Join Lucas Fritz for a walk across Brown's Island to learn more about the great music venues in Richmond for fall concerts and live music. From 8@4 presented by Massey Cancer Center from the Virginia Wayside Furniture studio.
Lee Enterprises, parent company of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, is shining an investigative reporting spotlight across its 77 daily news markets throughout the country.
Lee recently announced its new 12-member Public Service Journalism team, which is comprised of veteran reporters who will function as three teams across the company’s East, Midwest and West news regions, respectively.
The investigative reporting roles are newly created positions intended to drive public accountability journalism throughout Lee’s local news markets, including The Times-Dispatch.
“The creation of our Public Service Journalism team strengthens our company’s commitment to investigative and data journalism, because it’s the work that can truly make a difference in the communities we serve,” said Jason Adrians, Lee Enterprises’ vice president-local news. “At Lee Enterprises, we’re investing in local news talent and tools, premium reporting and storytelling, and the development of young journalists.”
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Lee’s new Public Service Journalism team members bring expertise in various topical backgrounds, including public safety, public health, government, social justice and the environment.
The regional Public Service Journalism teams will assist reporters in local markets with access to public records, track taxpayer money and government spending, examine data related to health, crime and safety issues, and serve as watchdogs for communities across the country. In their previous reporting roles both inside Lee newsrooms and in other news markets, these team members’ work has helped free the innocent, put the guilty behind bars and change laws.
The teams include a Pulitzer Prize finalist; three members of the nationally renowned ProPublica Local Reporting Network; a grant recipient from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting; a Edward R. Murrow Regional Award winner; top national award recipients from Investigative Reporters and Editors and the national Society of Professional Journalists; and a data journalism specialist and former reporter and researcher for the Pulitzer Prize-winning Better Government Association in Chicago.
Work by these teams has already begun, with in-depth reporting on leading causes of death throughout more than a dozen Lee markets publishing in recent weeks and a recently published investigation, in partnership with ProPublica, on a systemic pattern of abuse and mistreatment of mental health patients in a state-run facility in Illinois.
Recognize this? 1950s photos from The Times-Dispatch archives
Richmond in the 50s
Tornado damage from June 14, 1951 storm. Photo taken June 23, 1951. Location is Monroe Park.
Richmond in the 50s
The 300 block South Lombardy Street after tornado. Storm was June 14, 1951.
Richmond in the 50s
Tornado felled trees in front of Commonwealth Club on Franklin St., June 13, 1951.
Richmond in the 50s
In March 1956, jazz trumpeter Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong and his All-Stars played a concert at the Mosque, along with Woody Herman and his Third Herd. Ticket prices were $1.50, $2 and $2.50. Four days later, the Mosque was scheduled to host two shows by an emerging star, the day before his self-titled debut studio album was released. His name: Elvis Presley.
Richmond in the 50s
In July 1950, heavyweight boxing legend Jack Dempsey came to Richmond as a headline attraction for a different event: He was referee of a wrestling match. He stayed at the Hotel John Marshall, which was certainly more peaceful than City Stadium -- not having lost a punch over the decades, the 55-year-old got involved in the match there and knocked out the tag team partners Dick Lever and Wally Dusek.
Richmond in the 50s
South Richmonders had this view of a Dec. 24, 1951, fire on North Side at the F.L. Parsley storage plant on Rady Street. Three fuel oil and kerosene tanks caught fire, sending black smoke across much of the city. More than 100 firefighters were needed to stop the blaze, which threatened a nearby stream, coal yard and other properties. When the owner of neighboring fuel tanks was told that his were saved, he called it "the nicest Christmas present ever."
Richmond in the 50s
In January 1957, the University of Richmond's Boatwright Memorial Library created a vivid reflection in Westhampton Lake. Students were in the middle of exam week at the time.
Richmond in the 50s
Several stories below the clock itself, four small balconies jut out from the clock tower on Old City Hall in downtown Richmond. In February 1957, building supervisors looked out from the platforms, which once were public observation spots.
Richmond in the 50s
NAACP officials Thurgood Marshall (left) and W. Lester Banks made their way to a General Assembly meeting on Feb. 20, 1957. In the years after the Supreme Court's 1954 Brown v. Board of Education ruling, Virginia engaged in Massive Resistance to oppose school desegregation.
Richmond in the 50s
A view of East Broad Street in downtown Richmond on a cloudy day in October 1954. The distinctive Old City Hall, with its High Victorian Gothic style, is at left, bounded by 10th and 11th streets. The building is a National Historic Landmark.
Richmond in the 50s
On March 11, 1952, American poet Robert Frost chatted with students Anne Holmes (left) and Beverly Gilbert at a reception that followed his address and poetry reading at Westhampton College. Two months earlier, he addressed the Woman's Club in Richmond.
Richmond in the 50s
In October 1957, Queen Elizabeth II visited Jamestown to mark the 350th anniversary of the nation's first permanent English settlement. The trip, which featured a 21-gun salute upon her arrival at Patrick Henry Airport, included a visit to Williamsburg and the College of William and Mary. The queen returned to Virginia in 2007 for Jamestown's 400th anniversary.
Richmond in the 50s
In April 1952, Betsy Marrin and Doris Bolton admired the springtime blooms in the Italian Garden at Maymont Park. In May of that year, during Park and Recreation Week, Maymont opened a nature center in what had been a stone and brick stable.
Richmond in the 50s
In March 1957, actor Robert Mitchum stopped in Richmond -- though not for reasons related to his role in the film "Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison," which was playing at local theaters. He had visited Virginia weeks earlier to scout for movie locations, and he was returning to the state to interview promising actors with the Barter Theatre in Abingdon.
Robinson and Newcombe
On April 8, 1952, the Brooklyn Dodgers played an exhibition game in Richmond. In the dugout at Mooers Field Jackie Robinson visits with teammate Don Newcombe - a star pitcher who was on military duty at Camp Pickett.
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In April 1951, a couple strolled through the gardens at Shooters Hill in Goochland County. In the 1950s, the historic home was often the site of Tuckahoe Garden Club events; estate owner Mrs. H.C.L. Miller was club president.
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In May 1957, patrons enjoyed the roller coaster at the amusement park in Buckroe Beach in Hampton. Buckroe Beach was a popular destination for Richmonders in the first half of the century as railroads offered direct trips to the area, where visitors could rent a cottage for $50 to $75 a week.
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In September 1954, the Canadian ship Notting Hill was docked at Richmond’s Deepwater Terminal on the James River. Tobacco, textiles, newsprint, machinery and steel were among many products that came into or exited the terminal on cargo ships.
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In October 1981, Melvin “Shot” Walker worked the grill at the White Spot in Charlottesville. The popular diner, located along the Corner in the heart of the University of Virginia, was opened in 1953 by Paul Dunsmore. The building used to house a beauty salon, and a white spot on the floor where a salon chair once sat gave the eatery its name.
