris,  and  Abel  Lee  were  appointed  Con- 
stables. Nicholas  Hayle,  Robert  Jones,  and  James  Irwin 
were  recommended  as  Justices.  A  deed  from  John  Owen 
to  Thomas  Stovall  was  acknowledged,  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 
to  Halifax  County.  Further,  it  was  ordered  that  William 
Irby  and  Andrew  Wade  take  lists  of  Tithables  from  the 
Point  of  Fork  (Dan  and  Staunton)  up  to  Buffaloe  upon 
Staunton ;  James  Terry  to  take  the  lists  from  the  mouth  of 
Buffaloe  Creek  up  Stanton  River  to  the  extent  of  the 
County  (i.  e.  as  far  as  the  Piedmont  Country);  and  Hugh 
Moore  from  the  mouth  of  Miery  Creek  up  Dan  River. 
Ordered,  that  the  Sheriff  forthwith  agree  with  workmen  to 
build  a  prison  twelve  feet  square  at  the  place  appointed 

*Soii  of  Colonel  William  Byrd  of  the  Survey  of  1733. 


68  HALIFAX  COUNTY 

for  the  next  Court  to  be  held.  Ordered,  that  the  next 
Court  be  heldat Richard  Dudgeon's  ''where  Thomas  Wilson 
now  lives." 

At  the  July  Court,  1752,  ''George  Currie  came  into  Court 
and  proposed  to  Run  a  Line  from  the  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 
and  as  the  convenience  of  water  will  admit  of,  at  his  own 
cost  and  charge,  and  that  he  will  also  at  his  farther  cost 
and  charge  build  a  Court  house,  prison,  stocks,  and  pillory 
as  soon  as  conveniently  he  can."  Sworn  as  Justices: 
Richard  Eckhols,  Thomas  Calloway,  Richard  Brown, 
William  Irby,  Merry  Webb,  Peter  Wilson,  William  Wynne, 
John  Guilligtine;  and  John  Owen. 

In  1753,  at  the  March  Court,  the"  Honorable  Justices 
fixed  important  rates.  "Pursuant  to  an  Act  of  Assembly 
the  Court  set  and  rate  the  following  Prices  of  Liquors,  Diet, 
Lodging,  Fodder,  Provender,  Stablage,  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  Rum  pr. 

Gallon £0-10  shillings-0  pence 

New  England  Rum  pr.  Gall      0-  2  -6 

French  Brandy  pr.  Quart ...    0-  5  -0 

Virginia    Peach    or    Apple 

Brandy  pr.  Gallon 0-7  -6 

♦Near  CaUands  in  Pittsylvania.  Before  1767  the  Court  House  was 
moved  to  the  east — the  name  "Court  House  Branch,"  near  County 
Line  Church,  indicates  the  site.  The  Pittsylvania  line,  run  in  1767, 
came  so  near  this  Court  House  that  the  seat  of  "[oVernment  was  moved 
about  1769  to  Faulkner's  Crossing  about  three  miles  N.  N.  E.  of  Houston. 
In  1792  the  Coiu-t  House  was  placed  at  Banister  which  became  Houston 
in  1890,  with  the  advent  of  the  Norfolk  and  Western  Railway.  There 
is  little  in  a  name,  but  there  is  less  in  some  names  than  in  other  names. 


HALIFAX  COUNTY  69 

Whiskey  pr.  Gallon [undecipherable] 

French    Claret  pr.  Quart ....    0-  1  -0 

Portugal   or  French   White 

Wine  pr.   Quart 0-3  -6 

Madeira  Wine  pr.  Quart 0-2  -6 

English    Strong    Beer,    pr. 

Quart     Bottle 0-1  -6 

Virginia    Strong    Beer    pr. 

Quart     ^.  .  .    [undecipherable] 

Diet  the  Meal  for  a  Break- 
fast         0-0  -8 

A  Hot  Dinner     0-1  -0 

liodging    in    Clean    Sheets, 

for  each  man 0-0  -6 

Stablage  and  Fodder  for  a 

Horse,   1   Night 0-0  -6 

Pasturage    for   each   horse, 

24     hours 0-0  -6 

Indian  Corn  pr.  Gall 0-0  -4 

We  pay  a  little  less  today  for  a  gallon  of  corn  than  was 
by  law  demanded  in  the  year  1753.  John  Boyd's  Ferry 
charges  at  this  time  were,  four  pence  for  a  man;  four 
pence  for  a  horse;  wheel  carriages,  four  pence  for  each 
wheel. 

At  the  1753  March  Court  a  Grand  Jury  was  appointed, 
''good  and  lawful  men  of  the  county,'  'whose  names  are  inter- 
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 

Callands,  but  during  these  years  Court  was  frequently 
held  at  ''Hilton's/'  which  is  confusing.  From  1753  to 
1755  several  Captains  of  foot  companies  were  appointed: 
Thomas  Calloway,  Thomas  Dillard,  Andrew  Wade,  Francis 
Lawson,  Hugh  Moore,  and  Peter  Wilson. 

In  1763  the  Justices  present  at  a  Court  were:  George 
Watkins,  Thomas  Green,  James  Roberts,  Robert  Wooding, 
Theophilus  Lacy,  John  Coleman,  George  Boyd,  Matthew 
•Sims,  Elijah  Hunt.  There  were  present  at  the  March 
Court,  1774:  Nathaniel  Terry,  Thomas  Yuille,  Walter 
Coles,  and  Isaac  Coles. 

It  is  remarkable  how  persistent  names  have  been  in  the 
county,  only  corroborating  the  statement  so^often  made 
that  the  South  is  the  genuine  America — where  the  English 
stock  is  to  be  found.  Observe  the  names  of  the  Burgesses 
from  the  county— 1753-1776: 

^'       /  ^„^^  \  . .  .  .John  Bates,  WiUiam  Harris. 

May        1,  1755  J 

,^      ,      ^'  ^„^^  [  .  .  .  .Samuel  Harris,  John  Bates. 
March     0,  1758  i  ' 

Sept.     14,  1758  1 

Jan.       12,  1764  J 

Oct.       30,  1764 Nathaniel  Terry,  Edward  Booker. 

1765 Edward  Booker, 

1765-1768 Edward  Booker,  Walter  Coles. 

May,  1769 Nathaniel  Terry,  John  Lewis. 

Nov.  1769-1772 Nathaniel  Terry,  Walter  Coles. 

Feb.      10,  1772  ]  ^t  .i.     •  i  ^r  t         n  ^ 

,,  ^    ^„„A  . . .  .^Jathaniel  lerry,  Isaac  Coles. 

May        5,  1774  J  '^' 

June,  1775 Nathaniel  Terry,  Micajah  Watkins. 

ifi    ifi    :^    ifi.    ^    i:    -^ 

There  was  a  time  when  all  of  Halifax  belonged  to  the 
Established  Church.     "  When  Halifax  Countv  was  divided 


Robert  Wade,  Nathaniel  Terry. 


