President's Message
Our focus this year is to feature the citizens of Henrico and their activities. Our next meeting will be held Sunday, June 4, 2023 at the picnic shelter of Amour House Gardens at Meadowview Park. Dr. Henry Nelson will speak on The Old Dominion Model A Ford Club, of which he is a member. Other members are invited to bring their Model A Fords, dating from 1928-1931.
The time of the meeting will be changed to 1:30 instead of the usual 2:30.
We invite you to be our guest for an old fashioned picnic, symbolic of when it was considered enjoyable recreation to motor out to the countryside for a mid-day meal. Come to think of it, it still is.
As many know, the Annual Meeting, held the first Sunday of June is the anniversary of the founding of HCHS in 1975. We celebrate our 48th year.
It is good policy to review bylaws from time to time to make changes in directives that are no longer applicable and implement new programs that are made possible through new technology. Joking, I say I was born BC (before computers) but in reality, many businesses and organizations have experienced much progress.
The last update of HCHS Bylaws was done in 2017. The HCHS Executive Board approved a review and will recommend changes, which will be presented to all members for final approval.
One of the changes that will be presented is a change of when elections are held. Traditionally, elections are held at the Annual Meeting in June, which end and begin new terms in the middle of the year. The proposal is to conduct elections at the December meeting so that terms officially expire on the last day of the calendar year and new terms begin Jan. 1 of the calendar year. This would be particularly helpful for Recording purposes, especially when a position replacement is necessary for a partial term. Whenever possible, it would also provide an opportunity for the outgoing officer to mentor or advise the incoming officer.
Thank you for your consideration.
In the news recently, there were a couple of articles about the advantages of volunteering and community involvement. Some organizations report they are slow to recover participation after the pandemic. Studies have proven that a sense of well-being and happiness is associated with volunteering, especially with something you are passionate about. Benefits Include a sense of accomplishment from being with likeminded folks, making friends you may never have met otherwise, and just plain making a difference.
HCHS is an all-volunteer organization, and we appreciate your dedication, your passion, and all you do! We welcome your participation as a member, and volunteering with one of our committees.
Happy Anniversary!
Sarah Pace
President
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June Quarterly Meeting
Come join us for our second meeting of the year!
Date and Start Time:
- Sunday, June 4th at 1:30 PM
- NOTE: Please note the special start time of 1:30
Location:
- The picnic pavilion at the Armour House and Gardens, 4001 Clarendon Road, Henrico, VA 23233
Guest Speaker:
- Dr. Henry Nelson.
- Member of the Old Dominion Model A Ford Club
President of the Assocition for the Preservation of Henrico Antiquities- Member of the Henrico Preservation Advisory Committee
Topic:
- At 1:30, there will be an old-fashioned picnic lunch.
- At 2:30 Dr. Nelson will speak about the Model A Ford and Its Impact on America. The Model A Ford, produced 1928-1931, helped in the transportation of the average American during the Great Depression.
- At 3:30, there will be time to ask questions. Dr. Nelson and some members of The Old Dominion Model A Ford Club will have their Model A Ford cars available for display.
- Our bylaws are in need of updating. Please review the file, HCHS Bylaws, before the quarterly meeting. We need your input before we can vote on them. Thank you.
We look forward to seeing you there!
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In Memorium: Dr. Lloyd E. Jackson, Jr.
The Henrico County Historical Society expresses its deepest sympathy to the family of:
Dr. Lloyd E. Jackson, Jr.
1935-2023
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HPAC Awards of Merit Recipients, 2022
Henrico County's Historic Preservation Advisory Committee presented its 2022 Awards of Merit in a ceremony held at Dorey Recreation Center March 9, 2023
Pictured left to right: John Hoogakker; Mark Perrault; Howard Eberly; and Parker Agelasto. (Not pictured: Karen Perrault)
For their efforts to preserve and promote Henrico County heritage, awards were presented to the following individuals.
John Hoogakker led corporate fundraising efforts for the Meadow Farm Museum historical programming kitchen and worked with the county through the project's completion.
