The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-07-16
MANY BIG FARMS
NEGLECTED POWER
A Bit of Ancient History-Old
Stage Road Days-War-Time
Incidents-Day of Intensive
Farming Is Approaching.
Better Times On
Ahead.
FRANK 5. wooDsoN.

Ao.-LonS years ago when I used to-
be an occasional visitor to Richmond ri
wa attracted, in the proper season. bvt
fleets OF little cloth covered two
"heel carts drawn by mules Upon the
front OF each cart sat a negro or a
sun tanned white man. and he sang n;
song that was interesting as we'll as
amusing. AS well as | can remember
1t ran about this: Water millions:
waiter millions; fresh and fine. iess
from the vine, red meat and green rind:i
now is the time to make up your mind.i
nice, fresh, Hanover water millions'i
hanover Hanover. HANOVER: old
Hanover w-a-t-e-r MlLL-YUNS" u,
often tried the Hanover water MIL
mions. and they We're indeed "freshl
and fine"
Ever since then | have desired TO.
Visit Hanover county where those mag
innocent melons grew and see for myself
what manner OF country 1t is hui III
mas SO happened that in all these loneci
years no business ever called ME to tho
county, and only this week l have beenj
permitted To loaf around in the north
west part of one of the rrandastl
counties in the old State. | have been
intensely Interested, and | dare saw
mat some of the things 1 have seem
ana heard about, will interest the
hundred thousand readers of the Indus-s
trial Section.
u
Hanover is one OF the older counties
Oh the state having been established
nearly 200 years ago. being then cut
or from the once Very large county Of
New Kent 1t lies in the central part
ot 'he state between the Pamunkey
ana Chickahcminy Rivers. and is also
well watered by the North Anna. Souti,
Anna and little rivers and numerons
creeks and smaller streams.
eneakinG of the county as a whole.
Agricultural Commissioner Koiner. in
MS Hand Book of Virginia save.
The soil of Hanover is sandy ar Iissht
gray loom: river lands are very pro
uuctiVe and valuable. yielding fine
crops OF corn, oats and wheat and well
adapted to trucking. Sweet potatoes
ana melons, for which the county Ia
to,so attain here in their highest per-
lection. Tho higher land in the central
anu western portion is especially suited
10 the culture of tobacco and the
grasses. Considerable attention is naidf
10 fruit culture, Several large can
neries for fruits and vegetables are In
succesStul operation. Trucking Is ex-I
tensiVely and prontably carried on. and
considerable number OF the farmers,
make dairyinS and poultrying n prom
ihent and successful part of their oc-i
cupdtioh. Truck farming may be con.
sidered the most profitable industry OK
the county, the more valuable, on ac-i
m
city markets and Others
citizen with whom have talked a
good deal In the last few DAYS AL
s"res me that this northwest corner
from which / am writing is the hest
part OF the county. and have no doubt
mat citlzen OF the southwest corners
or the northeast corner or any Others
corner would tell me the same thing
should visit those sections. for be
!, understood that all Hanoverites think
their county is the best in the state
ana the folks of each division thintcI
.heir particular division Is the best of
| the best county. Well, like that kind
OF spirit.
Back Into Ancient History.
me country home from which
! "rite has cut something of a figure
In Virginia history, In the old days of
/ stages stage coaches and stage roads.
| two stage lines had their connectine.
| stables right here. and the house from!
| which | write stands on the site OF
! what was known for a hundred years
/ or more as the "Owl Tavern" In irons
! OF the tavern TWO stage lines came
| together. one running from Louisa
/ Courthouse to Tappa hannock. on the
kappahannoct River. where the stage
| passengers embarked on the river,
| boats for Baltimore and Norfolk. An.
| "ther stage road came from Fredericks-.
| burg to the Owl Tavern. and that was
| the route Fredericksburg people trav- 3
| eled to make the boats at Tappahan-
mock for the outer world making stage
! connection here In the course OF time.
| and before tho railroads were built the
| Rappanannock River was dredged and
| cleaned out and made navigable up to.
| Fredericksburg, and that Knocked out
! the business of the two stage coach
| lines that connected here at the owl
| Tavern, and likewise Knocked out ths
| business of the tavern.
History of verdon.
| John T. Anderson. who had owned
| the tavern and the three thousand or
| more acres surrounding 1t since about
| 1890. then tore down the tavern and
| erected the large and roomy old coun-
| try house. which is shown in the pic
/ lures on the front page This happened
| in the year 1919 and Mr. Anderson
| named the new place "Verdon." witch
! means green plain" and a very suit
! able name 1t IS. even unto this day.
| When the railroad now known as thd
/ Chesapeake and Ohio. was built, a sta;
| ton was establishes here and caifed
| Andcrsons. When the late General
| Wickham was the president of tha
| Chesapeake and Ohio road several ac.i
| cidents OF more or less serious char.f
acter occurred right here, and Gen~
| eral Wickham, declaring his belief thax
| the place was hoodooed. ordered thS
name changed. and Verdon, the namol
| OF the old estate. was adopted. SINCE
1 then and II was about thirty yearg
! ago. there have been no wrecks on
| other accidenfs M Uartno Gara~,r -,