Attenzione!

Yep - Im bored.

Now that Forgotten-Roanoke is a year old, and the blog slightly older than that (there was a previous version you never saw), I'd like to thank all the loverly folk that help make it possible. My wife.

The library

The Internet

Clare White (if she is even still around)

And a whole cast of others, including the fine people who once drew up the Sanborne maps, which provide me with leads on a daily basis.

I have recently acquired some more "recent" materials, which should lead to some interesting finds in the coming weeks and months, if you consider 40 years old recent.

The revamp of the website is underway and rolling. You'll see it when its done, no Beta rollout, no black screen during downtimes. Plus, I'll be providing a host of resources over at my new Googlepage, which I hope will become a hub for the greater Roanoke community. Well, a hub of sorts. You'll see.

Until then, you have to deal with me being on again off again with the blog, the weekly podcast (provided I can get it to upload - still working on last weeks.. )

ttfn

Breaking News

ROANOKE, VA - A dynamic mix of historic reflection, cultural
recognition and
celebration will be in store for Roanoke in 2007 as
the city celebrates its
125th anniversary. It may be just Spring 2006
right now, but the city already
is preparing for the year-long event.

Mayor C. Nelson Harris announced
plans for the 125th anniversary
during a news conference today (Wednesday,
March 22). He also
introduced the co-chairs and members of the Celebration
Committee, a
group of citizens who live in or have close ties to Roanoke, and
who
have been tasked with helping to shape upcoming events.

"As we
prepare to celebrate this milestone, we want to ensure that
those plans
involve individuals such as these committee members, who
represent the rich
culture, history and love in Roanoke," Harris
said. "I thank them for
volunteering their time and talents to this
group."

The members of the
committee are:

Honorable Clifton (Chip) Woodrum, Co-Chair
Dr. Wendell
Butler, Co-Chair

Ms. Elizabeth T. Bowles
Mr. M. Caldwell Butler
Mr.
H. Clarke (Duke) Curtis
Mr. Warner Dalhouse
Ms. Doris Ennis
Ms. Pearl
Fu
Mr. Robert A. Garland
Ms. Brenda Hale
Ms. Kathy Hill
Mr. A. L.
Holland, Sr.
Mr. George Kegley
Ms. Taylor Kiefer
Mr. Forrest
Landon
Mr. Michael Ramsey
Mr. Craig D. Walker, II

Harris said that
they plan to honor this anniversary with a series of
activities and special
events to be held throughout the year,
culminating in an arts festival in the
fall, which could develop into
an annual event.

"For 125 years Roanoke
has been, and continues to be, a wonderful
place to live and work," Harris
said. "It is only fitting that we
celebrate our anniversary in a way that
truly embraces our community
in 2007 and in years to come."

Following
the announcement, the committee convened for its first
meeting. As plans
proceed the committee hopes to continue to receive
ideas from the community
on aspects of the city that should be
celebrated, Harris said. The committee
is also is hoping to hear from
businesses and residents who have been a part
of Roanoke for most -
or even all - of the city's 125
years.

Additional information about the city's 125th anniversary will
be
available in upcoming months. In the meantime, Roanoke citizens
are
beginning to brush up on their city history:

Towns formed within
what is now the city of Roanoke in the first
decades of the 19th Century.
Antwerp was subdivided in 1801 followed
by Gainesborough in 1825 (the present
Gainsboro neighborhood) and Old
Lick in 1834. The Gainesborough settlement
remained the most populous
community until 1874 when the Town of Big Lick was
chartered. This
tiny village of less than 500 people was to become the town
of
Roanoke in 1882 and in 1884, the city of Roanoke. The new town
was
located along the old Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio Railroad later
to
become the Norfolk and Western. Completion of the Shenandoah
Valley Railroad
from Hagerstown to Roanoke in 1882 marked the start
of Roanoke's rapid
growth.

Amazing how certain people were left off this list. Someone feeling some heat from the Overlord?

Interesting bits of history...

I've been coming across several of these type imprints around the sidewalks of Roanoke. There are some along Franklin Rd. in old SW that are stamped directly into the concrete. South Roanoke has them as well.

I find it interesting that a company would take the time to leave its "artists mark" on something so seemingly simple as a sidewalk. Boy, you'd think they could have at least left a date, what better advertising than to say YOUR sidewalks have lasted the years. Of course thats provided YOU have lasted the years as well.

A quick and dirty Google search reveals very little in the way of S.E. Benningtons in Lynchburg, and the term Granolithic is as out-dated as macadam in reference to roadways.

Sometimes the answers are not quite as obvious as they would seem. With so many imprints on the sidewalks of Roanoke, you would think somewhere, someone would have some information.

Doing what I can.. let you know the results of my findings.

New format coming soon, I'm now dreaming in code. And yes, I am that old school.

/run
c:/ jane run
/end

no posting again today

13 hours.

It's gonna be a long day.

I swear Im trying to make time for you... Tomorrow, I promise. Ok?

there will be no blogging till later

my morning sched prevents me from putting thought to text.

my afternoon sched is not much better.

sorry about all that.

sorry for the delay

working on a new layout for the site.. which I should have up and jamming in a few days (if Im lucky) - which is the excuse for no update this week..

Maybe one day I'll stick to the schedule I put forth.

/grumbles and goes back to codeland