Confederate generals, Matoaca mills and more
Book tells county's history in pictures
By Susan Nienow

Clark

As a descendant of Richard Lee, one of the original Jamestown settlers, a love of history is in Frances Watson Clark's genes. Her passion for the past led her to combine her heritage, the influence of her historian mother and a curiosity about local history to create a book entitled "Chesterfield County." The book chronicles the photographic stories of the people, places and events that shaped the county she has called home for the past 19 years.

With its rich history, Chesterfield provided a bounty of content for Clark's book, since the county was home to four Confederate generals, an important industrial site, the location of the second permanent colony after Jamestown and a battle of the Civil War.

Clark grew up in Suffolk and is also the author of "Suffolk and Nanesmond County," published in 2002. Both books are part of the Images of America historical series published by Arcadia Publishing. Clark's research of her hometown of Suffolk put her in touch with the Chesterfield Historical Society.

"I scanned pictures for them in exchange for using the photos. We had the understanding that any information I came across goes back to them," she explained. Staff and volunteers from the historical society were invaluable in locating photographs and getting additional information about the people and places in them for Clark's book.

She tapped various Chesterfield resources for many of the photos in her book that have not been published before. In addition to the historical society, the owners of Swift Creek Mill Theatre and even Channel 23 provided photos.

Clark's research moved forward with the help of many people, she acknowledged. Bettie Weaver furnished photos from her family and then proofed the book for accuracy. The Bon Air Library provided many photos, and she purchased several postcards from a seller on eBay.

Often history is written down with one or more facts in error and then repeated through the years. Because of that, Clark tried to get two sources to verify historical accuracy, though even then she ran across details like Camack Mill spelled three different ways.

Clark's interest in history is just an avocation at this time. She has worked in telecommunications for the past 27 years, most recently as an account executive for Cross Telecom.

She dedicated her book to the late Dan Weiskotten, county archeologist and interim head of the Chesterfield Historical Society. "His enthusiasm and love of history was infectious," said Clark, though he passed away before he could see the results of his encouragement.

Clark will appear at a book signing on August 5 from 2-5 p.m. at Barnes and Noble on Huguenot Road.