Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1925-04-01
EAST VALLEY AREA RICH IN
MINERAL AND WATER POWER

Elkton, March 27.-The industrial
development of the Shenandoah Val
ley will find the area along the South
or main fork of the Shenandoah Riv-
er favored area.
This branch of the Shenandoah
river, rapid stream, is capable of
developing wonderful water power.
Some engineers believe power plants
can be located on an average of
every five or ten miles of its entire
length through to Riverton and be-
yond. The river at many of these
places can be damned to obtain ten
feet and more head of water.
There are crude power dams along
this river now, many of them oper-
ating flour mills, but there are no
large ones except the "little master
piece at Grottoes, the Harrisonburg
Municipal plant at Three Springs and
the power plant at Newport, near
Luray.
One of the important aims of the
Shenandoah Valley, Inc, is the de-
velopment of the latent resources of
what is called the East Side Shenan-
doah Valley, beginning at Waynes-
boro and following the South Branch
of the river to Port Republic, and
from there north to Elkton, through
Page and Warren counties and on
through Clarke to Harpers Ferry. A
factor in this development is the con-
suction of a bighway over this route.
A hundred years the people of this
section made strong bid for the old
Valley pike, but they lost Today,
they have bright prospects of getting
this highway through the organiza-
ton of the East Side Shenandoah
Valley Highway Association, which
was formed year ago and which is
making good progress.
This highway will be called the
"Stonewall Jackson Highway when
completed, and bordering as it will be
the proposed Shenandoah National
Park it is destined to become one of
the favorite drives of the tourist.
Not only has this area splendid
power sites, but it has mineral de-
posts, large bodies of timber and
mineral springs of curative proper
ties. Starting at Waynesboro, the
mines at Crimora have producted the
largest amount of manganese ore in
the South. At Elkton there is a
mine of the same ore, which has been
producing at intervals one of the best
grades since 1892. There are similar
mines at Stanley and at Compton. In
this area are to be found splendid de-
posts in most inexhaustible quaint
ties. At and near Elkton are good
quantities of potter's clay Iron ore
abounds in the foothills of the Blue
Ridge and Massanutten mountains, in
fact throughout the full extent of the
CsIa
are few sections which have the var
led and valuable mineral deposits
that abound around Elkton. It is for
this reason that the Elkton people
have high hopes in the industrial sur
vey now being made by Phineas V.
Stephens. the industrial engineer of
New York.
In addition to the minerals, there
are large bodies of hardwood timber,
much of which has never been touch
ed by an ak.
The waters of this territory are
from wonderfully clear sparkling
spings of pure soft water everywhere
and the mineral springs are of<rare
quality. Among the latter are The
Black Rock Radium, The Port Re-
public Mercureal, The Bear and Elk
Lithia Springs and the Rockingham
Springs with its chaly-beate. sulphur,
magnesium and free stone waters,
not to omit the spring of the Miracle
Water Company. spring of COM
position of curative chemicals.
This same section is splendidly
adapted to stock, poultry and fruit
raising All kinds of Temperate
Zone fruits can be raised in the best
of qualities and larger quantities and
the noultru husiness conditions is m