Near Hardy in Franklin County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
I think that I owe a great deal of my present strength and ability to work to my love of...
— Booker T. Washington National Monument —
November 2, 2022
1. I think that I owe a great deal of my present strength... Marker
I think that I owe a great deal of my present strength and ability to work to my love of outdoor life. Booker T. Washington
As you walk along the Jack-O-Lantern Branch Trail, the woods, streams, and fields are the same as Washington walked. As a slave on the Burroughs' plantation, Booker "had the opportunity to learn nature, to love the soil." Slaves often escaped into the woods to forage for food and avoid the watchful eyes of their masters.
As an adult, Washington still found peace in nature. His time spent relaxing with his family in the woods reinvigorated him to continue his life's work of promoting education for African Americans and soliciting funds for Tuskegee Institute. Washington felt that nature gave him the "strength for the many duties and hard places that await me out in the big world."
(caption)
Washington giving one of his sons a lesson in nature study. Washington and his family were known to go "into the woods, where we can live for a while near the heart of nature...surrounded by pure air, the trees, the shrubbery, the flowers...this is solid rest."
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: African Americans
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Location. 37° 6.594′ N, 79° 43.793′ W. Marker is near Hardy, Virginia, in Franklin County. Marker can be reached from Booker T Washington Highway (Virginia Route 122) 0.2 miles east of Lost Mountain Road, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 12130 Booker T Washington Hwy, Hardy VA 24101, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Jack-O-Lantern Branch Trail (approx. 0.4 miles away); Slavery on the Plantation (approx. 0.7 miles away); Freed Here, At Last (approx. 0.7 miles away); How Tobacco Farms Used Slavery (approx. 0.7 miles away); Booker T. Washington National Monument (approx. 0.7 miles away); Booker T. Washington's Birthplace (approx. 0.7 miles away); Booker T. Washington Birthplace (approx. 0.8 miles away); Taylor’s Store (approx. 3˝ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hardy.
Also see . . . Booker T. Washington National Monument. National Park Service (Submitted on November 7, 2022.)
November 2, 2022
2. I think that I owe a great deal of my present strength... Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on November 7, 2022. It was originally submitted on November 5, 2022. This page has been viewed 91 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 5, 2022. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
