Norma: I was born and raised on old Route 11, about 2 miles out of Radford (then - it's incorporated now). To exactly pinpoint it, head out of town on Tyler Avenue, past the Best Western, and turn left in front of the Super 8. We lived about 3/8 mile down there on the right, our property bordering Old Route 11 and Rock Road. All that land from the old town limits to our house belonged to Herbert (Hub) Gibson. In fact, it was called Gibsondale. Their house stood on the left corner across from the Super 8. Both theirs and ours have been torn down. My father, Frank Ford worked for the Norfolk & Western in Radford until he died in 1941 - 3 months after I was born. My mother and I had a railroad pass until she remarried. I still recall the old steam engines pulling into Radford with all their hissing and chugging and spitting out steam. I remember the trips to Chilhowie, how in places you could look out the windows and see the engine way up ahead blowing smoke and cinders. I remember the train station smells and the toys they sold and the little paper cups of water on the trains. I remember the conductor calls as we approached a town - Puuu-las-kee; Weethhh-viiile; Mar-iooon and Chill - oo - wee. But I'm rambling. You probably guessed I still have trains in my blood. It's been my goal to ride every surviving steam engine in the USA before I die. Probably won't happen, but I've got a good start. I married Addie Lovell, also from Radford and moved to Ohio in 1960, but we still have kin folks down there and usually make 1-2 trips a year. John in Ohio ----- Original Message ----- From: "Norma Edmonds" <nwe@psknet.com> To: <vafloyd@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, January 19, 2008 12:01 PM Subject: Re: [VAFLOYD] not genealogy--back to my Ole Virginny home > Hey John! > > Glad you don't need the map. I scanned it and it came out real good, > but when I try to send it, it is just so big that it won't go. > > Where did you live in Radford? I am from Radford. I used to travel > by train when I went places also as my family were railroad people. > > Norma >

I know exactly where your house would have been located. And, I remember my father speaking of "Hub" Gibson. We also rode the railroad on a pass. Mostly, we rode from Radford to Bristol or Radford to Roanoke. On one trip, we went to Norfolk and went to Virginia Beach. Several times, we would get the train in Christiansburg and go north to Portsmouth, Ohio. That was an overnight trip and I got to sleep in a "sleeper car". My father worked for the railroad in Radford as a Machinist until his retirement in the early 60's. I lived in town,on Clement Street, just 1/2 block from Radford University ("College" at that time). Did you attend Radford High School or Christiansburg? Have you ever visited the railroad museum in Roanoke? It's located in the old train station there. Norma John Ford wrote: > Norma: > > I was born and raised on old Route 11, about 2 miles out of Radford (then - > it's incorporated now). To exactly pinpoint it, head out of town on Tyler > Avenue, past the Best Western, and turn left in front of the Super 8. We > lived about 3/8 mile down there on the right, our property bordering Old > Route 11 and Rock Road. > > All that land from the old town limits to our house belonged to Herbert > (Hub) Gibson. In fact, it was called Gibsondale. Their house stood on the > left corner across from the Super 8. Both theirs and ours have been torn > down. > > My father, Frank Ford worked for the Norfolk & Western in Radford until he > died in 1941 - 3 months after I was born. My mother and I had a railroad > pass until she remarried. > > I still recall the old steam engines pulling into Radford with all their > hissing and chugging and spitting out steam. I remember the trips to > Chilhowie, how in places you could look out the windows and see the engine > way up ahead blowing smoke and cinders. I remember the train station smells > and the toys they sold and the little paper cups of water on the trains. I > remember the conductor calls as we approached a town - Puuu-las-kee; > Weethhh-viiile; Mar-iooon and Chill - oo - wee. But I'm rambling. > > You probably guessed I still have trains in my blood. It's been my goal to > ride every surviving steam engine in the USA before I die. Probably won't > happen, but I've got a good start. > > I married Addie Lovell, also from Radford and moved to Ohio in 1960, but we > still have kin folks down there and usually make 1-2 trips a year. > > John in Ohio > >

