Fieldale Trail: Phase II Opens

Sunday, March 29, 2009

By DEBBIE HALL - Bulletin Staff Writer

An enthusiastic crowd turned out Saturday for the grand opening of a new 1.2-mile hiking/biking trail in Fieldale.

“It’s great to be here,” State Sen. Roscoe Reynolds told the 25 to 30 people gathered for the event. Reynolds, D-Ridgeway, praised the Henry County Board of Supervisors, Jennifer Doss of the Dan River Basin Association and Roger Adams, director of the Henry County Parks & Recreation Department. “This is a beautiful pathway,” Reynolds said of the new portion of the trail that connects to a 1.1-mile section adjacent to the Smith River. That section opened in July 2007. Like the earlier trail, the new portion of trail was heralded not only as a path to a healthier lifestyle but also an economic development tool. Jim Adams, the Blackberry representative on the Henry County Board of Supervisors, said he went online and did a “Google search of rivers and trails. I was pleasantly surprised to find” that Henry County was referenced in half in the first 10 topics. “This is of a possible 437,000 topics,” Adams said. “One can easily see the attention that this brings to the area and helps not only promote us as a destination, but can help promote and drive us economically.”

Like several other speakers, Adams praised the Dan River Basin Association and the Martinsville-Henry County Rivers and Trail Group, which exists “to protect, promote and enhance the natural resources of our area. ... We are very fortunate to have” them. The group not only provides opportunities for outdoor recreation, but also participates in local schools “with many educational opportunities for our children,” Adams said. Group members also “are the extra set of eyes that helps monitor our rivers and streams” while looking for ways to improve the access to and quality of waterways, Adams said.

Doss said the goal “was to create a trail having a minimum impact on the environment while having a maximum level of interest.” Frith Construction made that happen, she said. “By using small equipment and sustainable building techniques the trail was constructed with conservation of the land, flora, fauna, and water in mind,” she added. Doss said there have been many supporters of the project, including the Dominion Foundation “which has been a major supporter since the demonstration trail” (the first phase of the project) was built. Dominion’s investment “helped create a tangible resource that will be used by generations to come,” Doss said. Bryant Brooks Sr., manager of state and local affairs for Dominion, said in creating “this special place,” DRBA and others involved in the project did “a yeoman’s job. There were so many folks involved in this effort.” Sometimes, Brooks said “the easiest part” of a project is “writing checks” to help to pay for it. “The real heroes are you folks” who actually did the work and saw the project to completion. In tough economic times, he said those involved are building a heritage for future generations, and “that’s something to be said.”


In addition to Dominion and other agencies, Frith Construction, Boxley Materials and Patrick Henry Correctional Unit 28 also were involved with the project, along with George Lester, James Stone, the Henry County Public Service Authority, Ellen and Joe Jessee, Dave Wilson, Kay Slaughter and the agriculture of Magna Vista High School, Doss said. “This trail is more than just a walking path, it is part of a greater vision consisting of competing the 45-mile long Smith River Trail System, the Virginia Beaches to Bluegrass Trail, and the goal of a healthier and more active community,” she added.

Historic cemetery restored, dedicated

Sunday, March 22, 2009

By KIM BARTO -Martinsville Bulletin Staff Writer

For years, the final resting place of two freed slaves and their descendants lay forgotten, covered by leaves and brush off of Old Mill Road in Ridgeway.

After the cemetery was rediscovered last year, staff from the Dan River Basin Association (DRBA) and volunteers worked to clean up and document the small wooded plot where Uncle John and Jane Burgess and 16 family members are buried.

