Norfolk County

Raymond L. Harper

• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Year: 2000
• ISBN:
  9781439627754
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: North American History
• Index: History

A major player in the countrys development, Norfolk County possesses a unique history, one that reflects the many challenges and accomplishments that America has experienced since the countrys birth in the late eighteenth century. The countys citizens have weathered a variety of storms, both natural and manmade, ranging from hurricanes, floods, British occupation and attacks, Federal occupation, and aggressive civic annexation, and have created a beautiful and useful landscape, appealing to both the artists eye and industrialists practicality.
This volume, with over 200 black-and-white images, takes readers into one of the Tidewater regions most historic locations and into an age made memorable by its unpaved roads, its early streetcars and horse-drawn wagons, its lively waterfront district on the Elizabeth River, and its emerging cityscape bordered by picturesque dairy farms. A rare visual journey, Norfolk County explores, through word and image, the areas diverse past, touching upon many elements of everyday life, including scenes of early one-room schoolhouses, historic churches, well-known industries, lush countrysides, and life along the river, as well as capturing vintage views of Great Bridge, Deep Creek,
and the Great Dismal Swamp.

Five

DOWN ON THE FARM

A large part of Norfolk County was devoted to agriculture and dairy farming. The area where K-Mart is located on Military Highway was once dairy land, as was Georgetown, Edmonds Corner, Princeton Halls, the land where Walmart and Sam’s Club sit, Clearfield, parts of Indian River, Great Bridge, Saint Brides, and other areas. There were so many dairies, it’s a wonder that any of them were able to survive. However, there were times when one could not produce enough to supply their customers and had to buy milk from one of the others. Some of the local dairies were White and Jernigan, B.M. Williams, Curling/Colonial, Darden/Lakeside, Westmoreland/Todd, Beech Grove, Coleman, and Gray.

This was one of many exhibits at the Norfolk County Fair in 1923. The display, which teaches the importance of crop rotation, was furnished by the Metropolitan Engraving Company of Richmond, Virginia.

Occasionally, one of the pilots from the old South Norfolk airport would fly over and snap pictures of some of the farms. This aerial view shows part of the Curling/Colonial Dairy. The house, barns, Mr. Curling’s Esso station, and other buildings can be seen. It must have been wash day because a close look near the right center of the picture reveals clothes hanging on the lines.

Here is Mr. John D. Curling, who has pulled his manure spreader into the Esso station. He had to fill the tank before getting down to serious work. The billboard behind Mr. Curling’s Farmall Tractor advertises Lakeside Dairy.

This photograph shows “Biggie,” the mule, hooked up to a cart full of children. The children are, from left to right, as follows: Durwood Curling, John Beverly Curling, and Earl Pangle. The leg hanging off the back of the cart belongs to Doris Curling. The background includes a farmhouse, the back end of a milk truck, and a billboard advertising the Merchant and Planters Bank.

Pictured here is Mr. John Debaum Curling at age 22. He was born in 1902 and later worked on the farm with his father, Frank L. Curling.

This picture of Mr. Frank L. Curling was taken as he approached a snow-covered mailbox. It was taken in South Norfolk in 1927.

This farmhouse was the Stewart home...