The Real Jeb and Dash: The Quest for Carter & Isham
Carter & IshamCompanion Volume 1PrologueIntroductionCarter Synoptic BioSelected EntriesPhoto JournalHappy 121st Birthday!, Carter - October 17, 1899 (2020)'Little Nicky' Passes at 103 years - October 2, 2015A Letter From Alba to Pierre, 1903 w/ transcriptionFlipbook
Photo Journal

Monday, 1 September 1919

1September1919/GlenEchoEntrance.jpg

Entrance to Glen Echo Park, ca. 1939. Though later than Carter's entry for this date, this photo illustrates the entrance, an old stone tower, and likely the roller coaster Dips in the background. For a thorough history on Glen Echo Park and to view a photo of the Derby Racer roller coaster, visit Richard A. Cook's website
http://glenecho-cabinjohn.com/GE-04.html.

Click on the text below to listen to a version of the song Till We Meet Again performed by Vernon Dalhart and Gladys Price in 1918. The song reportedly became a sentimental favorite toward the close of the war. The song was penned by Raymond B. Egan, music by Richard Whiting.

Till We Meet Again

Sunday, 15 September 1918

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Convergence of changing modes of transportation within the city. A close look reveals automobiles, electric street car and horse-and-buggy. F Street, Washington, DC.

Thursday, 2 January 1919

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Strasburg Junction, Virginia, en route from Washington, DC to Harrisonburg, Virginia

Friday, 3 January 1919

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Trestle Crossing North River (now known as Maury River). At Jordan's Point in East Lexington, the train used a wye to reverse itself for the final stretch. The engine then pushed the train up the trestle, over the river, and finally beyond VMI to the Lexington Depot located behind W&L, approximately one mile and the terminus for the line (the VMI Barracks can be seen in the upper left corner). A 1969 flood ruined
the wooden trestle at
East Lexington, effectively ending travel to the Lexington Depot for good.

3Jan1919/MillersHouse.jpg

Train crossing trestle, East Lexington.

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Train near W&L, crossing Woods Creek. Following the 1969 flood, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O) later donated the right-of-way to VMI for the purpose of creating a public walking trail, The Chessie Nature Trail.


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Lexington Depot behind W&L. The 1969 flood ended travel to the train station, and W&L purchased it in 1971. Circa 2005, W&L moved it across the street to its current location on McLaughlin Street, to make way for Wilson Hall. Most recently, the national leadership honor society Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK) purchased the train station from W&L, in order to re-locate its headquarters there.

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W&L Campus Map 1921, showing the train depot (arrow) near Nelson Street.

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Modern-day view of the train depot.


Sunday, 5 January 1919

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Main Street, Lexington, 1918

Friday, 17 January 1919

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East Dorm, as it was known in Carter's time (formerly referred to as Old Dorm) was located on lower Main Street below W & L University. It previously served as a hotel, the Blue Hotel (photo circa 1894). House Mountain in the background.


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One can almost imagine 'Kentucky' sitting on the front porch railing and dropping his box of 'cundrums' on the sidewalk below. The Blue Hotel was demolished in 1947.

Saturday, 29 May 1921

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Roland Rutherford Hall Fitzgerald Flournoy

Roland Rutherford Hall was the student who drowned in North River on Sunday (not Saturday) afternoon May 29, 1921. He was with his friend and classmate Fitzgerald Flournoy, whose efforts to save his friend failed. The spot they had chosen to swim was west of campus where Whistle Creek meets North River. "The water was deep and yet chilled form the frosty nights of May in the mountains." Hall was apparently overcome by cramps.

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North River (now known as Maury River) at its confluence with Whistle Creek.

29May1921/NorthRiverBluffs.jpg

It was reportedly the rocky surface of a lofty cliff like this on North River that prevented Flournoy from being able to successfully land on the shore with Hall, whom he was able to hold up for a time before himself becoming exhausted. The waters of North River are said to be emerald and turquoise and very clear.

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Here you can see where Whistle Creek intersects with the more darkly indicated Maury (North) River, a distance of a couple miles from W&L.

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This hill above where Whistle Creek joins Maury River today is still very much like what Carter described seeing in his journal: "We were picked up by a Ford on the road and carried to the hill above Whistle Creek. From there we ran down through an interminable yellow wheat field that rolled down to the trees on the water's edge." 29May1921/NorthRiverPCard.jpeg
North River with a view of railroad tracks.

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Map showing relationship of North River (Maury), Woods Creek, and Chessie Trail (old railway line turned nature trail) to W&L campus (blue star) and VMI campus (red star).

Monday, 20 January 1919

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W & L President Henry Louis Smith, circa 1918 - 1919. Dr. Smith served as president from 1912 - 1929,

Sunday, February 1, 1919

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W & L basketball squad, 1918 - 1919 school year. The game played on this day against Roanoke College was basketball – not football, as it turns out.