At the Trailhead
When I first decided to return to Richmond to complete this project, I asked two of my closest friends in college (Deema and Hannan, pictured) to come with me. I thought it would be exciting to bring them to a place that was formative to me in my childhood and in high school. Before heading over to the park we grabbed takeout from Soul Taco, a Richmond city staple and one of my favourite Black-owned restaurants in the area. We packed bags with sunscreen, water, and speakers and rode to the trailhead."Texas Beach" was named by locals after the street that leads to the parking lot at the trailhead. It is a part of the James River Park System and one of the most verdant and shady outposts. The trail that we walked on this trip is part of the larger North Bank Park trail, which winds around the riverside and along the railroad to Belle Isle and Tredegar (other popular outdoor recreation spots on the river).
Roots of Trees
The first part of the trail is a descent down a steep boardwalk followed by a short downhill scramble over thick tree roots. We were surrounded by other hikers with similar goals, and took care not to trip over anything on the ground. Entering the train evoked feelings of deep nostalgia, and I allowed myself to bask in the quiet, listen to the faded conversations of strangers around me, and appreciate the warmth of the air contrasting the cool breeze of the shade. At the bottom of the scramble, we encountered a flat gravel space in the trees with a few benches and the bridge that we would use to cross the train tracks below.
Walking on the Bridge
The bridge provides a beautiful view of the treetops and the railroad. I found myself appreciating the view through the geometric sides of the structure. We came across many different locks with the names of lovers clipped to the side of the bridge. When Hannan asked what they meant, I recounted fondly a story of coming up to Texas Beach with my friends in senior year and scheming about placing a lock with our names in commemoration of graduation. Seeing how many locks had acculumated across the years made me tenderly wish that we had done it.
Descending the Tower
At the end of the bridge is a tall storied tower covered in murals painted by students from the local renowned university art program, VCU Arts. For the first time, I took the time to admire each mural panel while descending the tower. Some of my favourites are pictured here, including a raccoon with scrap metal and a rainbow oustretched hand.
The Railroad
After some research, I was able to identify that the segment of railraod we crossed was a part of the Richmond and Alleghany railroad. The chartering of this railroad was initiated by George Washington and was assigned as a project to the James River Company, a company that worked on canal and turnpike improvements in the city. The railroad was built to "improve the navigation of the James River." For most of early American history, Richmond was a riverport history and one of the largest centers for the trade of enslaved labour. The canal system allowed shipments of enslaved labourers to be sent directly to the city center, where they were auctioned to rich Southern land and plantation owners.Source: Richmond and Alleghany Railroad on JSTOR
First Glimpses of the River
Beginning our walk down the trail yielded our first views of the James River between trees. Before I could even see the river I heard the clear, rhythmic sounds of the rapids and smelled fresh, slightly salty air. The pace of the river provided a gentle breeze that was relieving as the sun began to climb higher in the sky. While we had initially brought a speaker so we could play music as we walked, we opted to listen to the sounds of the wind whistling through the trees and the rhythmic splash of the shallow water on rocks.The James River was given the name by colonial settlers that displaced the indigenous tribes in central Virginia. Originally, the river was called the Powhatan river by the Powhatan tribe- the pimary tribe living below the James River fall line in what is now known as Richmond. West of the fall line, land was occupied by the Monacan tribe. Both the Monacan and Powhatan peoples were intimately connected to the river as a source of food, travel, and defense. The river was home to lush and plentiful variety of fish, game, migratory birds, and fertile ground- a beautiful environment for a well organized indigenous village. The city now known as Richmond used to go by the name of Powhatan as well as Shocquohocan or Shockoe- now the name of a massive trading and freight district in the modern city.Source: James River History | James River Association (thejamesriver.org)Links to video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WaoMJsezXyNlc1o3E5LViWuX1gid2feX/view?usp=sharinghttps://drive.google.com/file/d/1tIPTgzeA6rk4WJC7YmuYppbF8PG1nceJ/view?usp=sharing
Taking a Walk
Walking further down the trail, the river began to reveal itself more and more. Sections of the trail exposed us to more water and sunlight while other parts took us into esconded woods where the sunlight made speckles through the trees. The sun was getting brighter and hotter overhead, so I appreciated the opportunity to rest under the trees. The walk reminded me of loud, boisterous conversation with friends as we would trek to find a spot to sit.I learned after some research that the fall line of the James River used to mark a partition between Powhatan land and Monacan land. When colonizers like Christopher Newport learned of this, they weaponized the knowledge in an attempt to win the allegiance of the Powhatan people and strengthen resistance and resentment between the tribes. Even indigenous boundaries were subject to desecreation and violence by colonial settlers, as they made every attempt to create division between previously peaceful and unified nations.Source: The Origins of Richmond- Envision the James RiverLinks to videos:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OJCjygmlW2yF4DD6Eq5NQvCZa5HJgOSR/view?usp=sharinghttps://drive.google.com/file/d/1uWDIC-7-84pRyaISOmTX9Xfp0jQiBpD9/view?usp=sharing
