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Nelson Harris

The Vegabonds

The Vagabonds

Heads turned in August 1918 when Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and Harvey Firestone arrived unexpectedly for lunch at Hotel Roanoke.
Cadets line up for formation on the front walk of the Harris Military Institute. ©Courtesy of Nelson Harris

Strange Days of Roanoke: Reveille in South Roanoke

In the early 1930s, a military academy for boys in South Roanoke attracted students from across the United States.
This is a 1959 aerial view of Victory Stadium along Reserve Avenue SW.

The Game Changer

In 1961, an NFL exhibition game in Roanoke changed the city and professional football.
The lawn of First Presbyterian Church was a place of solace for Mark, who was made “guardian” of the church’s grounds by the pastor.

Strange Days of Roanoke: A Boy Named Mark

In 1960, Mark was a first-grader at Crystal Spring Elementary School. In 1980, he became an assassin.
Circa 1930 image shows the original members of the Roanoke Life Saving and First Aid Crew.

Strange Days of Roanoke: The Man Who Launched a Movement

At only 9 years old, Julian Stanley Wise watched two men drown in the Roanoke River, a scene he never forgot.
This 1950s image shows one of the early races at the Starkey Speedway.

Strange Days of Roanoke: NASCAR at Starkey

In the 1950s and ‘60s, stock car engines roared at Starkey Speedway.
Hill Crest Hall opened in 1922 and housed up to 250 females who worked at the Viscose plant in Southeast Roanoke.

Strange Days of Roanoke: The Women of Hill Crest Hall

In the 1920s and ’30s, a female dormitory at Viscose was the center of life for hundreds of workers.
Patients slept on open verandas, regardless of temperature, due to the perceived benefit of inhaling fresh air.

Strange Days of Roanoke: Catawba and the White Death

For six decades, the Catawba Sanatorium treated patients ravaged by tuberculosis.
The Gill Memorial Ear, Eye, Nose and Throat Hospital, shown here, opened in 1928. Ewald Pharmacy was near the front entrance.

Strange Days of Roanoke: Roanoke’s Miracle Worker

Dr. E. G. Gill was a tireless humanitarian who put Roanoke at the epicenter of sight preservation.
George Davis took this photo of the Liberty Bell during its stop in Roanoke. Hotel Roanoke is in the background.

Strange Days of Roanoke: The Liberty Bell in Roanoke

In 1895, America’s sacred relic went on a national tour to reconcile the nation.
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