Here/Now

Jim Lewis grew to adulthood in Cape Charles, spending his formative years on the second floor of an apartment house in the 200 block of Mason Avenue. From his second-story observation point, Jim watched the comings and goings of barges, ferries in the harbor and the arrivals and departures at the railroad station. Growing up in Cape Charles, Jim participated in all the activities that made Cape Charles the enchanting town that it was. He attended the local school for twelve years, played football for four years, was a member of the Boy Scout Troop, and did all the things that boys from Cape Charles did. He explored the Bloodfield Woods, sledded down the side of the hump, hunted ducks on Big Allegood Pond, and jumped off the white tower. To earn money during the summer, Jim worked at various jobs. He picked tomatoes on Tinkham's farm, cut grass for neighbors, stocked shelves at the local Colonial Store, and worked at Wendell's Bottling Plant. Jim drew mentors from the Cape Charles community. His school teachers: James May, the school custodian, Miss Gladys Nottingham, the local librarian, and Marshield Hunt, local scoutmaster, were people who provided life examples. Just as Mr. Lewis began the research for this Cape Charles book, he contracted Parkinson's Disease. The course of Jim's illness grew as the research for his book progressed. It took Jim 10 years to complete Cape Charles: A Railroad Town.