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Down Home in
A little village with a big heart,
this Bath County community
is defined by the
character and
charm of its
people.
by Margo Oxendine,
Contributing Writer
During the year 2000, we’re making our way around Virginia, each
issue visiting a small town and meeting some of the folks who make
up the heart of electric co-op country. On this year’s third stop,
we’ll be...
D
OWN
H
OME
S
ERIES
D
OWN
H
OME
S
ERIES
Don Blanch a rd ’s wood carv i n g s
( a b ove) are displayed in Millboro ,
t h roughout Bath County, and in ya rd s
a c ross the country. Marmalade, part
basset hound and part pug, enjoy s
wa t ching the artist at wo r k .
This whimsical horse sculpture
(right) graces a pasture at River Ridge
R a n ch, home of artist Ann Sams.
T
he little village of Millboro
is the big heart of a com-
munity that knows how to
overcome hard times, work togeth-
e r, care for its own, and welcome vis-
itors with its down-home charm. Nestled
in the eastern corner of historic Bath
C o u n t y, at one time, Millboro was the chief
railroad hub of the region.
H a r p e r Wa g n e r
, whose family has oper-
ated Wa g n e r’s Citgo at Millboro Springs for
more than 50 years, will tell you, “If it didn’t
come into Millboro on the train, it didn’t come
into Bath County at all. Dad used to tell me
that in the old days, when Route 39 was
known as the Harrisonburg Turnpike, folks in
wagons from as far as West Vi rginia would
pass by here on their way to the Millboro
depot. You could get on the train in Millboro
and ride all the way to New Yo r k . ”
But that was then. Nowadays, trains rum-
ble through the village, but they don’t stop.
The once-bustling railroad depot has been
torn down, along with its once-fashionable
hotel. The village and its surrounding area
have had to make a different mark on the map;
that mark is recreation, enhanced by sheer nat-
ural beauty.
To fully appreciate Millboro, it is impor-
tant to realize that the village is not all there is
to it. What folks around here call “Millboro”
is really much of the eastern half of the coun-
t y. It encompasses the village and the com-
munities of Millboro Springs, Fairview, and
Mill Creek; the southern settlements down
Route 42 to Interstate 64; and the northern
region, with scattered farms and gorg e - t o r n
terrain. The area spans more than 200 square
Millboro
Millboro
Cooperative Living/March/April 2000
18
Harper Wa g n e r ’s family has
o p e rated the gas and conve n-
ience store in Millboro Springs
for more than 50 ye a r s .
The Cauley brothers, Herman in the re d
cap and A.H, known as “Mutt” have
helped Millboro change through the
decades. Mutt, 87, helped organize the
M i l l b o ro Ruritan Club, and was genera l
manager of BARC until he re t i red in
1978. Herman, 90, still delivers Meals
on Wheels to shut-ins.
miles. And there’s not a traffic light or strip
mall to be found.
Since the village is the heart, it’s a good
place for visitors to start exploring the bucolic
countryside, with its rolling meadows, rocky
b l u ffs and peaceful river. The ancient
Cowpasture River and its feeder creeks and
streams snake through much of eastern Bath
County and offer recreational opportunities to
fish, canoe, picnic, swim and just
plain relax. Nearby is Douthat
State Park, with a 52-acre lake, 40
miles of hiking trails, camp-
grounds, and year-round cabins.
But first you’ll need provi-
sions. The purveyor of all necessities is the
Millboro General Store, known as “Ernie’s . ”
The domain of Millboro’s unofficial mayor,
Ernie To w n s e n d
, it is the hub of the village
where news is shared, directions and advice
are given cheerfully, and all you’ll need for an
adventure awaits on the well-stocked shelves.
Gas up, get your bait, propane, picnic lunch,
city newspapers or The Record e r local week-
l y, even a Millboro sweatshirt. Don’t forget to
say hello to Ernestine, the cat who lives the
good life on the store’s front porch.
Herman and A.H. “Mutt” Cauley
c a n
tell you all about the good life in Millboro.
