When Lynchburg Was "Lunchburg"

When Lynchburg Was "Lunchburg" (HM1ENK)

Location: Lynchburg, VA 24501
Buy Virginia State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 37° 24.859', W 79° 9.495'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 664 views
Inscription
During the First World War, many people across the country knew Lynchhurg as "Lunchburg." The City earned this nickname because of its famous Red Cross Canteen Service to soldiers traveling by train through Lynchburg. From 1917 to I919, dedicated and patriotic young women of the Lynchburg Red Cross dispensed food and cheer to thousands of troops at the Southern Railway Station on Kemper Street.

"Lunchburg" became a nationally-recognized canteen (or refreshment) stop because most trains carrying troops from training camps in the South to embarkation ports in the North passed through Lynchburg.

Operating from its "hut" at the Southern Railway Station, the Canteen Service prepared and served light refreshments to servicemen, including coffee, tea, sandwiches, fruit, cakes, and candy. The all-volunteer staff handed out magazines, postcards, and cigarettes, comforted ill soldiers, and treated minor injuries in a small hospital rom. Their smiling faces and words of cheer boosted the morale of American troops headed to war "over there" in Europe.

Lucille McWane Watson, Commandant of the Lynchburg Red Cross Canteen Service, remembered that "during the intense heat of the summer of 1918 a troop train commander wired in for drinking water. When the train arrived, barrels, tubs and coolers full of clear ice water were waiting along the platform, enough for 500 thirsty travel-worn men."

Images courtesy of the Lynchburg Museum System
Details
HM NumberHM1ENK
Tags
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Friday, September 5th, 2014 at 12:49am PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)17S E 662985 N 4142427
Decimal Degrees37.41431667, -79.15825000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 37° 24.859', W 79° 9.495'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds37° 24' 51.54" N, 79° 9' 29.70" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)434
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 1513 Fifth St, Lynchburg VA 24501, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. Is this marker part of a series?
  2. What historical period does the marker represent?
  3. What historical place does the marker represent?
  4. What type of marker is it?
  5. What class is the marker?
  6. What style is the marker?
  7. Does the marker have a number?
  8. What year was the marker erected?
  9. Who or what organization placed the marker?
  10. This marker needs at least one picture.
  11. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  12. Is the marker in the median?