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Frank Padget Water Tragedy
Blue Ridge Rd,
VA ,
USA
Latitude & Longitude:
37° 38' 1.825044",
-79° 27' 1.69812"
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Virginia State Historical Marker |
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Heavy rains in late Jan. 1854 left the James River and the treacherous Balcony Falls in full flood. On 21 Jan., the canal boat Clinton and its passengers became stranded in the raging waters. Frank Padget, a skilled boatman and slave, led four other men to rescue them. In a heroic attempt to save the last passenger, Padget drowned, unable to fight the rushing current. Capt. Edward Echols, who witnessed Padget's act, was so moved he commissioned the construction of a granite obelisk monument that was erected beside Lock 16 of the Blue Ridge Canal. It now stands here in Glasgow's Centennial Park.
Last updated: 2/14/2015 15:17:00 |
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See all Virginia African American History locations. |
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Frank Padget Water Tragedy Virginia Map
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