Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-05-30
1856 in Caroline County Must
Vocote Army Training Area
Move Will Wipe Out Communities;
Farmers Reluctant to Leave

the price is high. And the way
most of us farmers is fixed, we got
to get our money from the Govern
ment before We can buy.
There has been more grief and
less planting in the Bowling Green
and Port Royal magisterial districts
of Caroline County this year than
ever before in their history. Hard
ened old farmers, sunburned and
gnarled. stand at the two or three
crossroads stores and talk with
tears in their eyes. This thing
has hit them at planting season,
when things ordinarily are at their
busiest.
But what's the use of planting?"
they say, and let it go at that.
The. wives, too, are taking the
departure with forced cheerfulness,
but they weaken at the sight of the
shady lawns they have tended, the
flower beds they have nursed.s
"There1l never be any other home
like this" they tell themselves.
Uncle Sam realizes the inconven-
fence the present emergency has
brought these people and is doing
all within reason to help them.
There is sympathy. for instance,
for Richard johnson. colored en-
ploye of the Sylvania Corp. at
Fredericksburg, who. moved down
into the training camp area in
March because he could rent a
home cheaper and plant a garden
Government officials tried to con-
sole him when they told him he
would have to move again.
Agent Helps Landowners.
County Agent Lanford maintain.
an office in Bowling Green, serv.
ices free to landowners, and trie.
to get the residents in touch witt
the type of new home they desire
He has been kept constantly busy
for the land business has boomee
around Caroline and SURROUNDING
counties.
Nearly a third Of the 299 familie.
to be relocated already have founc
new homes, Mr.. Lanford reported
He still has hundreds of available
farms listed at his Office.
Many of those forced to move die
not want to leave the county. In
this group, for instance, is A. l.
Howard, 63-year-old father of eight
grown children.
Il been farming in this county
So years." he recalled. II amt
made no money at it, but I got no
reason to complain. I like it here.
Wants "CollapsibIe House."
To take care of the families who
will be left homeless by the nearness
of the moving date, the Federal
Security Administration plans to
erect rs prefabricated houses on two
nearby tracts of land. This type
Of building, which can be put
together in a few hours by three
or four men, was something new to
many Caroline County residents. It
was an innovation to a certain COL
ored man who got word of it soon
after two carloads of roofing arrived.
He rushed to Agricultural Agent
Lanford.
Il want to put in my application, ~
he said. Il got to have one of them
collapsible houses
Mica is the largest community
that will be wiped out by the train
ing camp. 1t includes a planning
mill, school, store and several houses
Other hamlets which will be dropped
from maps are Wideawake, boast
ing one house; New London, dis
tinguished by an Identical number
of homes, and Baylortown, in which
are the residences of several colored
families.
All land scheduled to be vacated
by June l lies north of Route 301
the road between Bowling Green
and Port Royal. When the nearly
10000 acres south of this highway
to be used as an artillery range, are
added to the training area Septem-
Der !, other families will be forced
to move and other communities
including Delos and Upper Zion, will
be wiped out.
One of the major problems con-
fronting Uncle Sam at present in
this move to set up vast maneuver-
ing ground is the graveyards within
its borders. Fences will keep soldiers
from the plots, but they will not
bar the shells of heavy guns. This
may call for removal Of graves to a
central area or to some section out
side the camp site.
The Federal Government has
given its promise that the graves
will be taken care Of in fitting
manner.