HALIFAX  COUNTY  71 

from  Lunenburg  in  1752  it  comprehended  all  that  is  now 
Pittsylvania,  Henry,  Franklin,  and  Patrick.  Antrim 
Parish  was  coextensive  with  the  county".*  There  were 
probably  no  chuiches  or  chapels  in  1752  within  the  limits 
of  the  county.  Several  gentlemen  were  allowed  to  have 
services  in  their  own  houses,  doubtless  for  the  benefit  of 
their  neighbors  as  well  as  for  that  of  their  own  families. 
Pigg  River,  Franklin  County,  was  a  reading  station. 
William  Chisholm,  a  candidate  for  orders,  was  given  title 
to  Antrim  Parish  in  1752,  but  Mr.  Chisholm  set  out  for 
London  to  be  consecrated  by  his  cUocesan,  the  Bishop  of 
London,  and  nothing  more  was  heard  of  him.  The  Rev. 
Mr.  Proctor  was  allowed  2,000  pounds  of  tobacco,  in  1753, 
for  services  by  him  done  and  performed  for  Antrim  Parish. 
The  Rev.  Mr.  Foulis  was  in  the  parish  until  1759,  when  he 
went  away  and  was  not  heard  from  thereafter.  In  1762, 
Thomas  Thompson,  a  very  old  man,  served  in  the  parish 
for  a  few  months.  The  next  spring  Alexander  Gordon 
a*  Scotchman,  was  inducted.  He  continued  until  1775, 
when  being  disappointed  with  the  new  order  of  things  he 
retired  and  spent  his  old  age  near  Petersburg. 

Wars  are  commonly  thought  to  be  a  great  part  of 
history.  History  is  made  more  in  peace  than  in  war. 
The  following  is  a  list  of  old  vestrymen  of  Antrim  Parish, 
from  1752— James  Terry,  Richard  Echols,  Thomas  Dillard,^ 
Thomas  Calloway,  Richard  Brown,  William  Irby,  Merry 
Webb,  Peter  Wilson,  William  Wynne,  John  Guilligtine, 
John  Owen,  Nathaniel  Terry,  George  Currie,  Samuel 
Harris,  Andrew  Wade,  James  Dillard,  Robert  Wooding, 
Archibald  Gordon,  John  Bates,  Edward  Booker,  Hugh 
Junis,    George    Watkins,    Alexander    Gordon,     Thomas 


*Bishop  Meade:  Old  CTiurches  and  Families  of  Virginia,  Vol.  II,   ch. 
XLVI. 


72  HALIFAX  COUNTY 

Tunstall,  John  Donaldson,  Evan  Ragland,  Benjamin 
Dickson,  William  Thompson,  George  Boyd,  Moses  Terry, 
William  Sims,  Walter  Coles,  Edward  Wade,  Isaac  Coles, 
John  Coleman,  William  Terry,  Michael  Roberts,  John 
Ragland,  Armistead  Washington,  Joseph  Hobson,  George 
Carrington,  Thomas  Davenport,  John  Faulkner,  Edmund 
King,  Joseph  Sandford,  Thomas  Theawt,  John  Ervine, 
Daniel  Wilson,  Thomas,  Clark,  Evan  Ragland,  Jr.,  Joseph 
Haynes,  Thomas  Lipscomb,  John  R.  Scott,  Francis  Petty, 
Daniel  Parker,  George  Camp,  William  Thomas,  John 
Wattington,  Achilles  Colquett,  Hansom  Clark,  John  A. 
Fowlkes,  Charles  Meriwether,  Adam  Toot,  Edward  Boyd, 
Thomas  Clark,  Beverly  Sydnor,  Joseph  Hewell,  Samuel 
Williams,  Littlebury  Royster,  Benjamin  Rogers,  Chilton 
Palmer,  John  Haynes,  Screevor  Torian,  Robert  Crute, 
Granville  Craddock,  Edward  Carlton,  William  Fitzgerald, 
Isham  Chasteen,  Icare  Torian,  Isaac  Medley,  John  R. 
Cocke,  William  Scott. 

Bishop  Meade  cites,  as  influential  in  the  revival  of  the 
Episcopal  Church  in  Halifax,  the  Bruces,  the  Ligons,  the 
Greens,  the  Wimbishes,  the  Leighs,  the  Banks,  the  Logans, 
the  Borums,  the  Edmundsons,  the  Fontaines,  the  Carring- 
tons,  the  Baileys.* 

III. 

1776-1830 

...The  Rev.  Alexander  Gordon,  Parson  of  Antrim  Parish 
for  thirteen  years,  a  Scotchman,  being  disappointed  with 
the  new  order  of  things  in  1775  retired  from  the  Parish. 

*An  old  Episcopal  Church  at  Meadsville  was  sold  some  twenty  years 
ago;  an  old  church  stood  at  Catawba,  which  was  moved  to  Clarkton. 
When  St.  John's  Church  was  built  at  Houston,  old  St.  Mark's  Church  was 
sold  to  the  Methodists. 


HALIFAX  COUNTY  73 

Other  natives  of  North  Britain  retired.  The  hand  of  the 
Scotch  merchant  was  hard  upon  the  planter  before  the 
Revohition.  The  Magistrates  were  upright  and  judi- 
cially minded  men.  It  must  have  given  more  than  one  of 
them  great  pleasure  to  sit  in  judgment  upon  a  factor, 
reasonably  charged  with  disaffection  to  the  cause  of  the 
colonies.  At  a  court  held  for  Halifax  County  in  1776 — 
Present,  Nathaniel  Terry,  James  Baker,  Walter  Coles, 
Isaac  Coles,  John  Coleman,  Elijah  Hunt,  John  Arrell 
Tunstall,  and  William  Terry — ''for  the  purpose  of  exam- 
ining several  natives  of  North  Britain  (subjects  of  George 
the  Third,  King  of  Great  Britain)  residing  within  the 
county  and  being  supposed  to  come  within  the  Statute 
Staple  of  Twenty-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, 
and  was  so  at  the  first  day  of  January,  1776)  appeared  and 
on  considering  the  disposition  and  conduct  of  the  said 
Donald,  touching  America  and  Great  Britain,  the  Justices 
are  of  opinion  that  he  ought  to  depart  as  directed  the  said 
Resolution".  Also,  James  Steven,  John  Calder,  Hector 
McNeil,  John  Smith,  Walter  Robertson,  Thomas  Hope, 
and  James  Calland,"^  all  Scotchmen,  were  found  "of  a  dis- 
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 
Lord"),  so  many  of  whose  counsellors  were  Scotchmen,  was 
being  defied  by  his  American  possessions.  The  Clerk  of 
Halifax  County  in  1776,  Paul  Carrington,  Sr.,  was  one  of 

♦Perhaps  CaUands  in  Pittsylvania,  where  the  first  Halifax  Court  House 
stood,  gets  its  name  from  James  Calland. 


