Author: Web Admin
-
William ‘Billy’ Samuel Beal
William ‘Billy’ Samuel Beal was born in 1846 in Scottsville and was the son of Joseph R. and Mary E. (Flannagan) Beal. Growing up in Scottsville, Billy worked as a clerk in his father’s general store, located in the Beal Building at the south corner of Bird and Valley Streets. When his father died in…
Written by
-
Colonel Henry Gantt of Valmont
by Richard Ludlam Nicholas “On the afternoon of July 3, 1863, Henry Gantt bravely led the regiment assigned to Garnett’s Brigade of Pickett’s Division up Cemetery Ridge in the battle of Gettysburg – arguably the most famous charge in American history.” Perhaps the most overlooked and forgotten man in Scottsville’s history is Colonel Henry Gantt,…
Written by
-
Buckingham Lining Bar Gang
In a rich baritone voice, John Laury chanted these words during his June 4th visit to Scottsville Museum with the Buckingham Lining Bar Gang: “I got a gal who’s long and tall Sleeps in the kitchen with her feet in the hall.” Mr. Laury served as the “caller” for this African-American work song during an…
Written by
-
Let’s Roll a Hogshead!
by William E. Trout, III,Virginia Canal Museum, Madison Heights, VA A picturesque phase of tobacco marketing in the Colonial and Early National period in Virginia was the practice of rolling the hogshead of tobacco from the plantation to the place of inspection and sale. Transportation of tobacco in this manner was considered by William Tatham…
Written by
-
Twilight Tours 2026
Follow a lantern guide on this historic tour exploring Scottsville’s past. You will meet:Nancy Anne Lewis JeffersonA River BoatmanColonel Gantt’s CampaignThe Harris SistersAn Employee of the Tire Cord FactoryLocal Musicians This event is a partnership between Scottsville Museum and Scottsville Center for Arts and Nature The hour long tours will feature actor portrayals of characters…
Written by
-
Auto Endurance Test on Valley Street ~ 1914
Dr. L.R. Stinson owned the first car in Scottsville, a two-cylinder, bright-red, 1910 Maxwell. Soon these ‘motorized carriages’ were rattling the plank floor on the new town bridge. Cars altered Scottsville’s way of life greatly, wiping out the ferry, carriages and carts, and the blacksmith shop and stable on the corner of Valley and Main…
Written by
-
Passenger Train from Richmond
The passenger train from Richmond made four trips daily to Scottsville in 1915; each trip took three hours. This photo, taken by Burgess at the C&O Depot in Scottsville, shows the State Farmers Institute Train, which Virginia Polytechnical Institute outfitted with agricultural displays in the coaches. At each stop, local farmers boarded this train to…
Written by
-
The Scottsville Bridge
This landscape with Scottsville in the background shows the wooden bridge, built in 1907, which replaced Scott’s Ferry as the medium for transporting traffic to Scottsville from Buckingham Co. This bridge remained until 1968 when a new concrete one replaced it. See the image below as a guide to points of interest: (1) Mt. Walla,…
Written by
-
Paving Route 20 to Charlottesville
The road (Route 20) between Scottsville and Charlottesville was known as the ‘Road of the Presidents’ in the 1800’s because Presidents Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe often traveled over it. In those years, the trip between the two towns was arduous and bone-jarring as the macadam used on the road was a thin, poor tar mixture…
Written by
-
Boyd, Edmond, and Davenport Packet Boats
Scottsvillian Jack Hamner, an experienced ‘dirt fisherman’ (relic hunter), unearthed this packet boat baggage tag near an old stone chimney between Keene and Esmont. The tag’s front reads “BE&D Packet, 8.” Engraved on the tag’s back is “John Robbins, Boston.” In the mid-1800’s, such small metal tags were attached to a traveler’s personal luggage and…
Written by
