Mrs. E. Sorano
Known Name(s)
Mrs. E. Sorano
Address
R.F.D. 1, Box 32A Catawba, VA
Establishment Type(s)
Tourist Home
Physical Status
Unknown
Description
City Directories and phone books for this area do not include any Soranos. However, Blanche Sorano and Bessie Sorano are both buried in the Catawba Church Cemetery; either could be Mrs. Sorano, but research did not find an obituary for either.
The Roanoke Red Sulphur Springs healing resort opened in 1858. In 1909, Virginia purchased the resort and converted it to a hospital for patients with tuberculosis. Additionally, the Appalachian Trail goes through Catawba. Mrs. Sorano may have operated her tourist home for trail hikers or for families of patients in the hospital.
Detailed History
Latitude and longitude are in the general area. An African American community was once located around the intersection of Catawba Valley Drive and Blacksburg Drive. Mrs. Sorano's business may have been in this general vicinity. RFD 1 no longer exists, but could have been a number of roads: Catawba Valley Drive, Clear Spring Road, Keffer Road, Persimmon Drive, and Blacksburg Road. The roads were not given names in this area until the establishment of 911 in 1987 (many thanks to Dyron Knick for this information).