The James River Rapids
As we began to get closer to the river itself, we formed a closer view of the rapids- fast streams in the river that crash against rocks. The James River rapids are host to many different watersports such as kayaking yearly, but are dangerous to navigate at such high speeds. As a child I had some fear of the speed of the water and was nervous to even dip my feet in, as I was scared that I would be swept away into the vastness.One of the major energy companies in Virginia and North Carolina, Dominion Energy, has many stations and facilities along the river, which it uses to power turbines that generate power. Power lines and 17 transmission towers owned by Dominion Energy have been major detractors from the landscape and have threatened the environmental integrity of the riverside, leading to widespread advocacy from environmental activists aiming to preserve the unique quality of the river. While indigenous folks used the river as a source of food and live, English colonizers wished to use it as a transportation hub bringing tobacco to Atlantic ports for shipment to Europe. The waterway soon went from beautiful and untouched to polluted- an industrial open sewer. In the mid-20th century, the river became so polluted that public access became prohibited out of public health concerns. The James River Park (comprised of natural areas, rocks, and rapids along the falls) was created to improve water quality and spare the natural wildlife and vegetation of the James from further contamination.When environmental advocates became more cognizant of the "oustandingly remarkable" historical signficance of the James River, an advocacy organization called American Rivers filed an amicus brief with the courts to challenge construction of more power equipment by Dominion on the riverbank. Despite valiant efforts, Dominion Energy has continued to expand construction.Sources: James River - American Rivers and History of the Park - Friends of the James River ParkLink to video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uwjhxBGz-RPFrqU821oCXG2Go3fXW4NK/view?usp=sharing
A Special View
We finally reached the lagoon at the end of the trail and began to seek out rocks to claim as our resting spot of the afternoon. By this point in our journey along the trail, Deema, Hannan and I were exhuasted from the sun and heat and starving. We were ready to plant our roots and enjoy the weather, some water, and our tacos. I stopped to show them one of my favourite rocks on the lagoon, where you get a beautiful view of both the main pass of the river and other rocks, where other hikers had stopped to rest as well. The people around us were from all age groups. I saw families with young children that made me recall my own family when I was young, and I saw teenagers laughing and sunning themselves in swimsuits and drinking cheap beer. It felt sweet and joyful to see a full spectrum of life around me. Back in high school, my friends and I would spread out with blankets in this space. We would chat for hours, dip our feet in the water, and lie down and stare into the tree tops when a lull came over the crowd. I laughed recounting a story to Deema and Hannan of how I came after school with friends one day and we discovered that there were water snakes at our feet. A friend felt something nibble on his toes, and without another word we lept out of the water screaming and giggling.Links to videos: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DS7l6330fOH2QINsVnUmB3q399hlbpux/view?usp=sharinghttps://drive.google.com/file/d/1VKZeJ_0oPivEijHNesl5t4WZquAjGiQ5/view?usp=sharing
The Destination
We finally settled in the middle of the lagoon, dropped our bags, and began to eat and enjoy the ambience of the river. As I observed families and friends sitting around us, I thought about how communal the space felt. No matter where we came from, we felt like some part of the river was meant to be explored by us, and that we could all experience it in different ways but enjoy each others' passive company.In my research into the indigeous histories of the James River area, I found a piece of writing by a VCU English student that really stood out to me. “We know that the tidewater Indians developed religious-type rituals around the all-powerful river that the colonists reported but could not understand. At sunrise and sunset they often bathed in groups, throwing tobacco leaves, especially on waters that were rough or high. The names they gave the river either described a particular place or a tribe that lived nearby, but they did not mark nor even conceive of private or even tribal ownership of their river or the lands that bordered it. For them the river could not be possessed or tamed, but instead lived with, respected, and held in stewardship for future generations.”The James River has been a place of refuge for so many Richmonders over time. It is a space that we can step into connect with our environment and the unique beauty of our city. We ought to continue to respect and honour the land with the framework indigenous stewards of the land exemplified- treating the beautiful place with a sense of pride, respect and communal responsibility to preserve it for future generations.Source: Heritage of the James River (vcu.edu)
