The Penn's Grove record., 1907-05-03
A History Of Norfolk, Va.
OF Great Interest To Those Who VIII
Visit The jamestown Exposition.
By EDNA CASEY LYNNE

between the '~'ironclads" in Hampton
Roads, Norfolk was abondened by the
Confederates. From that time until
the close of the war, and again in those
bitter years of the war, and again in
those bitter years Of reconstruction
when Virginia was Military District
No. l. Norfolk groaned under the
incubus of military rule.
AT the end Of the war the survivors
were confronted by a stupendous task.
Their homes were shattered and de-
ISOLATE. The railroads were in a wreck
ed condition, the important Dismal
Swamp Canal had been so neglected it
was not nayigable; communications
were utterly inadequate, and the bust
ness community was impoverished.
But the sturdy people determined as
so often before they had done, to over
come disaster. A bonded warehouse
was built; and in 1866 the first trans
atlantic freight steamship arrived.
Work was at this time begun on the
New Atlantic Hotel, at the corner of
Main and CRANKY Streets, where Cir
cuses ually pitched their tents.
1870 saw the substitution Of a paid
Fire Department for the volunteer
organizations. There have been but
few fires Of great severity in Norfolk.
A fire 1904, i'll the old market Square
Section, destroyed 800 buildings.
Tidewater has suffered little damage
from storms. Fierce gales were re-
corded at Norfolk in 1921, 1925 and
1916. But none were so furious as the
storm in August, 1879, which unrOofed
houses, capsized a large boat, drove
several vessels ashore and overthrow
the beautiful Gothic spiIe of the Bap.
fist Church on Freemason Street.
In 1881, Norfolk took the lead in
the celebration of the Yorktown Cen
%tenial, as she is now doing
in the Jamestown Tercentinial
moyemement. Capt. Jas. Barron Hope,
editor Of the 'Norfolk Landmark"
was chosen by Congress to read the
memorial ode at the unwilling Of the
monument at Yorktown. "Arms
and the Man." the poem which he
wrote for the occasion, gave him
National fame. Father Ryan, another
well known Southern poet was born in
Norfolk.
In 1887, Brambleton, a hourishing
suburb, was annexed. This first eX-
tension, since 1861, was followed in
Atlantic CiCy, larger in acreage than
all the rest Of Norfolk. Atlantic City
now containing the handSomest resi-
Dental district. IN 1902 Lafayette
Par ksection was taken in.
And now we are clown tO-noW''.
The Norfolk of today is a hustling.
wide awake city. Quoting from "Tle
Norfolk Of today" an article by
Charles Puckney Sapp. The story Of
Norfolk is a story worth the writing,
and a story worth the reading, because
it concerns not merely the past and
the Norfolk of the present, but even
more that imperial city of tomorrow
that shall spell the realization of the
hopes and plans of far sighted men-a
city that ultimately shall give to and
take commercially toll from all the fair
stretches of water that make in from
the Atlantic. If anyone doubts that
this shall come to pass let him recall
that half a generation ago the grass
grew rank III the middle of what is
now the most crowded street in town.
and that the partridge shooting was
excellent twenty years ago i'll what is
now the best residential portions of the
city. And Nh. Sapp is not too SAN
gulne. This growth has come naturally,
gradually. There has been no boom,
no fuss no furry. Men have seen that
what Norfolk had to offer was good.
When | speak Of Norfolk it is in the
commercial sense, rather tnan the poll
tical, for Portsmouth, with its thous-
ands of inhabitants. its railway ter
minals, %shipyards and machine shops,
and Berkeley, with its immense manu-
factories and lumber mills, are one
with Norfolk i'll interests and achieve
ments. Together they make Greater
Norfolk the most populoUs city be-
tween Baltimore and New Orleans.
Norfolk is a good place to make a
money are both here. 1t is a good
city for residence and a good city for
business 1t has not a SINGLE million
aire and it has very few paupers.
There are but two cities in the Uuited
States that can justly claim better
markets than Norfolk and they are
Baltimore and New York. The things
Of field and food, sea and air, are to
be had at practically all seasons, and
usually at reasonable prices.
Norfolk, tho at all times d delightful
place, is especially so during the sum
mer. Six resorts are within easy reach
OF the city. Virginia Beach, said to
be the finest for bathing on the Atlantic
Coast, is twenty three minutes distant
by the n. and S. Railway, and less
than an hour distant by the Chesa-
peake Transit Electric Express. One
may go down by the Chesapeake Tran
sit line in forty minutes,
Ocean View, which is the most popu-
lar Of the six resorts can be reached
by either of two electric lines. 1t is
only short run from Ocean View to
Willoughby Spit, or Willoughby
Beach, as it is now called.
AT Willoaghby Beach one takes the
boat for Old Point. Points Of interest
at or near Old Point are Fort
ress Monroe and the National Home
for Old Soldiers, more of which later.
The residents of Norfolk can visit
without convenience, a different place
every night in the week, and get in
in every case, first class SER
vice by boat, train or trolley.
Norfolk is truly a city by the sea.
1t is almost an island. Everything
from ROY boats to battleships tie up
at its wharyes. Freight sent here by
boat is unloaded in the heart of the
business section. In a sense, New
York, Baltimore, Philadelphia. Provi-
dence, Boston, Washington, the West
Indies and the cities over the sea are
within a few blocks of its market
place.
Its railways tap the mineral riches
of the mountains and penetrate the
rich section that lies between the Miss.
issippi and the Ohio, and the Great
Lakes. 1t is the nearest tide water
point and the logical entrepot and point
of export for a section of land that
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