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Former Mayor Has Stories to Tell

Nelson Harris's New Book -Tells the Hidden Stories of Roanoke's past.
Nelson Harris’s New Book -Tells the Hidden Stories of Roanoke’s past.

This may not be the “Naked City” with 8 million stories, like the 1950’s-era television show about New York, but apparently there are enough stories out there for a book.

At least former Roanoke City mayor Nelson Harris thinks so. He recently released his latest book concerning regional history, Hidden History of Roanoke: Star City Stories, from The History Press. Its chock full of little tidbits concerning Roanoke, from scandals and murder to shocking trials, from African-American semipro baseball teams to fist fights that helped save major local companies.

First off –  does Harris, a former school board member, city councilman and then mayor – miss the limelight of elected office? The Virginia Heights Baptist Church pastor says no, things are fine just the way they are. “Life is quieter, simpler and much more enjoyable.” Harris said he has “moved on to some other things,” including teaching at Virginia Western part time, and has no plans to run for local office again.

He is also pleased, five years removed from office, to see the progress Roanoke City has made on fronts like housing and the arts. He singles out the work of City Manager Chris Morrill as a plus. “The city really does seem to be progressing and moving forward. That’s always exciting and certainly makes me feel good. That’s my hometown.”

Harris has also authored books over the years on the history of Roanoke and surrounding areas, unearthing rare photos from various archives. At first his volumes were mainly pictures with Harris’s captions, but Hidden History is heavy on the printed word, relying far less on pictures.

He became more aware of the “rich history of this region” once in office. That whetted an appetite to put some of that history on paper. Knowing there were plenty of stories and archival photos available, through the History Museum of Western Virginia, the Roanoke City Library Virginia Room, Virginia Tech, the Library of Congress, etc., Harris started turning out slim volumes on that history.

As his literary career has advanced, Harris has also run into Roanokers that have offered him interesting photos from the past. He scans and keeps them on a laptop, waiting to use them in the right project. “I kind of hit the groove and have been going ever since. I’m always delighted to produce these books because I know that people enjoy them.” A photo in a book about the Raleigh Court area of the Memorial Street Bridge under construction is one of his favorites. He’s also written about Wasena, downtown Roanoke and the Norfolk Southern railroad.

Knowing where you are from may help keep people in the area. “I think it is really interesting for young people.” Some tenants of old downtown buildings that have been repurposed have approached him at book signings, thanking Harris for shedding light on the history of their new home. Seeing old sites and how they have changed is also interesting to many.

As for Hidden Stories, Harris heard about these tales from a variety of sources. “I would kind of file that away.” Often he stumbled on interesting stories in archival newspapers or read passages in other books about Roanoke. “I thought there has to be more to [the story] then this and I would file it away. [Then] I began to do a little more research.”

After looking at a half dozen stories, “I knew I had a book. I really had a lot of fun doing this.” Crafting stories has become more fun than just writing captions for Harris. There may be more Hidden Stories to come. Nelson Harris will sign copies of his book and lecture about it on Thursday, November 14 at 7 pm, at Christ Lutheran Church in Roanoke. “An amazing range of stories,” Harris promises, from “the controversial … to the heroic.”

By Gene Marrano 

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