Below the James Lies Dixie

by Parke Rouse Jr.

This is the story of Smithfield and Southside Virginia depicting the yesteryear of this fascinating land and the rising tempo of Southside today. This, says the author, "is where the South really begins".

127 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1968

About the author

Parke Shepherd Rouse Jr. (1915 – March 5, 1997) was an American journalist, writer and historian in Tidewater Virginia. Born in Smithfield, Rouse grew up in Newport News. He attended Washington and Lee University, later moving to Williamsburg, where he worked as director of publications at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Rouse also held several public positions in the Hampton Roads area during his career.

Reviews

[Dennis Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful lady working at the Smithfield Visitor Center (Diane) gave me a copy of this book and I promised I'd read it. Read it on my trip back home (only ablout 120 pages including wonderful pictures). This is the first piece of non-fiction I have read in a long time and I found it to be fascinating. Of course visiting the area had a lot to do with my enthusiasm.

Some readers said Mr. Rouses's memory is a tad flawed when reporting certain factual information about the South's resistance to change but what do I know. I enjoyed reading about the history of Smithfield (from a 1968 POV). I wonder if another book has been written about the same subject along a more modern line? Southern kindness hasn't changed much since 1968, from what I noticed.

The only flaw I have is this...it seemed that Parke jumped around quite a bit. An example, one minute I am reading about a more contemporary Southside and in the next chapter I am reading about prehistoric man and Indians from the early 1600's. I enjoy reading but I can never remove my editor's hat. That being said, the editing was off just a smidgen.

Aside from that tiny bafflement, Below the James Lies Dixie is, in my humble opinion, a very enjoyable read. Thank you Diane and thank you Mr. Rouse.

[Suzanne Auckerman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting! It was published in 1968, when I was in high school. I certainly remembered a lot of the events he covered. I also realized that I know very little about many of the counties around where I grew up. He related a lot of history about towns like Smithfield. He talks about peanuts, hams, tobacco, lumbering, horse racing, recipes.

[Milt · Rating 3 out of 5]

let it lie. past tense instructive.

[SheMac · Rating 3 out of 5]

Um, yeah. A little dated.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

Vignettes of Southside Virginia history, especially Smithfield, Virginia (Rouse's home town). Although Parke Rouse was an institution, and really tried to be truthful in his reportage and avoid Old South mythology, this book, like others he wrote, is flawed by his amnesia concerning the shameful Massive Resistance era of Virginia.