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A glance at the sub-title, ﾓTouring the United States from Ocean to Ocean by Auto,ﾔ given todayﾒs means of travel may beg the question, ﾓWhatﾒs the big whoop?ﾔ

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The big ﾓwhoopﾔ is that this journey, which began in Tampa, Florida, was taken by Davis L. Barlow, his wife, Lula, and Goldie Jordan, ﾓa 15-year-old ward of the Barlowﾒs; in ﾓold Sal,ﾔ a Hudson auto; in the year 1921.

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Davis Levi Barlow was born Feburary 16, 1869, in Pocahontas County, the son of Henry and Nancy Cassell Barlow.ﾠ He was a farmer, businessman, landlord, teacher and superintendent of Pocahontas County Free Schools.ﾠ He served a term in the West Virginia House of Delegates and traveled extensively.

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Barlow died in Bedford, Virginia, June 20, 1952, at the age of 83.ﾠ He was laid to rest in the Barlow cemetery in Edray within a mile of his birthplace.

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Barlow often referred to Pocahontas County as ﾓThe Garden Spot of the World.ﾔ

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The story of the Barlowﾒs transcontinental automobile trip was originally published from 1922 to 1923 as a weekly installment in The Pocahontas Times.

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How this story has been resurrected is a story in itself.

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Robert Laing came into possession of a box of photos that spent several years in his closet before his curiosity was aroused at a family reunion in Pocahontas County.ﾠ He returned home and opened this treasure of captioned pictures which, combined with a scrapbook of glued pages cut from The Pocahontas Times, has saved Barlowﾒs story for this generation.

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ﾓThe readers of The Pocahontas Times, approximately 3,000 strong at the time, comprised the original target audience for Barlowﾒs writings.ﾠ Today, almost 90 years later, Barlowﾒs work might appeal to a much larger audience of genealogists, antique automobile enthusiasts, and students of American history during the decade of the Roaring Twenties,ﾔ writes Laing.

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Barlowﾒs interest in history and vast knowledge of events of this countryﾒs past provide the perfect foundation for his travels.

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ﾓIf one possesses knowledge at the beginning of a journey, I guarantee that he will gain information at most every turn of the road, but we cannot expect to add to nothing,ﾔ Barlow writes.

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ﾓA 15,000 Mile Journeyﾔ tells of the fortitude of the travelers, the hospitality of neighbors, wherever they may be found, a never-severed bond to Pocahontas County, and paints a vivid picture of the people and places across this country.

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Often staying in private homes, Barlow reportedﾠ theﾠ interesting events in and around each town at the time of his visit as well as the historic importance of each area.

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Time spent as a guest at a farm that bordered Andersonville Prison provided the author an opportunity to write of its history - the number of prisoners, the number who died there, and to record for his readers the names, hometowns and grave numbers of six West Virginians who are buried there.

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As he journeyed, Barlow wrote of battles and generals of the Revolutionary, Civil and Indian wars.

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Passing through Charlotte, North Carolina, he noted that 400 cotton mills operated within 100 miles of that city.

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His observations offer insight today in the realm of city planning.

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ﾓIn my travels, I have conversed with a number who seem to think size or population is the prime essential of a cityﾒs importance..ﾠ They point with pride to the ﾓbignessﾔ of a city.ﾠ In my opinion this should by no means be a first consideration.ﾠ Ancient history gives us a few examples of cities which have given first place to size and population.ﾠ A cityﾒs foremost and earnest desire should be to grow in decency and comfort. ﾅ..a cityﾒs board of trade, for the sole purpose of boosting its population, has no moral right to solicit industries and factories which are not in harmony with their best interests. ﾠ Misfit factories are not an asset, but a liability.ﾔ

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Genealogists will appreciate this work as it tells of the Pocahontas countians that Barlow encountered by plan and by happenstance.

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In Spokane, Washington, he found his cousin P.H. Barlow andﾠ reunited with the families of 27 folks who left this county in 1903 to make their home in Farmington, Washington.

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Families with the names of McNeel, Boblett, Overholt, Moore, Grimes and Cleek.

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There too, he met the R. D. Silva family on their way to Pocahontas County to visit relatives and friends.

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Returning east on the Santa Fe Trail, the Barlows encountered ﾓhundreds going westﾔ in search of jobs.

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He deemed California to be ﾓa remarkable state being injured by selfish people.ﾔ

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Intertwined with historic notes are tales of Barlowﾒs love for ﾓhomeﾔ and humorous comments about situations in which he found himself.

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He tells how he longed to visit Hagerstown, Maryland, home of the ﾓHagerstown Town and Country Almanack.ﾔ

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Barlow recalls his mother, Almanack in one hand and a seed bag in the other, who ﾓgrew more than double the vegetables necessary for a large family.ﾔ

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Of their descent of the Great Continental Divide Barlow writes, ﾓﾅthe mountain breaks off so abruptly and the descent is so steep that should your car be in natural {neutral} or high gear, brakes not working properly, you would exceed the speed limit even should you be so fortunate as not to be rushed into eternity before you had time to straighten up that little business transaction with your neighbor.ﾔ

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This journey often found the Barlows traveling at a high rate of speed -ﾓ12 to 15 m.p.h.ﾔ - always on the lookout for water for the radiator and ever ready to adjust the carburetor to accommodate the change in elevation.

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Time and space of this article offers merely the tip of the iceberg with regards to this story.ﾠ Suffice to say, it is well worth a read.

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