| I, Bob Heafner, met with Ms. DeCesar at The Slave Meadow in
Meadows of Dan in late December of 2001. She was very encouraging that something
would be done to replace the headstones. While we were on the site, Dwight
Shelor, a local dairy farmer, stopped and talked with us. He told her about how
his mother, who before her death, was always concerned about the grave markers
being removed and wanted them replaced. After Dwight left, Ms. DeCesar talked about how a portion of
the Underground Railroad once ran through this area and this would be the
perfect site to commemorate the African-American experience in the Blue Ridge.
As I started home that day I felt that finally something was going to be done
to replace the headstones. Ms. DeCesar promised to call me within
a few days after talking the situation over with her superiors. Several weeks
went by and I finally called Ms. DeCesar and her optimism was severely dampened
to the point of being very discouraging for me. It seemed we were back to square
one.
I asked Ms. DeCesar to please send me a written response that
I could post online to keep our readers informed of the progress, or lack
thereof, in getting the headstones replaced.
Next I received a letter from Dan Brown, Superintendent of The Blue Ridge
Parkway (see next step in chronological order).
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Click here to go . . .
back to the Slave Meadow
article.
Click here to read . . .
the letter to the NPS.
June 12, 2001
the NPS email
response.
June 20, 2001
reply to NPS email.
June 20, 2001
Meeting with Ms.
DeCesar
Late December 2001
Letter from Dan Brown
January 17, 2002
Letter to Dan Brown
May 16, 2005
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