It’s that time of year, and the ghosts have come out of hiding and won’t leave (including myself—yes, I’m still here). It’s not very often we hear of new ghost stories in the OWE, but we have one or two new ones and a few old ones to recall and to add onto! Firstly, you will perhaps recall the name of Harry Ficklen, at one time a well-known figure in Danville. The Haunting of Harry Ficklen   Harry Campbell Ficklen was born in 1862 and arrived in Danville with his family in 1860. You can read more about the Ficklens here. The Ficklens owned a large tract of land on…

What follows was written in partnership and cooperation with the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History and funded, in partnership with Virginia Humanities. The roots of the Civil Rights movement go back to Reconstruction. For several years following the abolition of slavery, black Americans found themselves free to pursue opportunities previously denied them. Protected by the 14th Amendment of 1868, which guaranteed equal protection under the law, followed in 1870 by the 15th Amendment which ensured all (men) the right to vote, many black Americans pursued educations, positions in public office, and made significant inroads in their efforts to achieve lives of purpose, prosperity, and equality. At the same…

In case you missed it, “Visit SoSi” was unveiled last week as the new regional tourism brand. What’s a SoSi?  SoSi is a fun, flexible, and memorable way to introduce visitors to Danville, Pittsylvania County, and the surrounding region.  In part, it’s an acronym for how the State tourism office describes our region – the Southside. The term “southside” is historic, dating from colonial times and then meaning south of the James River.  More recently, Southside has come to describe the Piedmont region above the fall line – the area surrounding Danville. SoSi is also a play on sounds or words.  “So,” come “see” all the great things to do…

All was calm and peaceful on the evening of June 18, 1911 … until quite suddenly it wasn’t. Local churches were preparing for evening services, and families were just sitting down to their meals when the sky suddenly darkened and foul weather began to beat its thunderous warning. But this would not be just any summer rainstorm. “The wind came from a black cloud that swept from west northwest over the city with little warning, the wind increasing in fury momentarily until its sweep and strain made houses tremble and terrified thousands of people. … Heavy downpour of rain, a terrific electrical disturbance, and some hail accompanied or followed the…

After 139 years of family ownership, H.W. Brown Florist on Chestnut Street in Danville’s Old West End is changing hands. Terry Shadrick, the great grandson of H.W. Brown, has been involved in the business in one manner or another for the last 44 years and has stood at the helm of the enterprise since 2014. In recent years he’s begun to think about retiring, but as there is no one left among the family with an interest in the business, it meant the family legacy was destined to end. Then Terry got a call from a friend, Nan Freed, who asked him what his plans were. She told him she…

Once called Watson’s Field after its owner in the late 1800s, the proposed location of the Old West End Commons was and still is one of the largest open areas in the heart of the city. It has little street frontage, a spring, a creek, and a steep slope in some areas. Legend has it that a century ago tobacco farmers used the area in town for the markets to graze their horses and mules. The working name of “Commons” for this area comes from the country’s oldest urban oasis, the Boston Common, where Bostonians grazed their cows in the 17th through 19th centuries. In the 1940s, Dr. James Madison…

Just in time for a beautiful spring walk, fifty-six (56) markers have been installed on homes and properties throughout the Old West End. A partnership between the City of Danville and Friends of the Old West End secured a grant from Virginia’s Department of Historic Resources (DHR). Much of the cost of the markers was offset by the grant.  The primary goal of the project was to promote the Old West End Historic District through a digital platform. The smart-phone-readable QR Codes on each marker link to information about the properties on this website and to a Story Map on the City’s website offering even more information. The project offers…

Over the Hump – Crossing the Himalayas See also Part 1 — Paxton Origins, Part 2 — The Young Hall Paxton, or Part 3 – Vincoe Charity Mushrush Paxton After his marriage and a brief assignment to Tehran, Iran (1943), Hall Paxton returned to China as a Cultural Attaché (1944-1946) and later became the American Consul to Sinkiang, China’s northwest province (1946-1949) with a consulate in the city of Tihwa.  His bride Vincoe completed her military service and joined him at that time.  From their frontier post he reported back to the State Department about the efforts of various Communist factions – Chinese and Russian – to win military and…