Radford Magazine 2022 Fall/Winter

More Than 93 Years

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The Family Legacy of Norman’s Cabinetry

in 1958, while working at the Clover Creamery in radford, Norman Jones met the love of his life, blanche “tenny” Mannon. The young couple married in 1961 and soon started a venture together that would become one of radford’s longest lasting businesses. it had been Norman’s dream to start a custom cabinet company, and that dream was finally realized in July of 1965. Norman’s Cabinet and Woodworking shop opened to the public that year on what was, at the time, First street in radford’s West end.

Norman’s began in a one-room showroom that featured one kitchen display, one desk, and a small carpentry shop at the back. at the time, the cabinet shop was located across the street from one of radford’s core businesses, Central Lumber. With the abundant traffic the lumber store brought to the area, the location seemed perfect. among the artifacts Norman’s still has from those early days are timecards for the first employees! The fifty cents to one dollar per hour they earned was decent pay for the late 1960’s.

Launching the business was tough on the Jonses, just starting life together with two young sons, aged two and four. When the business opened, both Norman and tenny would work night and day. a little over a year after opening, they added a daughter in september of 1966, completing the family of five. When she could, tenny would bring the kids into work with her so she could help in the store. in 1972, after all the kids were in school, she started working full-time.

Once tenny joined the business, she became the new face of

Norman’s. Norman was the craftsman, and tenny was the friendly face that greeted everyone. she never met a stranger, and a wrong number could talk to her for twenty minutes!

For a little over a decade, Norman’s made custom cabinetry for local contractors and homeowners in the New river Valley. in the mid 1970’s, however, Norman’s decided to offer more than custom cabinets. sometime around 1977, they decided to offer ‘factory made’ cabinets in addition to their custom creations. They added on to the building, and as time went by, the factory cabinets became a much larger part of the business. however, Norman’s was always known for quality, no matter which product was sold. as with all family businesses, the entire family would eventually come to pitch in on the work and operations. They would sweep floors, sand shelves, and empty trash. all Norman had to do was pay them with candy and sodas. he loved that he could be with his family even while having to be at work.

Over the years, the business grew along with the kids. in 1979, the eldest son, dean, started officially working in the store while still in high school. he would come to stock shelves after school. Later, he helped to build and install cabinets, learning the trade. younger son, dennis, was put on the payroll after high school in 1981. he also stocked shelves and helping to build and install cabinets. dennis enjoyed motor-cross riding and racing. in later years, however, he found a new passion in jet skiing, where he quickly learned that falling in water was much better than falling

From Left to Right: Matthew Cox, Zach Gray, Dean Jones, Kristi Jones, Dennis Jones, and Charlie Reynolds. Not pictured: Brock Turner.

in dirt. after a few years at Norman’s, dennis decided to leave the family business so he could follow his passion to open his own jet ski business at Claytor Lake.

Over the years, Norman’s started offering more products related to home improvement, such as paints and wallpaper. eventually, paint grew into a much larger part of Norman’s than the Jonses would have imagined. With such a booming new facet to the business, Norman made the decision to change the name to Norman’s Cabinetry and decorating Products.

around that same time, Norman’s also started to offer picture framing. Norman and tenny returned to their old schedule of working nights, constructing the frames in a shop they had built in their backyard. This quickly led to the realization that they needed to make more space at the business location. Thus, in 1984, Norman decided to invest in the largest expansion in the store’s history. The enlargement more than doubled the original size of the shop and showroom to the size it is today. it boasted over twenty kitchen and bath displays in addition to more room for paint, picture framing, and offices.

Norman’s continued to grow, and after graduating high school, daughter denise joined the family business full-time. denise became the go-to person for everything home décor, and like her mother, became another friendly face for the business.

as with any business, and especially a family business where parents and siblings work close together, day after day, there came times when one or more of the Jonses had to let off some steam and take a break. That’s why, over the years, all three of the Jones children, at one time or another, ‘quit’, just to return a couple of days later. it wasn’t until 2000 that dean did leave to take a job in roanoke. he went to work for a custom cabinet manufacturer in the customer service department. While there, dean learned more about manufacturing cabinets, but more importantly, he

learned how to better understand customer and employee needs. as time went by, he was promoted and headed the customer service department for several years. during those years, the hairs on his head became fewer and far between.

in 2002, dennis decided to return to the family business, working as the picture framer. since framing was a one-man operation, it tended to get lonely. to combat the loneliness, dennis added a television to the frame shop, where he spent his days making frames while watching The andy griffith show. They say dennis knows more andy griffith trivia than anyone, and they dare you to challenge his knowledge of the show!

Over the next several years, dennis began to transition into the cabinet shop and learned the dayto-day operations from his father. at the same time, denise took over his role in picture framing and started crafting the frames herself. seeing their kids successfully taking on bigger roles in the business, it was around 2010 when Norman and tenny began to contemplate retirement. They asked dean to return to Norman’s, which he did in the fall of 2010. This allowed tenny more freedom to work fewer hours and step away from the business. during this time, denise also began transitioning away from the business and moved out of the area with her family.

