Picture of the day - October 12, 2008

The lights of Saltville, Virginia

Photo by Rick Rouse. The sleepy little town of Saltville, Virginia is nestled among the mountains and foothills of the Middle Appalachians. Although it was once a bustling "company town" that was home to a number of industrial plants, gypsum mines and salt recovery operations, today Saltville serves primarily as a bedroom community with the bulk of its citizens driving to work every day in neighboring locales. During the Civil War the Confederate Army received the bulk of its salt from Saltville, a fact that led their Union counterparts to come calling on more than one occasion. The saltworks were ultimately put out of business, but the town survived the war in pretty good shape by and large. This late-evening photograph of Saltville was taken from a popular overlook that sits alongside Virginia Highway 107 approximately one mile out of town. Whether you're seeing this picturesque little town from this unique vantage point or while walking or driving past its beautiful historic houses and buildings, you're sure to come to understand what makes Saltville so special to the folks who live there.   Click here to comment on this picture.   Visit the POTD Archives for previous "Pictures Of The Day"!     Submit a photo of your own!                                 Place the "Picture of the Day" on your website, for free! Why I publish the "Picture of the Day"