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In January 1954, shoppers waited for buses in the snow on Broad Street in downtown Richmond. An accompanying article said the storm brought out a “spirit of neighborliness” among passengers as they “gossiped with strangers about the terrible weather.”
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In November 1950, Richmond firefighters battled an early morning blaze at Monument Methodist Church, located at Allen and Park avenues. More than 150 firefighters and two-thirds of the city’s firefighting equipment responded to the blaze, which caused extensive damage. Four firemen were injured, mainly from ice that formed on ladders and sidewalks in the freezing cold.
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In September 1951, the area of Hull Street between 12th and 13 streets in South Richmond was dug up for utility work and street rebuilding.
Richmond in the 50s (230).jpg
The Dec. 6, 1953, edition of The Times-Dispatch included a photo spread on the Southern Biscuit Co., whose products – under the Famous Foods of Virginia brand – established the company as one of America's largest producers of cookies and crackers. Here, baked cookies moved along a conveyor. The Richmond factory near Scott’s Addition now houses the Cookie Factory Lofts apartment complex.
1954 Branch House
In May 1954, James River Garden Club members visited the Branch House on Monument Avenue in Richmond to make last-minute arrangements before the weekend’s flower show. As part of event, the Antiquarian Society of Richmond also prepared an exhibit of 18th-century furniture in the library of the house. Proceeds helped restore local gardens
1956 Richmond Virginians
In April 1956, members of the Richmond Virginians engaged in a pre-practice bull session in their locker room. The International League baseball team held spring training in Haines City, Fla., before returning to their local base of Parker Field.
Richmond in the 50s
In August 1951, June Maile showed youngsters from the Belle Bryan Day Nursery how to play “London Bridge is Falling Down” during the nursery’s annual outing at Byrd Park.
Richmond in the 50s
In spring 1950, work was scheduled to begin to widen this south end of the North Boulevard railroad overpass. The work was expected to cost about $165,000 and take approximately seven months.
Richmond in the 50s
In June 1950, these young ladies cooled off during a heatwave and enjoyed a boat ride on Fountain Lake at Byrd Park in Richmond. From left are Margaret Jones, Betty Evans and Anita Hagopian.
Richmond in the 50s
This September 1951 image shows the Bridge at Falling Creek. The granite arch span, most of which can still be seen today, was built in the 1820s – at a cost of just over $2,000. The bridge was retired from service in the early 1930s after a new span began carrying southbound U.S. 1/301 traffic over Falling Creek in Chesterfield County. The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in the 1990s.
Richmond in the 50s
This October 1951 image shows Forest Hill Presbyterian Church, with its new attached building at right. The church was organized in 1924 and several years later built its first building on West 41st Street in Richmond. In 1942, it started using an old house at 4401 Forest Hill Ave. for all meetings outside regular services. By 1946, the church received a permit to construct a new building on the site of the Church House.
Richmond in the 50s
This July 1950 image shows a crumbling Richmond-Ashland Electric Line viaduct, covered in vines, near Moore Street in Richmond. The structures, which remained after the electric trolley system folded in the late 1930s, had become a nuisance, with chunks of concrete falling off of them at times. It took more than 15 years after this image was taken until the last of the structures was removed.
Richmond in the 50s
In September 1954, floats in the National Tobacco Festival parade completed their promenade around City Stadium before the football game between the University of Richmond and Hampden-Sydney College. The festival ran in Richmond from 1949 to 1984 and was a top event in the city during its run. A predecessor festival was held in South Boston before World War II.
Richmond in the 50s
This June 1950 image shows the former Westwood Circle in Richmond, a traffic circle at the intersection of North Boulevard, Hermitage Road and Westwood Avenue. In November 1961, a $150,000 project removed the circle, added islands and traffic signals, and diverted some traffic around the busy intersection. City safety official John Hanna called the intersection the “most complicated we have had to redesign and signalize in the past 14 years.”
Richmond in the 50s
This April 1955 image shows men dipping for herring in Falling Creek in Chesterfield County. Herring would arrive in rivers in the spring to spawn, and dipping was a popular activity that allowed men to socialize while stocking up on fish that could be salted and eaten through the year.
Richmond in the 50s
In December 1953, the new whirlaway, a merry-go-round type of gadget turned by the foot power of dozens of students, was popular at Dumbarton Elementary School in Henrico County. The attraction was part of a new set of playground equipment purchased with $750 donated by the Lakeside Lions Club. Watching the children (from left) were H.F. Taylor, Lions Club president; Joseph Rotella, school principal; and F.M. Armbrecht, chairman of the PTA recreation committee.
Richmond in the 50s
This June 1952 image shows one of “Dr. Duval’s pills,” part of a trio of 30-inch granite Turkish cannonballs, in its new location at John Marshall High School at Eighth and Marshall streets in Richmond. After standing for many years on a pedestal in front of Grays’ Armory at Seventh and Marshall, this one was destined to join its two mates at the city Works Department trash heap at the old fairgrounds, where those two had lain missing since World War II until being rediscovered in January 1952. This one was instead saved with a move out of the way of downtown traffic.
Richmond in the 50s
This March 1952 image shows a wagon, believed to have been Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's during the Civil War, as it was retired to the Army’s Richmond Quartermaster Depot at Bellwood. The wagon was among numerous items being transferred from Cameron Station in Alexandria; it can still be seen at the Army Quartermaster Museum at Fort Lee.
Richmond in the 50s
In November 1952, Armistice Day ceremonies were held at the old John Marshall High School in Richmond. Today known as Veterans Day, the 1952 events marked the 34th anniversary of the end of World War I. At John Marshall, the school’s band and color guard took part in the service, and wreaths were placed on two plaques bearing names of former students who gave their lives in the two world wars.
Richmond in the 50s
In June 1950, gleeful children left Ginter Park School in Richmond as they were dismissed for the summer months – though they did need to return a few days later for their report cards.
Richmond in the 50s
In September 1950, there were still working cart and wagon horses in Richmond, in addition to police horses that patrolled the streets. That month, city officials pondered whether furnishing water to this old horse trough – on North Second Street near Bates Street – and two others was still justified. The cost of supplying water to all three was about $500 per year.
Richmond in the 50s
In March 1951, reigning horse of the year Hill Prince came home to The Meadow, near Doswell in Caroline County, after suffering a leg fracture during training in California. Trainer J.H. “Casey” Hayes delivered a pat to the Thoroughbred’s nose. Owned by Mr. and Mrs. Christopher T. Chenery, Hill Prince did not return to racing until fall 1951 and only raced one more year after before being retired.
Richmond in the 50s
This June 1964 image shows the newly renovated Park Avenue Methodist Church. The building at Park and Allen avenues in Richmond housed Monument Methodist Church before a fire in 1950 caused extensive damage. The following year, that congregation was part of a merger that formed Reveille United Methodist. The Byrd Park Methodist congregation, later renamed to Park Avenue, moved into the structure in 1952. The building is now occupied by Community Church of God in Christ.
