A friend in Delaware had asked me if the fairy stones and mines and other details in the story were real, and it struck me that people who are not from this area of the Blue Ridge may not know about these places and things that you read about in Wings of Time: Breaking Darkness. I thought I would add a few posts specific to Fairy Stone State Park. It is truly a great place to visit. This is a picture recently taken by my daughter when she walked the Iron Mine Trails at Fairy Stone.
Just like Liam describes to Hallie in the story in 2018, these narrow tunnels where originally dug and mined by the slaves owned by the Hairston family in the late 1700's. Later, in the early 1900's, the area was purchased by the Virginia Ore and Mining Company. The mines and furnace had deteriorated from lack of use, but the new owners brought it back to full operation. Employment opportunities brought people to the area, and eventually Fayerdale began to flourish. Iron was mined from here until the German's began to import iron cheaper than what could be mined here in Southwest Virginia. The mining operation soon halted and timbering became the next source of revenue. When the timbering came to an end moonshining took over, and you have the foundation of Hallie and Billy's fictional adventures in the story during 1928.
The rich heritage and beauty of the area just fed my imagination, and if you take a walk along these same trails inspiration towards whatever you hold a personal interest in is bound to fill your senses.
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