Postmaster Samuel L. Burks, Jr.
Last month’s post, Buckingham Post Offices, created a lively conversation about postmasters and postmistresses.
Slate River Rambling reader, Jeremy Winfrey, provided the following biography Samuel L. Burks, Jr. who was postmaster at Bolling’s Landing in 1879.
S. L. Burks, Jr.,Courtesy Sandra Moore
Samuel Lewis Burks Jr. (1848-1932), was the son of Samuel Lewis Burks Sr. and Martha J Staton. Samuel and his eight siblings grew up north of present day Route 652, near Bolling’s vast 19th-century tract, hence the Post Office’s name, Bolling’s Landing. This line of Burks helped populate the northern section of Buckingham into the 20th century, while others from this line removed to Nelson County. Samuel, Jr. married his neighbor, Alice Virginia Payne. According to a descendant, Samuel Burks not only ran the post office for a while, he also owned the boat and mules that ran from Paynes Landing (his sister’s home) to Richmond. Once the canal was discontinued, he moved to Charlottesville and built a large home and mill. They are both buried at Riverview Cemetery in Charlottesville, Virginia.
slate river ramblings . . . . 
Alice Virginia Payne is my 2nd Great Grand Aunt, sister of my 2GGF William Thomas Payne
I’d love to know of any repositories that contain info about the Nelson Co. Burks, whom I’m related to (through marriage of Joseph James Burks, b. ca 1778 and Elizabeth Fitch (sister of my 5th Gr Grandmother). These Burks were neighbors and friends of my Spears/Fitch/Spiller group in Nelson and Buckingham Co.
Karen, I have not done any work on the Burks family; however, the Library of Virginia and the Virginia Historical Society are always great places to begin research.