Richmond in the 50s
In December 1954, actor Paul Douglas was in Richmond to star in a stage production of “The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial,” and he renewed acquaintances – and shared family photographs – with local actress and singer Patsy Garrett, a friend from their days in radio. Douglas may be most known for the film “Angels in the Outfield”; Garrett was known for her roles in the “Benji” films and as the “Purina Cat Chow Lady” in TV commercials.
Richmond in the 50s
In January 1952, Virginia Union University basketball teammates (from left) Andrew Rodez, Herman Howard and Ricky Johnson rested during a practice before an upcoming game against North Carolina College. The Panthers were on an eight-game winning streak, but they lost 76-73 in overtime to NCC.
Richmond in the 50s
In July 1952, the nation's first 24-hour peacetime air raid alert system, called Operation Skywatch, began operation. Air Force members and volunteers staffing the Richmond filter station began plotting sightings of planes as they were called in.
Richmond in the 50s
In November 1953, University of Richmond basketball coach Les Hooker was surrounded by four returning members from the previous season’s team, which won the Big Six title in Hooker’s first season and earned him coach of the year honors. Pictured (left to right) are Ken Daniels, Warren Mills, Hooker, Ed Harrison and Walt Lysaght.
Richmond in the 50s
In October 1956, members of the Richmond Square Dance Federation danced in Bon Air. According to an accompanying article, square dancing was enjoying a revival at the time. The local federation, assisted by the city parks department and state Chamber of Commerce, planned to host a square dancing festival the next month with groups from across Virginia.
Richmond in the 50s
In April 1950, firemen W.M. Alley and J.B. Winston mounted Richmond’s oldest fire engine, Old 798. Though long out of use, the engine was brought out for special occasions and parades. When Old 798 was still active, it was pulled by two horses that responded to the fire bell with excitement, a veteran fire chief said.
Richmond in the 50s
In October 1952, University of Richmond cross country coach Fred Hardy trained his runners – team captain Bill Jordan set the pace – ahead of a meet against Virginia Military Institute in Lexington.
Richmond in the 50s
In January 1957, Dot Perkins led a dance class in “the hut” at the Powhatan Hill playground in Richmond. The playground received the Quonset hut, a semicircular structure made out of corrugated metal, in 1947 after city officials authorized using $15,000 to erect it. It quickly became a center of extracurricular activities for area children.
Richmond in the 50s
In September 1951, a boy fished at the dam of Lakeside Lake in Henrico County. Lewis Ginter built the dam in the 1890s to connect Lakeside Park to the Lakeside Wheel Club. Today, the lake is in on the grounds of Jefferson Lakeside Country Club.
Richmond in the 50s
In July 1950, a curb boy at Arnette’s Ice Cream Co., served Beverly Page French a banana split. The ice cream shop, located on Willard Road in Henrico County, was a popular hangout for local teens.
Richmond in the 50s
In October 1954, a group of costumed children celebrated Halloween at the William Fox playground in Richmond.
Richmond in the 50s
In June 1953, James R. Osterbind posed for a photo during his workday at Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond. Osterbind was one of several members of his family who worked at Tredegar over the course of four generations. Tredegar opened in 1837, was a major manufacturing center for the Confederacy during the Civil War and continued as a production facility through most of the 1950s.
Richmond in the 50s
In January 1953, Richmond city workers painted lane lines on Cowardin Avenue using a new power-driven machine. Previously, it took two men to do the process - one to hold a piece of rope along the line and another to apply paint.
Richmond in the 50s
In May 1955, Richmond fireman W.L. Clary of Engine Co. 1 welcomed some friends on the firetruck: Smokie Jr. and Back Tap, a pair of Dalmatians.
Richmond in the 50s
In October 1954, traffic stacked up at Fifth and Franklin streets in downtown Richmond on a busy shopping day.
Richmond in the 50s
In December 1951, Mrs. Herbert Flax showed her daughter, Susan April, how the light candles on the menorah in celebration of Hanukkah at Temple Beth Israel in Richmond. Flax was chairwoman of Women’s Club gift shop.
Richmond in the 50s
In March 1957, a boy and girl walked through Chesterfield County farmland with their tools, ready to help with planting. Blossoms on the nearby plum tree were signs of spring.
Richmond in the 50s
In July 1954, Kitty Liles performed with her band. Liles had played the drums for years, starting when she was a student at Varina High School in the 1940s. In 1954, Liles was using money from her gigs around Richmond to pay for her pursuit of a social work degree at Richmond Professional Institute.
Richmond in the 50s
This September 1953 image shows the canal locks in downtown Richmond between 14th and Pear streets. After their installation and later refurbishment in the mid-19th century, the locks increased boat traffic and allowed for easier transport of goods to and from the city.
Richmond in the 50s
In June 1951, square dance caller Richard Chase taught playground directors some steps ahead o f a dance scheduled for the Byrd Park tennis courts in Richmond as part of Park and Recreation Week. The program was organized by the city and sponsored by Thalhimers.
Richmond in the 50s
In August 1954, members of the Richmond Civic Ballet rehearsed for an upcoming performance. The open-membership volunteer group, which held roughly a dozen performances annually at local events, was organized almost four years earlier by local former professional dancers Betty Carper Grigg and John Hurdle.
Richmond in the 50s
In October 1954, students crowded into the new Douglas S. Freeman High School in Henrico County. The school, which cost about $1.1 million, opened the previous month and had roughly 500 high school and 500 elementary students.
Richmond in the 50s
In August 1953, members of the Monacan Junior Woman’s Club sought volunteers for the upcoming blood drive at Tuckahoe Elementary School in Henrico County. While Mrs. Allan J. Carter called prospects, Mrs. William F. Thornton worked at the typewriter.
Richmond in the 50s
In January 1950, Bobby Seal (left), 15, and Marvin “Kayo” Williams, 14, played billiards on the new table at the Salvation Army’s Red Shield Boys Club, which was on Church Hill in Richmond.
Richmond in the 50s
In October 1957, about 100 firefighters needed four hours to control a blaze in the 700 block of East Main Street in downtown Richmond. The fire caused $100,000 in damage and displaced Nathan’s tailor shop and the DeJarnette & Paul insurance agency.
Richmond in the 50s
In March 1952, Mrs. V.C. Wiltshire, 85, prepared for spring planting at her home on Patterson Avenue in Richmond.
Richmond in the 50s
In October 1951, Mrs. R.L. Mattox showed off her unique mailbox at her home on state Route 35 in Prince George County. The mailbox post was made using an old log cabin chain and required an hour’s worth of welding. Mattox and her husband were inspired by a design they saw in a magazine.
