Autumn Care of Madison
Mr. Nicholson can recall life up in the Blue Ridge Mountains before it was declared federal land and families were moved to create Shenandoah National Park. He was born May 8, 1931, one of six children who lived in a log cabin with their parents in Corbin Hollow in Madison County, Virginia.
There were no cars on the roads in the hollow. His family made and sold baskets from white oak trees they had cut, split and whittled down to fine strips. In those days, survival in the mountains was a family affair. When the Civilian Conservation Corps began to move families from their homes down into various towns, his family moved to Madison on Resettlement Road.
Mr. Nicholson recalls the confusion and sense of loss felt by the mountain people. They were not used to living in such populated areas and had difficulty finding work to support their families. For generations they had supported themselves by living off the land. Throughout his life Mr. Nicholson has held many jobs. He recalls working on a farm, in a sawmill, crosscutting timber, and working as a mason.