To commemorate the holiday, let’s consider a different kind of a “Father”, this weekend.

Alleghany native, Robert L. Doughton could, arguably, be considered the “Father of the Blue Ridge Parkway.” After all, without his efforts in navigating the legislation through Congress, the whole project might never have been funded.

Isom and Phoebe Cheek Fender, Great-Grandparents of Tom King from Whitehead, married October 1st, 1867.

Saddlebags and surveying equipment, donated by Pratt Davis, from Letcher E. Edwards, who lived at Stratford, North Carolina.

Mr. Edwards served as Alleghany County Register of Deeds 1924-32 and 1942-45.

Letcher E. Edwards (1877-1975) married Hattie Joines Hendrix (1895-1989) at Twin Oaks, NC,
May 9, 1942. He is believed to be the only Alleghany Register to issue his own marriage license.

Mr. Edwards’ second wife was Pratt’s husband, Duane Davis’ Aunt Hattie (and he was her second husband). Duane was born in 1945 and spent summers with Hattie and Letcher.

The couple had no children of their own. Letcher taught Duane how to use the tools eventually he gave his nephew.

From Bobby Irwin’s family:

A (very cool!) photo of a group on an outing atop Stone Mountain at Roaring Gap, North Carolina, May 21, 1924.

Stone Mountain State Park was established in 1969 and it was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1975.

Meet Mary “Polly” Reeves who married Alexander B. McMillan. She died when she was 96 years old- in 1894, a mere 127 years ago. This photo was made in 1891.

Mrs. McMillan was born around Independence, Virginia in 1798- just after John Adams was elected our 2nd president- and was 62 years old when the Civil War began.