Richmond in the 50s
In September 1950, ground was broken for the South Richmond Health Center at 14th and Bainbridge streets. Members of the Richmond public health community and South Richmond Community Nursing Service participated in the ceremony. The clinic, which opened in January 1952, was staffed by volunteer nurses.
Richmond in the 50s
In July 1953, tennis players (from left) Cliff Miller, Al Dickinson and Bob Figg Sr. discussed the Country Club of Virginia’s annual tennis competition, which began the day before. Only Dickinson survived the first day of the event.
Richmond in the 50s
In May 1953, shoppers crowded the streets of downtown for Richmond Day, a promotion that began the year before. Like Black Friday, shoppers were lured to stores with deals such as $1 televisions, 2-for-1 car deals and $1 dresses. Merchants reported strong sales.
Richmond in the 50s
In August 1954, Melvin Doggett (left) and Jeff Martin sought relief from the summer heat … by getting even hotter. The men used the “hot boxes” at the Richmond YMCA, which could be set to 115 degrees and could leave the body cleansed and refreshed.
Richmond in the 50s
This December 1952 image shows East Broad Street in downtown Richmond at night.
Richmond in the 50s
In September 1950, Sherry Gilman placed a letter in a barrel-turned-mailbox on Honaker Avenue in Richmond. The barrel was serving as a temporary mailbox for the newly developed residential area in the West End.
Richmond in the 50s
In June 1952, motorcyclists raced in the 10-Mile National Motorcycle Championship at the Atlantic Rural Exposition grounds in Henrico County. More than 4,000 spectators saw Bobby Hill of Columbus, Ohio, the nation’s top racer, ride bike No. 1 to victory in the 20-lap championship race.
Richmond in the 50s
In December 1957, firefighters battled at blaze at L.R. Brown & Co., a furniture store on Hull Street in South Richmond. The warehouse blaze destroyed a lot of pieces intended for Christmas gifts.
Richmond in the 50s
In October 1951, workers constructed a section of Forest Hill Avenue in South Richmond. The segment sits between Westover Hills Boulevard and Prince Arthur Road.
Richmond in the 50s
In July 1951, two women enjoyed the white sand beach of Cape Charles on Virginia’s Eastern Shore.
Richmond in the 50s
In July 1951, Alonzo Moore, 74, walked down a street in Cape Charles on Virginia’s Eastern Shore and blew his horn, alerting locals to his sale of the fresh catch of the day.
Richmond in the 50s
In February 1953, Richmond Department of Utilities workers used a 65-foot hook-and-ladder fire truck to install new lights on Broad Street after attempts to secure other ladder facilities from private companies had failed.
Richmond in the 50s
In June 1951, the summer heat sent crowds to Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield County for a swim. Earlier that month, the state’s nine parks welcomed more than 77,000 visitors during their unofficial opening week for the season.
Richmond in the 50s
In July 1956, Warren Collazzo and Pat Benedict of the Eastern Parkway Skating Club in Brooklyn, N.Y., practiced a routine they would use in an international skating competition that was underway at the Arena in Richmond. The multipurpose venue at Boulevard and Hermitage Road hosted sporting events, concerts, shows and exhibitions for more than 40 years before being torn down in the late 1990s to make way for Sports Backers Stadium.
Richmond in the 50s
In May 1950, Clifford Burgess (from left), Harlean Bibb, Charles King and Shirley Kingsley, who attended Summer Hill School in South Richmond, practiced a square dance called “Duck for the Oyster.”
Richmond in the 50s
In June 1950, Barbara Kilday (from left), Becky Branch and Jill Arnold set up a net for tennis. The 14-year-olds were attending summer school in the Richmond area.
Richmond in the 50s
In February 1951, Roman West pulled the cord of a steam whistle at T&E Laundry on Marshall Street in Richmond. The whistle was one of nine that was being used in a citywide test of the audibility of air raid signals.
Richmond in the 50s
In November 1950, farmer Ray Welch of Northumberland County used his homemade portable corn elevator. The device scooped grain from ground level and transferred it up for storage, and the wheels allowed it to be moved from place to place. “Everybody who farms has to make every kind of gadget he can for himself,” Welch said.
Richmond in the 50s
In June 1950, a school group followed a nature trail at Forest Hill Park in Richmond and explored a wildflower preserve and bird sanctuary.
Richmond in the 50s
In May 1955, a tugboat from New York City left Richmond’s Upper Terminal with three steel barges in tow. The barges were made at Richmond Steel Co. for businesses in New York.
Richmond in the 50s
In April 1955, students at Ridge School in Henrico County enjoyed their new merry-go-round. It was presented to the school by the PTA, which had collected donations for playground equipment.
Richmond in the 50s
In May 1956, Ann Huxley adjusted the blade height on her lawnmower before cutting the grass at her home on Three Chopt Road in Henrico County.
Richmond in the 50s
In November 1951, a dachshund float towered above spectators lining the curb during the Thalhimers Toy Parade in downtown Richmond. The parade was first held in 1929 and, after a pause during World War II, resumed in 1946. Thalhimers department store employees worked for months to build floats, design routes and prepare costumes. The parade was cancelled in 1973 as in-store activities took greater prominence.
Richmond in the 50s
In July 1950, an employee of Richmond optician J.S. Galeski helped make a plastic eye. Galeski wanted to improve the appearance and standardize the production of replacement eyes, which had been made of glass by skilled artisans. His plastic models came in many sizes and colors.
Richmond in the 50s
In August 1955, Mrs. Burlee stood on her front lawn at Tree Hill Farm in Henrico County’s Varina area and admired the view of Richmond. The farm dated to the 1700s, and a large oak on the property, which was felled by a storm in 2012, was known as the “Surrender Tree” – legend says it is where Richmond Mayor Joseph Mayo surrendered the city to Union forces in April 1865 near the end of the Civil War. More recently, the farm served as a set for the 2015 film “Ithaca,” starring and directed by Meg Ryan.
Richmond in the 50s
In April 1953, 15-year-old Doris Ann Williams operated her ham radio; she was the youngest female amateur shortwave operator in Richmond. The John Marshal High School freshman began learning short wave code the year before. Her father, Roland, was a former radio operator for the city Police Department, which sparked his daughter’s interest in the hobby.
Richmond in the 50s
In May 1953, Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad conductor H.C. Rollins (right) and flagman C.H. Smith did pre-trip paperwork in a train caboose before a ride to Washington.
Richmond in the 50s
In March 1953, L. Howard Jenkins, head of a Richmond book manufacturer that bore his name, supervised workers at his plant on West Broad Street. The company dated to the 1880s.
Richmond in the 50s
In February 1951, Mrs. J.H. Boxley diverted her husband’s attention from his bookkeeping to show off new inventory at the L’Pell’s clothing store they owned on East Grace Street in Richmond.
