On October 7, at Green Cove Station, a memorial monument, commemorating the 50th anniversary of O. Winston Link's famous photo, "Maude Bows to the Virginia Creeper", will be unveiled.
Last night, at Abingdon's Martha Washington Inn, the group responsible for the monument held an auction and dinner fundraiser and I was pleased to be in attendance. Food, live music, and good company all contributed to a lovely evening out for my wife and I.
Two pieces were the highlights of the auction. The first, a framed poster of OWL's "Maude" print had been signed by the three persons in the photo still living, and is sure to be a one-of-a-kind collector's item. The second was a metal sign, weighing approximately 50 lbs. from along the Abingdon Branch of the railway (today's Creeper Trail), reading "Do Not Tresspass Over Bridge" (or something like that) from near Watauga Station. Accompanying the sign was a framed poster of the print that O. Winston Link made of the train just as it passed the bridge. The sign is clearly visible in the photo. I was very interested in it but so were many others and it went for nearly $500. Don't feel bad for me though, I won the auction for a gift basket from the Virginia Creeper Trail Club which included club merchandise and a lifetime membership. I don't know how much the auction raised but if you are interested in contributing to the monument, you can contact Chris Johnson, Abingdon's Director of Parks and Recreation, who is the chair of the committee.
In case anyone is wondering, yes, my real name is Link. However, I'm no relation (that I know of) to Mr. O. Winston Link. I'm named for my mom's family who are from Humphreys Co., Tennessee. O.W.L. was from New York and I think the Link family reunion for his family is held in West Virginia. Despite our mutual interest in the Creeper Trail/Abingdon Branch and our shared name (his last, my first), we're not related, though I'd love to find a connection. Any geneaologists out there?
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