My Little Town

Danville, Virginia: a small town situated on the Virginia-North Carolina border. Former mill town, tobacco market, and the last capital of the confederacy. Growing up, we all learned about the importance of tobacco, the fabric mills, and of course the Wreck of the Old 97. As we got older, we learned about the Civil War and the brief stay of the Confederate government in our humble town. As children, we knew we were home when we saw the "Home of Dan River Fabrics," we admire the old houses on Millionaire's Row, and wished to walk across the foot bridge between mills that paralled the Union Street Bridge. Those of us whose parents grew up in Danville might have picked up information on the more recent history of the town.

The footbridge between the White and Long mills. I don't know about anyone else, but all my life I had wanted to walk on that bridge.

I achieved my dream of walking on that bridge in 2006.

What we didn't learn, however, is the lesser known stories about our little town. There is a rich history hidden within the street and alleys that, over the years, has been lost. Stores that once existed are long gone, the names of neighborhoods have been forgotten, events and people have faded away with time.

In researching my friend's house, I have unearthed stories and information about Danville that I had never known before. Stories that have come from newspaper archives, books, and things I picked up when my father worked at the Chamber of Commerce.

The point of this blog is to document my attempt to find out how old my friend's house is, and also to relate some of the interesting information I have learned about the town in which I grew up. I will admit up front that some information is hearsay, some is learned from newspaper archives, and some is pure speculation on my part. The latter will most pertain to the research of the house, though. I will try my best to mention where I got the information, but I can't make any promises that I'll remember.