Richmond in the 50s
This October 1951 shows one side of Bloemendaal House, the former home of Richmond businessman Lewis Ginter and now part of Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.
1953 Monument and Horsepen
In November 1953, a 10-block section of Monument Avenue between Horsepen Road and Keystone Drive in Henrico County began carrying eastbound and westbound traffic on separate sides of the median. About 20 signs were erected to let motorists know that they no longer shared a single side. The change was in anticipation of expanding the configuration to begin at the city limits.
Richmond in the 50s
In April 1952, Eleanor Brown, a student at Brook Hill School, donned a bunny suit for the Richmond Easter Parade. Local public schoolchildren celebrated with egg hunts and early dismissal for the Easter festivities.
Richmond in the 50s
In September 1953, lightning flashed over South Richmond during a storm that brought heavy rain and stiff wind to the city.
Richmond in the 50s
In May 1950, motorcyclists raced in the 10-Mile National Motorcycle Championship at the Atlantic Rural Exposition grounds in Henrico County. The winner was “Little Joe” Weatherly of Norfolk, who later turned to stock car racing and won NASCAR titles in the 1960s before being killed in a race accident in Riverside, Calif., in 1964.
Richmond in the 50s
In November 1951, workers constructed a new lane on Monument Avenue in Henrico County. The truck was occupying what used to be the front yard of a house in the 6500 block. The road was being widened for divided lane traffic in the block between Bevridge Road and Roxbury Road.
Richmond in the 50s
In May 1956, area residents enjoyed a refreshing swim in the James River — a reprieve from record high temperatures during the spring month.
Richmond in the 50s
In March 1950, four girls played jump-rope in a Richmond city park.
Richmond in the 50s
In July 1950, women lounged on a floating platform at a swimming hole that was once a quarry. Starting in the 1800s, the area near what is now Willow Oaks was occupied by a large number of granite quarries. As they closed and were allowed to fill with water, they became popular recreation spots.
Richmond in the 50s
In March 1956, a full house at the Arena in Richmond watched the State Group 1 high school basketball tournament. Admission was $1 per game for adults and 50 cents for students. Newport News High School won the tournament.
Richmond in the 50s
In January 1957, Mrs. Hunter Jones hitched a ride behind a ski plane that was visiting Chesterfield County’s Parnell Field, which opened in March 1946 as the first postwar airport in the Richmond area. Located on Bells Road, Parnell Field had two dirt runways, and at its peak, it was home to as many as 30 light aircraft. It closed in 1972.
Richmond in the 50s
In June 1955, Central National Bank opened an "auto branch" at Third and Marshall streets in downtown Richmond, a block from the main office. The branch featured drive-in windows, walk-up service and a night depository. The bank had opened a West End auto branch at West Broad Street near the Boulevard in 1948.
Richmond in the 50s
In August 1956, Criglersville general store owner Robert H. Gibbs served customer Lindsay Utz while they discussed topics of the day. The store, built in 1917 in Madison County, also served as the community’s post office and telephone collection agent. In this rural area, the store was a community gathering place, with an old 1917 Simmons Giant coal-burning stove to keep people warm.
Richmond in the 50s
In April 1950, this coal bin in the Highland Springs High School shop building was cleaned out and converted into a practice room for the school band. The Henrico County school’s band previously practiced in the school basement, which caused a noise problem in classrooms. The shop building was located offsite nearby.
Richmond in the 50s
This November 1950 image shows the Sixth Street Market, where the city of Richmond was set to raise rents to be more in line with prevailing rates. Rents at the 17th Street Market also were going up, and the city planned to raise the sanitation tax on vehicles using street space in the market areas from 10 cents to 50.
Richmond in the 50s
In September 1956, students at the Grace Arents School, located on Oregon Hill, were among those all over Richmond who participated in a fire drill. The students filed out in an orderly column while a teacher remained at the door to make sure all youths exited safely.
Richmond in the 50s
In May 1955, shoppers on Broad Street in downtown Richmond rushed to find bargains at the fourth annual Richmond Day. Deals included winter coats for $1 for early customers, television sets between $1.98 and $19, and a seven-diamond ring for $39. Many stores participated in the sales event, and customers lined up as early as 8:30 p.m. the night before in hopes of getting the best deals.
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In May 1958, Homer E. Pate, whose arms and legs were paralyzed, worked in leather craft as part of his rehabilitation. With him was Margaret Williams, an occupational therapist at McGuire Veterans Administration Hospital in Richmond.
Richmond in the 50s (40).jpg
In November 1959, Mrs. Frank L. Jobson (seated) and Adele Clark admired a banner for the Equal Suffrage League of Virginia, which they helped form 50 years earlier in Richmond. Women won the constitutional right to vote in 1920 – “and neither of us has missed an election since 1920,” Clark said.
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In October 1958, chemists Owen R. Blackburne (left) and Bill Simmons distilled volatile acids at the Richmond Sewage Disposal headquarters near Rocketts Landing.
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In March 1959, employees of the Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles on West Broad Street in Richmond prepared for an onslaught of customers before doors opened for business.
1951 Lee statue
In April 1951, photographer Ewing Krainin was in Richmond to take a series of pictures for a national magazine. He enlisted the aid of the fire department and its tallest extension ladder to get fresh angles on historic landmarks, including the Robert E. Lee statue on Monument Avenue.
1952 Monument Avenue
An October 1952 image of the Monument Avenue median adorned with autumn leaves.
1955 Parker Field
On April 9, 1955, the Boston Red Sox topped the New York Giants, 5-2, in an exhibition game seen by more than 12,600 spectators at Parker Field in Richmond. Pictured are center fielders Jimmy Piersall from Boston and Willie Mays of New York. (To that point, only a 1954 exhibition between the New York Yankees and Richmond Virginians drew a larger crowd.) Willie Mays (right) and Jim Piersall April 9, 1955
Richmond in the 50s
In January 1955, a snowy slope at Forest Hill Park in Richmond came to life on a cold afternoon. Sledders turned out after school and stayed late on hard-packed snow. Two days before, a snowfall that officially measured 7.6 inches had fallen – it was the most since 1948.
Richmond in the 50s
In February 1952, Gene Autry performed shows at the Mosque that included singing, Native American dances, trick-roping and Autry’s famous horse, Champion. Here, Autry met 7-year-old J. Harvie Wilkinson III, now a judge on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, who wore his best Western outfit for the occasion.
Richmond in the 50s
In September 1952, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower was on a whistle-stop tour of Virginia and North Carolina in his campaign for the presidency. Here, he greeted a crowd of 25,000 from his train in Petersburg, the last stop before heading to Richmond for his sixth speech of the day.
Richmond in the 50s
In July 1950, heavyweight boxing legend Jack Dempsey came to Richmond as a headline attraction for a different event: He was referee of a wrestling match. Dempsey passed through town the day before the event, and for a bit of relaxation, he got a scalp massage from George Dunn in the Hotel John Marshall barbershop.
