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In 1910 residents of the new Town of Amherst “traveled from one place to another by foot, horseback, horse-drawn buggy, or the railroad that stopped at the foot of Depot Street.” SEE STORY PAGE 34
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4 Taking the Rivermont Trolley by Roger G. Garfield and Graham C. Garfield. The electric Rivermont railway “specialized in recreational traffic,” whisking Lynchburgers to the roller rink in heated cars for only five cents. It sounds like a storybook fantasy come true—unless you’re stuck in an automobile, trying to make a left-hand turn across the tracks.
18 A Narrow Escape from the British, Thanks to Jack Jouett
by Gaye Wilson. Even without the thorns, cuckoo clock, and other embellishments to the legend of Jack Jouett you heard as a child, the story is still riveting. Let’s hope for Jouett’s sake that Jefferson’s offering of a “glass of good Madeira” is not a myth.
21 Jefferson’s Flight by Martha Terrell Burruss. This excerpt, included as a companion piece to the Jack Jouett article above, traces Jefferson’s journey from Monticello to Poplar Forest after Tarleton’s Raid.
24 Lynchburg’s First Wine List—and how it came to be
by S. Allen Chambers Jr. This series of historic events cries out to be reenacted. (What do you suppose Mary Pocahontas Cabell was wearing?) In the meantime, Poplar Forest’s Thomas Jefferson Wine Festival will have to do. Cheers!
34 Driven by Drink? Why the Village of Amherst Became a Town
by Robert Wimer. If you were expecting a series of quaint, cheery anecdotes celebrating the Town of Amherst’s 100th Anniversary, fugetaboutit. The road to incorporation “was filled with bumps,” and the author, a retired newspaperman, is not afraid to go over them.
For readers who are wondering, this issue was delivered to mailboxes and newsstands earlier than usual. This was done in part to include more spring events in our History in Brief section. Please come out and support these hardworking organizations.
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3 From the Editor 41 History in Brief 48 Books of Interest
FRONT COVER: Detail from a postcard
ca. 1910 showing three trolley cars at the Rivermont Bridge. The new Jones Memorial Library is seen on the hill above, with Piedmont Business College at far left,
and the D Street bridge at far right.
SPRING/SUMMER 2010 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 Marilyn Martin Scott Smith
Kirt von Daacke William Young
Lynch’s Ferry (ISSN 1949-2146)
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 2010 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., Market on Main, and Lynch’s Ferry’s office at The Design Group.