Hannah Fentress

 I am happy to count Hannah Fentress as one of my neighbors.  Hannah's husband Joseph moved to Woodstock in 1952, having purchased the house and property that is today 604-612 Woodstock Road.  Hannah and Joseph married after the death of his first wife, Emily (d. 1965) and Hannah remained a Woodstock resident until she died in 2001 at the age of 91.

If you think it odd that I consider a woman who died 10 years before I moved here a neighbor, then I beg your favor in this matter.  Woodstock is defined not only by the present, but also the past; and there are neighbors still living here that remember Hannah.  We both traveled along the same road, and I wonder if someday my road will lead to where she is.

I don't know why Hannah wrote this short biography less than two years before her death in 2001, but it fills me with awe to think that I know neighbors who knew Hannah -- who recalls leaving her birthplace in a covered wagon.

Thanks to Mark Robison who sent me this document and photo back in 2013.

History of my Life

I was born in Portland, Oregon in 1909, on December 13. Just think if I had been born nine years sooner I would have lived in 1900 and 2000.

We left Portland in 1911 in a covered wagon. Not many people had cars then. We went to Illinois by train in 1915. My Mother's people lived there. Her sister took us someplace where we sat on a bank. I was five years old and I thought that it was the end of the world. The fifth child was born there. We went to Charlotte, N.C. in 1920 to see my Father's family. In 1920 my brother was born. We were living at Camp Green. We had a well there and the soldiers would stop and get a drink of water. There was a persimmon tree by. They were nice and rosy cheeks but by no means ripe. They looked tempting. I don't know how many soldiers tried them but some did. They got a very bitter mouthful as they are supposed to be soft and brown.

We came to Ocean View, Norfolk. We purchased property and put up a tent my Father built sides to, and finally had nice house. We moved several times but finally settled in Glenrock where we built and I married in 1929.

I went to work for the City Manager of Norfolk as a cook. They found out that I was going to get married and asked us to go to their Summer House in Accomack County.

We bought 100 chicks right away. The first night the rats got half of them. The next night they got the rest. That was the end of our chicken business. They had a yacht and paid my husband to take them out in it. They had oyster floats where the crabs shed their shells. They had clams and fishes, also. People were not there always. We had the place to ourselves especially in winter. They had a Methodist Church. We picked strawberries in the Spring when we came back to Norfolk.

I went to work at the Navy Yard. I had a little machine that I set up my own work. When they were laying the women off, there were eight left. I had a piece of material the size of a thimble. I made each of us a thimble and the boss, too. After that I went to work in a clothing plant in the coat department. Each piece of the coat was made separately and then put together. 

When that closed down I took in children and kept them until I was past seventy years old and settled down to be a housewife.

I was baptized at fourteen years and have been going to the same Church for seventy-one years. Praise the Lord!

At the time that I was taking care of children I was getting married again. I had four children from the same family that I had kept over four years. My fiance told their Mother that we would take them if we could adopt them. She took them back. The youngest; Debbie, kept crying for me. Her Mother said we could adopt her. She is now forty-two years old and has helped me a lot, although she has been married eight years. They haven't any children, yet. I will be ninety years old in December. Praise the Lord that I can still keep house and go to Church each Sunday.

Woodstock Road

If Woodstock Road isn't the oldest residential street in Kempsville, it certainly rates in the oldest 1% of residential streets in Kempsville; and possibly in all of Virginia Beach. I am making a distinction here between residential streets (roads that serve specific neighborhoods; Lord Dunmore Drive, Edwin Drive, Indian Lakes Blvd., etc.) and main roads (roads that interconnect municipalities like Norfolk, Kempsville or Great Bridge and are generally lined with businesses; Kempsville Road, Princess Anne Road, Indian River Road, etc.). I will grant that in Princess Anne County's rural years, farms lined the main roads; and even today Kempsville Road is lined with houses. But with the proliferation of suburban residential development beginning after World War II, and really gaining steam in the 1970's, Woodstock's 19th century origins set it apart from other Kempsville neighborhoods like Fairfield, Larkspur and Indian Lakes.

 

The Evidence

 

Plat of Woodstock, 1877. Note the road along the eastern border. This is not the present day Woodstock Road; in fact, this road no longer exists. The present day Woodstock Road is not depicted on this plat, which means it was probably constructed after 1877.