Richmond in the 50s
This April 1951 image shows the Richmond skyline as seen from the south end of the Lee Bridge. The span in the foreground was a small automobile bridge to Belle Isle, mainly used by employees working on the island. The bridge was largely washed away in rains from the remnants of Hurricane Agnes in 1972, and now only the supports and a small portion on the island remain.
Richmond in the 50s
On Nov. 3, 1950, Nobel laureate and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Pearl S. Buck addressed the Virginia Teachers Association and Virginia Education Association in separate sessions; the VTA was a black organization. Regarding segregation, she suggested that “in later years we will find teachers of all races meeting here together.”
Richmond in the 50s
On Oct. 27, 1953, retired middleweight boxing champion “Sugar Ray” Robinson headlined two shows at the Mosque. Robinson turned to dancing and singing when he stopped boxing in 1952 but resumed fighting in 1955 when his entertainment career waned. During his show in Richmond, he was backed up by Count Basie's orchestra and completed no fewer than five costume changes.
Richmond in the 50s
In May 1954, swimmers cooled off on a hot day at Granite Quarry in Chesterfield County. Starting in the 1800s, the area near what is now Willow Oaks was occupied by a large number of granite quarries. As they closed and were allowed to fill with water, they became popular recreation spots.
Richmond in the 50s
On July 11, 1950, part of the ceiling of the Park Theater at 810 E. Broad St. collapsed during a showing, injuring 17. The theater, which reopened a month later after repairs, had a long history. It opened as the Lubin in 1909, became the Regent briefly in 1916 before changing name to the Isis in the same year. After closing in 1929, it reopened as the Park in 1938, then closed again in 1953.
Richmond in the 50s
On June 13, 1951, a tornado struck Richmond, causing massive damage in its 4-mile path of destruction --including a truck crushed by a fallen tree at Belvidere and Franklin streets downtown.
Richmond in the 50s
In November 1954, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother visited Richmond on a U.S. tour. Before a crowd of about 6,000 people at Capitol Square, Gov. Thomas B. Stanley escorted her into the Capitol for a tour.
Richmond in the 50s
In September 1953, two boys surveyed the William F. Fox School, which they were ready to attend within days. The Richmond school, on Hanover Avenue in the Fan District, was dedicated in September 1911.
Richmond in the 50s
This May 1950 image shows Swift Creek Mill in Chesterfield County. Now home to the local theater, the site was built in 1663 as a gristmill and changed hands and functions many times over the centuries, according to the theater's history. In 1929, operating again as a gristmill, the property became known officially as the Swift Creek Mill and remained in operation until 1956. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Richmond in the 50s
In October 1957, U.Va. faced Virginia Tech in the Tobacco Festival football game at City Stadium in Richmond. Here, Virginia's Jim Bakhtiar (feet in air) rolled into the end zone in the first quarter for the first of his four touchdowns. The Cavaliers trounced the Gobblers 38-7.
Richmond in the 50s
In March 1950, a surprise 5-inch snowfall covered Richmond and kept traffic on the slushy Lee Bridge moving slowly.
Richmond in the 50s
1959 view of a staircase at Old City Hall.
Richmond in the 50s
Richmond's triple railroad crossing 4th time in history 3 trains lined up TD Oct 13, 1958
Richmond in the 50s
This July 1955 photo shows the view from Richmond’s Chimborazo Hill at twilight, looking across Fulton and the James River. The photo accompanied a “Capital Sidelights” column by Charles McDowell Jr. that promoted the sunset views from the hill.
Richmond in the 50s
In May 1952, new policewoman Martha S. Jackson placed one of her first tickets on an illegally parked car. Jackson, one of Richmond's first full-fledged female traffic officials with full police authority, was tasked with pedestrian education and enforcement when the “walk/don't walk” lights began operation on Broad Street, as well as car tagging and intersection assignments.
Richmond in the 50s
In April 1952, Know-Your-Bank Week activities in Richmond included behind-the-scenes tours for bank customers and school students. Here, students from Thomas Jefferson High School were given a look inside the State-Planters Bank and Trust Co. vault by assistant cashier Ramon G. Smith. Gov. John S. Battle first designated such a week in 1950.
Richmond in the 50s
In August 1950, Richmond City Clerk William T. Wells (left) swore in attorney Lewis F. Powell Jr. as member of the Richmond School Board. In 1971, Powell was nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court by President Richard M. Nixon, and he served from 1972 until resigning in mid-1987. Powell died in 1998 and is buried in Hollywood Cemetery.
Richmond in the 50s
On April 14, 1951, the Deep Run races were held at the Atlantic Rural Exposition fairgrounds, now known as the Richmond Raceway Complex. The co-feature was the Richmond Plate race, a 2-mile course that Crown Royal led over the first jump before finishing third, eight lengths behind winner Flying Wing.
Richmond in the 50s
In April 1951, W.H. Childress’ coonhound won best of breed at the Virginia Kennel Club’s 17th annual dog show at the Atlantic Rural Exposition fairgrounds. The club was first organized in October 1902, and while it put on some shows before 1935, it did not begin a consistent schedule until then.
Richmond in the 50s
In September 1950, the Cary Street resurfacing project was approaching completion. As part of a larger resurfacing and repair project across the city, Cary was repaved with blacktop between Belmont and Nansemond streets by Richmond’s Department of Public Works.
Richmond in the 50s
This December 1951 image shows the “Tummyache” persimmon tree in the back of Retreat for the Sick Hospital at Grove Avenue and Mulberry Street in Richmond. According to the story, in about 1922, the 6-year-old son of a preacher-farmer in Powhatan County kept eating persimmons one day until he developed a stomachache and was brought to the hospital. A doctor removed about a pint of seeds from the child’s stomach – and then planted one, which became this tree.
Richmond in the 50s
This April 1951 image shows St. Andrew’s School in Richmond’s Oregon Hill area. Noted philanthropist Grace Arents founded the school in 1894 and was a key supporter of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church. The school offered a wide range of programs, including sewing, music and physical education. It still stands today, serving low-income children.
Richmond in the 50s
In October 1950, Virginia Randolph attended the cornerstone-laying ceremony for a $262,000 addition to the former one-room schoolhouse in Glen Allen that she started in 1892 and that was named for her. In 1949, Randolph retired at age 79 from a long career that encompassed teaching and supervising teacher training and curriculums for black schools in the Richmond area. Randolph, whose efforts focused heavily on vocational education, died in 1958.
Richmond in the 50s
In July 1954, the boys choir sang in All Saints Episcopal Church, which was then on West Franklin Street. The following year, the church decided to move to River Road; the former building has since been torn down.
Richmond in the 50s
In late summer 1951, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway ran its first diesel-powered locomotives through Richmond on two of its passenger trains. Here, train engineer Mr. Denton got orders from stationmaster Mr. Boykin. By the end of the year, the company hoped to have most of the steam locomotives in its line replaced with diesel-electric ones.
