Last Stop for Our Caravan: Abingdon, VA

Our leaders took us to Abingdon, Virginia for the last phase of our caravan . We camped at Hungry Mother State Park, which derived its name from a mother trying to rescue her child from Indians, who had raided several settlements along the New River south of the park. Indians took seven survivors to their base camp north of the park, but somehow, Molly Marley and her small child managed to escape. The child was found wandering through the wilderness eating berries; all she could utter was, “Hungry Mother.” A search party found Molly’s body at the foot of the mountain near a stream where she had collapsed. The mountain is known as Molly’s Knob; a nearby stream is called Hungry Mother Creek. It was dammed in 1930 to form Hungry Mother Lake.

Unlike unfortunate Molly, our caravanners were never hungry. Our farewell dinner was a virtual feast held at Greenway Haven Party House, a picturesque, old brick home, which specializes in serving large dinners. The homemade biscuits would make Grandma proud and the service was exemplary. Past President Ed Jones gave a capsulated overview of all that we had seen during our three weeks together, and Cecil and Della were again honored as our hardworking leaders. Also attending was Stan, our dedicated guide.

Our final event was held the next day at the Barter Theatre Stage II, an annex to the original Barter Theatre in Abingdon. We saw the uplifting, fun-filled play, “Tom Sawyer.” The young people who played the familiar parts were excellent actors. During the Great Depression, Robert Porterfield, an enterprising young actor, returned to his native Southwest Virginia with an extraordinary proposition: Bartering produce from the farms and gardens of the region to gain admission to see a play. So on June 10, 1933, Barter Theatre opened its doors, proclaiming "With vegetables you cannot sell, you can buy a good laugh." The price of admission was 40 cents or an equivalent amount of produce. Four of five Barter Theatre goers paid their way with vegetables, dairy products and livestock. Imagine a live hog or a dead rattlesnake for the price of admission. The performing actors were distracted, not only by the occasional squealing pig or clucking hen, but by noise from the town jail, which was located directly beneath the stage. The jail was eventually converted into dressing rooms for Barter actors. To the surprise of many, all the seats for the first show were filled. The concept of trading "ham for Hamlet" caught on quickly. At the end of the first season, the Barter Company cleared $4.35 in cash, two barrels of jelly, and a collective weight gain of over 300 pounds.

Today, at least one performance a year celebrates the Barter heritage by accepting donations for an area food bank as the price of admission. Some of our group walked across the street from Stage II where we had seen “Tom Sawyer” to catch a glimpse of the original old theatre depicted in these photos. A stage crew was getting ready for the next big production. We also walked to the nearby elegant Martha Washington Inn, which was once home to Martha Washington College.

Thus a wonderful Airstream Caravan led by Cecil (see Cecil with Tom & Becky) and Della came to an end. It was with mixed emotions as we parted and headed in different directions toward our respective homes. Some of us had been on the road since May. Our leaders can be proud of a job well done. Although we had lived in Northern Virginia for 30 years beginning in 1977, we had never really explored the “Crooked Road” Tri-State Area. It is rich in culture and history going all the way back to our early settlers. Country music and story telling continue to be an important part of its heritage.