74  HALIFAX  COUNTY 

the  foremost  men  of  the  colony  in  adopting  the  measures 
that  looked  to  a  separation  from  the  British  Empire. 
Paul  Carrington's  estate,  "Mulberry  Hill''  lay  partly  in 
Halifax  and  doubtless  that  is  the  explanation  of  his  Clerk- 
ship of  Halifax  from  1764  to  1776.  Judge  Carrington  was 
a  member  of  both  Committees  of  Safety  (1775  and  1776) ; 
and  a  delegate  to  the  Conventions  of  1774,  1775,  1776,  and 
1788.  He  was  a  member  of  the  first  General  Court  of 
Virginia  and  became  its  Chief  Justice.  In  1779  he  was 
elected  a  Judge  of  the  Court  of  Appeals,  which  position  he 
held  until  his  resignation  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  house 
at  ''Mulberry  Hill"  presents  almost  the  same  appearance 
today  as  when  it  was  built  in  the  year  1755.  He  was  a 
public  man  from  his  youth.  During  his  time,  he  was 
King's  Attorney  of  four  several  counties,  and  he  held  any 
number  of  offices  besides. 

George  Carrington,  a  son  of  the  elder  Paul  Carrington? 
succeeded  his  father  in  the  Clerkship  of  Halifax.  George 
Carrington  held  the  office  from  1776  to  1797.  He  lived 
at  ''Oak  Hill,"  an  estate  just  across  the  Dan  River  from 
South  Boston,  In  the  Revolutionary  War,  he  was  1st 
Lieutenant  of  Armstrong's  Troop  'Cavalry].  -He  and 
Armstrong  won  the  battle  of  Quimby  Bridge,  a  fierce  skir- 
mish where  the  British  cavalry  charged  across  the  bridge, 
part  of  which  had  been  taken  up,  and  had  a  desperate 
battle  with  the  colonial  troops.*  George  Carrington  was  a 
General  of  militia  and  a  brilliant  man.     He  was  a  delegate 


*See,    Washington    Irving:  Life    of    Washington;  and    Hugh    Blair 
Grigsby :  Virginia  Convention  of  1776. 


HALIFAX  COUNTY  .    •  75 

from  Halifax  in  the  Convention  of  1788,  and  was  later  a 
member  of  the  State  Senate,  of  great  popularity  and  influ- 
ence. 

A^hij^her  son  of  Judge  Paul  Carrington,  Sr.,  Edward  ^/t  u^f 
Carrington  was  an  officer  of  Lee's  Legion.  General  Lee 
speaks  of  him  in  the  highest  terms.f  It  is  still  remem- 
bered in  this  region  how  Major  Carrington  got  Greene's 
army  across  the  Dan  on  the  retreat  before  Cornwallis, 
preceding  the  battle  of  Guilford  Court  House  (1781).  On 
the  15th  of  February  Greene  had  just  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 
at  Hillsborough,  North  Carolina.  The  battle  of  Guilford 
Court  House,  one  of  the  decisive  battles  of  the  Revolu- 
tion, followed  on  March  25th,  after  which  Lord  Corn- 
wallis retreated  across  North  Carolina  towards  Wilming- 
ton. His  next  important  engagement  was  at  Yorktown, 
where  he  surrendered  to  General  Washington,  Oct.    19th. 

Thus,  it  appears  that  Greene  and  Cornwallis  passed 
through  Halifax  County  twice  in  the  month  of  March, 
1781.  The  armies  followed  what  is  known  as  thej' River 
Road,"  from  Milton  to  Blank's  Ferry  [Irwin's  Ford?]— 
wherel  Greene  seems  to  have  crossed  and  then  recrossed, 
on  the  track  of  the  southward  moving  noble  lord.  There 
is  a  tradition  that  Cornwallis  made  his  headquarters  at  an 
innj(the  building  is  still  in  existence)  which  stood  on  the 
River  Road,  about  two  miles  to  the  east  of  Turbeville. 

fSee,  Henry  Lee :  Memoirs  of  the  War  in  the  South. 
Jit  is  possible  that  both  Colonel  Byrd  and  Lord  Cornwallis  crossed  the 
Dan  at  the  old  Skipwith  Ferry,  above  Clarksville,  at  the  lowest  point  of 
union  before  the  j&nal  junction  of  the  two  rivers.  Again,  it  is  reliable 
tradition  that  Irwin's  Ford  was  a  mile  or  two  above  South  Boston,  and 
that  here  the  armies  crossed.     This  was  where  Major  Carrington  lived. 


76  HALIFAX  COUNTY 

In  1781  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, 
in  the  county,  dating  from  1730  in  the  time  of  ''Our  Sover- 
eign Lord  George  the  Second." 

There  is  vague  talk  of  a  roster  of  soldiers  furnished  by 
Halifax  in  the  Revolution.  This  lacking,  more  peaceful 
records  must  be  employed  to  supplement  the  brief  account 
given  above,  in  filling  out  the  Revolutionary  and  post- 
Revolutionary  period.  Follows  a  list  of  delegates  from  the 
county  to  the  General  Assembly,  from  1773  to  1830,  when 
the  new  constitution  went  into  effect: 

Session  of  1778     Nathaniel  Terry  and  Micajah    Watkins. 

Session  of  1779     Micajah  Watkins  and  John  Coleman. 

May  Session  1781 James  Bates 

May  Session  1781 1   ^  ,tt  , ,  • 

^  ^,      .,      .      ,„„.  George  Watkins 

Ocotber  Session  1781 I  ^ 

May  Session  1782 


^  X  1       CI      •       -,^Too  1   John  Coleman  I 

October  Session  1782 

October  Session  1782 1   ^ 

Sessions  1806-07 j 

May  Session  1782 Daniels  and  Walker 

June  Session  1788 

Oct.  Session  1788 

Oct.  Session  1791 

Oct.  Session  1792 ...... 

May  Session  1813 

Sessions  1813-14;  1841-2 

October  Session  1789 Henry  E.  Coleman 

October  Session  1791 1   .^^     .  ,  ^,    , 

^  ^  ,       o      •        -.  ^rr^o  \  David  Clark 

October  Session  1792 j 

November  Session  1794 Thomas  Roberts 


Thomas  Watkins 


HALIFAX  COUNTY 


77 


December  Session   1799.  . . . 

January  Session,  1800 1 

December  Session,  1800.  . 
January  Session,  1801 .... 
December  Session,  1800.  . 
January  Session,  1801 .... 
December  Session,  1802.  . 
January  Session,  1803 .... 