They’ve seen the place transform through the
ages, and they helped make it happen.
After he finished delivering Meals on
Wheels one recent afternoon, Herman,
who’ll be 90 in September, stopped by the old
Millboro school, which is on the docket for
renovation into a community center. T h e
transformation is already taking place; a new
community pool opened to great acclaim last
s u m m e r, and the campus features the area’s
own medical clinic and the Millboro
Ruritan clubhouse.
Joined by Mutt, who at 87 likes to
remind you he’s “the younger broth-
e r,” the Cauley boys reminisced, and
then they mused about the future.
The Wi n dy Cove Pre s by t e r i a n
C h u rch (right), founded in 1749,
is a spiritual and social center.
The pastoral, historic Cow p a s t u re
R iver wends its way through much
of the Millboro are a .
“I’d like to see them put a bowling alley in
that old school auditorium,” says Herman.
H e ’s confident it could happen if the people of
Millboro put their minds to it. It’s that kind of
thinking that makes Millboro what it is today.
Back in July 1939, Mutt went to work for
the rural electric company that is today BARC
Electric Cooperative, Bath County’s fourth-
l a rgest employer. The cooperative employs
about 50 people and makes its home in
Millboro, just across from the old school. A f t e r
being hired “as a bum,” Mutt says, “I worked
to get people signed up for electricity and get
19
E ve rything from snow shovels to gas and gro c e r i e s
can be found at the Millboro General Store (left),
wh e re Cora Bell Ke n n e dy (above) does a brisk food
business and Ernestine (below), who arrived ye a r s
ago as a shivering kitten, rules the ro o s t .
March/April 2000/www.co-opliving.com
easements. Back in those days, none of the
homes up and down the countryside were
wired for electricity. ”
Mutt Cauley also helped organize the
Millboro Ruritan Club in 1939; Herman did-
n ’t join until 1975, when he retired and moved
back home from Maryland. “But I do have
perfect attendance since then,” he laughs.
The Ruritans are the glue that bonds the
community and the dynamo that drives it into
the future. They established the volunteer fire
department, then organized and helped build
the medical clinic. The Ruritan clubhouse pro-
vides a community meeting place, along with
the new elementary school just down the lane.
Ruritans also built what Herman proclaims is
the best softball field in the county, the tennis
courts, and the community picnic shelter.
That shelter is a busy place in spring,
summer and fall. The Ruritans’ b a r b e c u e d
chicken is downright famous. Folks flock
from 50 miles for “halves” or the full dinner,
which includes long-stewed green beans,
homemade rolls, and a hard-to-decide-which
slice of fresh cake. Some take it home, but
most head for the long tables, joining
strangers who soon become friends.
Along with the food, there’s usually fun.
The barbecues are just the icing on what can
be a carnival, a giant community yard sale, a
country auction, or a holiday celebration.
Visit Millboro the last weekend in May and
you’ll find all of Bath County at the Relay
for Life, fun that raises funds to fight cancer.
Visit the first weekend in September and find
a Labor Day festival. Come in early July and
relive the thrill of an old-fashioned carnival,
complete with rides, bingo and a raucous
p a r a d e .
A Cooperative Com m u n i t y
Millboro is more than a community that
knows how to celebrate. It also knows how to
cooperate for the good of all. The medical
clinic is evidence of that; before it opened in
1991, those who needed general medical
attention had to drive at least 20-30 miles.
N o w, a physician and nurse practitioner see
patients every We d n e s d a y, right in town.
When water service became a desperate
need, “we just put in a system on our own,”
notes a nonchalant Herman Cauley. That sys-
tem serves about 150 homes today.
And when concern arose about the lack of
nearby emergency medical service, Millboro
solved that, too. Last year, they organized the
Millboro Area Rescue Squad (MARS). Wi t h
set-up help from other Vi rginia squads and
Bath County supervisors, the squad now oper-
ates three ambulances and boasts 43 home-
town members. MARS is the perfect comple-
ment for the Millboro fire department; many
of the volunteers pull double-duty in emer-
gencies and roll up their sleeves when it’s time
for the carnival or other community event.
