2022 Alleghany Living Guide - 35

the Alleghany Highlands Vision 2025 plan is
looking toward preserving history and working
to connect the history of the Highlands with the
surrounding region, there is also a grassroots
movement working alongside these changes
to encourage a culture shift within the area.
Every area has its difficulties, but independence
and a desire to help others have long been the
backbone of those who call the Highlands home.
Building on the work of Terri DreussiSmith,
author of " Bridges Out of Poverty:
Strategies for Professionals and Communities
to Build a Sustainable Community, " Alleghany
Highlands Bridging the Gap has been working
to educate the citizens of the Highlands on
personal and community-wide strategies to
strengthen the economic foundation of the
area just as many areas around the country
have done through the program.
Bridging the Gap began with a workshop
organized by Dianne Garcia in January of
2019 that sought interested individuals and
community leaders and continued as the
Highlands faced the challenges brought on by
the COVID-19 pandemic. As social distancing
requirements eased, Linda Kagarise and Angie
Campbell were able to facilitate the " Getting
Ahead " class that had been planned in the
interim. The curriculum was designed to
examine the differences in economic cultures and
learn to turn difficulties into opportunities for
personal stability and growth in the Highlands.
What's Your Story
A group of area residents is taking a novel
approach to local history. The group, led by
Joan Vanoorsdall, is working to collect, curate
and publish the stories of residents throughout
the Highlands. The group's " What's Your Story "
initiative features stories told by residents, in
their own words, at storytelling events and in
publications. The topics of the books range
from the Historic Masonic Theatre to Green
Pastures. The latest edition of " What's Your Story "
focused on the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically,
the publication centered on local officials and
educators who tried to keep the area up and
running amid unprecedented times. The book also
includes interviews with the citizens who found
themselves coping at a local and very personal level
with a pandemic that struck the world. There is
no better way to understand history than through
the words of those who lived it first hand, and
the " What's Your Story " initiative ensures that
everyone's story is made part of history.
Historical Markers and
Our Humpback Bridge
The history of the Highlands isn't only the
history of the region; it's also the history of the
nation. Several markers around the Highlands
denote locations of interest, from the Low Moor
Iron Company Coke Ovens and the Lucy Selina
Furnace in Longdale, which supplied Civil War
soldiers with iron, to Oakland Grove Presbyterian
Church and Cemetery, which served as a hospital
for soldiers wounded in the Civil War.
The latest historic marker points to a more
positive reminder of the past: the legacy of R.
Arliner Young. Born in Clifton Forge in 1898,
Young was the first African American woman
to earn a doctorate in the field of zoology.
Located at Clifton Forge Town Hall, the marker
honors her work on electromagnetic radiation
on marine life, her career as an educator and
her service to the communities as a civil rights
leader and labor organizer.
Of the several points of historical interest
in the region, the most iconic of these spots is
Humpback Bridge in Callaghan. The bridge was
built from hand-hewn timbers by the James
River Kanawha Turnpike Corporation. The
bridge, built in 1835, remained in public use
until 1929 and even felt the tramp of Civil War
boots as soldiers crossed Dunlap Creek.
The bridge was destroyed by flooding
and damaged several times until its current
iteration was built in 1857. At more than
100 years old, Humpback Bridge, so named
because the middle of the bridge is four
feet higher than either end, is the oldest of
Virginia's remaining covered bridges. Thanks
to the work of the Business and Professional
Women's Club of Covington and the Covington
Chamber of Commerce, the bridge was
restored and dedicated to the " pioneer spirit "
of the Highlands in 1954. In 2013, additional
restoration work was done through funding
received from the National Historic Covered
Bridge Program, and the bridge remains the
centerpiece of a welcoming picnic wayside just
minutes from downtown Covington.
For more information about the Alleghany
Historical Society, log onto alleghanyhistorical.org.
For more information about the C&O
Historical Society, log onto cohs.org.
For more information about Alleghany
Highlands Bridging the Gap, visit the group
on their Facebook page: Alleghany Highlands
Bridging the Gap.*
Industrial Heritage &
Technology Discovery Center
www.visitalleghanyhighlands.com 35
LOVEwork at Humpback Bridge
Wrightsville School
Covingon Depot
http://www.alleghanyhistorical.org http://www.cohs.org http://www.visitalleghanyhighlands.com
2022 Alleghany Living Guide

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