The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-08-06
SOUTH HILL TOWN.
IN MECKLENBURG
Town That Grew From
Nothing to Big Pro-
portions.
SCHoOLBOY TELLS
INDUSTRIAL STORY
Third Largest Bright Tobacco
Market in Virginia-Many Men
in the Tobacco Business.
Mercantile Interests and
Banking Interests Natu-
rally Followed.
By FRANK s. woopsoN.

hue ust away back yonder in the
early eighties there was no such a
p!hce on the map of Virginia as South
ALI. IN the later years of the eighties
the railroad that first was named the
atlantic and Danville. extending from
Danville. a big. little tobacco town.
TO norfolk. little bigger town some
where close TO the Atlantic Ocean
was completed. and the folks who en- :
gineered the road found that the very
highest point the line between
Danviile. at the foot of the mountains
and Norfolk. on the edge OF the ocean
was right here in Mccklenburg coun-
~, Just where good country road
crossed the proposed railway line The
railway builders thought this a good
ehough place TO locate a station, as
the fine dye road that struck in
RICH, here led to large farming con-
htituency. and they SO located the sta.
ton and called the place South Hill.
very soon active and vigorous bust.
ness men figured out that this loca.
ton was superior for a tobacco mar.
ket. for manufacturing centre. for
banking town and for good mer.
chand!sing town; and banking on the
their Judgment, they came here to
locate. The tobacco men readily es.
tablished a bright tobacco market
that has become the third largest OF
Its kind in Virginia. the merchants
rushed Tor trade from all the sur
rounding regions in Virginia and North
Carolina. and were not long in giving
south Hill a reputation that made
Boydton and GAINESVILLE, in Virginia.
and Warrenton and Norlina and some
other villages, in North Carolina
rather ashamed Of themselves.
The and Now.
When the railway was completed
there was only a farm house and a
water tank here. Now there are all
the evidences OF an up-to-date twenti-
eth cent ~ town. The census gives
the town a population of something
more than 700 souls. but I am sure
that when the folks who live just out
side the town limits and who are 10
all intents and purposes really citizens
OF the village. are counted as they
should be- there would show up for
South Hill a population of not less
than 1000, maybe 1900. have writ
ten and talked about this good town
of South Hill so much and SO often
that have ally nothing new to
offer.
A bright Boys Story.
That man Grafton. who runs the
South Hill Enterprise. one of the best
country weeklies in Virginia recently
offered gold -doilar-kind OF premium
to the boys who might write the best in
dustrial story of South HILL have
seen the copy OF several of the effu.
sions of tn boys. l am sure I could
not tell the industrial history of South
Hill any better than little boy by
the name of James \. Creedler ha.
told 1t in the Forthcoming Industrial
edition o. the Enterprise. and I am.
going to use his talk Just as IL II
were mine own; and II the editor and
high cockelrorum OF the Enterprise
does not like 1t he can just fight IL
out with me.
Here is the way this youngster talks
about his town after very much un-
necessary Introductory, and an en-
tireiy unnecessary tribute to one Abra-
ham Lincoln, one time President of a
divided country.
BEGINNING ut the Beginning.
The good little boys says:
About this time l remember being
in South Hill. There were only a few
stores there then. doing q small business
and as I stood in the post office. a
small room probably 10xl2 feet, which
provided ample space for the handling
OF the malls at that time. l remember
reading notice urging the public to
come forward and subscribe stock to
build a warehouse, which was soon
erected. and from that time ! always
considered new town was brought
forth Two warehouses Instead OF
one. were erected on the start, selling
about 100000 pounds of tobacco the
first year. nd being located in one
of the finest bright tobacco sections
Of the State, the increase and devel-
opment of the tobacco market sprang
surprises on the most sanguine. Sew
oral great storage houses were erected
the next season. together with other
large warehouses. and large stem.
merry and drying plant. which furnish
to the buyers excellent facilities for
handling and storing. and the farmers
from all sides. attracted by the fair
prices and level roads. began to swarm
In with their products from other
counties. and in a few years South
Hill sold in one season over 100000
pounds of tobacco and became the
third bright tobacco market in the
State. With the successful opening Of
the tobacco market, the business men
of progressive South Hill We're quick
to recognize the success that was
surely coming to their town.
Financier. mechanic. merchant and
to devise the most practical methods
for the development of the town, AVID
while the growth has been something
to astonish the most optimistic, moth
weaken the superstructure upon which
the town must stand as pride to old
Mecklenburg and as a guarantee to the
investor. Simultaneous with the rise
OF the tobacco market. 1t became OBJ
viously apparent that the town was
In need of financial institutions 81
Ranking Required.
Some of the most successful men In
tho district took council together and
organized the Bank Of South Hill with
paid in capital of $4,000. Men of wide
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