2025 SESSION

ENROLLED

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 604

Commending the O. Winston Link Museum.

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 10, 2025

Agreed to by the Senate, February 13, 2025

WHEREAS, for more than two decades, the O. Winston Link Museum in Roanoke has celebrated the works of O. Winston Link, an influential photographer who captured the sights and scenes of the Golden Age of American Railroads through his evocative imagery; and

WHEREAS, while working in Staunton on an industrial photography contract, O. Winston Link developed a passion for railroads and became fascinated with the nearby Norfolk and Western Railway line, the last major railroad to transition from steam power to diesel; and

WHEREAS, over the course of multiple visits to the region in the 1950s, O. Winston Link essentially documented the end of the steam railroad era, capturing powerful black-and-white images of Norfolk and Western Railway's fleet of steam locomotives, as well as the communities that depended upon them for their livelihood and the scenic landscapes they traveled across; and

WHEREAS, Roanoke was originally established as a railroad hub, and generations of city officials and local historical organizations have worked diligently to preserve this heritage, which made the city a natural choice for the home of the O. Winston Link Museum when it opened in January 2004; and

WHEREAS, since that time, the O. Winston Link Museum has promoted O. Winston Link's legacy through a comprehensive collection of his iconic photographs, personal memorabilia, artifacts, and exhibits that provide context about the impact of railroad travel on society and culture in the Commonwealth and throughout the United States; and

WHEREAS, in August 2024, the O. Winston Link Museum commemorated its 20th anniversary with the Celebration at the Station street festival that featured scale replicas of steam trains, antique vehicles, contests, exhibitions, and other family-friendly events; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the O. Winston Link Museum on the occasion of its 20th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the O. Winston Link Museum as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for the museum's contributions to cultural life in Roanoke and mission to preserve a bygone era of American history.