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| Junior West Virginia Town Hall, Police Department and Community Center (click to enlarge) |
Another interesting photograph from West Virginia. This is one of those 'found' photographs. Ones that you unexpectedly discover as you're driving. The kind that seem unique enough to stop, turn around and capture the image.
This is the Junior, West Virginia Town Hall, Police Department and Community Center. I'm not sure but there may be more governmental offices in this building but remain unmarked. Here you can also find the town's Pepsi-Cola machine, spare 5-gallon buckets and the official Junior West Virginia trash receptacle. Whatever you may say about the town government of Junior, they seem fiscally responsible for combining several agencies in the same building! No wasting money on extravagant buildings in Junior.
I was southbound on U.S. Route 250 in rural West Virginia minding my own business when I came to a place in the road with a few houses and businesses. I glanced to my left and just happened to see the sign, "Junior Town Hall." I didn't know I was in Junior. Well, after spying the sign and seeing the building I had to turn around and make an exposure. This is the single exposure I made that day in May, 2002.
Junior, West Virginia is a very small town with a population estimated to be 478 (2021) that resides next to the Tygart (Valley) River. Folks visit Junior and the surrounding area for boating, hiking and fishing in the nearby river. Junior, according to the Barbour County website, wasn't always Junior. The town came into existence in in the mid-19th century as Rowtown, named after the German founder, Benjamin Rau. (They must not have been able to spell well back then.)
So how did Rowtown become Junior? It was renamed in honor of State Senator Henry Davis' son drowned off the coast of Africa in 1896. Davis and another state senator evidently owned much of Rowtown and changed the name. Enough about Junior.
If you have more interest in Junior, here is the Barbour County website which outlines its founding and history.
I always keep my eyes wide open when driving and it pays off nicely. I can't tell you how many interesting photographs I've made over the years just by keeping aware of my surroundings while driving. I suspect hundreds. But don't keep your eyes 'off' the road when you should have them 'on' the road. I was a police officer for over three decades and we were taught how to drive and look everywhere but where you are going. Lol.
Join me over at my website, https://www.dennismook.com.
Thanks for looking. Enjoy!
Dennis A. Mook
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Greetings Dennis -
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your photos on this - As an auxiliary police officer for my small community, I encounter many of the challenges of providing police support in smaller communities. It is a test to provide services under limited budgets. We have one of two models in the U.S. for delivering extensive public safety using a volunteer service model, but with extensive equipment and training.
Chris, thank you for your service to your community. Volunteers in law enforcement are very important and I wish more individuals would give generously as you have.
DeleteKudos to Junior, WVA for fiscal responsibility. That is apparently something absent from the new county government attempts at creating their own Taj Mahal's in my area. There must be a competition among the local county Boards to create the most expansive complex. Even the little town of Ashland built something too large, complete with ornamental paver parking lots, that looks nothing like the rest of the town. How much better had they used existing period buildings in the same area.
ReplyDeleteI think my next photo project will be a study of this local government irresponsibility.
As a direct descendant of Benjamin Row, I will confirm that the spelling of Row is not incorrect. Our branch changed the spelling for reasons that can be found in our family history. Yes, our surname at one time was Rau. It was changed long before he settled in Junior. Just wanted to correct the "they must have not been able to spell well back then" comment. Have a great day!
ReplyDelete