The Roanoke Times from Roanoke, Virginia • 61

Regional Offices Maintained in Roanoke by Many Insurance Companies Roanoke is an city According to a survey by the Roanoke Assn of Life Under writers no fewer than 26 life and accident insurance companies maintain regional offices here A REGIONAL office the un derwriters explain Is one from which agents cover a multi state or county area Roanoke is the home office of the Shenandoah Life Insurance Co whicli also has a district of fice here YOUR OPPORTUNITY to answer the 1 $100000 QUESTION! That is what a college education can be worth to you The last census (1950) showed average life earnings to be: or 'the high school graduate $165000 or the college graduate $268000 After paying all costs of your education at Virginia Southern College you should show ADDITIONAL life earnings over the high schhol graduate of more than $100000 QUESTION: "Will You Take the $165000 or GO ON for $268000?" To help you moke a happy decision PHONE 3 4426 and ask Mr Harris to discuss your plans with you personally Perhaps a business course may be the right answer to your career problem and that EXTRA $100000 Catalog on Request Accredited by ACBS Approved for Veterans VIRGINIA SOUTHERN COLLEGE J01 Campbell Ave Roanoke Va 5 There it a Difference in VSC Business Training Established NOW 1917 INTEREST ON SAVINGS ONE HOUR REE PARKING AT MERCHANTS PARKING CENTER LOANS $50 to $50000 at Bank Rates Auto Loans Personal Loans Home Modernizatron Loans Loam to Consolidate Accounts REE! Eversharp Pen with each new account of $10 or more II 1 I 7 1 Roanoke Industrial Loan Corp 305 irst Street 5 Shenondooh Building Dial 4 9254 Roanoke's Only Industrial Loan Company Ollier life aiirl accident insur ance companies with regional of fices here Jefferson Standard Life of Georgia Peoples Life Equitable I Jfe Assurance Society Mutual of Omaha Pilot Life (with both or dinary and combination division offices' Prudential Life (ordin ary and combination division of fices) Union Life Life of Vir ginia (ordinary and combination division offices) Mutual of New York idelity Mutual Mutual Benefit of Newark NJ Equitable of Iowa National Life of Ver mont Southlands Life New Eng land Life Atlantic Life Home Beneficial Occidental Life of North Carolina New York Life Metropolitan 'Life State arm Mutual Life Provident Life and Accident Insurance Co Washing ton National Insurance Co and Virginia Mutual Benefit Life Production by the 50 largest coal mines in 1955 totaled 89 million tons of which about 38 per cent or 34 million tons was produced in 21 West Virginia mines Life in Man's Effort to THE ROANOKE TIMES Sunday Jon 6 1957 1 More Airport Records ell In 56 By MELVILLE CAR ICO Times Staff Writer Woodrum ield added to the City Hall coffers again Inst year as strategic impor tance on the nation's airways maps continued to grow AIRLINE AND executive type air traffic at the municipal air port reflected the business growth of Roanoke and Western Virginia AH the figures are not in yet but it appeals American Eastern and Piedmont flew in about 85000 passengers and hauled that many out during 1956 That is an airport traffic record December Saw the three air lines operating 39 flights a day into Roanoke a record for win ter months Non skeds and com pany owned planes brought in between 5000 and (000 more passengers 'It has been a good year" says Marshall Harris (lie air port manager who has played a leading role in the develop ment of (he airport from what Vs AVs 'A 'sty 'jP (Timet Photo) Woodrum ield Airline Traffic Reached All Time High in 1956 was farmland 25 years ago During the year Roanoke moved toward its 1958 goal of having the 3735 foot northeast south west runway extended so Wood rum ield can handle four en in eair liners The city purchased 28 acres on a line from the northeast end of the runway looking to the ex tension of this runway to 5680 feet with federal and state aid Under another long range proj ect the city is looking towards the purchase of 60 acres at the southeast end for an obstruc tlon fiee "approach zone" re quired by the CAA AIRPORT BACKERS feel Roa noke is in a race against time with American and Eastern eventually going to four engme aircraft exclusively Contracts of all three airlines flying Into Roanoke expire March 15 and it is no secret In City Hall that the city is going to ask for a substantial increase In the landing fees rentals and service charges the airlines pay Based on past experience City Auditor Harry Yates es timates 1957 revenues from the airport at $145000 If the city gets a bigger cut from the air lines this income Woiijd be higher On the $145000 estimate the city stands to clear about $22000 It appears last airport revenue will reach $125000 Dur Advertisement Conquer Time and Space ing the first nine months the rentals fees and service charges had brought in $11351 1 Piedmont led the traffic vol ume at Woodrum ield with 26 flights a day spread between 7 am and 10:42 pan Eastern has 10 and American three in cluding i(s afternoon (urn around flight from New York During Hie year Piedmont be gan basing two of its planes mernight in Roanoke and sta tioning two mechanics here to service them One plane leaves at 7 am lor Washington Hie other at 8 a for Cincinnati Ohm The decision of Piedmont to use Roanoke as an ovenniRlit base was hailed by airport en thusiasts as a big step forward for Woodrum ield They feel Roanoke eventually will become a maintenance