The Gloucester Genealogical Society of Virginia will feature a talk by Gloucester native Dr. William “Bill” Weaver at its March meeting at 10 a.m. Monday at Buck’s Store Museum in Bena.
Weaver will reflect on his great-grandfather’s migration from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to Gloucester in 1869 and his settling at Burleigh Farm.
His family history will continue with succeeding generations building and operating several sawmills; the establishment of a major steamboat stop at Clay Bank including the pier, a lodge and a store; and the expansion of the sawmill business into the Weaver Brothers Lumber Company throughout the local region.
Weaver will tell how, following World War I, his father, William, returned to full-time farming at Clay Bank, managing crops, cattle and a large poultry operation including a chick hatchery. This is the farm life backdrop that Weaver grew up with and which served as a guide for his future life’s work.
As a 1958 graduate of Gloucester High School, Weaver wen...