Sessions,  1809-10 

Sessions,  1810-11 

Sessions    1806-7 

Sessions    1808-9 

Sessions    1810-11 

Sessions    1808-9 

Sessions  1809-10 

Sessions  1824-25 

Sessions  1812-13 

Sessions  1813-14 

Sessions  1814-15 

Sessions  1814-15 

Sessions  1812-13 

Sessions  1817-18 

Sessions  1818-19 

Sessions  1817-18 

Sessions  1818-19 

Sessions  1820-21 

Sessions  1822-23 

Sessions  1834-35 

Sessions  1820-21 

Sessions  1822-23 

Sessions  1823-24 

Sessions  1824-25 

Sessions  1826-27 

Sessions  1835-36 


u 


Richard  Howson 
John  B.  Scott 

WiUiam  Terry 

Wilham  Terry 

Joseph  Sandford 

WilUam  B.  Banks 
Melchizedeck  Spraggins 

John  Hill 

Isaac  Medley 
Williamson  Price 

Howson  Clark 
James  Sneed 


Richard  Logan 

Clement  R.  Carrington  ^ 


John  B.  Carrington 


78  HALIFAX  COUNTY 

Sessions   1826-27 ]    -^  u     r.   r^v.  ^ 

o      •         ir,o^  no  John  G.  Chalmers 

Sessions  1827-28 


Sessions  1828-29 ,    ^  ,-,   ^     ,, 

ci      •        -.oo^  or^  Heniv  hj.  bcott 

Sessions  1829-30 j  *^ 

It  was  in  the  Convention  of  1829  that  John  Randolph 
of  Roanoke  made  his  famous  remark/' Call  them  horned 
cattle/'  which  did  nothing  to  increase  his  popularity. 
John  Randolph,  William  Leigh,  Richard  Logan,  and 
Richard  N.  Venable  were  the  delegates  to  that  Convention 
from  the  8th  district,  in  which  Halifax  was  then  included. 
In  the  spring  of  1827,  Mr.  Randolph  made  a  great  speech 
at  Halifax  Court  House  on  the  issues  of  the  proposed 
convention.  It  was  estimated  that  from  six  to  ten 
thousand  people  had  gathered  to  hear  him. — "  As  the 
hour  approached  every  countenance  beamed  with  antic- 
ipation or  was  grave  with  anxiety,  for  the  weather 
was  a  little  inauspicious  and  Mr.  Randolph's  health  was 
bad.  It  was  known  that  he  had  reached  Judge  Leigh's, 
but  fears  were  entertained  that  he  might  be  deterred  by 
the  weather.  About  10  o'clock,  however,  the  thin  clouds 
vanished,  and  about  11  o'clock  news  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 
and  the  tavern  when  they  saw  him  coming  on  horseback, 
his  carriage  in 'the  rear,  driven  by  one  of  his  servants. 
As  he  drew  near,  the  crowd  simultaneously  divided  to  each 
side  of  the  street,  making  a  broad  avenue  along  which  he 
passed,  hat  in  hand,  bowing  to  the  right  and  to  the  left, 
until  he  reached  the  lower  tavern.  The  people  with 
uncovered  heads  silently  returned  the  salutation.  As  he 
passed  on  to  the  lower  tavern,  the  multitude  followed  in 
profound  silence.     Alighting  and  going  in  for  a   few   mo- 


HALIFAX  COUNTY  79 

ments  he  soon  reappeared,  crossed  the  street,  ascended  the 

steps  leading  over  to  the  court  house,  and  began  by  asking: 

"Fellow    citizens. — why    in    my    feeble  state  am^I  here? 

Love  of  your  liberty  as  well  as  my  own  compelled  me  to 

come."*     And    after    the    Convention    Mr.     Randolph 

returned  to  Halifax  Court  House,  very  feeble,  to  give  an 

account   of   his   stewardship.     Judge   William   Leigh,   of 

Halifax,  was  John  Randolph's  sole  executor  by  his  will 

of  1821.     Judge  Leigh  and  Henry  St.  George  Tucker  were 

the  final  executors  by  the  will  of  1832. 
-^  "1^  -^  ^  ^  i(i 

After  the  Episcopal  Church,  the  Baptist  Church  is  the 
oldest  in  Halifax  County.  Baptist  Churches  were  estab- 
lished in  the  county  from  1773  to  1803  as  follows: 

Catawba,  1773;  Buffaloe,  1776;  Mayo,  1774;  Wynn's 
Creek,  1773;  Hunting  Creek,  1775;  Musterfield,  1779; 
Childrey,  1783;  Millstone,  1787;  Arbor,  1785;  Polecat, 
1790;  Miry  Creek,  1803;  Liberty,  1802;  Dan  River,  1802; 
Twelve  Corner,  1803.t 

Of  these  churches  Catawba,  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
county,  occupies  the  site  of  the  original  meeting  house. 

Buffaloe  Church  became  extinct  during  the  war.  The 
meeting  house  was  of  stone,  near  PannelPs  Bridge,  almost 
on  the  Halifax-Pittsylvania  line. 

Mayo  was  once  one  of  the  largest  churches  in  the  old 
Roanoke  Association.  The  meeting  house  was  situated 
near  Mayo,  on  the  road  leading  from  Carrington's  Bridge 
to  Clarksville,  and  about  a  mile  from  Mayo  Creek.  The 
church  was  absorbed  by  Black  Walnut  on  one  side  and 
Bethel,  in  Person  County,  North  Carolina,  on  the  other. 

♦See,  Home  Remniscences  of  John  Randolph  of  Roanol-e,  by  Powhatan 
Bouldin. 

tSee,  Semple's  History  of  the  Rise  and  Progress  of  the  Baptists  in  Virginia. 
Richmond,  1894. 


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 
situated  in  the  northeastern  section  of  Halifax.  On  the 
formation  of  the  Baptist  Church  at  Scottsburg,  in  1884, 
Musterfield  Church  was  dissolved.  The  church  stood  to 
the  northeast  of  Houston,  on  the  road  to  Scottsburg. 
The  Childrey  Church  joined  the  Dan  River  Association  in 
1872  and  is  vigorous.  Childrey  is  near  Brookneal.  The 
congregation  of  Millstone  Church  worships  on  the  original 
site — near  Meadsville,  on  the  road  from  Houston  to 
Republican  Grove.  Arbor  Church  is  active.  Polecat 
Church  declined.  A  new  meeting  house  was  erected  in 
1836  and  the  name  changed  to  Mount  Vernon,  on  the  Moun- 
tain Road.  Miry  Creek  and  Liberty  are  now  extinct. 
Miry  Creek  united  with  Arbor  Church  before  1840.  Dan 
River  Church  is  active  today  and  on  the  original  site, 
about  three  miles  from  South  Boston.  Twelve  Corner 
derived  its  name  from  the  log  building  of  twelve  corners 
in  which  the  church  long  worshipped.  June  2,  1810 
the  name  of  the  church  was  changed  to  Republican 
Grove.  Dr.  A.  B.  Brown  was  for  years  the  pastor  of 
the  Republican  Grove  Church. 

