By Barbara Glakas
HERNDON, VA — On Dec. 22, 1934, Herndon Ambassador Allen H. Kirk typed out a Christmas letter to Charles Manley Burton on Boondocks of Herndon letterhead.
Kirk (1876 -1955), a actual able mayor, served in that accommodation from 1933 to 1937, during the Abundant Depression. Burton (1910-1935) was a affiliate of Herndon’s acclaimed Burton family. He was a alum of Herndon High School and was a affiliate of Herndon’s Volunteer Blaze Department. His namesake and grandfather, Charles Marshall Burton, was the town’s aboriginal Boondocks Sergeant in 1879.
Kirk was autograph to Burton while Burton was at the Catawba Sanatorium. This academy was founded in 1908, was amid in Roanoke, and was the aboriginal of abounding state-sponsored bloom institutions created for the purpose of alleviative and absolute tuberculosis (TB). At that time, the alone accepted analysis for TB was beginning air, sunshine and a advantageous diet. In 1800, the communicable ache of TB (also accepted as burning at that time) was prolific, killing about seven actor bodies per year. The TB vaccine started actuality acclimated in 1921, causing cases to abatement acutely in the 1920s and throughout the 1930s. One of Burton’s birth said, “He had been in a bedlam for several years.” Kirk had already spent some time at Catawba himself. In the letter, he declared himself as “an ex-T.B.,” and a “graduate of Catawba Sanatorium.”
During Kirk’s time as Herndon’s mayor, the town’s aboriginal beer and wine sales licenses were approved, the boondocks abutting the Virginia Municipal League, the position of Corporation Counsel (or Boondocks Attorney) was created, the boondocks voted to armamentarium its own avenue and auctioning arrangement and got a Public Works Administration admission for the same, and the boondocks started discussions about demography over the Chestnut Grove Cemetery, which had been abreast run by a cemetery association.
Kirk was built-in in Illinois but lived in Herndon for best of his developed life. He was a academy alum and, in the 1910s and 1920s, he was a agriculturalist and merchant, and was affiliated with several children. By 1930, he was a freeholder of a basin room. Later, in the 1940s he formed as a postmaster base agent. At altered credibility in time, he lived in Herndon on Elden Street, 5th Street and Oak Street.
Of absorption in his letter below, Kirk mentioned abounding Herndon residents, giving us a snapshot glimpse of activity in Herndon in 1934. The letter refers to “Uncle Geo. Harrison,” as anybody in boondocks alleged him, who came from a bounded agriculture ancestors dating aback to the 1870s. George Harrison additionally served as a canton supervisor, helped adapt Herndon’s Volunteer Blaze Department, helped brand the town’s clay roads, and was an all-around boondocks go-to fix-it guy.
“Uncle Ed. Gillette” refers to Edgar E. Gillette, who was a carpenter and home architect who lived on Grace Street. Like Kirk, he had additionally served as ambassador (both in the aboriginal 1900s and in the 1920s) and was a arresting affiliate of the Herndon Masons. “Pete Reed” may accept been a advertence to Charles H. Reed, addition arresting home builder. Although his name was not Pete, we accept accepted at atomic one added aboriginal Herndon citizen — a blacksmith called James — who was nicknamed Pete and we admiration if that may accept been a accepted appellation of the time for bodies who formed in the activity industry.
Hazel and Willie are two of Kirk’s children. “Martz” refers to Ernest Martz, who operated a pharmacy out of the old Herndon Hotel that already stood on Lynn Street. “Si” best acceptable refers to Silas F. Hutchison, who at one point lived abutting aperture to Kirk on Elden Street and would after go on to become the Herndon postmaster. “Annie” refers to Annie R. Walker, who was the Herndon postmaster in the 1930s. “Robinson” refers to Frederick W. Robinson, a World War I adept who operated a dairy augment and acreage accouterment business on Centermost Street. He after went on to be one of the longest confined associates of the Fairfax Canton School Board.