Richmond in the 50s
This October 1956 image shows Tobacco Row at Dock Street, where many cigarette manufacturers were located. Tobacco planters and shippers started building facilities in Richmond in the 1600s. The brick buildings that stand there today were built in the late 1800s to early 1900s. The tobacco companies had moved out by the late 1980s, and today the old buildings have been converted mainly to retail and residential space.
Richmond in the 50s
This November 1956 image shows Richmond disc jockey Alden Aaroe, who started in radio in 1938 and landed his signature morning show on WRVA in 1956. He stayed with WRVA until 1993, just several weeks before his death.
Richmond in the 50s
In October 1953, Mary Workman (holding music stand), better known as Sunshine Sue, sang with her band. From 1946 to 1957, Workman was host of the popular “Old Dominion Barn Dance” music radio show, broadcast nationally on Saturday nights on WRVA from the Lyric Theater in downtown Richmond. The program helped launch the careers of several country music stars.
Richmond in the 50s
In April 1950, some children took a rest and got a drink from a fountain in North Richmond located along the Richmond Henrico Turnpike. This fountain, between Dove and Vale streets just off the turnpike, is still standing, though the lion heads have since been removed and the fountain has been painted.
Richmond in the 50s
This December 1950 image of East Broad Street at Fifth Street in downtown Richmond shows crowds of holiday shoppers visiting such stores as Baker's, Peoples Drug, Swatty's Pants, Haverty's Furniture and Raylass Department Store.
Richmond in the 50s
This December 1950 image of East Broad Street at Fifth Street in downtown Richmond shows crowds of holiday shoppers visiting such stores as Baker's, Peoples Drug, Swatty's Pants, Haverty's Furniture and Raylass Department Store.
Richmond in the 50s
This November 1951 photo from the 3100 block of West Cary Street shows Lord's Furniture and Hofheimer's shoe store. That fall, Hofheimer's offered Stride Rite children's shoes - “gas-filled balloons with every pair!” - for $4.50 to $7.95. (The location, in what is now called Carytown, is occupied by Can Can Brasserie.)
Richmond in the 50s
In April 1950, Roscoe Turner (right), famed speed flier who helped develop Richmond's original Byrd Field, shook hands with Adm. Richard E. Byrd, for whom the field is named, at the dedication of Byrd Airport's new terminal building. Richmond Mayor Stirling King joined them.
Richmond in the 50s
In May 1950, Richmond celebrated Park and Recreation Week with a series of events, including an art carnival, puppet shows and concerts. Square dancing for all ages on the Byrd Park tennis courts was a highlight of the week.
Richmond in the 50s
In October 1950, the Benedictine Cadet Corps adopted new uniforms. Father Andrew (from left), Benedictine's principal, inspected Maj. Wesley Rhodes in the old West Point style top and Col. Alfred Moss in the new, shorter Eisenhower jacket. At the same time, cadets changed to Navy pea jackets as a top coat - the previous style, an Army-type mackinaw that was made at the state penitentiary, was no longer available.
Richmond in the 50s
In April 1951, a little girl met a Great Dane as the Virginia Kennel Club held its 17th annual dog show at the Atlantic Rural Exposition fairgrounds. The club had a longer history, having been first organized in October 1902. While it put on some shows before 1935, it did not begin a consistent schedule until then.
Richmond in the 50s
In July 1951, Office of Price Stabilization regulations were posted at the Thalhimers department store. The regulations were enacted because a surge in demand for goods after the start of the Korean War caused a rapid rise in prices. The office was closed in April 1953.
Richmond in the 50s
On Aug. 28, 1950, Richmond's first black firefighting unit took charge of Engine Co. 9 at Fifth and Duval streets. Capt. J.G. Forristal, seated beside the driver, remained head of the station, and white members who waved to their colleagues were transferred.
Richmond in the 50s
A June 1950 image of the Grand Theatre at 620 E. Broad St. The theater opened in 1917 as the Bluebird, and in 1933, it reopened as the Grand, specializing in grindhouse and B movies. From 1940 until it closed in 1963, it was the home for western movies in Richmond.
Richmond in the 50s
In November 1950, City Council was set to consider a request to abandon the stretch of 23rd Street between Cary and Dock streets, partially occupied by the railroad tracks seen in the distance. A food broker that owned adjacent property wanted to buy the land to expand its warehouse. This land today houses part of the parking deck for The River Lofts apartments.
Richmond in the 50s
In April 1952, no players were in sight at the Byrd Park tennis courts. Richmond endured five days of rain, with an official total of 3.82 inches falling. The James River reached flood stage, and while that was enough to cover docks, the rains finally relented.
Richmond in the 50s
A 1950 image of Adams Street at West Leigh Street.
Richmond in the 50s
In November 1950, a multifaith Thanksgiving service was held at Monument Methodist Church, located at Allen and Park avenues in Richmond. Just days after the service, the church suffered a devastating five-alarm fire – the following year, the congregation was part of a merger that formed Reveille United Methodist. The damaged building was restored and is now occupied by Community Church of God in Christ.
Richmond in the 50s
This February 1952 image shows the High's Ice Cream store at 2410 E. Broad St. High's operated a number of stores in Richmond and had a plant on West Broad Street - its opening-day special in 1932 was buy one Big Cone for 5 cents, get the second free.
Richmond in the 50s
In October 1950, Virginia Randolph helped S.O. Spriggs, worshipful master of East End Lodge 233, A.F. & A.M., lay the cornerstone at a ceremony for a $262,000 addition to the former one-room schoolhouse in Glen Allen that Randolph started in 1892 and that was named for her. In 1949, Randolph retired from a long career that encompassed teaching and supervising teacher training and curriculums for black schools in the Richmond area. Randolph, whose efforts focused heavily on vocational education, died in 1958.
Richmond in the 50s
In June 1951, amid high temperatures and humidity, Shields Lake in Byrd Park and other pools in Richmond were setting attendance records. Shields Lake was a whites-only public swimming facility that was closed in 1955. City officials cited the high cost of necessary repairs, not court rulings against segregation, and said several new neighborhood pools could be built for less than renovating the lake facility.
Richmond in the 50s
This March 1954 image shows Newt, the fire dog at the Henrico County Fire Department’s Station No. 7. The station was formed in 1948 as the Glenwood Farms Fire Department, serving the Mechanicsville Turnpike area. The next year, it was turned over from the Glenwood Farms Civic Association to Henrico County. This March 1954 image shows Newt, the fire dog at the Henrico County Fire Department’s Station No. 7. The station was formed in 1948 as the Glenwood Farms Fire Department, serving the Mechanicsville Turnpike area. The next year, it was turned over from the Glenwood Farms Civic Association to Henrico County.