Norma: My uncle and aunt lived on Clement Street - Jim & Pearl Whitt. They lived directly behind "The Mill" (Burlington) where they worked most all their lives. Pearl was my mother's sister. She died last fall at 92 years old. We had lunch with her at the Senior Center last September. They had 2 boys - Douglas and Carl. Doug lives in Colorado and Carl owns Whitt Photography in Radford (Fairlawn). My wife went to Radford schools and I went to Montgomery County schools - mostly Christiansburg. It's 6° here now, about 90 miles south of Lake Erie. No snow, but the wind is sharp. John in Ohio ----- Original Message ----- From: "Norma Edmonds" <nwe@psknet.com> To: <vafloyd@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, January 19, 2008 4:45 PM Subject: Re: [VAFLOYD] not genealogy--back to my Ole Virginny home > I know exactly where your house would have been located. And, I > remember my father speaking of "Hub" Gibson. We also rode the railroad > on a pass. Mostly, we rode from Radford to Bristol or Radford to > Roanoke. On one trip, we went to Norfolk and went to Virginia > Beach. Several times, we would get the train in Christiansburg and go > north to Portsmouth, Ohio. That was an overnight trip and I got to > sleep in a "sleeper car". > > My father worked for the railroad in Radford as a Machinist until his > retirement in the early 60's. I lived in town,on Clement Street, just > 1/2 block from Radford University ("College" at that time). Did you > attend Radford High School or Christiansburg? Have you ever visited > the railroad museum in Roanoke? It's located in the old train station > there. > > Norma >

I lived on the section of Clement Street on the other side of the University near the Christian Church. I know Carl Whitt. I think he was a year behind me in school, but I have two friends (Alice and Phoebe, also on the Floyd List) who went to school with him and I believe he was in their class. It is 13 degrees here this morning, but sunny. We had 4 or 5 inches of snow on Thursday and it was predicted that we would get about 2 inches more yesterday, but that didn't happen. Norma John Ford wrote: > Norma: > > My uncle and aunt lived on Clement Street - Jim & Pearl Whitt. They lived > directly behind "The Mill" (Burlington) where they worked most all their > lives. Pearl was my mother's sister. She died last fall at 92 years old. We > had lunch with her at the Senior Center last September. > > They had 2 boys - Douglas and Carl. Doug lives in Colorado and Carl owns > Whitt Photography in Radford (Fairlawn). > > My wife went to Radford schools and I went to Montgomery County schools - > mostly Christiansburg. > > It's 6° here now, about 90 miles south of Lake Erie. No snow, but the wind > is sharp. > > John in Ohio > > ---

John, I went to school with Carl Whitt. We graduated from Radford High School in 1955. Carl put together a wonderful DVD for our 50th class reunion. Did you know Molly Whitt? She lived on Howe Street in Radford in the 50's. She was in the class of '55 also. She had several brothers and sisters. She passed away a few years ago in Maryland. It was 7 degrees in Draper this morning when we got up about 7 a.m. Alice ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Ford" <johnlford@embarqmail.com> To: <vafloyd@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, January 20, 2008 9:08 AM Subject: Re: [VAFLOYD] not genealogy--back to my Ole Virginny home Norma: My uncle and aunt lived on Clement Street - Jim & Pearl Whitt. They lived directly behind "The Mill" (Burlington) where they worked most all their lives. Pearl was my mother's sister. She died last fall at 92 years old. We had lunch with her at the Senior Center last September. They had 2 boys - Douglas and Carl. Doug lives in Colorado and Carl owns Whitt Photography in Radford (Fairlawn). My wife went to Radford schools and I went to Montgomery County schools - mostly Christiansburg. It's 6° here now, about 90 miles south of Lake Erie. No snow, but the wind is sharp. John in Ohio ----- Original Message ----- From: "Norma Edmonds" <nwe@psknet.com> To: <vafloyd@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, January 19, 2008 4:45 PM Subject: Re: [VAFLOYD] not genealogy--back to my Ole Virginny home > I know exactly where your house would have been located. And, I > remember my father speaking of "Hub" Gibson. We also rode the railroad > on a pass. Mostly, we rode from Radford to Bristol or Radford to > Roanoke. On one trip, we went to Norfolk and went to Virginia > Beach. Several times, we would get the train in Christiansburg and go > north to Portsmouth, Ohio. That was an overnight trip and I got to > sleep in a "sleeper car". > > My father worked for the railroad in Radford as a Machinist until his > retirement in the early 60's. I lived in town,on Clement Street, just > 1/2 block from Radford University ("College" at that time). Did you > attend Radford High School or Christiansburg? Have you ever visited > the railroad museum in Roanoke? It's located in the old train station > there. > > Norma > ********************************** Note from List Administrator!!! The Second Sunday in each month will set aside for a "Brick Wall" Roll Call. Please always put the surname you seek in the subject and tell us something about your Brick Wall person. To contact Listowner: Rena Worthen doreatr@rbnet.com ********************************** Search this list's archived messages! http://searches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ View the Floyd County Virginia Website at: http://www.rootsweb.com/~vafloyd/floyd.htm ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to VAFLOYD-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message