Richard E. Byrd the South Pole by air. However, his claim to have reached the North Pole is disputed. Byrd was born in Winchester, Virginia, the son of Esther Bolling (Flood) and Richard Evelyn Byrd Sr. He was a descendant of one of the First Families of Virginia. His ancestors include planter John Rolfe and his wife Pocahontas, William Byrd II of Westover Plantation, who established Richmond, and Robert "King" Carter, a colonial governor. He was the brother of Virginia Governor and U.S. Senator Harry F. Byrd, a dominant figure in the Virginia Democratic Party from the 1920s until the 1960s; their father
Transportation in Richmond, Virginia (later known as Byrd Airport, and now Richmond International Airport) included a visit by aviator Charles Lindbergh. The airport was named after Richard E. Byrd, the famous American polar explorer born in Virginia, who was the brother of Virginia Governor Harry F. Byrd. Also in 1927, Virginia's State Highway Department, the predecessor of the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), was formed. By World War II, a network of highways linked Richmond and the surrounding region with other communities and other states. As roads improved in the early 20th century, streetcars were unable to compete with automobiles and buses. The Richmond-Petersburg