Parker Agelasto facilitated the purchase, protection and stewardship of more than 1,000 acres of the historically significant land in Henrico, while Mark and Karen Perrault were recognized for their renovation of the 19th century mill house and its outbuildings at Fussell's Mill.
And HPAC recognized Howard Eberly for his ongoing care and preservation of a significant historical landscape and gift of 28 acres at Four Mile Creek Farm to a perpetual trust.
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Inventive Henricoan
Perhaps, Charles Pohle was not satisfied with his April 1868 patented envelope improvement because before the year was out he was awarded a patent for another improvement.
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Nineteenth Century Elko Organization Promoted Literature, Music and Benevolence
When Dr. Louis Henry Manarin passed away in 2021, he left an invaluable legacy of publications, many of which brought to life the rich history of Henrico County. He also left behind a manuscript in his own hand of an article about a literary, musical and benevolent society that formed in eastern Henrico in the late 1800s. We are pleased to print it here.
In the early 1890s, a group of Henrico citizens living in the eastern end of the county in Varina District decided to meet to discuss their mutual interest in forming an organization for their mutual benefit and enlightenment. The members resided in the far east end from the Williamsburg Road - Deep Bottom area south through White Oak Swamp, Glendale, Malvern Hill to the Curles Neck - Turkey Island area and the New Market Heights - Four Mile Creek area.
Prior to 1890, the C&O Railroad had constructed a double line of tracks from Richmond to Norfolk, and a train station was built on the line where the tracks crossed White Oak Swamp. The station served as a depot for shipping agricultural products and mineral deposits. The station was designated Elko, which is claimed to be a railroad term of unknown origin.
The citizens discussing the formalizing of their interests latched on to the Elko name and came up with The Elko Literary, Musical and Benevolent Society of Glendale. They drafted a Constitution and ByLaws document in which it is stated that "the object of this society is social in its nature and for the improvement of its members by instructive readings, recitations, debates, dialogues, singing, &c. &c."
One of the prime movers of the founding group was Branch Oscar Watkins, who would later serve as president of the society. He was joined by his son-in-law William Tranor Johnson, who also served as an officer of the society which began meeting in 1893. They and twenty-six others joined the society on 7 October 1892 at its organizational meeting. From a surviving membership list, we learn that between 7 October 1892 and 7 August 1896 a total of ninety men and women joined the society. Surviving records do not specify exactly where the group met; but since Glendale is noted, it is deduced that they met at Glendale and that they very likely met in the elementary or upper school at the corner of Willis Church Road and Long Bridge Road.
The society purchased a set of books that contained classic novels and histories known as The Arlington Edition published by Hurst Publishers of New York. This edition was supplemented with other volumes acquired by members of the group. The Library Committee established rules governing use of books in the lending library.
Meetings were opened and closed with singing and prayer. The programs usually consisted of recitations, informative topics of the day, or a good old fashion songfest. For special music programs they would call on the Gatewood Boys from Varina. This group of brothers was popular locally, and their presence on the program usually resulted in higher attendance at meetings.
From surviving records, we know that the society was very active from 1893 through 1897. A list of members in 1896 did survive; and some financial records and miscellaneous bills and receipts give evidence that the society was active up to 1911.
When they folded, the records were eventually stored in an outbuilding off of Bermuda Hundred Road. There they were heavily damaged in a flood. Only a couple of record books, some loose papers, and books from the lending library were salvaged. These volumes were later donated to the Henrico County Historical Society where they now reside.
Two pages from the society's record book list the male members and their dates of joining and resigning between 1892 and 1896 (pages for female members were unavailable).
The members, according to the by-laws, took the following pledge: "In the presence of the members of this Society here assembled I do hereby promise that I will to the best of my ability discharge any duty that may properly be required of him, according to and in accordance with the foregoing rules and regulations, and that I will not divulge any matters that may take place at any of our meetings, that would have a tendency to injure the good name of the Society, to the faithful performance all of which I pledge my word and thought."