center for Pied mont because the city is a crossroad on the growing air line Last year also saw the estab lishment of a first class res taurant "Th? Eagles Nest" at the airport The resteaurant is run by a private operator tinder a contract with the city ROANOKE CONTINUED to glow as a stop for industrial and business executives traveling in company owned planes Almost any day four or five of these planes are parked on the ramps The only "bleak spot" in the 1956 picture at the airport was during the long rainy season in October and November when the field was closed in causing about a 40 per cent drop in incoming traffic Harris said when Roanoke gets runways long enough to accom modate four engine aircraft ths federal government will install the newest navigation aids which will improve bad weather opera tions pheasant and quail art easily stirred up in the rolling fields Just south of county line about 25 miles from Rocky Mount in Patrick county is airy Stone state park one of the most attractive recreation areasin the state It offers overnight cabins camping area picnic facilities nature trails horseback riding and a large lake for swimming fishing and boating The near by Philpott reservoir is open to power boat enthusiasts In a high valley at the foot of the Blue Ridge about 25 miles northwest of Rocky Mount lie the Algoma orchards known far and wide for their fine fruit especially apples 'i'he cool mountain air which cir iculates through the valley and the soil known as Porter's loai produce pippinsw incsaps and delicious apples which have i won blue ribbons in market fairs the coun try over i Diamond Jubilee In 195T Rocky Mount and the TP property are served by the Winston Salem division of the Norfolk Western railroad which has its headquarters in Roanoke described by boosters as The Star City of the a boast that is proclaimed by a huge lighted siar atop 2000 ioot Mill mountain the highest point in the city Though the third largest city in Vir ginia Roanoke is also one of the young est Ir will celebrate its diamond jubilee or 75th year in 1957 Barton Morris Jr executive editor of the Roanoke Times and The Roanoke World News has described his city as brash upstart 75 ygir old infant with much heritage but a lot of get up and In pre settlement days the trails of dter elk and buffalo and of the Indians who came to hunt them converged on the site of the big salt lick marsh at the foot of the Shenandoah Valley As settlement came It was a natural stopping place for people heading south or west It was a frontier crossroads and became widely known as BSKMaiiM fcil 1 i iee REV KIBLER pas tor jor Rocky Mount Methodists stands before his church located about in the center of town 'the largest Methodist church in the counts centrally located at the county seat it is the logical center for united activities of count Methodists Other de ts tn initio with churches in ocky Mount include the Epis copal Christian Baptist and Presbyterian Zp' imrtr' VTr rT vr if 1 I I Lil 1 1 1 RANKLIN COUNTY COURT HOUSE recently renovotad wot built in 1909 Tht first county court session in Rocky Mount wos held in a private home A building served as the court house from 1786 until 1831 PHILPOTT DAM at the southern border of ranklin county is port of a ederal lood Control project for the area Power booting is permitted In the reservoir and water skiing is a popular sport there uv ij: i 7 tr rHa rO'SH (nevi 1 I a 7 Cc rr I rciwoMift or7 1 y' 7 RANKLIN COUNTY ECONOMIC DATA mop of ranklin county with arrow pointing to the TP site Holes ord upper right wos the Hrthplaco of Booker Washington famed negro educator "the site of the big Known os Big Lick The town which eventually developed there carried the name Big Lick until the Shenandoah Valle) railroad met the Nor folk A Western there in 1882 and the town was re incorporated as the city of Roanoke Although it got its start as a railroad town today it boasts a variety of industries its citizens long since having learned ol the economic stability inherent in diversity Roanoke is still a major rail terminus Hundreds of coal laden cats of the and the Virginian railroads move through there each week headed for Norfolk and other coast ports on their way to the lu curative European market where the de mand for coal has far outdistanced the production of Europe's mines But the city lists among other industrial assets the largest plant of American Vis cose Corp the American Bridge division nf 11 5 Steel General Electrics Industry ontrol division Yale A Towne Burling ton mills the home office of Shenandoah Life Insurance company and the head quarters of Appalachian Electric Power company which supplies power tn most lof western Virginia including the Thomp son test center Serves 25 Counties he old Indian trails have become major highwajs and Roanoke is also easily reached by air on scheduled flights of Eastern American and Piedmont airlines to Woodrum fiAd the municipal airport Roanoke is the distribution center for 25 counties and the market place for half a million people Serving its metropolitan population of 145000 are two daily news papers tsvo weeklies five radio stations and two TV stations But Roanoke is more than just a busy town It is proud of its civic and cultural progress its schools and churches its beau tiful residences and its facilities for tour ists and conventioneers It hai excellent city and county school sj stems and nearby are Hollins and Roa 