VCC Magazine Fall 2019

From the Editor: Who was Anna Maria Lane?

From the Publisher: I go out walkin' –on Ninth Street For more than a year I’ve walked on Ninth Street north of Bank Street seeing the remains of one of my favorite historical markers, of Anna Maria Lane. One might miss the broken pole that appears to be standing guard over the most disgusting mess adjacent to the Capitol grounds. This City of Richmond debacle greeting me daily as I walk to and from my office.

My agonizing silence ended in mid-September when I unloaded on Facebook. David L. Bailey Ninth Street next to Capitol Square Just over the fence is Mantle and the location of the wall and statues honoring women. But you walk by several “weed and trash filled planters” on the Capitol side of Ninth Street, a complete disaster.

Years ago, the plan seemed to be a good one with plantings and maintenance. With such beautiful Capitol grounds, this is beyond words. Bonnie Atwood, unless you get some satisfactory action, how about an editorial in Virginia Capitol Connections. Bonnie replied, “This is what people see when they visit our State Capitol. It used to be beautiful. I hold my breath when I walk by.” Many friends joined the conversation with a variety of comments. Tracy Dean Howard I've often had the same thought walking down the Ninth Street side. Ick. Walt Latham We're told in York County to not have standing water because of mosquitoes. We also discussed the need to restore the historical marker. See the David L. Bailey page to read our many comments. As we go to press there’s good news: The marker will be replaced and there’s more than just hope that the ugly mess will be gone. Stay tuned. Don’t feel bad if you’ve never heard of her. She was not aVirginia native. Her claim to fame here occurred late in the Revolutionary War. Not satisfied to serve the Continental Army as a cook or a nurse, she summoned the courage to dress as a man, and enlisted as a man, putting her directly in harm’s way. She was distinguished at the Battle of Germantown, near Philadelphia, where she performed “extraordinary military services,” and was wounded in battle. After the war, the Lanes lived in Virginia. They moved to Richmond in 1801, where her husband served in the public guard, and she assisted in a military hospital. Lane was one of a few women who received pensions from the new government. They received $100 per year for life in recognition of her service “in revolutionary war, in the garb, and with the courage of a soldier.” She died in 1810. Today, all the public sees are a sign where her name once stood, and a neglected sidewalk around it. Virginia Capitol Connections Quarterly Magazine thanks the Library of Virginia (and our Facebook friends) for this information . V

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V irginia C apitol C onnections , F all 2019

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