9 April 1953 – “James Wellington Cawthorne, first mayor of Appomattox and town manager for 20 years, died yesterday after a three-week illness.
“Cawthorne’s most recent job was that of police justice. He operated a mercantile business here and represented Appomattox in the House of Delegates in 1914-15. He was 80.”
Source
“First Mayor Dies,” The Bee (Danville, Virginia), 9 April 1953, 11.