Down Memory Lane

Feb. 7, 1963

After over 22 years of service, Guy Burke resigned Jan. 31, 1963 as custodian of the Rappahannock County Jail. Burke became jailer May 1, 1940. For these many years he and Mrs. Burke have lived at the jail, caring for and feeding the numerous inmates who come and go. The Burkes moved Thursday to their home, “The Pillbox,” on Gay Street.

Ernest Lillard of Washington has accepted the position of custodian, and with his family moved into the building Saturday.

Also missing from the scene on Courthouse Square are the Burkes’ two famous white geese (which chased all of the ladies). He moved them Tuesday to their new coop on Gay Street. Burke still reads the water meters for the Town of Washington and continues as courthouse custodian.

The post office at Amissville has had a complete face-lifting inside and just about everything in it is new. The walls have new paneling on them. The lobby boasts a whole new streamlined division section with some combination mailboxes and glassed in bulletin boards. In the office proper a new desk, safe, mail table, rural mail bins and general delivery case have been added.

Also new (though she has worked there over 18 years) is Mrs. Clifton Nethers, who has been postmaster only a short time, and Mrs Franklin Williams, appointed clerk in August. The only old fixtures left are Charlie Compton and J. E. Elmore. Compton has been a rural carrier for 31 years and has one of the longest routes in the state. Elmore has been a star route carrier from Warrenton to Washington since 1948.

A majorette group is being organized in Sperryville and any youngsters interested in joining this marching unit may contact Mrs. Elmer Atkins before Feb. 23. The group meets each Thursday afternoon at 4 p.m. at the Firehouse. A bake sale will be held Saturday, Feb. 9 at 10 a.m. in Sperryville Fire House. Proceeds of the sale will be used toward the purchase of uniforms.

Aug. 19, 1965

Flint Hill Stone Company, a division of Culpeper Stone Company Inc., has begun quarry operations on the property of Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Gentry about one mile east of Flint Hill on Route 647 in Rappahannock County. This is a site of an old State Quarry which was operated in the thirties and from which stone was quarried for Route 522 through Flint Hill.

The plant will produce a general line of crushed stone for wholesale and retail trade. Stone for the project at Massies Corner will be furnished from this plant. The plant will employ about 15 men when it gets into production later this month. Mr. J. E. Determan of Culpeper and McLean is in charge of setting up and functioning the plant operation.

A hornet’s nest almost caused an acute water shortage in the Town of Washington this week. Believe it or not the story came from Guy Burke, who is in charge of the mechanics and meter reading for the town water system. Water is supplied to the 100,000-gallon reservoir by a spring and a well. When the spring is not adequate water is pumped from the well to the reservoir every other day. Burke kept a close eye on the reservoir gauge during the dry weather and it had registered a sufficient supply but this week he decided he should go clear up to the reservoir and make a check.

Upon his arrival he found the water was down to about 700 gallons and in checking the mechanical working of the gauge there he discovered a hornets nest had been built in it and was not allowing the float to move for proper registering. The town consumes about 25,000 gallons of water per day, so that was a close one.

A siege of robbery and vandalism has gripped Rappahannock County in the past week. In addition to the safe cracking last Tuesday night at Washington Apple Growers Coop, a garage was robbed and a school house broken into during the weekend.

Rappahannock County High School located near Washington was broken into during the weekend by vandals who apparently had only destruction in mind. Thirteen panes of window and door glass in the building were broken and the glass on the trophy case in the hall was smashed. The baseball and basketball trophies were taken from the case and hurled up and down the corridor. They lay strewn around in bits and pieces when Mrs. Elizabeth Jacobs reported for work Monday morning and discovered the destruction. A window in the library was broken and books had been thrown through the gaping hole onto the lawn outside. Files and papers in the principal’s office had been ransacked and flung aimlessly on the floor. Sheriff C.K. Estes and Trooper Ray M. Dodson are investigating the vandalism.