Richmond in the 50s
In December 1952, while baseball Hall of Famer Ty Cobb was in Richmond for sightseeing and duck hunting, he took time to speak to reporters about his recent articles in Life magazine disparaging “modern” baseball as lacking the individual skill his era demanded.
Richmond in the 50s
This December 1951 image shows the state Capitol’s west wing, which was added in the early 20th century. A 1951 proposal to expand the east and west wings at a cost of $875,000 was ultimately rejected.
Richmond in the 50s
A June 1950 image of Peoples Furniture Store at 514 E. Broad St., where the summer furniture sale included a chaise lounge with mattress for $18.95. From 1896 to 1915, this address housed the Robert E. Lee Camp No. 1 Confederate Veterans Hall. The camp held meetings and parties at this location, while its home for veterans was at Boulevard and Grove Avenue.
Richmond in the 50s
This July 1950 image shows McGuire Hall at 12th and Clay streets in downtown Richmond. It opened in 1912 to house the University College of Medicine, which merged with the Medical College of Virginia the following year. It still houses offices, laboratories and classrooms for Virginia Commonwealth University’s medical campus.
Richmond in the 50s
On Sept. 26, 1953, the Virginia Tech football team celebrated its 20-6 win over the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. When Tech coach Frank Moseley benched star quarterback Johnny Dean because of a questionable knee, former punter Jack Williams made the most of his shot at QB, scoring the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Richmond in the 50s
This 1950 image shows part of the Bellona Arsenal property in Chesterfield County. Bellona was built in 1816 by the U.S. government as an Army post, and the nearby foundry supplied the military in the antebellum era. In the Civil War, the complex served the Confederacy. The Luck family renovated the remaining buildings beginning in the early 1940s.
Richmond in the 50s
This April 1950 image shows a visitor drinking the natural spring water from a fountain at South Richmond’s Fonticello Park, also known as Carter Jones Park. For several decades in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Fonticello Lithia water company advertised the medicinal properties of the spring water and sold it bottled starting at 20 cents per gallon.
Richmond in the 50s
In September 1950, two girls from the Belle Bryan Day Nursery visited Miller & Rhoads in downtown Richmond to see the Dunn Bros. miniature circus – “the biggest little show on Earth,” as it proclaimed itself. The 475,000-piece circus took five men 48 hours to set up on a 60-by-28 foot-table – and seven hours to break down.
Richmond in the 50s
In May 1950, three members of the Thomas Jefferson High School cadet corps completed their daily flag ritual.
Richmond in the 50s
On Feb. 29, 1956, the Virginia War Memorial was dedicated despite the statue “Memory” still being unfinished. The statue’s head was finally placed on March 13, after which the smoothing process was completed. With the ceiling of the memorial only 2 feet above the top of the head, it was an arduous six-hour process to get the head installed.
Richmond in the 50s
This July 1950 image shows the area at the intersection of Axtell and Jesse streets in downtown Richmond. Today, the ramp linking southbound Belvidere Street to southbound Interstate 95 occupies the area.
Richmond in the 50s
In January 1951, three young polio patients in iron lungs were transported by truck and train from Roanoke to Richmond, where they could undergo long-range treatment at the Medical College of Virginia Hospital. Pictured are Eddie Shumate, 18, with Rowena Grisso, 16, at the far end; 11-year-old Howard Taylor is not pictured. While multiple precautions were in place, including having extra iron lungs available, the 10½-hour journey went smoothly.
Richmond in the 50s
In November 1951, work to improve the 100 block of Broad Street, looking west from First Street, was completed. In addition to resurfacing the road after removing the streetcar tracks, a concrete center strip was added along with updated traffic signals, new street lights and walk-don’t walk signals. The entire Broad Street renovation project stretched from Laurel to 12th streets.
Richmond in the 50s
In early October 1952, temperatures reached into the mid-80s, and people around the area found ways to enjoy the unseasonably warm weather. These boys soaked up the sun while fishing at Shields Lake in Richmond. A day later, temperatures dropped into the 60s after a cold front arrived.
Richmond in the 50s
In September 1953, members of the Virginia Military Institute football team prepared for the season. From left are guard Frank Boxley, center Fred Poss (in front), quarterback Dave Woolwine, end Wendell Shay, back Charlie Lavery and backfield coach Clark King. The Keydets finished the season with a 5-5 record.
Richmond in the 50s
This March 1951 image shows the interior of the City Garage at the old fairgrounds property near Parker Field. From its opening in 1908 until 1954, the facility served as an administration building, Army induction center and Army motor pool before housing the city’s cars. In 1954, the building became The Arena and hosted sporting events, concerts, shows and exhibitions for more than 40 years before being torn down in the late 1990s to make way for Sports Backers Stadium.
Richmond in the 50s
In April 1950, the 1st Precinct police station at 17th and East Broad streets faced an uncertain future after the decision to consolidate it with the 2nd Precinct station on Marshall Street. The 1st Precinct station required major repairs and would have cost about $4,000 per year to maintain. The building later was renovated and became a children’s recreation center.
Richmond in the 50s
A June 1950 image of the Ann Lewis women’s clothing store at 309 E. Broad St. in downtown Richmond. That year, fall suits were on sale for $11, and dresses for only $5.44.
Richmond in the 50s
In December 1951, the Staples Mill Pond froze, giving people the chance to dust off their ice skates and have some fun. The pond was a popular ice-skating spot whenever it froze.
Richmond in the 50s
In September 1951, the speed limit on Monument Avenue inside the city was 25 mph. Henrico County had recently reduced the speed limit on its portion of Monument from 50 to 35, and a Richmond News Leader editorial urged the city to raise its limit to match that.
Richmond in the 50s
The Oct. 1, 1950, edition of The Times-Dispatch included a photo essay and story on train and car safety. This image of an Atlantic Coast Line diesel locomotive – with Broad Street Station barely visible in the background through fog – illustrated the need for heightened vigilance in bad weather to avoid collisions between trains and cars. The story said there were 122 such accidents in Virginia in 1949, with 23 people killed.
Richmond in the 50s
In August 1950, a 10-car accident on the Lee Bridge snarled traffic both ways during rush hour. There was only one minor injury, and none of the vehicles sustained serious damage.
Richmond in the 50s
This January 1953 image shows houses on Belvidere Street in Richmond, as seen near Rowe Street, which were to be taken by the city for a proposed war memorial. The row formed the western boundary of a block that city officials were preparing to acquire. The Virginia War Memorial was dedicated in February 1956.
Richmond in the 50s
This July 1950 image shows the Haverty's furniture store at the corner of East Broad and Fourth streets downtown. The location opened on April 25, 1946, and specials included a three-piece mahogany bedroom suite for $199.50 and card tables for $3.50 each. (Today, the building is occupied by Sunny Men’s Wear, and the original Virginia greenstone flanking the entry is still visible.)