Welcome to our first newsletter. Thank you for signing up with your email address to receive it. Our objective is to start with a quarterly newsletter to keep you posted on upcoming events but also share with you some of the exciting developments at the Wilson Warehouse.
State Champion English Elm Tree at the Wilson Warehouse
Dr. Eric Wiseman of the Virginia Tech College of Natural Resources, who had visited the Wilson Warehouse, reports that the English Elm tree there is now the new State Champion English Elm (Ulmus Procera).
The tree has essentially been the same size for the last 60 years which is not uncommon for trees that reach this scale. At an estimated 125 years old, the tree would have been planted well after the Wilson Warehouse ceased operations. The absence of seedlings further supports the identification of the species as English Elm as that variety does not produce extensive seeds.
The fact that the tree has not been ravaged by Dutch Elm disease is a curiosity. This could indicate that the tree is a hybrid that has some Asian genes in it that confer resistance. Conversely the tree could simply be “lucky.”
The trunk’s circumference is 17’ 4”. It measures 81 feet high and the width of the tree’s canopy is also 81 feet. The Town Improvement Society is seeking funds to help preserve the tree by having an arborist prune, fertilize, provide lightning protection and cable support.
To learn more about the State Champion Tree designation:
https://bigtree.cnre.vt.edu/detail.cfm?AutofieldforPrimaryKey=3270.
Library of Virginia to Preserve Rare Documents from the Wilson Warehouse
As many of you know, this past spring one of our members discovered 30 “ledger books” in the attic of the Wilson Warehouse, one even dating to 1812. Several public presentations about this discovery have been made at the Wilson Warehouse.
16 of the books were business records of the John S. Wilson Company from 1834 to 1865, 6 were of the Robert R. Douthat Company and others concerned a Buchanan turnpike, a mill, United Daughters of the Confederacy, the Marshall Debating Society and an individual’s daily accounts, among others.
These extremely rare documents, most from the 19th century, offer a glimpse into Buchanan life in the distant past. Many are in remarkable condition while others need immediate help. With the assistance of Delegate Terry Austin, Dr. John Metz from the Library of Virginia in Richmond paid a visit to the Wilson Warehouse to examine all of the ledgers. As he put it, “Based on the list of documents you sent, I had very high expectations. However, what I have seen far exceeds my expectations.” Dr. Metz spent two hours reviewing what we have, sharing with us how valuable these documents are and how the Commonwealth can take them on as a preservation project for the eventual enjoyment of everyone.
While the project will take many years, the process will be to “digitize” each page and make each ledger available online for viewing and historical study. Another objective will be to take the original books and rebind each to ensure their preservation. These bound copies would be available in Richmond for study.
The ledgers, though kept off-site, need a controlled environment for storage; something the Town Improvement Society is unable to provide. Likewise, we do not have the many thousands of dollars needed to preserve them. Our primary concern is professional preservation and making each ledger available for viewing by all online.
Ginger Gungus
We know what “Ginger” is but what in the world is “Gungus?” Join us on November 16th to find out!
Though no longer in existence, there was a log cabin next to the Wilson Warehouse, owned by John S. Wilson, built in 1816. The original cabin was still standing, as shown in this 1954 photograph taken at an event at the Wilson Warehouse.
Legend has it that a woman in the cabin baked ginger desserts and sold them out of the cabin, as far back as the canal days in Buchanan. The story is multi-layered and our friends at the Buchanan Library have been researching the story for months. They continue to turn up more and more information; things that were never known, and dispelling some old myths.
The Town Improvement Society years ago produced the “Ginger Gungus” cookbook which included the recipe for the ginger dessert.
Annual Christmas Home Tour
When the Town Improvement Society relaunched the organization in September 2023, one of the first projects was to bring back the Buchanan Christmas Home Tour which had been on hiatus for many years. The 2023 Christmas Home Tour was a massive success. 4 homes were on the tour followed by a reception at the Wilson Warehouse.
The 2024 tour takes place on Sunday, December 8 from 1 to 5 pm with a reception at the Wilson Warehouse from 2 to 6pm. Tickets are $20 per person and are available for purchase, by cash or check, at any one of the houses. Of course, not to be missed is the tour reception at the Wilson Warehouse featuring homemade Christmas delights, enough to make even Santa blush.
Four generous home owners have agreed to show their homes for the benefit of the Town Improvement Society. We will reveal the homes in November.
Virginia’s Underwater Archaeologist Presented to a Full House at the Wilson Warehouse
The Wilson Warehouse welcomed the public to a presentation on August 6th, “The Marshall Tunnel in Botetourt County: Drilling and Blasting a Canal to the West.” Virginia’s Underwater Archaeologist, Brendan Burke, lead the audience through this fascinating pre-Civil War earthmoving project that was part of a planned expansion of the James River & Kanawha Canal to the Ohio River Basin. Up to that point the canal from Richmond, terminated in Buchanan.
The 1,900-foot-long tunnel had been abandoned when funding for the project ran out in 1856. Only recently, particularly through the efforts of Brendan Burke, has the interior of the tunnel been discovered.
The meeting room at the Wilson Warehouse was practically at standing room only for this incredible presentation.
Wilson Warehouse State Champion Elm Tree T-Shirts
Several of our members got together with Acute Design Company of Bedford to develop a T-shirt celebrating our magnificent tree. Short sleeve shirts are just $20 and long sleeve $25. Send us an email and we’ll provide more information. These will also be available on October 5th at the Town Improvement Society booth at Mountain Magic in Buchanan.