September 6, 2019
Philip Pleasant “Ples” Whiteley: Civil War Veteran
Phillip Pleasant “Ples” Whiteley is one of only three known African American Union veterans buried in Old City Cemetery, and…
View PostFebruary 21, 2019
C.W. Seay: From Dunbar to City Council
As principal of Dunbar High School from 1938 to 1968, Mr. Clarence W. “Dick” Seay was a leading representative for…
View PostFebruary 14, 2019
Lynchburg’s African American Batteaumen and Packet Boatmen
Few things are more quintessentially “Lynchburg” than batteaux and packet boats. These vessels traveled up and down the James River,…
View PostFebruary 12, 2019
First Three Lynchburg African American Women Voters
August 18, 1920, marked the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which granted women the right to…
View PostFebruary 5, 2019
The First of Their Kind: African Americans on Lynchburg City Council
Thomas Jefferson Anderson was born to slave parents in Amherst County. He moved to Lynchburg and lived on Taylor Street.…
View PostDecember 28, 2018
Dr. Mahlon Loomis: Pioneer of Radio
When talking about the invention of radio, the first name that comes up is always Guglielmo Marconi, who began experimenting…
View PostNovember 7, 2018
DJ Gone Mad: The Story of DJ Mad Lad
Music was a healing component in the struggle for equality for African Americans during the Civil Rights movement. In Lynchburg,…
View PostSeptember 27, 2018
The Wansley Case
Lynchburg, Virginia, 1963–In the heat of the Civil Rights movement, Thomas Wansley, a sixteen-year-old black teenager was convicted of two…
View PostAugust 24, 2018
Amaza Lee Meredith: Teacher, Artist, and Architect
Impactful and praiseworthy is the life of Amaza Lee Meredith. She was born in small-town Lynchburg with aspirations and accomplishments—alive…
View PostAugust 9, 2018
The Story of Piedmont Auto in Lynchburg
From 1917-1923 Piedmont Motor operated in Lynchburg, Virginia. The company was located on Hollins Mill Road where Flowers Bakery stands…
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