The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-03-11
OH, IT'S NEAP0LIS NOW.
ynr LEeIsL4TUsE EEcHHIs1EFED
NORM DhNyILLE.
Some Interesting Chat About the streets Oh
It's Big Acknowledgment
Work Of Razor Backs"

DAxvfIIE. VA. March 1o.-Speciai.-
..,Vbrre ie Ncapols? Never heard OF II. ~
1,bns smoke a gentleman from Richmond
ste other day when a fellow passenger on
~ Dllhmoud and Danville tram re-
marked that he was going 10 gel OH az
Where is Neapolis?" is a question fire.
1uently asked, and | viii proceed 70
answer II Tor the benefit OF the readers Oh
The Times. ,-,.
North Danyillo Is no more. The Leels'a-
f.ft which has just adjourned was re-
oseefcd 10 revoke North Danville'S chaf-
ter which IL ala. 10 WAS then reques'eu
10 grant a town charter 70 the vigorous
,yldc-awake and active settlement on t"e
no.th side Of Dan river, just opposite pan
vile. and 10 christen IL NeapOlis, ana the
Legislature did this also.
The peoule Of North Danviile needed
new charter and as they had long De
sired 10 change the towns name 50 as 10
avoid the confusion which almost da''y
occurred ia mails. express packages anu
I'm thousands Of other ways cohSr4 49,
upon the name having DanVihe IN IT, inns
was deemed the time TO chahse H.
several names were suggested, the most
,,Cn,,lar of which was Fairmont, but IL
soes Learned that Virginia already mas
Fairmont As the cotton mill industry
A. the most important I'm the town. Lo"eh
was recommended but that had numeI-
l,e objections. and finally the keV. >. J..
whitley one OF the most accomplished
ministers In the Virginia Methodist Epls-
copal Conference. and VINO Is no" ga
TONED at Calvary church, IN the Town
seeking a new name. came TO the Ies0u1
He twisted a couple Of Greek words ABOUT
and evolved Neapolis. meaning new IOWA.
and Neapolis was accepted.
lis Rapid Growth.
II Is a new town in a double sense
North Danville was not old, having Dee"
INCORPORATED less than twenty years ago
al which time there were not twenty
people In the settlement. Kechliy' ho'-
wlthstanding panics and hard inns me
town has put on new life ana me aieiu-
"a charter provides for gas works. water
works and other Improvements "hich aie
being contracted for and VIII be Duiil 'ii'
,oar The enlargement Of the RiVerside
cotton Mills has created such demand
Cor houses that they are going mp IN every
direction. and there Is probably more
bulldlng going on in Neapois To-Day IMAM
In any town In Virginia.
,rhs prcsent population, according 10 /
census lust taken with great care Is
4Sf and more active. busy ana go
ahead population Is not TO be fouhu III
Viroinia or the South. Neapols is des-
tined to De a great town.
Danville's Streets.
Danville's streets are marvel 70 look
upon. marvellous as regards their IT.
regularity. crookedness, and odd way OF
running. There IS an old story that some
big fat hogs were Danville's nrst ciVh
engineers. and innocently enough are IN
a great measure responsible LOT tlDv
Of the streets.
Ii happened IN this way When Dan
river was called Morotock creek, and the
,nly citizen of which Danvile boosted
was a good and well-to-do miller. who
owned and operated a srist mill Just
where Bridge street now intcrsects Main,
he hills upon which Danville now sits
n all her queenly loviness were covered
With giant oak trees. chestnut trees,
hickory and walnut trees.
The good old miller. as was the custom
# all millers I'm those days, raised many
,ogs about the mill These "raz0r-backs'
wandered over the hills every day in
earch Of acOrns, chestnuts. and other
goodies. In time they made regular. or
-ather irregular hog paths over and
lround the hills.
Several people In time settled about the
Mill on MorOtOck creek and all raised
logs cows. and a few Of them raised
heep. These animals roamed the hills
nd increased the paths. About one
undred and five years ago the settlers
bout the mill had increased so that
ley concluded TO have a town. and
yelve wise CD men were appointed TO
~ off the future great city land run
,nvenient streets"
There were no civil engineers in the
ttlement and the twelve Solomons, in
wing off the streets, had TO follow their
)ses or rather the noses of the hogs
hey adopted the paths the hogs had
ade over the hills and ran their streets
,cordingly. But few changes have ever
en- made in the running Of the streets
nd many of them remain TO this day as
regular and as crooked as a hog path