 

The first mention of the right-of-way that we now refer to as Woodstock Road occurs in the deed of sale between Samuel Kimberly and Pheby Richards in 1878. Mrs. Richards purchased a 65 acre riverfront plot from Kimberly; from present-day Walker Road north to the river, and from I-64 west to the creek. Her land was separated from the main road (Providence Road) by the rest of Kimberly's land to the southeast and the Whitehurst farm to the southwest. The construction of a new road between these two properties would be necessary to allow Mrs. Richards access to her purchase. The deed of sale grants "the said Kimberly ... the right of use of the road or lane running through the land of said Pheby D. Richards to the creek or river, and the said Samuel Kimberly agrees that the said P. D. Richards shall have the right of way to the main road 40 feet wide." (Princess Anne County deed book 54 page 227). A survey plat of Woodstock from 1877 does show a lane from the river to the main road, but it runs along the eastern border of Woodstock, not through Pheby Richards land; and so therefore cannot be the road spoken of here. In fact, Woodstock Road began in 1878 as Pheby Richard's driveway.

 

Plat of Woodstock Farm, 1914. This map runs north/south along the horizontal axis. Note how the road bends to the east shortly after entering the Chinn property.

 

Our next exhibit is a survey plat of Woodstock Farm from 1914 (Princess Anne County map book 8, page 76). The former Richards property is now under the ownership of young Cynthia Chinn, who has taken her neighbor to court for logging on her land. The 1914 plat which was entered as evidence in Cynthia Chinn v. Gimbert Brothers et. al., is both remarkably detailed and poorly preserved; but for our purposes it is legible where it needs to be. The plat shows the road that connects Woodstock Farm to the main road; but it is interesting to note that the road takes a noticeable eastward bend once it enters the farm, reaching the river closer to where Sterling Road does today.

In 1922, Woodstock Farm was purchased by John A. Anderson, who subdivided the property and sold the western 20+ acres to James Howe. A road provides an easy boundary for such purposes: but at this time the road probably still took an eastwardly bend, which would not have provided the boundary he was looking for. Anderson moved the road so that it continued in a straight line to the river, and then sold the land west of the road to Howe. In 1924 Anderson dedicated this new section of road for public use:

...a strip of land 40 feet wide, as would lie between the eastern and western sides of a certain road to the east of said W. Davis' land and marked on said plat "road," if prolonged or extended in the same straight line from the southern boundary of the property above described to the Eastern Branch of the Elizabeth River; which said strip of land 40 feet wide and extending from the southern to the northern boundary, of the said tract of land, the said grantors do nearby dedicate to the public, to and for their use as a public road. (Princess Anne County Deed Book 121, page 279; Emphasis added)

In 1940, Jesse Parkerson purchased the 150 acres of timberland to the east and south of Woodstock Farm, and subdivided it into multiple 4 and 8 acre lots along Woodstock and Providence Roads. Possibly anticipating the increased traffic, and possibly bending to the petitions of Annie Harrison, Princess Anne County purchased the road from each of the property owners along the right of way (Princess Anne County Deed Book 202, page 505) and then a short time later designated it Route 703, Woodstock Road.

Today, a drive along Woodstock Road gives one a vague sense of a rural past -- maybe because the road is a little narrower than it should be; maybe it's the lack of curbs along the eastern edge; maybe it's the utility poles. We do know this for sure: Woodstock developed gradually over more than a century, from Pheby Richards secluded 19th century farm house to the nearly 250 homes that exist today. As you take your next drive down Woodstock Road, remember that you're driving along the same ground Pheby Richards horse-drawn carriage did more than 130 years ago.

 

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Perdue

 

The property along Sterling Road, including the stretch of I-64 that runs parallel to Sterling Road was, for just a few years (1924-1928), home to Robert and Laura Perdue. Robert's "day" job was with the Pennsylvania Railroad, as Senior Purser aboard several ships that made the ferry run from Cape Charles to Norfolk. Robert wanted to try his hand at farming, so he moved to Princess Anne County from the eastern shore of Maryland and purchased the 34 acre Walker Farm.

 

Through Ancestry.com (and the phone book) I was able to track down Robert and Laura's son, Robert Perdue Jr., who was actually born on the farm in 1924. I received an e-mail response from Robert's wife, Georgia Perdue, informing me of Robert's sudden passing in 2011. Since that time I've had the honor of learning a bit about the farm boy turned reluctant warrior turned scientist through the memoirs that he gathered together just a few years before he died. The life story of Robert E. Perdue, Jr. is wholly deserving of a separate post, which I hope to write at another time. Until then, you can check out some links that I've included at the end of this post.

 

Although he never knew me, Dr. Perdue did me a great service. A researcher by training and by nature, he retraced his childhood journey that started here in Woodstock, then continued on to Norfolk, and then Maryland, and then Holland (where he earned a Purple Heart), then Germany (where he earned another Purple Heart and a Bronze Star), then Harvard (where he earned a Ph.D. in Botany), Texas, Africa, and back to Maryland. He gathered and documented photographs from his childhood which Georgia has graciously passed on to me.

