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Clouds Over the James

on June 14, 2022

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A Book Review: The James River is a divider, a uniter, a generator of life, a creator of wealth and a source of great chaos. Ms. Woodlief does a masterful job weaving its history, characteristics and personalities into a powerful identity. Anyone with an interest in “Our James” should read her book.

In River Time: The Way of the James By Ann Woodlief This is not just a book about a river, Ann Woodlief goes much beyond a simple description. Using multiple lens, she characterizes the meaning of the James River. For the Indians living around the James, there was a mode of transportation, a water supply, a source of food and an attractor of Indian villages, or, a uniter. The James River is a physical piece of topography helping define social order, which has gone on for centuries. When the colonists arrived, the James attracted the first English settlement, Jamestown. The colonists enjoyed many of the same advantages as the Indians and, while the population remained low, the James continued to renew itself and be “a creator of life”. As the population increased, the river became a “generator of wealth”. John Rolfe began this with his popular strain of tobacco that became so much in demand in England. The to...

Transforming the James River in Richmond by Ralph Hambrick: a book review

Transforming the James River in Richmond By Ralph Hambrick Originally, the James River was a mode of transport, a source of food and water and provided a spirituality in the culture of our original residents, native Americans. The colonists arrived and the river took its place in their culture, as well. Then, through the years, as the population expanded, the river became a source of power and industry and a reservoir for sewage. Following the Civil War, Richmond expanded and, in its expansion piped its sewage directly into the James. This took place for approximately 90 years until restoration rose to our consciousness due to changes in technology, and awareness of water quality and the environment. Waterpower was being replaced by more efficient sources of power and more citizens wanted to and could recreate on the river because of more free time and a better standard of living. As an example of the condition of the river,...

The Story of Dancing Point from "In River Time" by Ann Woodlief. The Devil vs. "Lightfoot".

Dancing Point A tale elaborated by William Chesterman, hints of future problems.Where the Chickahominy enters the James is a spot still called Dancing Point, long reputed to be haunted. A man, appropriately named Lightfoot, owned a plantation there with a marsh which he wished to drain. The Devil, cast here as a kind of an early advocate for wetland preservation, opposed the scheme, so they agreed to meet for a midnight "trial of dancing" to decide the issue. "Flaming torches and shooting stars rising from the swamp lighted the ground upon which the contest took place." Lightfoot was still dancing at dawn when he discovered his swamp had become a "field, high and dry" but, as it developed, unable to grow grass or herb. Lights are still said to dance at night over the bare area. and "no fox seeks here his prey." The moral is either that no one wins a dispute with the Devil, or do not fool with the delicate balances of the estuary.

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Clouds Over the James

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