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In 1925, Lieutenant Kyle was enjoying Easter leave in Lynchburg, visiting his family’s new home on Peakland Place, when he received a call from his commanding officer in Philadelphia. He was “ordered to fly a PN-9 seaplane up and down the Delaware River in an attempt to break the current world’s record for sustained flight...” SEE STORY PAGE 14
features
4 Prelude to a Legend: Aviator Vincent “Squeek” Burnett by David Fortuna. At the age of fourteen, Squeek Burnett was lying to his parents, playing hooky, “riding on a high cloud,” and free-falling into sacks of cash. In this exciting look back, the legendary aviator describes his two-meals-a-day transformation from a high school truant into a hometown hero.
14 James Roland Kyle, Jr. by Douglas K. Harvey. Two years before Lindbergh landed in Paris (33 hours, 30 minutes, 29.8 seconds), Lynchburg’s Lieutenant Kyle was busy setting new world-record non-stop fight times for the U.S. Navy (28 hours, 35 minutes, 27 seconds). But, as happened all too often in the early days of aviation, catching the “flying bug” proved fatal in Kyle’s case.
20 Lynchburg and Its Canal Era by T. Gibson Hobbs, Jr. In 1840, at the moment the crew of the General Harrison was coming within earshot of Lynchburg’s cheering crowds, the canal era was nearing its peak. After 1854, packet- and freight-boat traffic began to dwindle, but the beautiful, well-built infrastructure that eased the journey endured. Canal engineers and stonemasons had done a superb job of laying the foundation for their competition: the railroads.
30 Samuel Spencer and the Trains That Served the South by Rosemary Dunne. The dark side of Samuel Spencer’s shining creation came crashing into his luxurious quarters on Thanksgiving Day, 1906, killing eight and seriously injuring several others. Delays, mechanical problems, miscommunications, investigations, new regulations—the words used to explain the incident are familiar but the story still
shocks.
36 The Earl of Lynchburg: The Racing Career of Earl Lee Brooks
by Ervin Brooks. Talk about pop icons—Earl Brooks’ portrait once appeared on Pepsi bottle caps, along with his name and car #28. He was on the set with Elvis, kissed by Patsy Cline, and portrayed by Beau Bridges. In this race through the star-studded highlights of his father’s life, the author breezes past the hard times: long drives, late nights, sore bones, and bad crashes.
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contents
departments
3 From the Editor 44 History in Brief 47 Books of Interest
FRONT COVER: Inverted Ribbon Act (1938) gauche painting by Robert Sweet
captures “Squeek” Burnett in action. Sweet’s brother, Bill “Mr.
Airshow” Sweet, was a famous promoter.
FALL/WINTER 2009
Official Publication of the Lynchburg Historical Foundation
PUBLISHER
Nancy Blackwell Marion EDITOR
Mary M. Abrams DESIGN
The Design Group EDITORIAL BOARD Lamar Cecil
John d’Entremont
Peter Houck
James Huston
Greg Krueger
Thomas Ledford
Lynch’s Ferry is published
twice a year by Blackwell Press
311 Rivermont Avenue
Lynchburg, VA 24504
Telephone (434) 847-0939
Subscription orders and notice of change of address should be sent to the above address. Subscription rate is $10.00 per year (2 issues) or $18.00 for two years (4 issues) paid in advance.
Copyright 2009 by Blackwell Press
All rights reserved
Lynch’s Ferry is for sale at the following locations: Bookshop on the Avenue, Givens Books, Hill House (Amherst), Inklings Bookshop, Lynchburg Visitors Center, Macon Bookshop, Old City Cemetery, Point of Honor, Walgreens–Boonsboro Rd., and Lynch’s Ferry’s office at The Design Group.
Marilyn Martin Scott Smith
Kirt von Daacke William Young