1 RANKLIN MEMORIAL HOSPITAL ot Rocky Mount completad In May 1952 yai built with money raised through more than 6000 local subscription! It it a 52 bed general hospital with 10 active staff doctors and 27 physicians on ths conaultont staff repre senting 16 of the 19 major specialties noke colleges both older than the city itself Within several hours drive are Wash ington and Lee university Virginia Poly technic Institute and Virginia Military In stitute Busy Cultural Life The Episcopalians and the Baptists were the first to form congregations in Big Lick hut today every major denomination and most of the smaller ones are repre sented by one or more churches in Roa noke The city has its writer's guild its ine Arts center a symphony orchestra of 80 members a youth symphony numerous theatrical groups the first all air conditioned library and a new YMCA un der construction The beautiful Hotel Roanoke is host to more conventions per year than any other hotel in Virginia and thousands of travel ers coming down Il or the Blue (Ridge parkway find excellent motel and Ihntel accommodation in Roanoke Many i use it a a base of operations for tours of 1 Of rS 1 'X 6 i i I 11 I 4 vE I I zl 7 HORSEBACK RIDING ta onother one of the mony ottroctions for vocotioners or week end visitors to airy Stone State pork near Bassett in Patrick county Virginia the unrivaled scenery natural wonder and historical landmark within a 75 mile ra dius The Rtxky Mount Roanoke area may not have a hoary heritage but its people are proud of their land of its nautral beau ty and it kindly climate They are proud of their recent progres and eager to in crease their role in building a better America and a more peaceful world Rf? 1 tf Vs 'i I i "0 '1g1' KSSBHBIuhHVv i 4 'h PUBLIC BEACH et airy Stone lake ii shown above otry Stone State pork offer housekeeping cabins tent end trailer eamp sites and nature trolls The lake Is well stocked with garna fuh including large mouth batt and bream Twenty five cabin overlooking the lake ore well equipped with modrn conveniences including electricity Imide plumbing early 1900's Life wasn't fasy not many of us remember the backbreaking drudgery for Mother in so simple a task os preparing Sun day dinner or the endless hours that Dad used to work to provide for his family Now as we progress into this fabulous atomic age it is time to re evaluate the forward strides of the past half century The many many facilities for relaxed and comfortable living We are sincerely proud ta have been a part of the growth and prosperity of our city BUSH HANCOCK 106 Campbell Ave Phone 2 0254 ederal Survey Could Pay Big Dividends for Carroll TlniM Kufmii Carroll County is playing a prominent role fn a federal survey program which could pay big dividends for the county iLsclL LONG ON agriculture stable In retail business and short on industry Carroll was one of the two Virginia counties selected ax a test area for the Department of Asricult Rural Develop ment Program Adams has been named a special assistant county agent and will serve as coordinator of Hie program here Principal goals of thex Rural Development Program are more efficient farming balanced Indus trial and business development improved levels of health educa tion and family welfare and heightened participation In re ligious and civic life Carroll and Cumberland counties are among the 54 counties in 24 states se lected as test areas Special educational technical administrative and farm credit aid will siip)Oit projects in the selected counties as they move toward balanced farm industry coinmunity development still a 1H tie early to tell what the local effect of this pro gram may be Meanwhile the Hillsville Chamber of Commerce is doing all it can to attract new industry "Kight now we have only two small full fashioned hosiery mills with a total employment of about 356 persons We need considerably more than that" says I Sisson mayor of Hillsville ami ehairman of the chamber's industrial committee "We feel that we have a great deal to offer 'There are a num ber of choice Indnslrlal sites and Carroll County has a surplus of high type labor both men and women Our location Is conven ient to the Norfolk and Western Railroad to several principal highways and to any number of natural resources Carroll County and the Town of Hillsville already have made plans to purchase a 27 acre in dustrial site located on the Little Reed Island slieam one mile north of Hillsville Other suitable industrial sites overlook busy RU 22 1 "Competition for new indus tries is pretty keen in this section of the country but we believe it's just a matter of time until develops here in Car roll Sisson concluded Hotels Report '56 Their Biggest Year NEW The biggest ho tel year in the history will show that Americans spent a record $2652000000 in 1956 the American Hotel Assn an nounced today This Is an in crease of 4 per cent over gross sales of $2550000000 reported In 1955 best previous year Guest use of 1451000 hotel rooms accounted for 478 per cent of the Innkeepers' totql income with hotel meals accounting for 335 per cent of the remaining dollars beverage sales 126 per rent and other services store rentals and concessions return ing 61 per cent Pacific Power Light Co I spending $300000 to $400000 to explore the possibility of using Oregon coal as fuel in a new elec tric power plant now in planning stages It would be the first coal fired steam electric plant in tht state.