;{:    ^    :}:    •{:    'is    5j« 

Dr.  William  W.  Bennett's  Memorials  of  Methodism  in 
Virginia  gives  few  facts  in  regard  to  the  Methodist  Church 
in  Halifax  County.  Methodism  grew  rapidly  in  Virginia 
after  1775,  when  there  were  not  as  many  Methodists  south 
of  the  Potomac  River  (955)  as  there  are  in  Halifax  County 
today.  In  1781  there  were  3,239  Methodists  reported  in 
Virginia.  Bishop  Asbury,  the  father  of  the  church  in 
Virginia,  must  have  ridden  often  through  Halifax  on  his 
long  circuits.  Speaking  of  his  rides  through  the  country 
lying  on  the  Meherrin  River,  he  says,  "In  this  country 


HALIFAX  COUNTY  81 

I  have  to  lodge  half  my  nights  in  lofts,  where  light  may 
be  seen  through  a  hundred  places;  and  the  cold  wind  at 
the  same  time  blowing  through  as  many.'* 

In  1784  Halifax  was  a  part  of  the  ''South  District  of 
Virginia:''  Halifax,  Mecklenburg,  Bedford,  Cumberland, 
Amelia,  Brunswick,  Sussex,  Greensville,  Bertie,  Camden, 
Portsmouth,  Williamsburg,  Hanover  and  Orange.  In 
1784  the  official  title  Presiding  Elder  first  occurs.  At 
the  first  Council  of  the  Methodist  Church  in  Virginia, 
James  O'Kelly  sat  for  the  South  District.  In  1792  O'Kelly 
began  to  be  greatly  antagonistic  to  Bishop  Asbury,  and 
by  1801  the  O'Kellyan  Schism  had  made  such  advances 
as  to  take  a  distinct  name— "The  Christian  Church.'' 
It  is  not  stated  whether  O'Kelly's  Church  was  much 
recruited  in  the  Halifax  section  of  his  District.  It  is  to  be 
regretted  that  Dr.  Bennett's  book  gives  so  few  local  statis- 
tics. How  difficult  it  is  to  remember  that  what  everybody 
knows  today  is  precisely  what  nobody  will  know  to- 
morrow. 

H:    ii^    H:    H:    H:    * 

The  Rev.  Alexander  Hay,  of  Scotland,  was  inducted 
into  the  parish  of  Antrim  in  1790.  After  the  Revolution 
measures  were  taken  for  the  erection  of  churches.  Several 
of  the  old  ones  had  fallen  upon  evil  times.  In  1794  it 
was  reported  that  one  church  had  been  converted  into 
a  dwelling  because  there  was  no  title  to  the  land;  another, 
out  of  repair,  had  been  made  over  into  a  Baptist  Church; 
a  third,  which  had  been  put  to  the  double  purpose  of  a 
stable  and  a  tobacco  barn,  was  demolished  and  the  timbers 
used  for  a  store;  a  fourth  was  burned.  The  Revolution 
left  the  Episcopal  Church  greatly  crippled  in  Halifax  as 
in  most  counties. 

In  1816  a  small  church  was  built  some  three  miles  from 
the  Court  House,  in  which  Mr.  Hay  preached  a  few  times 


82  HALIFAX  COUNTY 

before  his  death  in  1819.  Here  also  Mr.  Ravenscroft 
(later,  first  Bishopof  North  Carolina)  occasionallypreached. 
This  church  v/as  afterwards  converted  into  a  Methodist 
Church.  Evan  Ragland  died  in  1814  leaving  a  large 
estate  to  the  Episcopal  Church.  There  was  a  cause  in 
chancery,  and  by  1830  $2,000  was/ealized  by  the  church. 
Mr.  Steel  preached  at  Mt.  Laurel  Church  from  1825  to  1830. 
The  church  had  been  built  largely  by  Episcopalians, 
but  was  free  to-  others.  The  Rev.  Charles  Dresser  became 
rector  of  the  Church  at  Halifax  Court  House  in  1828.  He 
was  succeeded  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. 
Mr.  Dresser  went  to  Illinois  and  in  that  state  became 
President  of  Jubilee  College,  Peoria.*  It  is  an  interesting 
fact  that  Mr.  Dresser,  while  rector  of  a  church  at  Spring- 
field, Illinois,  officiated  at  the  marriage  of  Abraham  Lin- 
coln and  Mary  Todd,  November  4,  1842.  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; 


*Mr.  Dresser  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  John  Grammer,  father 
of  Dr.  John  Grammer,  Captain  of  Company  A,  53d  Virginia  Infantry. 
Dr.  Grammer  was  rector  until  his  death  in  1870.  Dr.  O.  A.  Kinsolving  suc- 
ceeded Dr.  Grammer  and  served  the  parish  until  his  death  in  1894. 
Four  of  his  sons  became  clergymen — Rt.  Rev.  George  Herbert  Kinsolving, 
Bishop  of  Texas;  Rt.  Rev.  Lucius  Lee  Kinsolving,  Bishop  of  Brazil; 
Rev.  A.  B.  Kinsolving,  D.  D.,  Rector  of  St. Paul's  Church,  Baltimore,  Md., 
(and  for  some  years  rector  of  Christ  Church,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.);  Rev. 
Wythe  L.  Kinsolving,  Rector  of  the  Church  of  the  Epiphany,  Barton 
Heights,  Virginia.  Mr.  Shackelford  followed  Dr.  Kinsolving,  and  in  1900 
the  present  Rector,  the  Rev.  Flournoy  Bouidin  succeeded  Mr.  Shackel- 
ford. It  is  interesting  to  know  the  succession  in  the  oldest  church  of  the 
county,  reckoning,  that  is,  by  the  parish  name. 


HALIFAX  COUNTY  83 

on  the  soil  of  Halifax  the  Surrender  at  Yorktown  was  fore- 
shadowed; Halifax  supplied  the  clergyman  who  married 
Abraham  Lincoln,  and  it  has  been  thought  that  Lincoln 
would  not  have  become  President  if  he  had  failed  in  his 
suit  for  the  hand  of  Miss  Mary  Todd  of  Kentucky.* 

IV. 

1830-1865. 

Martins'  Gazetteer  of  Virginia  is  a  valuable  source  of 
information  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- 
ful. He  writes  about  Halifax  County:  The  county  is 
well  watered  and  has  an  excellent  soil.  Much  first  rate 
tobacco  is  raised.  Taxes  paid  in  1832  on  5,769  horses, 
20  studs,  78  coaches,  81  carryalls,  102  gigs.  Expended 
on  educating  poor  children  in  1832,  $704.21.  Towns, 
villages,  post  offices,  etc. — Barksdale,  P.  0:  This  village 
contains  several  dwelling  houses,  one  Baptist  house  of 
public  worship,  one  common  school,  a  Sabbath  School, 
a  Missionary  andTemperance  Society,  an  apothecary,  wheel- 
right,  boot  and  shoe  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- 
tive. Banister:  Post  Village.  Besides  the  usual  county 
buildings,  this  village  contains  25  dwelling  houses  with 
a  number  of  outhouses,  mechanics  shops,  etc.,  two  spacious 
houses  of  public  worship,  one  Episcopalian  and  the  other 
Methodist,  a  large  and  handsome  Masonic  Hall  (which 
has  lately  been  erected  of  brick,  in  an  elevated  and  advan- 

*See,  Abraham  Lincoln,  by  John  G.  Nicolay,  p  .  69 . 


