The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-01-20
WAKEF |ELD IS
GROWING RAPIDLY.
Few Years Ago Was But
Railway Station; Now
Flourlshing Town.
PROPERTY VALUES
MUCH ENHANCED
Thirty Years Ago an Acre Of
Ground Sold for SIS That
Could Not Be Bought
To Day for ST.
Two Prosperous
Factories.

| Especial to The Times Dtspatcb.l
| WAKEFIELD, VA, January 19.-Ona
of the most satisfactory and convincing
| evidences of the steady advance of Vir-
gina on the lines of material prosperity
may be found in tho multiplicity OF her
young and growing towns, many OF
| which twenty years ago had no cor
porate existence nor were of any more
| consequence on its maps than may be
| attached to the ordinary CROSSROADS
| store. Not the least interesting among
| these is the town of Wakefield, OF hum
| BILE origin. whose development Is due to
native talent and enterprise. Previous
| to the year 1855. in which may be chron-
! icled the advent of the Norfolk and
| Western railroad, then known as Norfolk
| and Petersburg, to this place. all the
| land upon which the town of Wakefield
| Is located was owned by the late Dr.
I John Nicholson, with the exception R a
| tract bought In 1S49 from DR.. Nicholson
by tho late l.. f. Balm. DIR. Nicholson
| not only granted to this railroad CONS
pany right of way through his extern
| slve property. but also donated largs
| lot for depot purposes; and the beautifui
| grove of elm trees which now adorns
| this lot is the result of the care and
energy of the late Henry Hart. the hrst
railroad agent employed at this place.
| and a faithful servitor of the road for a
number of years.
Previous to the construction OF the rail-
| road to this point, the late l.. f. Balm
| was engaged in general merchandise in
| small building situated at the 1uncture
| of two county roads, space OF Few
hundred yards south of present n. 4 w.
! depot; but upon the coming OF the rail-
| moved
track, where 1t now stands though un-
I used, as the first store in Wakefield.
| About the year 1855 a more pretentious
building for purposes of merchandise was
erected by DIR. John Nicholson. In which
| he conducted business for a short time.
| DR.. Nicholson having died In 1859, this
house. since destroyed by fire, was re-
placed by another large building, now
| occupied by Ban Sons. AS a part OF tho
| estate Of DIR. John Nicholson 1t was sold
| to the firm of Balm & Drew about the
year 1866. The late Captain B. c. Drew
having remained in the business but a
| short time. The foundation of the pres
ent large business now conducted by his
sons. Messrs P. d. and Frank Balm. was
| laid by the late l.. F. Balm, assisted by
| his boys. Some time preceding the era
| of the peanut factory, branch OF tho
| industry, l.. r. Balm Sons had, by en-
J terprise and by establishing corresponds
i ence with large business centres. mora
especially Philadelphia, rendered Wake
| field Station famous as one of the best
| markets for peanuts In the State, and
| the business finally eliminated in the
| erection OF q. commodious factory building
4 which gives steady employment to about
| one hundred hands and from the number
of cars standing on its railroad siding.
| its yearly output may be Judged to be-
! enormous both for foreign and domestic
| trade.
Merchantile Business.
| The next business enterprise In the
place was conducted by the firm OF Hart,
| Beard e Co., managed by Mr.. Finly Har-
rison, in q house since replaced by q
| handsome and commodious brick stora
| now owned and occupied by Mr.. ]. s.
| White The lot on which this building
| was erected was one OF several others
| reserved from the tract OF land sold to
| Rev. r. L, Wilson from the estate OF
| Dr. John Nicholson. Dr. Charles Nichols
| son having been tho purchaser of re-
! naming lot OF this reservation. built
1 upon one of them a very large structure
| originally intended as peanut factory.
| The factory scheme never matured, and
| the house was devoted to general mer-
| chandisa conducted for a time by Mr.. j.
| r. Bell. Since that time it has been
| continuously occupied by Mr.. Tom Allan,
! dealer in furniture.
| This property. with adjacent lots, Ia
| now owned by the heirs OF Rev. NJ. S.
| Colona who have within recent years
| erected the brick building now occupied
| by Norris & Co.. and also q neatly equip
| ped and up to-d date drug store conducted
| by the Wakefield Drug Co. under manage
ment OF Mr.. J. Fenton Rawls.
| Between the dates OF 1SS0-'90 other
buildings were erected to completion OF
| Railroad Street the business part OF tha
, town, on lots bought of Rev. r. T. Wilson,
! a preacher from the estate OF DIR. John
| Nicholson. These are now occupied by
merchants--N, B. Pond, Otis Richardson.
| Traylor y Son. Among the pioneers OF
! tho town may be mentioned Mr.. John ~.
| White, who. having In 1875 purchased
| from T.. r. Rain tract of land, sold II
| in lots on the east side OF Main Street.
| upon which have been built many OF tina
| most Imposing residences In the town, ex-
| tending for distance OF nearly Il mile
or these lots the first was sold In 1877
| to Burt 4 Fleetwood one acre OF KIND
| for seventy-five dollars, a. property which
would now sell readily for one thousand
dollars. Upon withdrawal of Mr.. Burt.
| the firm Fleetwood \ Cannon built q
| storehouse, which has since been moved
! to one side az their lot and replaced by
! the present large and commodious struc-
| ture, and laid the foundation OF the LARGE
| business now solely owned and conducted
| by Mr., w A, Stephenson,
Residential Section,
on the west side OF Main street. neat
| residences were built upon lots purchaser
| from r, Il. Wilson ~ far az the inter-
| section OF Church Street. thence onward
| on lots bought from Mr., James Richard
4 son. Mr. Richardson Is also founder az
Any ksvf