The Farmville herald and farmer-leader. (Farmville, Va.) 1934-1957, 1955-05-27
BY BILL. WALL

Last Httk IHypiffy ldfUi Ii
Ashby Farm owned by William
L Sander8on. The. large, modern
efficiently operated dairy farm IS
located 10 miles north Of Cum
berland on route ~ toward Car
t.rsyille
The farm Is divided by route IS.
This highway FORMERLY was known
as the Virginia Carolina road. and
vas travelled by anyone going
north or south through Virginia
/ Is interesting 90 note that route
As was probably an old buffalo
trail because IL follows closely
along the top Of q natural ridge
Between CartersVille and Farm
vile there are no creeks Or
branches that cut across the road
Route As Is the dividing line like
rooftop Water on one side fails
70 the Appomattox and on the
other side to the Willis Nearer
Farmville the water will flow TO
the Appomattox river from both
sides but still does not cut across
route As
In the 18Th and 10Th century
at the present home site of Ashby
Farm there was a tavern TRAY
eler's Rest stopping point for
The stage coach A change Of
horses was stabbed there and of
course the weary travellers were
refreshed, The stage coaches car
licd the general news OF the day
and people from miles around
gathered there to catch up With
the latest events
Herald Correspondent
Ashby Farm Is sim the focal
point for the news Mrs Sander
son has been a correspondent for
the Herald for IS years. Mrs.
Sanderson $ sister Miss Ola Wal
ton also lives at Ashby Farm and
she helps Mrs Sandcrson with
the neWa-g gathering and has oc-
casionally written the news col
umn when Mrs Sanderson was
sick Mrs Sandcrson is the form
CT Miss Ada Walton and Is a ma
tive OF the Ashby community She
has one brother james who is
married and lives in Richmond
The farm is named for the Civil
War hero Colonel Ashby vino ser
we'd under StonewaI Jackson. Il
seems that after that Cipil War
a post Office was established on
the land that was then owned by
HudginS~ Stonnell ana the post
Office was named in honor of his
Civil Wal Commander Colonel
Ashby
III 1893 during Cleveland's
administration remarked Mr.
Sanderson. the tavern and 800
acres Of land were sold for taxes
for approximately 5000. II was
bought by my father. j G San
derson and his brother. c r San
derson II was then thickly wood
ed with large pine forest Accord
ing 10 my mother" MIR Sander
son recalled. The pine bettles
were busy aud killed many of the
trees. Then Sire swept through
the farm and cleaned out the
timber The land was then clear
ed and the fields cultivated The
tavern was destroyed when a
huge tree toppled IN wind storm
and squashed it. The tree was so
large that they could not find a
saw large enough to cut through
it,
In 1907 the farm won a world
recognized silver award for dark
shipping tobacco at the James,
town Exposition.
In 1912 Mr. c r. Sanderson
sold his portion of the farm TO
John Martin William =. Sander
son kept his fathers share OF the
original farm and bought thf
other half Of the farm from join,
Martin In 1929 Mr.. Sanderson
has increased the total acreage OF
the farm to 800 acres and approx
lnately 600 acres are cleared
Dairy and Beef Herd
Mr.. Sanderson has over 200
head OF cattle He has an Angus
beef herd OF about 35 head His
dairy herd consists Of both Hol-
stems and Guernseys He has reg
istered Holsteins and bought most
OF his herd from the Canadian
market. In the fall. to establish I
ms milk base. Mr. Sanderson OPP |
crates his herd at barn capacity I