84  HALIFAX  COUNTY 

tageous  situation,  about  the  middle  of  the  village.)  several 
handsome  and  commodious  taverns,  three  general  stores 
and  one  grocery.  The  mechanics  are  a  saddler,  coach 
maker,  two  wheelrights,  three  blacksmiths,  two  tailors, 
one  cabinet  maker,  and  two  boot  and  shoe  manufacturers. 
There  are  in  this  vicinity  two  extensive  flour  manufactur- 
ing mills,  two  saw  mills,  and  two  cotton  gins.  The  face 
of  the  country  on  each  side  of  the  village  is  very  much 
broken,  which  causes  it  to  be  very  long  and  narrow,  and 
the  houses  to  be  built  in  a  scattering  manner,  except 
immediately  around  the  court  house  where  all  the  stores 
and  mechanics  shops  are  located.  The  village  is  remark- 
able for  its  health,  being  well  elevated  by  a  gradual  ascent 
of  three  quarters  of  a  mile  from  the  river.  It  is  situated  on 
the  main  road  from  Fredericksburg  to  the  South.  Seven 
stages  pass  through  weekly  and  eleven  mails  are  received 
at  the  post  office.  There  is  a  race  course  in  the  neighbor- 
hood over  which  races  are  run  once  a  year.*  Population, 
250  persons,  of  whom  three  are  attorneys  and  three  physi- 
cians. County  courts  are  held  on  the  4th  Monday  in 
every  month.  Quarterly,  in  March,  June,  August  and 
November.  Judge  Leigh  holds  his  Circuit  Superior 
Court  of  Law  and  Chancery  on  the  1st  of  April  and  Septem- 
ber. BenneWs  Store,  P.  0:  146  miles  S.  W.  of  Richmond 
and  236  from  Washington  [It  has  been  suggested  that  this  is 
Mayo.] — Bentleysville,P.  0:  115  miles  from  Richmond  and 
230  from  Washington.  Black  Walnut.  Bloomsbiirgh: 
situated  two  miles  south  of  Dan  River,  and  eight  miles 
from  the  North  Carolina  line,  on  the  main  S.  W.  stage 
road  leading  from  Washington  City  to  Salisbury,  N.  C, 
and  Milledgeville,  Georgia.  There  are  located  here  a 
dweUing  house  and  a  mercantile  store;  and  in  the  vicinity 

*Imported  Margrave,  Imported  Sarpedon,  and  Fly-by-Night   were 
famous  names  in  the  coimty  before  the  war. 


HALIFAX  COUNTY  85 

two  houses  of  public  worship,  one  Baptist  and  the  other 
Presbyterian.  The  country  around  is  densely  settled,  and 
the  land  fertile,  producing  in  abundance  wheat,  Indian 
corn,  tobacco,  etc.  Brooklyn:  Post  Village.  Contains  21 
dwelli-ng  houses,  one  mercantile  store,  one  druggist  shop, 
one  tanyard,  one  boot  and  shoe  factory,  one  coach  and 
wagon  maker,  one  tailor,  two  blacksmith  shops,  and  one 
house  carpenter.  The  situation  is  high  and  healthy. 
Population  60  persons;  one  of  whom  is  a  physician. 

Centreton  P.  0:  Plainly  Centerville.  Meadsville:  situ- 
ated at  the  head  of  navigation  on  Banister  River.  Con- 
tains 12  dwelling  houses,  two  general  stores,  one  tobacco 
warehouse,  one  iron  foundry  and  plow  manufactory,  one 
cabinet  maker,  one  tanyard,  one  blacksmith,  two  extensive 
flour  manufacturing  mills,  a  wool  carding  machine,  and  a 
cotton  gin.  Population  70  persons;  of  whom  one  is  a 
physician.  Mount  Laurel,  P.  0.  Rtpuhlican  Grove. 
Scottshurg:  Post  Village,  contains  several  dwelling  houses' 
one  tavern,  one  mercantile  store,  and  one  smith's  shop. 
Population  40.  Warren's  Store  P.  0:  115  miles  S.  W.  by 
W.  of  Richmond  and  205  miles  from  Washington,  situated 
in  the  western  part  of  the  county. 

The  population  of  Halifax*  in  1830  was  28,034;  in  1840, 
25,936;  in  1850,  25,962;  and  in  1860,  26,  520.  From  1830 
to  1860  there  was  much  emigration  from  Virginia  to  the 
West  and  the  Southwest,  and  Halifax  certainly  contributed 
its  share,  as  will  be  seen  by  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  population  was  14,722;  1800,  19,377;  1810,  22,133; 
1820,  19,060.  Pittsylvania  was  set  off  from  Halifax  in  1767;  Henry 
from  Pittsylvania  in  1777;  and  Franklin  from  Henry  (with  a  part  of 
Bedford)  in  1784 


86  HALIFAX  COUNTY 

county  and  one  of  the  best.  For  that  very  reason  Hahfax 
suffered  extremely  by  the  war.  Where  there  was  an 
industrial  life  before  the  war  activity  could  be  more  readily 
resumed.  Therefore  the  county's  achievement  since  the 
war  has  been  all  the  more  remarkable.  Halifax  did  not 
produce  many  general  offices  from  '61  to  '65.  But  the 
county  furnished  companies  to  all  three  arms  of  the 
service,  as  many  as  thirty-three  it  has  lately  been  guessed, 
certainly  twenty  companies.  Twenty  companies  from 
an  arms  bearing  population  of  not  much  beyond  2000  is 
to  say  the  least,  a  good  showing.  What  is  given  here  on 
the  historical  side  professes  to  be  merely  a  sketch  through- 
out. It  must  be  less  than  that  for  the  war  period.  Bureau 
methods  were  distasteful  to  the  Southerner.  There  was 
little  of  the  speculative  in  his  fighting.  It  has  generally 
been  admitted  that  he  fought.  Card  catalogues  are  used 
now.  We  have  learned  that  commercialism  is  war.  The 
records  are  being  collected  and  will  after  a  time  be  pub- 
lished. 

The  Infantry  roll  is  long: 

1.  8th  Regiment,  Company  G.    Capt.  James  Thrift  and 
Capt.  J.  O.  Berry. 

