The Real Story of Roanoke Virginia - The History of My New Home Town

Dear Henry,

With my trip to Washington, D.C. (twice) and a journey back to my childhood city, I haven't had the opportunity to tell you about my new hometown, Roanoke, Virginia.

I should mention that Roanoke, Virginia, is not the location of the Lost Colony of Roanoke. The Lost Colony of Roanoke is located approximately 300 miles southeast of the mainland, on an island, in North Carolina. 

In fact, Roanoke wasn't even called Roanoke until 1882. 

The city is situated in the valley between the Allegheny and Blue Ridge Mountains, and historically, it has always been a crossroads. In pre-colonial times, the area served as a stopping point along a Native American trail system known as "The Great War Path," "The Seneca Trail," or "The Indian Trail," which runs the length of the valley. The route is still in use today and is now designated as US Highway 11, also known as the Lee Highway. Within the area are several easy passes through the Allegheny and Blue Ridge Mountains, abundant ore (including iron, lead, and zinc) in the foothills of the mountains, and numerous natural springs and rivers throughout the valley. The area's springs, with their high mineral and salt content, created numerous salt licks and attracted a wide variety of game. As a result, the area has always been a beautiful place to rest and replenish on a long journey.

Euro-American exploration did not reach the valley until 1726, more than 100 years after the settlement of Jamestown. Thomas Marlin, a peddler, and John Salling, a weaver, were the first two "white men" to enter the area. 

It went badly.

Thomas Marlin managed to escape to Winchester (where he told of the valley's riches and started the colonial exodus to the valley). However, John Salling was made a prisoner by Native Peoples. Mr. Salling was taken all the way to the Gulf of Mexico before he was ransomed and able to make his way back to Virginia.

Despite the glowing recommendations of Thomas Marlin and John Salling, there wasn't much more than a Euro-American trading post, stagecoach stop, and several small farms in the area until 1825, and it wasn't until 1838 that Roanoke County and a small village called Big Lick (named from the numerous area salt licks) were formed.

The Norfolk and Western Railroads, taking advantage of the topography, mining demand, and proximity to coal, built rail lines through Big Lick in 1852. These lines were later joined by the Virginian, Tennessee, Southside, and Petersburg lines.

Then the US Civil War happened.

The destruction of the Confederacy's railroads was a top priority for the Union. So General Henry Jackson Hunt and Brigadier General William W. Averell made several raids in the area. While they could never wholly disable the railroad (General Hunt was able to burn down the Bonsack Woolen Mill, the maker of Confederate uniforms, and Brigadier General Averell took over the nearby town of Salem), the Union Army was able to destroy the depot in Big Lick.

After the Civil War and during the Reconstruction phase, most of the railroads of the Confederacy were bankrupt. They eventually merged to form the Norfolk and Western Railroad. During this period, the depot moved about a mile, and the new town of Big Lick was incorporated in 1874. The old settlement was rechristened Old Lick or Gainsborough and would be primarily settled by the newly freed African-Americans in the area.

In 1881, the Shenandoah Railway was constructed, connecting the valley to Washington, D.C. It was decided then that Big Lick was no longer a suitable name. The town was rechristened Roanoke in 1882 and was incorporated as a city in 1884.

The early years of Roanoke were prosperous, and the city experienced significant growth. In addition to the proximity of the natural resources and mining potential of the Allegany and Blue Ridge Mountains, several large industries, including the American Viscose Plant (at the time one of the largest rayon producers in the world), flourished in the city. The railroad played a significant role in the economy, with the Norfolk and Western Railway having its corporate office and steam locomotive shop in Roanoke. The area evolved into an important industrial and logistical hub. In addition, the town boasted the only commercial airport for 100 miles. The war years were profitable, and in 1949, the Mill Mountain Star was installed, and the city's future seemed bright indeed.

The downturn came in the 1950s. 

By 1953, steam engines had given way to diesel engines, and the resulting layoffs from Norfolk and Western devastated the local economy. Additionally, rayon had become nearly obsolete after the development of nylon, and the closing of the American Viscose plant was incredibly destructive to the area's income. 

The city found a lifeline in President Eisenhower's 1956 Interstate Highway Act. 

The Interstate Highway Act was a pet project of President Dwight Eisenhower. He had participated in a cross-country caravan early in his US Army career through the (mostly) unmaintained roads of the United States (read about that journey here). He was also very impressed with the European highways (particularly the Autobahn) he had seen during WWII.

The Interstate Highway Act was a profoundly transformative piece of legislation; before World War II, most people in the US lived either in a city or on a farm. There weren't the "suburbs" that most of us have become familiar with. After the war (and the dropping of the atomic bomb on the city center of Nagasaki), it became apparent how vulnerable American cities were. They were cut off from one another and densely populated. Inspired by the Autobahn, lawmakers, city planners, and the President began to develop plans to move the bulk of the US population out of city centers. The Interstate Highway Act provided federal funds covering 90 percent of construction costs and would provide a much-needed cash inflow to the people of Roanoke. The city council jumped at the project.

And implemented it in a pure Jim Crow fashion.

In preparation for Eisenhower's Highway act, the city, in 1955, and wielding the 1949 Housing Act, condemned large swaths of the Gainsboro/Old Lick area as "blighted" and leveled more than 1600 homes, businesses, and churches, making way for an Expressway (now I-581) to connect downtown to the new 1-81, the international highway that connects Toronto to Mexico City, through Washington DC and which ran alongside highway 11 and old trail system.

The results devastated the downtown area (and I suspect this is what caused the decline of many urban areas), and in 1982, when the railroad closed the corporate offices and the Hotel Roanoke, the city looked very grim.

The people of Roanoke didn't give up on the city, though.  

In 1983, genuine efforts began to revitalize the downtown area. The city created The Center on The Square and worked with Virginia Tech to open a medical college at the local hospital. The city also collaborated with the Norfolk and Western Railroad to revamp the Hotel Roanoke into a conference center for Virginia Tech.  

The city has made sure to use its historical "crossroads" status to its advantage and become a hub for UPS, and a prime spot for Eastern US regional offices (the city is the midpoint between New York and Atlanta)  

Roanoke has also taken advantage of its proximity to the Appalachian Trail, becoming a hiker's paradise, and has developed more than 400 miles of trails (both paved and unpaved) throughout the area. Making it a great place to train for my goal of walking the Camino de Santiago (read about that here)

Another big (and fun)  revitalization project has been the festivals. To bring together what has historically been a fractured city, Roanoke has created a celebration (party) for practically every occasion. So almost every weekend, you can find a community event (party) downtown.  

My favorite festivals (so far, I've only been here a few months) have been "Cruise Williamson," where the entire city comes out (with their classic cars and their low riders and their lifted trucks) and drives Williamson and the city-wide "Floatilla" where everyone grabs their favorite innertube and floats, collectively, down the Roanoke River (Fish, me, and Mini-me #3 actually made the local news for this one!)

Anyway, while the city is still a bit rough around the edges and has a ways to go, it's on its way, and I'm happy that it is our new home.

xoxo a.d. elliott 

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a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller living in Salem, Virginia. 

In addition to her travel writings at www.takethebackroads.com, you can also read her book reviews at www.riteoffancy.com and US military biographies at www.everydaypatriot.com

Her online photography gallery can be found at shop.takethebackroads.com

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