On Friday, DRBA staff, local officials and several grandchildren, great-grandchildren and other descendants of Uncle John and Jane Burgess gathered at the site to dedicate the historic cemetery. In the 1800s, the Burgesses were former slaves on the Burgess family plantation, which was on the property of what now is the Richard P. Gravely Jr. Nature Preserve in Ridgeway. After they were freed, they continued working for the Burgess family. Their great-grandson, Samuel Hairston, took on the role of family historian and uncovered a lot of information about his ancestors with help from the Bassett Historical Center. He said he is the grandson of Dora Burgess Hall, one of Uncle John and Jane Burgess’s 11 children. Seeing the cemetery restored “means a lot to me,” Hairston said during the ceremony. “I know, growing up, as my grandmother got older, she always remembered this place,” he said. “Some of my cousins remember walking from her house through the woods to put flowers on the graves.” Hairston said he was not among them because he lived in Connecticut at the time. “She wanted everyone to keep their memories alive,” he said of his grandmother. “The cemetery did go into disrepair” eventually, he added, but now “future generations will know who they were.” At the time the cemetery was rediscovered, it was not listed with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, “which means that you could have built a house or a store on it, and it could have been lost forever,” said Brian Williams, DRBA education, outreach and conservation coordinator. DRBA staff did a survey of the plot, and with help from Bassett Historical Center and family members, collected information to document it with the state register. Twelve members of the family buried in the plot have been identified, but six others are unknown. The cemetery is believed to have been established in the 1890s and contains graves dating up to the 1960s, according to information from the state register. The earliest marked death date was that of Uncle John Burgess, who lived from 1845 to June 15, 1935. Jennifer Doss, DRBA Rivers and Trails project manager, gave some background on the family. She told how Uncle John Burgess, a house slave, went to war at age 10 with his then-owner, John Henry Burgess. Uncle John Burgess built earthen mounds in Petersburg for Confederate soldiers to hide behind, saving a number of lives, Doss said. He received a pension for his service to the Confederacy, “which was very rare for an African-American,” she said. He married Jane Roberts, who was born in June 1851 and lived on a plantation in Eden, N.C., in 1869. According to the family, she outlived her husband. One of their surviving grandchildren, Mary Richardson of Eden, N.C., said she used to visit them when she was a girl. Richardson said she did not have many memories about her grandfather but remembered Jane Burgess as being blind. “They was lovely people to be around,” she said after the ceremony. “It makes you feel good to know somebody’s thinking about them.” Another grandchild, James Carter of Ridgeway, remembered walking about a mile to visit Uncle John and Jane Burgess when he was young. Everyone eventually forgot the cemetery was there, he said. Now that it has been rediscovered, “I really feel good about it,” Carter said. “I might be buried in it some day — you just never know.” Dorothy Carter, the Burgesses’ great-granddaughter, shared stories passed down from her grandmother, Annie Lee Burgess. “Grandma Annie always had a story to tell about her dad, how he used to cross the river with logs,” Carter said. “She would tell us how he tended acres and acres of tobacco,” she added, and how the family would walk 10 miles to visit relatives. “That’s showing unconditional love, to walk that far to see family,” Carter said. Norris Funeral Services donated a stone marker for the site “so this sacred ground will always be remembered,” Doss aid. Also, a local Eagle Scout will be constructing small markers to go on each of the 18 gravesites, Doss said. Doss said descendents of John Henry Burgess will be presenting Uncle John Burgess’s chair, which “was used frequently by him,” to Hairston at a later date. He has agreed to loan the chair to the Bassett Historical Center for display. Information compiled from historical records on Uncle John and Jane Burgess will be donated to the Bassett Historical Center, Doss said.

Anyone with information on the cemetery or those buried there is asked to call Doss at 634-2545.

Picture Yourself on the Smith River Art Contest

An Art Contest for Students in grades 5-12

CONTEST DETAILS:

• Create an original work of art depicting yourself or others enjoying the Smith River.
• Art will be on display at the Virginia Museum of Natural History during Earth Week.
• Winning artists in each of three age groups will receive an award and be recognized at an awards ceremony on April 29 at the Fieldale Trail.
• Our grand prize winner will receive an exciting and fun-filled paddle trip for a family of four on the Smith River courtesy of Three River Outfitters.

RULES:

• Artwork can be in any medium, no larger than 11 x 17 inches.
• All entries must be delivered in person or by mail to: Dan River Basin Association, P.O. Box 7, 3300 Kings Mountain Road, Collinsville, VA 24078 by 4 p.m. on April 22. Late entries will not be eligible.
• Preliminary judging will be open to the public on April 22 from 5 - 7 p.m. at the Henry County Administration Building.

For more information, call 276-634-2545.

Photo of eagle by: Cheri Sederquist; other photos: DRBA Stock

Eagle Scout Enhances Nature Preserve

The Dan River Basin Association and Henry County Parks & Recreation would like to thank Blaine Meeks, from Troop 168 of Ridgeway, for his recent contribution of three benches to the Richard P. Gravely, Jr. Nature Preserve. The benches look great and are very comfy too. Take a walk out to Gravely to try them out for yourself!

Photo contributed by: Brenda Meeks

Henry County Goes Green!

The Dan River Basin Association would like to give a shout-out to Henry County for their recent efforts to spruce up Bassett at the new county motorpool parking lot. County Administrator, Benny Summerlin, wanted to enhance the appearance of the barren parking lot by planting trees. An assortment of Sweet Gums, Bald Cypress, and River Birch have been planted at the site and will buffer noise, create oxygen, provide wildlife habitat, and make 57 Business a much prettier place to drive. The trees were harvested from the county tree farm and planted with assistance from Lois Christenson of Gateway Streetscape. We look forward to seeing these beautiful trees as they leaf out and grow! Way to go Henry County!

Article by: Jennifer Doss
Photos by: Brian Williams