 

A 1928 map of Princess Anne County indicates the location of the Perdue farm. Note the triangle toward the bottom-left formed by Providence Road, Indian River Road, and not Reon Dr., but rather Centerville Turnpike, at its terminus prior to I-64.

 

Laura, Robert Sr. and Robert Jr. on the farm, ca. 1926

 

The Perdue farm house ca. 1926, located in what is now the front yard of 501 Sterling Road. The house faces west, with the river just beyond.

 

The Perdues on the left, Alison and Ella Parsons on the right; a 1925 Ford "New Model-T" Tudor sedan parked in front of their farm house, ca. 1926

 

The Roberts Perdue, ca. 1926. The house in the background belonged to the Williams family, who were relatives of the Perdues. It was located at the north end of what is now Sterling Rd. According to John Williams, who was born there in 1924 and still lives in Virginia Beach, the house was visible from I-64 until the mid-1970's when development began along Sterling Rd.

 

Looking west down the Elizabeth River, ca. 1926. I'm guessing that illuminated structure in the distance is probably Sunnyside, home of the Herbert family for nearly 150 years. Directly north, across the river, is the Bachus farm. Robert's memoirs indicate that since they did not own a telephone, calls for the Perdues would be made to the Bachus home. Mrs. Bachus would shout across the river, "Laura!" and Laura would pack Robert Jr. into a rowboat and cross the river to take the call.

 

The staff of the PRR Pennsylvania, one of several ferry boats that made the Cape Charles to Norfolk run for the Pennsylvania Railroad. Robert Perdue Sr., the ships Purser, is 5th from the left.

 

An exterior view of the Pennsylvania

 

The PRR Virginia Lee, another ferry boat traversing the Chesapeake Bay from Cape Charles to Norfolk. Because Robert Sr. was the ship's Purser, little Robert Jr. had run of the entire vessel and was treated like royalty -- including free ham sandwiches in the dining room.

 

The Virginia Lee, docked at Riverview Avenue, Norfolk

 

For additional reading on the life of Dr. Robert E. Perdue, Jr., check out these links:

Behind The Lines In Greece: The Story of Operational Group II

Speech at Ft. Stewart, GA

Washington Post Obituary

 

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Elizabeth Mae "Lizzie" Sawyer Walker

Lizzie M. Walker purchased 34 acres of land along what is now Sterling Road and I-64 from Junius T. Sheets back in 1917. She sold the property to brothers Robert and Samuel Perdue in 1921, but she re-aquired it in 1938 when Robert moved his family back home to Maryland. The private drive that served that property became Walker Road in the 1940's, and so the Walker name is now permanently etched into the Woodstock landscape.

By 1917, Lizzie was a busy mother to 6 young children, ranging in age from 4 years to 15 years old. Her Husband, Pealedge P. "Pete" Walker was a tugboat captain. There is some question as to whether or not the Walkers actually maintained a residence on this property, or if it was held as an investment. What is certain is that their primary residence was in Norfolk.

Lizzie's grandson James Walker sent me this photo. The date is uncertain; but if Mrs. Walker was born in 1885, and we assume she is in her early 20's in this photo, that would date the photo around 1905-1910.

There is one bit of historical-geographical irony here: James built one of the houses on Woodgrove Court in the early 1980's and lived there for more than 20 years, unaware that his grandparents at one time owned land just down the street.

 

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The Phillips Farm

I don't know how I've missed this website until today, but it is an absolute gold mine of first-hand Princess Anne County history. The 20 acre Phillips farm was located less than a mile-and-a-half west of Woodstock on Indian River Road, on the other side of Military Highway and Kings Creek (there is a shopping center there now). To be sure, his descriptions of farm life in the 1920's and 1930's would be shared by any of the farmers in and around Woodstock at the time.

UPDATE 11/3/2017: I am sad to report that Alison Charles Phillips died on March 26, 2015 at the age of 96.  The link that I had posted previously was no longer active: but thanks to the Internet Archive's "Wayback Machine" I was able to find an archived copy of his website, which you can read here. 

A History of Woodstock -- PowerPoint

Dear Readers:

It may be bad form to publish incomplete research; but then again, I'm not a historian, so I'm not concerned about loss of credibility with my (non-existent) historian peers. I'm acting on the (perhaps tenuous) assumption that there are others in my neighborhood who are as interested in its history as I am. I'm also looking to put this research to work, to draw the attention of people who actually know what they are talking about.

This Power Point is a presentation of most of my research to date. It presents the history of Woodstock from 1833 to the present as told by property deeds, Ancestry.com and the first few personal interviews I've been able to arrange. I do hope to expand this presentation in the coming months and years, so check back periodically.

