DOWN MEMORY LANE
Dec. 23, 1965
W. A. Miller will retire from the position of Postmaster of the Washington Post Office, effective December 30. He has served in this capacity for 31 years, taking office in 1934 after his appointment by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Miller is a native of Rappahannock County, the son of the late Senator and Mrs. John J. Miller. He resides with is wife, Emily Brent Miller at Mt. Prospect, Washington. They have one daughter, Mrs. James S. Willis of Latham, New York.
After his retirement, Miller will devote his full time to his real estate business, with which he has also worked since 1936.
Miller is an avid foxhunting fan and instigated the organization of the first hunt club in this county. He was Master of the Rappahannock Hunt until it was discontinued at the beginning of the second World War. It has since been reorganized.
No replacement or acting postmaster has been appointed to fill the vacancy.
The Town of Washington, through the efforts of the Town Council and the assistance of the State Highway Department and Northern Virginia Power Company, has seen some much needed improvement in the last several weeks.
Mr. Moffett Brady, after consultation with Highway Engineer Mr. D. S. Butler, put in twelve feet of pipe at the culvert which goes under Main street at Piedmont Avenue. This had been a most dangerous place when ice and snow were on the ground, with several cars getting in the ditch there in the past year. Brady also corrected the water drainage problem on Blue Ridge Avenue by lowering the ditch at the curve above the Washington Cash Store. Two trees in front of the bank that had decayed and were considered unsafe were removed.
The town of Washington receives a share of the gasoline tax on a per capita basis and elects to have the State Highway Department use this money on its behalf. Between $300 and $400 are usually spent for street maintenance per year.
August 26, 1998
In its long history, Woodville has seen several landmark events: the petition of December 1796, auction of lots in 1798-99, and its naming (after the woods surrounding it); the establishment of a post office on Jan. 1, 1803; the authorization for the New Market and Sperryville Turnpike in 1848, which put a road through from Sperryville to Culpeper Courthouse; the Blizzard of 1899; and the tornado of 1929, which wiped out parts of the town; and the drought of 1930, one of the worst ever in the county.
In 1833, when Rappahannock County was created out of Culpeper County, Woodville was a thriving community, situated as it was along a major route. It boasted four mercantile stores, two taverns, one school, 30 homes, one tanyard, three blacksmiths, one saddler, one boot, and shoe maker, one cabinet maker, one carpenter and house joiner, one tailor, an attorney, and two physicians.
During the Civil War both Union and Confederate troops were encamped in and around the town.
This September will mark another major event in the town’s history — its bicentennial celebration. The festival and history parade will take place in Woodville on Saturday, Sept. 26.
For more information on the bicentennial celebration, call D. Lee Hitt, Frank Warner, Jeff Light and Rev. Alpheus Atkins.
Veterinarian Tom Massie Jr., says, “It’s a wonderful thing just to come home” to the county. Since opening his mobile Rose Hill Veterinary service near Massie’s Corner earlier this month, Massie has trekked from Fairfax to Strasburg, Prince William to Page counties, criss-crossing the land where he grew up and loves so well.
After graduating from Virginia Tech and spending several years working at the Loudoun Veterinary Service in Purcellville, Massie and his school-teacher wife Holly felt the time had come to seek out his roots and to bring their extended families closer together. Holly Massie “is a critical part of the business,” said Massie. She provides the vital link between calls, planning appointments, keeping records, and running the home base. Though the transition from an established clinic job to opening a new business has been difficult, both Massies feel it is well worth the effort.
Massie also values the skills, advice, and experience of many of his clients.
“Veterinary technology is very advanced,” he explained, “but some farmers are as good a vet as I am. One of the greatest things I have is listening to what these guys have to say.”