What Makes Millboro Special?
Ask anybody from Millboro what makes it
so special, and the answer will be the same.
“ I t ’s the people,” Herman Cauley says.
“ We’ve got some of the finest people around.
Every time you look up, someone’s coming to
your door bringing you something.”
Mutt Cauley smiles. “Betty Jo A r m-
s t ro n g
, with warm bread right out of the oven.
Mmmmm, I love it! Gladys and Wi l l i e
Ry d e r
, bringing you homemade soup. It’s the
people that make Millboro what it is.”
Over at BARC headquarters, the people
who see to it that calls are answered, bills are
correct, and service comes with a friendly
smile, agree.
“ I t ’s the people,” Becky Jenkins and L i z
H a r v e y
say in unison. “If you have any trou-
ble, there are just hordes of people who come
and want to help you with it.” Becky, BARC
manager of finance and office services, adds,
“When I broke my shoulder, everybody
around cooked dinner for us for two weeks!
T h a t ’s the special thing about Millboro; it’s
almost like one, big family. ”
This is one family who loves to entertain
visitors. If you’ve a mind to retreat, rejuvenate
and enjoy, down home in Millboro could be a
perfect fit: fun, food and friendly faces, amidst
the best backdrop nature can muster. s
T
o reach the village of
Millboro, turn off Route
39 onto Route 635, T. C .
Walker Road. At the end of
that road, across from the
BARC Electric Coopera t ive ,
turn left, and you’ll quick l y
find Main Street.
In the village, Ernie
Tow n s e n d ’s M i l l b o ro Gen-
e ral Store ( 5 4 0 - 9 9 7 - 9 4 9 7 )
is the place for provisions and directions
to other points of interest. It is open eve r y
d ay from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m., except for
S u n d ays, when it opens at noon. Th e
t ow n ’s post office is on Main Street, too.
S a n dw i ches, hot food, gas and groceries
are available at Te d ’s Place on Route 39,
west of Millboro Springs.
For lodging, consider Fort Lew i s
L o d g e, open April through October, on
Route 625. A delicious dinner buffet is
s e r ved nightly to guests and the public.
Call (540) 925-2314 for reservations and
more information. There are seve ral bed
and breakfasts in the Millboro area,
including Peaceful River ( 5 4 0 - 9 9 6 - 4 2 5 6 )
on Route 39, wh i ch also has a camp-
ground near the Cowpasture River; B i g
Bend Fa r m (540-997-5661), a wo r k i n g
600-acre farm overlooking the rive r ;
Wilderness Ranch (540-996-4496) in
B l u e g rass Hollow, wh i ch offers secluded
log cabins; the H e m l o ck Guest House i n
Millboro Springs (540-997-0308); S y c a-
m o re Bend (540-925-2426), another
working farm on the Cowpasture Rive r,
Cooperative Living/
March/April 2000
20
Fort Lewis Lodge offers cozy cabins
with stone fireplaces and a lodge with
gorgeous views from eve ry ro o m .
If You Go...
off Route 624 (Westminster Road); and
H u n t e r ’s Pa ra d i s e in Green Va l l e y, (540)
9 9 6 - 4 1 3 4 .
Douthat State Park e n c o m p a s s e s
4,500 acres on Rt. 629 south and features
ye a r-round cabins, campgrounds, hiking
t rails, nature programs, and an amphithe-
ater and restaurant overlooking the 52-
acre lake with a swimming beach. Fo r
more information, call (540) 862-8100.
If yo u ’re considering a visit to Millboro,
you may want to explore a little further, to
the historic towns of Warm and Hot
S p r i n g s, a short drive west on Rt. 39, and
then south on Rt. 220. The Bath County
Chamber of Commerce (1-800-628-
8092) can provide all tourist-related
details and brochures. The office is locat-
ed about one mile south of Hot Springs
and is open from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.,
M o n d ay through Fr i d ay. For more infor-
mation about Bath County, visit their We b
site at w w w. b a t h c o u n t y va . o r g. s
