July 26, 7:30 am - History tour of Belle Isle

We'll do a comprehensive tour of Bell Isle, including its complete perimeter, its marked historical sites, and its hillside trails.

Begin at the river edge just downstream of the Lee Bridge.

Here's a quote from the link below: Discover America - by Tim Murphy - Dec. 16. 2018.

"Amidst the roaring rapids of the James River and the towering skyline of downtown Richmond, Virginia, Belle Isle stands out as one of the South’s most significant historical and industrial landmarks. From humble beginnings as a modest Native American fishery, this 54-acre island exploded with activity following the arrival of European settlers in the 17th century. William Byrd was the first to purchase the land in 1676. His son, William Byrd II, the founder of Richmond, converted Belle Isle into the city’s premier industrial center in 1742. Over the next couple of centuries, Belle Isle would change hands numerous times and serve a wide variety of purposes, laying host to an iron and milling foundry, a hydroelectric plant, and a notorious Civil War POW camp."

https://www.discoveramericablog.com/post/2018/12/16/belle-isle