The record book outlines the regular meeting format:
Order of Business
- Opening hymn
- Prayer by President
- Reading the minutes
- Report of committees
- Program of the evening
- Applications for membership
- Report of Sick Committee
- Unfinished business – Election of Officers
- Good of the Order
- Reading program for next meeting
- Closing hymn
- Closing prayer
The rules go on to further explain that "Our meeting nights are each Friday at 7:30 o'clock from Oct. 1st to April 30th and at 8 o'clock from May 1st to Sept. 30th." Most meetings were apparently meant to be somewhat secretive since the rules dictated that "Meetings of the Society shall be held with closed doors except the last Friday in each and every month which shall be considered an open meeting for the benefit of visitors. Also that each member shall be furnished with a password which shall be the same for three months and it shall be the duty of the guard before the opening of each meeting (except the last Friday in each month) to go to each person and ascertain if they have the password, and if not, he shall report the same to the President of the Society.
Dr. Manarin notes that the meeting site of the Elko Literary, Musical and Benevolent Society at Elko is not specified in the society's records and offers the elementary or upper school at Glendale as the possible location. The circled gray area on the 1901 map of Henrico County in first image indicates that location, and beside that map is the 3 August 1893 Richmond Dispatch article announcing the society's founding.
The list of property owned by the society and reproduced in second image lists a "Frame Hall" valued at $35.00. Perhaps this hall was the meeting place. In fact, the Glendale Literary Hall is cited in Richmond newspapers as the location of a number of affairs like the 1901 Glendale School commencement. However, that hall could not be found on any Contemporary maps consulted.
Another somewhat puzzling aspect of the society's history is presented by an announcement in the 7 November 1902 Times of the formation of "A LITERARY SOCIETY" reproduced at the center left. Its purpose and prohibitions reflect those in the Elko Literary, Musical and Benevolent Society of Glendale's bylaws; but it was scheduled to meet on Tuesdays at member’s homes rather than Fridays.
The highlighted area in the 1901 map detail beside that article marks the meeting place at W. P. Eberhard's. Since the original membership list's last entry seems to be 1896, might this be a new iteration of the society?
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Now You Know: Triplex Stropper
It was hard to stay sharp with a dull blade.
We congratulate Haywood Wigglesworth, Kate Ridgeway and Brendan Burke for pooling their collaborative resources and collaboratively identifying the last "What do you know?" object as a double edge razor blade sharpener. The one pictured is called a Triplex Stropper.
The large image shows the unloaded Triplex with its lid removed. The bar across the top is the carriage for the blade. Below and on each side of the carriage are the two rollers which are covered with stropping material.The two-piece bar crossing between and above the rollers is extended and opened in the next image.
This picture shows the blade carriage with a double edge razor blade clamped in place and held steady by the two studs that pass through the blade. Once the carriage is pushed back into the body of the stropper, the user turns the crank; and this causes the rollers to spin in opposite directions and sharpen one side of the blade. After the crank has made half a turn, gaps in the rollers allow the blade to flip over to sharpen the other side.
This process is repeated each time the handle makes a complete turn until the user is satisfied with the results.
Two images of a Rolls Razor are at the far right with its metal top and bottom removed. One holds a sharpening stone, and the other holds stropping material.
The Rolls Razor's blade attached to the end of the handle, and the user pulled the handle back and forth, causing the blade to flip over, sharpening each side. The user took off one side of the case to sharpen the blade, replaced that side, took off the other side, and stropped or honed the blade.
The device seen at the bottom right is a Kanner's "Doubledge" Stropper. It works much like the Triplex, pictured left, but the user had to sharpen one side of the blade, open up the carriage and flip the blade over to sharpen the other side.
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What Do You Know?
This object consists of a 2 1/2" tall glass container with a perforated silver screw-on lid that fits into the circular well on the accompanying 7" x 4 1/2" silver tray.
Do you know what it is?
Email your answer to Joey Boehling.
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