The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-02-01
TOWN OF ALBERTA,
AT THE CROSSING
New Tobacco Market.
and Manufacturing
Town.
HOTEL, BANK AND 6
SCHOOL NOW BUILT
Woodworking Plants Started.
Many Fine Homes-Union De-
pot, Wholesale House and Re-
tail Stores-Freight Rates
Low as the Lowest-To-
bacco Warehouses.
o, FRANK $. woonsON.

Alberta, Va, January 3O.-New towns
are springing up in some parts OF Vir.
Sinia, that is TO say, in such parts as
nave 3 Farming back country that calls
Tor them. That territory of Virginia
that may be included in parts of the
Counties OF brunswick. Luuenburg,
Nottoway. Dinwiddic and Mecklenburg
ala not need much of town for very
many years of their existence. Tho
county seats, with courthouses iails.
few little stores and n hosiery or
Two 10 accommodate the lawyers ard
the court officers every now and then,
when courts were held. were sufficient
but the coming of railroads. the de-
Teiopment of the farms. the introduce
ton OF twentieth century industries
and twentieth century ideas made
towns other than Richmond. Peters
burg, Norfolk, Lynchburg. Danville and
some others of the old timers ncccs-
sary in many parts of old Virginia.
The Seaboard Air Line, when it's
management took o notion to build the
railway from Richmond down into
North Carolina and thence on TO the
great South. opened UP some inc set
Elements between Richmond and PEE
tersburG and the North Caroline line,
and some of these have grown into
right nice little towns. Then the yir-
ginia Railway came. like an arrow on
a straight shoot through certain UNI
developed regions OF some of the coun-
ties mentioned above. and some moro
towns or settlements started up.
Merely n Railway Crossing.
AT n certain point not far from the
very centre of Brunswick County. this
Virginia Railway crossed the Seaboard
Air Line, crossed it overhead. 1t prob
ABLY did not occur at the time TO any
OF the railway builders of either road
baJ Ia tl,tr
point that was. destined to be q great
Virginia town 1t might have occurred
I" them II they had stopped in their
railway building long enough TO think
the matter over, for the country sur
rounding that crossing point is ono or
tho finest agricultural regions OF all
Virginia. and it is agricultural devel-
opment after all that builds the town.
1t was the Seaboard Air Line that
named this point Alberta. but it was
largely the coming across of the Vir-
B!nian that helped to make it possible
for Alberta TO become famous, and
yet the railway people lid not seem to
see it. 1t remained for a citizen of the
good County of Brunswick, in which
Alberta is located. to look on ahead
and see, in his imagination, sure
enough town grow up at the crossing.
A Man OF Dreams.
Charles $. Barrow, the Brunswick
citizen referred to, saw visions and
dreamed dreams, He knew Brunswick
County and the surrounding counties;
he knew what they produced and what
they were capable of producing in the
way OF timbers and agricultural pro-
Ducts, and he knew that these things
and the industries capable of growing
out or them We're we'll calculated to
furnish the business to make q good
town. He knew also that the bane OF
the average Virginia small town up
to that time had been the trouble of
getting the right kind OF shipping ia
cilities and the right kind OF freight
rates. or course, he also figured out
that a town at the crossing of two
great railway lines could. because OF
competition, get better rates and bet
ter accommodations. and SO when the
then new Virginian Railway ran ITS
straight as an arrow line across the
seaboard road at Alberta this man
Barrow. like an ancient conqueror.
made some marks In the sands and
said here is the ideal location for a
good town, possibly 81 great city. He
was strong enough in his belief and
smart enough from q business point
OF view TO buy up the lands surround
ing the crossing. He was in no spe-
cial hurry about development. but
bided his time.
L.
Two, or maybe three years ago he
laid off the coming town and COM
menced to plan for it's development. At
that time Alberta was nothing more
than a small railway station, near to
which was little country store. and
off a quarter OF mile ran a part OF
the good roads system that goes
through the Counties of Dinwidde.
Brunswick. L.unenburg and Nottoway,
and on through MecklenburS. follow
ing the old Coke Road 10 the ono side
and the old Petersburg and Bcydton
PLANK Road to the other side.
Good cross roads intersecting both
OF these famous thoroughfarcs have
been made, passing right through Al
berta, and thus it gets location or
the greatest highways now In the coun-
Try highways that are destined TO be
come parts OF the great Quebec Miami
Automobile Pike.
The Alberta of three years ago then
was Only railway station at tho
junction OF two roads. To-day Alberta
is an Industrial town with a splendid =
hotel. a wholesale store that caters TO
the trade of country merchants, sew
eral retail stores, bank that would
be credit 10 any town OF dozen
times its size. n big woodworking cas
Enlistment that is the Virginia branolt
of Pittsburgh concern, X magniHceut 3
and modernly equipped graded school,
about forty new and well-buift resi-
dences. q fine water supply from arr
tesian wells, and ieaf tobacco ware
houses for the sale OF the bright To-.
bacco grown IN n territory comprising
at least four counties are to be erected (
and put in operation this year sr Tine
for the early fail deliveries OF the
weed.
superb Location.
Alberta is in the heart OF Red Oak Il
district. said to be the banner dissrIetEs
OF Brunswick County. II rs mol, Il Or q;
from tho Luncn5urS line. within ttasts