2.  14th  Regiment— Company  K.     Capt.  D.  A.  Claiborne, 

"  Dan  River  Company. " 

3.  17th  Regiment — Company  D.     Capt.  Wm.  H.  Dulany. 

''Halifax  Rifles." 

4.  38th  Reigment — Company  F — Capt.  Jonathan  Carter 

and  Capt.  Lafayette  Jennings. 

5.  53d    Regiment — Company  A — [Armistead's    Brigade, 

Pickett's  Division.]     Capt.  John  Grammer.     "  Halifax 

Light  Infantry  Blues." 
Lieutenants:  P.  C.  Edmunds,  Ransom  B.  Moon,  Thomas 
F.  Barksdale,  H.  A.  Edmondson,  James  D.  Clay,  Evan  J. 
Ragland,  A.  B.  Willingham.  Orderly  Sergeant:  A.  R.  Green. 


HALIFAX  COUNTY  87 

This  company  was  mustered  in  service  on  the  24th  of 
April  1861.  Ninety-four  men  and  officers  passed  inspec- 
tion. Captain  Grammer  was  advanced  to  the  Colonelcy 
of  a  West  Virginia  regiment  (Breckinridge's  Brigade). 
Later  he  was  wounded  and  afterwards  acted  as  a  surgeon. 

6.  The  Brooklyn  Grays — Capt  William  Haymes. 

7.  Capt.  John  C.  Coleman's  ''Company.^y[Dr.  Cole- 
man.] This  company,  under  Garnett,  was  captured  in  the 
Luray  Valle}^  and  disbanded.  The*menjoined]other Com- 
panies. 

8.  Captain  Richard  Logan's  Company — Lieutenant, 
Charles  Bruce. 

9.  Captain  W.  S.  Penick's  Company. 

10.  Captain  Young's  Company — [Dr.  Young.] 

11.  Captain  D.  B.  Easley's  Company. 

12.  Captain  West's  Company. 

13.  Captain  William  B.  Hurt's  Company — [Reserves.] 

At  least  four  companies  of  artillery  were  made  up  of 
Halifax  men,  to  which  must  be  added  the  Staunton  Artil- 
lery, half  from  Halifax. 

1.  4th  Regiment,  Heavy  Artillery — Battery  F.  Capt. 
Richard  H.  Edmondson. 

2.  Light  Artillery— {Poague's  Battalion.]  Capt.  Lewis 
(Milton,  N.  C),  and  Capt.  Nathan  Penick. 

1st  Lieutenant. — Armistead  Barksdale. 
2d  Lieutenant. — James  Cobbs. 

3.  Captain  Sam.  Wright's  Battery. 

4.  Captain  H.  H.  Hurt's  Battery. 

After  one  year's  service  this  company  was  formed  into 
an  infantry  company  [Wise's  Brigade.] 

5.  Staunton  Artillery — 6  Gun  Battery.  Capt.  Charles 
Bruce  and  Capt.  A.  B.  Paris. 


88  HALIFAX  COUNTY 

Lieutenants:  Thomas  Tucker,  Wood  Bouldin,  Jr.,  R.  V. 
Gaines,  C.  A.  Hamner,  Flavins  Gregory,  Thomas  E.  Mar- 
shall. 

Orderly  Sergeants:  C.  C.  Read,  H.  A.  Walker,  T.  C. 
Watkins,  John  Fore,  Wyatt  Paris,  George  Bruce,  William 
Walker,  J.  A.  Roberts. 

Halifax  was  a  racing  region  before  the  war.  The  County 
furnished  its  quota  to  the  Cavalry — 

1.  3d  Regiment— Troop  C.  ''Black  Walnut  Cavalry." 
Capt.  William  Easley,  Capt.  J.  O.  Chappell,  and  Capt. 
Thomas  H.  Owen. 

Subalterns  at  the  first  organization:  1st  Lieutenant, 
Thomas  H.  Owen;  2d  Lieutenant,  J.  W.  Hall; 

Lieutenants:  J.  M.  Jordan,  Thomas  Hall. 

Sergeant:  Thomas  Traynham. 

Captain  Owen  was  advanced  to  a  colonelcy,  and  just 
before  the  close  of  the  war  received  a  commission  as 
Brigadier  General. 

2.  3d  Regiment — Troop  H.  Capt.  William  Collins,. 
''Catawba  Cavalry."  [The  3d  Regiment  was  in  Wickham'& 
and  Fitzhugh  Lee's  Brigade,  Stuart's  Division.] 

3.  Captain  Thomas  S.  Flournoy's  Troop.  Captain 
Flournoy  later  became  Colonel  of  the  6th  Cavalry. 

4.  Captain  Mustain's  Company.  A  part  of  this  com- 
pany was  from  Halifax,  whether  in  the  infantry  or  the 
cavalry  the  writer  is  uncertain. 

Company  A.  53d  Va.  Infantry,  Armistead's  Brigade, 
Pickett's  Division,  may  serve  as  a  typical  Halifax  Com- 
pany. This  was  an  organized  company  before  the  war, 
and  was  the  first  to  be  mustered  in  from  the  county.  The 
company  fought  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;  Fredericksburg;  Suffolk;  Gettysburg  (where 
Gen.  Armistead  was  killed);  Newbern,  N.  C;  Drewry's 
Bluff;  Fort  Harrison  (here  Captain  Henry  Edmunds  was 
greatly  distinguished,  June  18,  1864)*  the  Petersburg- 
Richmond  lines;  the  Howlett  House;  Five  Forks;  Say- 
ler's  Creek;  Appomattox  Court  House,  where  Capt. 
Ednmnds,  as  Senior  Captain  was  in  command  of  the  regi- 
ment. A  letter  written  by  a  memberf  of  the  Company 
after  Fort  Harrison  gives  a  notion  of  what  war  meant  to 
the  Halifax  soldier:  ''Sandy  (orderly  sergeant  Green) 
carried  us  on  night  picket  duty  through  the  battlefield  of 
the  day  before,  over  dead  bodies  of  men  and  horses  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 
it  was  day.  There  was  a  fearful  cloud  rising.  I  took  a 
seat  on  the  remains  of  an  old  chimney  and  as  I  looked  over, 
there  stood,  within  ten  feet,  two  Yankees  on  the  same 
errand  as  ourselves.  Sandy  gave  me  orders  not  to  fire 
unless  there  was  an  advance  in  force.  These  Yankees 
heard  m}-  orders  and  after  a  while  one  of  them  said,  ''John- 
ny, don't  shoot.  If  you  do,  we  will  all  be  killed.  Both 
armies  will  fire  and  we  have  no  way  to  protect  ourselves." 
"Agreed.  I  shall  not  fire  unless  you  all  advance.''  We 
chatted  for  some  time,  until  an  officer  came  around  and 
stopped  them.  *  *  *  *  Our  orders  were  to  come  in  at 
daybreak.  We  started  as  soon  as  the  camp  mules  began 
to  bray,  but  just  before  we  reached  our  works,  that  had 
been  built  that  night,  our  artillery  opened  on  the  fort  and 

*The  Confederate  Monumeut  at  Randolph,  on  the  Halifax  side,  in  the 
form  of  the  breastworks  there,  is  a  relic  of  July  1864,  when  the  boy 
General  Polk  Jennings,  checked  Stoneman's  advance.  A  brisk  skirmish. 
The  Confederate  forces  were  old  men  and  boys. 

fCapt.  yV.np-  Morton  of  Clover,  Halifax  County. 