I've moved the slide show over to Google Slides, so you can view it here.

When the presentation opens in a new window, click "present" in the top right corner to start the slide show.

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Murder in Woodstock: The Facts Behind The Legend

In the January 2, 1981 issue of The Virginia Beach Beacon, writer Melinda Forbes recounts the story of a murdered man and buried treasure as told by a Woodstock resident. The article evokes all the wonder and speculation one would expect when someone from your own neighborhood is murdered for buried treasure; especially when that buried treasure is never found! This story is made all the more interesting when you consider (a) the story is reported to date back to the 19th century, and (b) it is still being told by neighbors to this very day. I've been pursuing some neighborhood research of my own since moving here; but some details from the newspaper version of the story don't line up with what I have come to learn about the neighborhood. Not wanting to leave loose ends untied, I pursued the case a bit, and have some corrections to the legend.

See the original article here: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3

1) The story is not from the 19th century; it is from the night of December 18, 1930, when James T. Howe, 64, was murdered by Ollie Dawson, 40, and an accomplice in his home on what is now Woodgrove Lane. You might even say the story began on November 29, 1922 when Mr. Howe purchased several acres of land immediately south of Pinehurst Point from John A. Anderson, and built a house. In April of the following year, Mr. Howe purchased an adjoining parcel of land that extended south to the northern edge of Woodstock Cove park. The entire estate is now the Woodstock Cove subdivision.

2) Mr. Howe was from Boston, Massachussetts; not New York. He is descended from a wealthy New Haven, Connecticut family.

3) It is not likely that Mr. Howe had a wife or a daughter. He was described in news articles from the time as "a hunter, trapper, student and semi-recluse" but also a well-educated and wealthy man. A genealogical database search reveals no marriage or descendants. He did not have a will at the time of his death, so his property passed to his nearest relative; his sister, Martha Howe Woods.

4) Mr. Howe probably built only the two room house mentioned in the article; not the larger one for his alleged wife and daughter. A two room house would be sufficient for a single man; and if the wife and daughter are apocryphal, the larger house is probably apocryphal, too. The two room house was expanded by its subsequent owner, Walter Harrison, who purchased the property from Mr. Howe's sister in 1934 and owned the land until 1951. The expanded house is pictured in the Beacon article, but burned down several years after the article was written.

5) The man convicted of the crime, Ollie Dawson (aka Dorson) was executed in Richmond by electric chair on February 13, 1931. It is a bit startling to note how quickly capital punishment was carried out back then, compared to now: less than 60 days from crime to execution.

6) Mr. Dawson confessed to another murder in South Norfolk, but denied shooting Mr. Howe to the very end. He insisted that a partner was the trigger man. He also claimed that he and his partner were enlisted by a white man from Norfolk (Mr. Dawson was black) to murder Howe, and was given heroin to help him along should he have second thoughts about the job.

7) There is support for the claim that Mr. Dawson was found wearing Mr. Howe's hat, but it was not in bed -- it was during the trial. The hat was identified in court by a friend of Howe's, and it contained Howe's partial monogram on the inside. Also in Mr. Dawson's posession at the time of the arrest were Mr. Howe's gun, coat, gloves, and his coin money.

8) Mr. Howe was from Massachussetts, and had family roots in Connecticut, but he never left Kempsville: he is buried at Emmanuel Episcopal Church:

http://www.carolshouse.com/cemeteryrecords/emmanuel/

(scroll to the bottom of the web page)

9) None of the newspaper articles from the period mention buried treasure, though Mr. Howe's wealth and personal eccentricity would be consistent with buried treasure. It does make one wonder...

Sources:

"Mystery of buried treasure in secluded Woodstock" by Melinda Forbes. The Virgnia Beach Beacon, January 2, 1981 pp. 1-3

"Held for death of recluse, blames pal" The Norwalk Hour, December 20, 1930

"Career of crime is revealed by arrest" New Journal and Guide (1916-2003) [Norfolk, Va] December 27, 1930 p. 1

"Dawson's new year may not be so happy at all" New Journal and Guide (1916-2003) [Norfolk, Va] January 3, 1931 p. 1

"Police investigating Dawson's allegations" New Journal and Guide (1916-2003) [Norfolk, Va] February 14, 1931 p. A1


Deed Book 114 page 236, Virginia Beach Circuit Court Building 11/29/1922

Deed Book 115 page 391, Virginia Beach Circuit Court Building 4/28/1923

Deed Book 175 page 25, Virginia Beach Circuit Court Building 4/23/1934

http://deathpenaltyusa.org/usa1/date/1931.htm

 

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