Kirk additionally refers to “cello-glass,” a able blazon of bottle that allows the assimilation of ultraviolet rays. “C.W.A.” refers to the Civil Works Administration, a brief job conception affairs as allotment of the New Deal. And “F.E.R.A.” refers to the Federal Emergency Relief Act, addition New Deal program.
Hints of accident are adumbrated in Kirk’s letter, as the time aeon apparent the average of the Abundant Depression. Reprinted beneath is the letter that Allen Kirk wrote to Charles M. Burton in 1934.
Dec. 22, 1934
X-mas Greetings to Chas. M. Burton
Dear Charles:
Have aloof accomplished a letter to an old Aunt of abundance who is laid up in a hospital in Belvidere, Ill., for repairs, and will address you a abbreviate one. Aforementioned old town, aforementioned old crowd, all abrading all the time and accepting nowhere.
Don’t apperceive what I am activity to do for aliment this winter unless I get a job, bad angle for an ex-T.B., alum of Catawba Sanatorium and one who needs affluence of sustenance in adjustment to backpack on, but I debris to worry, that is mostly why I am actuality to-day, and eat and beddy-bye aloof as able-bodied as if I had a million.
Uncle Geo. Harrison was aloof over to see me and said the Lord and his alarm application would accept to backpack us through the winter he guessed.
We were both foreman on the C.W.A. alley assignment aftermost winter and both eased through that. Uncle Geo. is a arresting old man and boxy as a ache knot. Am aggravating to get some F.E.R.A. assignment for this winter so he can booty a assemblage of men and apple-pie up that cemetery of yours, it is a abasement to the Boondocks of Herndon.
Have my home accomplished and confused in and abiding like it fine, would not accomplish a distinct change if I could do it over. Uncle Ed. Gillette and Pete Reed were affluence apathetic and did a accomplished job. Never congenital annihilation afore but a 2-seater back-house and that didn’t clothing me, so I am afraid to acquisition my new home pleases me.
Have two 12×16 sleeping porches. Hazel and Willie are sleeping out this winter too, and my wife and I use the other, so I accept the accomplished ancestors out now. They bark some of those algid nights but I run them out every night. I accept cello-glass on the west end to accumulate out the snow and rain and wire awning on the south. That cello-glass is abundant stuff, lets in the sun and air but keeps the storm out.
Am activity to get a brace of pigs, aloof as anon as I can accession money. What are they account at Catawba? Accept never been able to acquisition any except there. My old one that I brought from Catawba austere in the fire.
Si has his new home about completed and will move in about the aboriginal of the year. He and Annie and Mary are abiding active with the Xmas mail, but they do actual well. Martz is adjustment the Hotel and expects to alpha his new angishore soon. Herndon Ice Co. has been awash to a Manassas company. Robinson is activity to run for Canton agent adjoin Richardson. He care to win. Accept a bashed up in the Mayor’s cloister occasionally, but my anniversary appropriate of $10 and costs slows them up considerable.
Well, bethink that I came aback from Catawba and am still here. Suck in affluence of that abundance air and stick to the cure so that Herndon can avowal of two alumni from Catawba Sanatorium.
Give my kindest commendations to Dr. Nicholls and anyone abroad who ability bethink me.
Uncle Al
Charles Manley Burton died of TB in 1935 at the age of 25.
About this column: “Remembering Herndon’s History” is a approved Herndon Application affection alms belief and anecdotes about Herndon’s past. The accessories are accounting by associates of the Herndon Historical Society. Barbara Glakas is a member. A complete account of “Remembering Herndon’s History” columns is accessible on the Historical Society website at www.herndonhistoricalsociety.org.
The Herndon Historical Society operates a baby building that focuses on bounded history. It is housed in the Herndon Depot in city Herndon on Lynn Street and is accessible every Sunday from apex until 3:00. Visit the Society’s website at www.herndonhistoricalsociety.org, and the Historical Society’s Facebook folio at https://www.facebook.com/HerndonHistory for added information.
Note: The Historical Society is gluttonous volunteers to advice accumulate the building accessible anniversary Sunday. If you accept an absorption in bounded history and would like to help, acquaintance HerndonHistoricalSociety@gmail.com.
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