90  HALIFAX  COUNTY 

we  sought  shelter  in  an  old  rifle  pit  some  100  yards  in  front 
of  the  works  and  there  we  spent  the  greater  part  if  not 
the  whole  day,  without  water  or  food,  between  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  would  be  knocked  on  our  heads.  We  moved 
out  just  about  dark  and  joined  our  Company  in  time  to  be 
marched  nearly  all  night,  and  early  next  morning  I  went 
with  Major  Fairfax  on  a  reconnoissance  to  find  the  enemy. 
The  loss  of  sleep  for  two  nights  nearly  wore  me  out,  but  I 
lived  on  excitement  and  went  into  the  fight  as  cheerfully 
as  I  ever  did.  I  remember  going  to  Henry  SouthalPs  that 
night,  and  we  slept  in  a  feather  bed,  the  first  time  in  two 
years  under  a  roof  and  in  a  bed.  Mrs.  Southall  filled  our 
haversacks  and  we  returned  to  the  Company  next  morning 
and  then  moved  to  our  former  lines  between  the  Appomat- 
tox and  the  James.  "* 

V. 

1865-1907  t 

The  haversack,  that  was  the  trouble.  Not  every  kind 
lady  in  1864  could  fill  a  visiting  soldier's  haversack.  And 
in  1865,  how  extremely  scarce  the  provender  was. 
Quotations  for  the  cereal  coft'ees,  the  long  sweetening 
and  such  articles  of  commerce  stood  at  a  high  figure.  The 
money  market  was  brisk.  But  as  Mark  Twain  proved, 
when  you  have  little  but  money,  no  matter  how  good  the 
money  is,  it  does  you  mighty  little  good.  Peoj^le  had 
barrels  of  mone}^  and  nothing  to  eat.  The  great  produc- 
tiveness of  our  soils  was  in  itself  a  handicap.    Three-fourths 


*There  is  but  oue  Camp  of  Veterans  in  the  county. — Halifax  Camp., 
South  Boston.     Commander:  Henry  Easley.     Adjutant:    E.N.Hardy. 
fPopulation:  1870,''27,828;   1880,33,588;  1890,34,424;  ^900,  37,197. 


HALIFAX  COUNTY  91 

of  the  land  had  been  going  without  any  proper  attention 
and  was  sending  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. 

That  same  devil,  or  one  very  like  him,  kept  on  hanging 
around  for  a  good  ten  years.  If  the  war  was  partial  paraly- 
sis, reconstruction  was  coma.  The  old  timers  turned 
their  faces  to  the  wall  and  died.  The  younger  men,  dazed 
as  they  were  by  the  general  feeling  of  insecurity,  worked 
as  they  could  and  gradually  effected  some  system  in  the 
chaos.  During  the  past  ten  years  the  South  at  large  has 
been  able  to  go  forward  in  a  geometrical  progression  because 
during  the  years  immediately  following  the  war  the  younger 
men  of  the  South  despised  not  the  day  of  small  things. 

Fortunately  for  Halifax  County  there  was  a  remnant 
of  capital  left  in  the  county  after  the  war.  This  was  used 
sagaciously  in  the  up-building  of  the  town  of  South  Boston 
which  has  done  so  much  for  the  financial  well-being  of  the 
county.  From  nothing  in  1870  but  a  store  and  a  station 
at  the  end  of  a  bridge,  (to  the  bridge  also  must  be  ascribed 
a  share  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  1874,*  changing  its 
st3de  to  Houston^at  the  approach'of  a  railway.  Virgilina 
and  Clover  were  incorporated  in  1899  and  1900  respec- 
tively. God  made  the  country  and  the  country  makes  the 
town.     Halifax  could  not  to-dav  be  one  of  the  wealthiest 


*First  TruHees:  Hemy  H.  Edraondson,  N.  T.  Green,  James  E.  Johnson, 
J.  M.  Carrington,  George  C.  Holt,  Edwin  Giubbs,  W.  W.  Willingham. 


92  HALIFAX  COUNTY 

counties  in  Virginia  and  the  third  county  of  the  State  in 
non-urban  population,  unless  its  natural  endowment  was 
excellent. 

.  Some  of  the  ablest  men  of  Halifax  have  sat  as  delegates 
from  the  county  to  the  several  State  Conventions: 

Convention  of  1774     Nathaniel  Terry  and  Isaac  Coles,  or 

Micajah  Watkins. 
Convention  of   1775     (March  20)   Nathaniel  Terry   and 

Micajah  Watkins. 
Convention  of  1775     (July  17)  Micajah  Watkins. 
Convention  of  1775     (December  1)  Nathaniel  Terry  and 

Micajah  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. 
Convention  of  1850-51.     [From  Halifax,  Pittsylvania  and 

Mecklenburg.]    William  M.  Tred- 

way,  John  R.  Edmunds,  James  M. 

Whittle,  William  0.  Goode,  George 

W.  Perkins. 
Convention  of  1861     Thomas  S.  Flournoy. 
Convention  of  1867     William  L.  Owen  and  David  Canada. 
Convention   of    1901-1902     Wood   Bouldin   and   Joseph 

Stebbins.* 

Character  and  conduct  make  greatness.     Halifax  County 
has  produced  such  men  as  the  elder  Richard  Logan,  Judge 


♦For  sketches  of  the  Clerks  of  the  County:  See,  Johnson's  Virginia 
Clerks. 


HALIFAX  COUNTY  93 

William  Leigh,  John  R.  Edmunds,"^  Thomas  S.  Flournoy, 
William  L.  Owen,  Paul  C.  Edmunds,  James  Bruce.  Judge 
John  W.  Riely,  Henry  Edmunds. 

♦John  R.  Edmunds,  among  other  conspicuous  services,  built  for  the 
Confederate  Government  that  section  of  the  Southern  Railway  lying 
between  Danville  and  Greensboro. 


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HALIFAX  GAZETTE 

PUBLISHED  AT 

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Halifax  County 


Organized  May,  1885 


=    Resources    = 
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^^        ^^        9^^ 


Special  Attention  to  Collections 

Henry  Easley,  W.  I.  Jordan,  R.  E.  Jordan, 

President.  Vice  President.  Cashier. 


SEP  28  m/ 


1907 


HALIFAX  GOUNTY 


VIRGINIA 


A  HANDBOOK 


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I