The Lora Fleming Memorial Bridge

Date: 14 Feb 2002 [unknown]
Location: Mingo County, West Virginia, United States, old railroad line on Route 3/5 at Boardcamp Branch, approximately one-half mile inside the Mingo County boundary line with Wayne County

Feature Name: Lora Fleming Memorial Bridge Feature Type: Bridge County: Mingo Primary State: West Virginia Latitude: 37.943794 North Longitude: -82.30193 West Elevation: 784 Feet above MSL (239 Meters) USGS Quad Map: Wilsondale

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 23

(By Mr. Speaker, Mr. Kiss, and Delegates H. White, Kominar, Amores, Anderson, Ashley, Azinger, Beach, Beane, Boggs, Border, Brown, Browning, Butcher, Campbell, Cann, Canterbury, Carmichael, Coleman, Compton, Craig, DeLong, Dempsey, Douglas, Doyle, Ennis, Evans, Fahey, Flanigan, Fleischauer, Fletcher, Fragale, Givens, Hatfield, Hrutkay, Hubbard, Keener, Kuhn, Leach, Leggett, Louisos, Mahan, Manchin, Manuel, Marshall, Martin, Mathews, McGraw, Mezzatesta, Michael, Morgan, Paxton, Perdue, Perry, Pethtel, Pino, Poling, Proudfoot, Prunty, Riggs, Romine, Shaver, Shelton, J. Smith, L. Smith, Spencer, Stalnaker, Staton, Stemple, Stephens, Susman, Swartzmiller, R. Thompson, R. M. Thompson, Tucker, Varner, Webster, C. White, G. White, Williams, Wills, Wright and Yeager)

[Introduced February 14, 2002; referred to the

Committee on Rules.]

Requesting the West Virginia Division of Highways to name the bridge located on what is known as the old railroad line on Route 3/5 at Boardcamp Branch, approximately one-half mile inside the Mingo County boundary line with Wayne County, the Lora Fleming Memorial Bridge.

Whereas, Lora Evans Fleming was born in Wilsondale, West Virginia, Mingo County on July 24, 1910, and lived all her life on Twelve Pole Creek in the small hollow communities such as New Ground Hollow and Bull Branch, located between Breeden and Wilsondale, using the same post office for 84 years; as a young adult in the late 1920's she taught school in the same one room school she had attended at Turkey Creek near Wilsondale; and Whereas, Lora Evans married Goodlow Fleming, an employee of the N & W Railroad; they were the parents of eleven children, seven girls and four boys, ten of whom are living today (five in the immediate vicinity of the bridge); the second oldest of their children born Fannie Belle Fleming, is perhaps the most celebrated, being known as "Blaze Starr"; and Whereas, Lora Evans Fleming was an often published author of poems and short stories for magazines in the 1950's and 1960's, with her book of poetry, "My West Virginia Hills", containing 92 poems being published in 1992; and Whereas, Lora Fleming was a member of the Zion Church of Breeden and until her death on August 10, 1994, she kept house and cared for a semi-invalid son who lived with her and who still resides in the home place today with Blaze as his care provider. Lora Evans Fleming was well known and loved throughout the surrounding areas of northern Mingo County and southern Wayne County; therefore, be it Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia: That the bridge located on what is known as the old railroad line on Route 3/5 at Boardcamp Branch, approximately one-half mile inside the Mingo County boundary line with Wayne County, the Lora Fleming Memorial Bridge; and, be it Further Resolved, That the commissioner is requested to have made and be placed at both ends of the bridge, signs identifying the bridge as the "Lora Fleming Memorial Bridge "; and, be it Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the House is hereby requested to forward a copy of this resolution to the surviving children of Lora Evans Fleming and to the West Virginia State Department of Highways. http://www.legis.state.wv.us/bill_text_html/2002_SESSIONS/2X/bills/hcr23%20intr.htm