The Yorkville Enquirer reported on July 27, 1887 – “The Whisonant Brothers have a kiln of brick burnt and will commence the erection of a magnificent store house within a few days.”
The Yorkville Enquirer reported on Nov. 27, 1887 – “Whisonant Brothers has completed their new store house and have moved in their stock.”
The Yorkville Enquirer reported on July 8, 1880 – “Mr. P.S. Whisonant has finished his shop and is putting in machinery for making moldings, brackets, and other ornaments in building.”
City Directories and History: The Overlook Place was located at the top of Whitaker Mountain. Major Jones, having already built a small recreational park across the street from the Cherokee Inn, felt the town needed a much larger facility to compensate for the hundreds of people who would visit the Cherokee Inn each year. Major Jones had a road graded to the top of the mountain for easy access to the park. Each day, there would be a wagon that would leave the Cherokee Inn very early in the morning and would take guests to the Overlook Place. On the way, they could look to there right in see a small cement pond with a three-foot alligator inside. They would be welcomed by a large sign that said ‘Overlook Place.’ At the Overlook Place, guests would be entertained by a band playing tunes, and a large dancing pavilion where they could dance if they wanted too. The guests could also play at the baseball diamond and tennis courts, and even climb a seventy foot observation tower to lookout beyond. Guests who were not interested in playing games or listening to music could walk the numerous trails, or even observe Chief Whitaker’s grave. Perhaps the largest group of individuals known to meet atop the mountain was on Augusts 15, 1889. The Confederate veterans of the area would hold there first gathering there, where over 3,000 would attend. Citizens from Blacksburg that would attend would have been: Matt Allison, Dr. William Anderson, W.A. Baber, John Logan Black, Dr. John G. Black, William Borders, Walter Bridges, Charles Byars, Peter Byars, W.D. Camp, Robert Cobb, Hayden Coe, A.B. Crosby, J.A. Deal, W.F. Dye, J.S. Earle, Ben Gold, J.R. Healan, Dr. D.S. Ramseur, Jacob Ross, Junius Thomson, John Whisonant, and many others.
The Yorkville Enquirer reported on March 3, 1881 – “Dr. Wm. Anderson has an elegant residence nearly completed in Black’s Station.”
The Yorkville Enquirer of Jan. 21, 1891 reported, “The manganese ore on the Jordan Meacham property was sold for $600. to Pinchback and Smith of Richmond Virginia. Other parties have purchased the manganese interests in Mr. B.J. Gold’s property which is part of the same vain.”
The Yorkville Enquirer reported on Oct. 25, 1895 – “Mr. W.A. Baber, who has been farming near Grover this year, moved back yesterday to Blacksburg and will occupy his residence on Carolina Street.”
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