Hide Article Text (OCR)
The Mountains Of Virginia, Standing Silent And InvariableAlleghanyTown named formedicinal spring still_ 4'thrives in mountainsThere are no signposts to Alleghany Springs. You get there by following Et. 460 towards Salem, and turning down Et. 637, just past the Meadowbrook Nursing Home in Shawsville!The*road winds down and around for a half mile or so and then suddenly drops down into a flat broad valley, land spreading out on .either side of the Eoanoke Eiver which rushes noisily between the mountains.The river here is not a tame thing. You can hear it splashing and flowing from anyplace in Alleghany Springs, reminding you of the thousands of years it’s spent carving out this deep wide valley in the mountains.The sheer presence of nature seems somehow stronger here than in most othervalley areas: the mountains lode closer and rise more steeply up towards the suit, the river is wilder and more vocal, and the trees, mostly maple and evergreen, grow thickly, even near the trailer park at the far end of the valley.The residents of Alleghany Springs exhibit some of the.same characteristics as the surrounding geography. They are close to the land, respectful of it. Many of them retain a passion for their valley which is nearly incomprehensible to those of us living in more domesticated areas where nature’s influence has beat muted, shallowed.Ernest B. Sowder has lived ud in orie of thefor all of his 48 years and, like his surroundings, he is effortlessly individualistic.His face is sun-weathered from years of farm work , framed by a brick-colored beard and head of hair. His'blue eyes could be five or 100 years old. With friendly directness, he JSpokd of his home. '4* “Well,” he said, smiling, “I live 'round here ’cause I was born here, and I like it. I don’t have no family. I’m a bachelor and live alone.”When asked whether he preferred a solitary life, Sowder grinned and answered, “Why no,AlleghanyLocation:South of Shawsville on Rt. 637, Off of Rt. 460 EastPopulation:500-600 FamiliesEstablishedEarly 1800'snot at all. It’s just I can’t do no better. ” And then broke up laughing like he didn’t believeit.aAnother Alleghany Springs native who likes life in the valley is nineteen year old Philip Sisson. His family owns a huge dairy farm right down in the center of the. valley, and he has worked on it since he was a child.“I’ll stay forever too,” he said emphatically, “unless they put us under water.”What Sisson was referring to is the possibility of a dam being built on the river below his home area. The Army Corps of Engineers has drawn up plans to dam up the river to relieve flooding in Salem and Eoanoke County, and if plans for the dam go through it would mean that most of Alleghany Springs would disappear under water forever, a prospect that has many of the residents outraged and even more of them just plain scared.“This dam would ruin all the best farmland around here,” explained Ethel Wimmer, who has lived in Alleghany Springs nearly 60 years, and who runs Wimmer’s Store, one of fourlii the area.Ethft Wlmther is a soft-spoken, diminutivewoman with curly grey hair and spectacles. Her store is dork and warm and decorated with family portraits and a large 3D picture of
Newspaper Details
, ,
Mon, Jan 01, 0001
Page 14
Full Page
Clipped by
Winifred L.
NA, 29 Dec 2021
Other Publications Near ,
The Pulaski News
Pulaski Times Journal
Pulaski News Review
Pulaski Staunton News Leader
Pulaski Southwest Times
