Anderson Was Quite A Character

By Joe Tennis
Features Writer / Bristol Herald Courier
Published: September 3, 2008

He was the father of the modern-day short story.
And, around the town of Marion, Va. in the late 1920s, Sherwood Anderson was known as quite the character.
He showed up in Southwest Virginia in 1925, wanting to escape the New Orleans heat.
At first, the acclaimed writer of “Winesberg, Ohio” built a stone-and-log home named Ripshin on the outskirts of Troutdale, Va., an old logging town in Grayson County in 1926.
Then, Anderson bought Smyth County’s weekly newspapers in 1927. Along the way, he became the voice of a fictionalized newspaper character called “Buck Fever.”
Around the town of Marion, Anderson became known for hanging out with “The Senate” – a group of friends who gathered with the writer to discuss town politics at what later became known as the City Store on Marion’s Main Street.
In town, Anderson lived with his fourth wife, Eleanor Copenhaver Anderson, in a now-demolished house called Rosemont, which stood at what is now the site of the Marion Volunteer Fire Department Hall.
All told, Anderson was married four times, with his first three marriages ending in divorce.
He was also a well-known drinker.
In college, I read excerpts of some of Anderson’s works from “Winesberg, Ohio,” and I enjoyed the flow of his prose.
Then last year, I picked up a gently used copy of the work at a Bristol book sale.
Anderson, as well, was known for many other works, including “Tar,” “Poor White” and “Marching Men.”
Originally from Camden, Ohio, Anderson held various jobs and moved all over the country before coming to Southwest Virginia.
In 1976, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Anderson’s birth, Marion’s Sherwood Anderson Association was formed and staged a play production of “Winesberg, Ohio.”
Through the years, tours of sites related to Anderson’s life in Marion have also been offered, including stops at the site of his old newspaper office at the corner of Sheffey Street and North Park Street.
But, of all places to see, an Anderson fan must see the privately owned Ripshin, a home on the national historic landmarks register, standing near the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area.
Anderson lived at this home – and also spent time at a nearby writing cabin – for the last 15 years of his life, in addition to spending time at Rosemont.
Sadly, at age 64, Anderson died of peritonitis on March 8, 1941, while on a good-will mission trip to South America in the Panama Canal Zone.
Coming back to what was then his beloved home in Southwest Virginia, Anderson was buried at Marion’s Round Hill Cemetery.
His unique, sail-shaped tombstone bears the following saying: “LIFE NOT DEATH IS THE GREAT ADVENTURE.”