Edmond Life & Leisure • October 1, 2020 • Page 13
The Perch, on the roof of the Bolling Wilson Hotel, is the perfect spot for a view of Wytheville’s Main Street and the mountains beyond.
Heritage, history & beauty of Wytheville, Va. By Elaine Warner Wytheville – pronounced With-ville – is a tiny town tucked in the rolling foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in southwest Virginia. Located on the Old Wilderness Road, the town dates back to the late 1700s. You can pack a lot of history in two-and-a-half centuries. Once we get to traveling again, it’s a sweet spot to put in your travel plans. The name you’ll notice a lot in town is Edith Bolling Wilson. Born here, she was the second wife of President Woodrow Wilson. There’s a small museum on Min Elaine Street and you can tour the Bolling’s apartment upstairs. Across the street is the Bolling Wilson Hotel --- a lovely place to stay. The restaurant, Graze on Main, was named because, during World War I, Edith had sheep grazing on the White House lawn – providing wool for the war effort. I also stayed at Trinkle Mansion Bed and Break-
fast (closed during COVID), a 1912 Classical Revival beauty listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was in terrible shape when the current owners purchased it. They took it down to the studs but saved the columns, hardwood floors, wainscoting, balconies and the elegant staircase. Owner Patti Pizinger, who oversaw all the restoration and decoration of the house, also cooks elaborate gourmet breakfasts. The town has several museums. The Thomas J. Boyd Museum, named after an early town father – and godson of Thomas Jefferson – contains a lot of local history including a story which seems particularly apt for this time of pandemic. In 1950 Wytheville, population 5,550 was the site of an epidemic within an epidemic. Polio had been around for many years, with an epidemic in 1916. It appeared fairly regularly after that but not of epidemic proportions. Beginning in the late ‘40s, polio cases began appearing with more frequency around the country. There was no cure – or preventative – for the disease. Summers seemed to be the scariest time for the
Feeding the fallow deer is just part of the fun in a trip to the Fort Chiswell Animal Park.
whole country. My mom wouldn’t let us go swimming or to the movies. At the time people didn’t know what caused the disease or how it spread. But it was a time of fear – especially as it seemed to hit children (but not exclusively) particularly hard. The worst per capita outbreak in the U.S. occurred in the summer of 1950 in Wytheville with 189 cases. The death toll reached 10 percent. The most relevant part of the story is in the heroism of the people of Wytheville and their response to the crisis. The town had a handful of doctors; only one was a pediatrician. The local hospital had fewer than 12 beds. As the numbers of cases rose, the town council had the city’s water tested – it was fine. They closed the local swimming pool and movie theater, then other businesses. Signs warning of the outbreak were posted on roads coming into the county. The town’s two funeral directors were making multiple trips each day to take patients to the hospital in Roanoke 70 miles away. African-American victims were forced to travel 300 miles to Richmond for treatment. Rescue workers dealt with critically ill people without the benefit of protective equipment. The county was sprayed with DDT although there was no proof the disease was carried by insects.The only drugs were anti-bacterial – ineffective – as it was later discovered that polio was viral. The town suffered many of the economic woes that we are now facing. Everyone pulled together. Children were kept inside – this was described as “A Summer without Children.” The epidemic finally abated by late fall but the disease was not conquered for several more years – with the development of the Salk and Sabin vaccines. The information in the museum is disturbing but is also a story of survival. The panels tell a story of patience, persistence and pulling together – qualities that we can all use now. I had no idea when I saw this exhibit a year ago that we would be experiencing a similar situation. And it certainly wasn’t why I was in Wytheville. I was there to enjoy the accommodations and attractions. And they are many. If in the future you visit, don’t miss the Wohlfahrt Haus Dinner Theater – fantastic talent and great shows. Visit the Fort Chiswell Animal
See Elaine, Page 15