The Shadow
Echoes of the past is a collection of historical articles curated from The Virginian Review and other publications archived since 1914. You may be exposed to content that you find offensive or objectionable. For historical purposes and accuracy, articles are reprinted in their original, unedited form, and do not reflect the opinions and belief’s of the publisher.
100 Years Ago
February 1925
Clifton Forge Bus Line to use Cadillac Car
Pending the arrival of their specially built new bus, for the new Covington, Low Moor, Selma and Clifton Forge Bus Line, will use a large Cadillac car for the transportation of passengers between Covington and Clifton Forge and intermediate points. The service will start tomorrow, Wednesday, February 25. The first car leaves Covington at 5:30 A.M., connecting with the morning C. & O. train going down the river on the James River Division to Lynchburg, Richmond, and intermediate stations. The next leaves with the Roanoke bus, and the last bus leaves for Clifton Forge at 3 P.M.
Mr. S.H. Levisay has now open to the public a receiving station and radio display room on the second floor of the Piracy Building at Maple Avenue and Bath Street. He cordially invites the public to drop in between 6:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. and hear the programs coming in on his machines.
Mrs. R.W. Francis of Charleston W. Va., is expected to arrive in this city tomorrow night where she will spend several weeks with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. C.D.Obenchain, at their home, in Hawthorne Street. This will be Mrs. Francis’ first visit to Covington for several years and she has a host of friends who will welcome her to the city.
75 Years Ago
February 1950
Seaman Jessie L. Smith Arrives in the Mediterranean
Jessie L. Smith, seaman, USN, son of Mr. and Mrs. Russel O. Smith of 803 Pocahontas Ave., Covington, Va., recently arrived in the Mediterranean area abroad the destroyer USS C.R. Ware with the fleet units which relieved ships of the Sixth Task Fleet. With the eighth U.S. army at Camp Drake, Tokyo, Japan-Private First Class Clyde W. Terry, 20 son of Mr. and Mrs. Calvin Terry, Sunny-meade, Covington, Virginia, is preparing to participate in the Fifth Anniversary of Manila Day, which marked the entry of the First Cavalry Division in Manila on February 5, 1945.
50 Years Ago
February 1975
FBI Investigation into Assassination of Kennedy Will Not Be Reopened
FBI director Clarence M. Kelley said Wednesday the FBI will not reopen the investigation into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Kelley was quoted as saying the FBI believes that E. Howard Hunt, the convicted Watergate conspirator, is not the man shown in a picture taken in Dallas on November 22, 1963, the day of Kennedy’s assassination.
Covington, Clifton Forge and Alleghany County played a significant part in Virginia’s posting of a record-high $1,250,000 travel year in 1974 according to a study released today by the Virginia State Travel Service. According to their figures, $2,826,000 was spent in Covington in 1974 by tourists amounting to 6.7 per cent of the retail businesses. In Clifton Forge, tourists spent $1,439,000 in travel making up 6.8 per cent of the retail business. Total spent in Clifton Forge was $4,278,000 which accounted for 20.3 per cent of that city’s retail sales. In Alleghany County tourists spent $1,070,000 for travel accounting to 10 per cent of the retail business. In Bath County $15,400,000 was spent by tourists and $18,123,000 was spent by all persons traveling, living or visiting in the county. This amounted to 70.5 per cent of the total retail business.
25 Years Ago
February 2000
New City Hall Costs On The Increase
Covington City Council voted Tuesday night to authorize up to $5,500 for additional design work on city hall. The work will focus on the 800-square foot section of the building which is currently under construction. Council approved the expenditure even through councilors voiced unhappiness over the cost increase to architect Craig Balzer & Associates. Councilor Bill Zimmerman voted against spending the money.
The Alleghany Regional Jail under construction on Main Street in Covington is already too small. Alleghany County supervisors voted Tuesday night to ask the Virginia Department of Corrections for permission to double bunk some cells in the jail, which is scheduled to open in the fall. The jail will have 54 total beds. Forty-four beds will be in the jail cells and 10 beds will be in a medical infirmary for prisoners. “If the regional jail opened today, we couldn’t get all of the inmates in there” Sheriff Butch Simpson said.
Alleghany County got its wish from a Senate committee Tuesday. The Senate committee on Local Government approved legislation that would provide 15-year transitional funding to the county if Clifton Forge reverts to a township. If the bill passes, the county would receive levels of state funding, including school funding, that Clifton Forge and the county receive as separate jurisdictions.