With his sons taking on leadership roles at work, Norman was ready to retire, but not before taking Norman’s into its 50th year in 2015. it wasn’t long after that that Norman and tenny officially retired. The business was then passed on to the next generation.

seven years ago, dean and dennis took on the challenges of running the fifty-year-old family business. dennis would head up the cabinet shop and installations while dean would head up the design and showroom side of Norman’s. This decision worked out perfectly as dennis enjoyed crafting cabinetry for customers and, as he joked, “not standing around socializing” – a trait he inherited from Norman. dean preferred the opposite. Much like his mom,

dean liked the design side of the business, interacting directly with customers and, as he says, “not working in the dusty, old shop.”

during this transitional period, dean and dennis decided to restructure the business back to its roots by eliminating picture framing and focusing on cabinetry. specifically, their own custom-built cabinets. They continued offering factory cabinets as well but felt they could offer customers higher quality and more options in their own custom cabinet line. With the focus back on cabinets, they changed the name to Norman’s Cabinetry.

With the success of Norman’s moving back into mostly custom cabinetry, it became apparent that they needed to expand and to hire more staff. being a family business, it was obvious that they would turn to other family members. The solution was dennis’s wife, Kristi. Kristi had worked in the business in the past, but in 2015, she took on a full-time role in the showroom. she learned to mix paint and interact with customers. she often joked about the hardest part of the job was learning how to work with her brother-in-law, dean. it was a good thing they tended to get along with one another, so the transition went smoothly. The showroom added another designer, while the shop also expanded by adding two additional craftsmen.

2015 also marked the entry of the third generation into the family business. dean’s oldest son, ethan, joined for a couple of years, part-time in the showroom. his twin sons, gage and rhen, also took part. rhen assisted with creating shop drawings and gage later joined the business. For three years, gage worked in the shop full-time, learning from his uncle dennis how to build,

finish, and install custom cabinetry. dennis’s daughters, Karli and emma, have also lent a hand in the shop and showroom from time to time, just like their father did when he was younger.

Over the next seven years, several new faces joined the team. in 2017, Charlotte, or “Charlie” as everyone knows her, joined the showroom, helping with sales and designing. since then, she has become Norman’s showroom Manager and new friendly face. in 2022, Charlie learned that she would become a new mom in december.

in 2018, Matthew joined Norman’s, helping to build cabinets and make Cad drawings. he is now overseeing daily operations of the shop. Matthew, like Charlie, will also become a new parent in 2023!

brock, the newest craftsman and a new dad, joined the team this year and has become an important part of the shop and install team. Zach, part time for now, plays a big part of the Norman’s shop family as well. he also fills in when they need an extra player for ping pong during breaks.

each and every employee at Norman’s plays an important role in making dreams come true for their customers. even with the passing of Norman in 2021, you can feel confident that his dream continues to bring radford and the New river Valley the finest name in custom cabinetry, which after more than 57 years, is still “Custom Made in radford”.

Norman’s Cabinetry • Dean Jones • 540-639-1162 www.NormansInc.com • Dean@NormansInc.com 1116 West Main Street, Radford, VA

Brock Turner

Katy Eilert, Marvin Luke Eilert, and Christine Eilert

A New Location for Lil’ Bit Corny Popped Up in Radford This Year

By Vickie Holt

Christine eilert grew up in rural northeast Ohio with her mom, dad, and younger brother, Mark. among the many memories from her childhood, Christine recalls when her parents would take her and Mark into Cleveland where they would visit one of the local popcorn shops. Popular in the area, Cleveland’s popcorn shops offered a full menu of flavored popcorns. Christine particularly loved the caramel popcorn, cherry flavored popcorn, and the popcorn balls! it’s a sweet memory for Christine, getting to go downtown, and having all the popcorn and candy. For a little kid, the atmosphere and the smells in the shops were magical.

When Christine grew older, she received an associate’s degree in Visual Communications from the art institute of Pittsburg. at the time, she worked at an art store, but greater opportunities were looming on the horizon. a co-worker from the art store had gotten a job at Cap toys, a division of hasbro. When a position opened in the art department, the co-worker recommended Christine. “i never expected i would end up working in the candy and toy industry!”

From 1995 to 1998, Christine worked as an artist assistant and graphic designer in the girls and candy research and development department. during her time in this position, she was a packaging designer for several candies. she even got to go to Cologne germany for a two-week trade show where she designed and set up the display for her company. The event was

an international candy show, and she took the opportunity to learn about candies from all over the world.

in 1998, Christine was recruited by impact Confections in roswell, New Mexico. Like an echo from the past, it was once again a co-worker who had recommended her. impact Confections did not have an art department, so when a co-worker who had already made the move from Cap to impact suggested the idea to the president of the company, Christine was hired to start one from scratch.

in 1998, she quickly got to work, hired two more artists, and created the impact Confections art department. as a team, they created silver and bronze award-winning point-of-sale visual displays, which are the display units found in retail stores that shelve and display the products. in her position as research, development, and design with the company, she even had the opportunity to design the shapes of candies!

“it was such a fun job to have!” says Christine. “i learned a lot about how all kinds of candies get made. Lemon heads take two weeks!”

in 2003, she moved to Colorado springs for a year to work in impact’s corporate division, designing award winning packaging, labels, signage, marketing materials, trade show booths. she also traveled abroad to many shows and conferences.

it was in 2004, however, that her life would take a turn. by

this time, she had married Marvin Luke eilert, and after having her daughter, Katy, Christine wanted to stay home and be a mom. eight years earlier, Christine’s dad and stepmother had moved from their home in Ohio to the New river Valley. Wanting to be closer to family, the eilerts found a home in radford. For the first ten years, Christine continued as a stay-at-home mom while Marvin Luke worked with laying tile in the area.

Once Katy was older, however, Christine felt like she wanted to get back out there. unfortunately, there was no work to be found in her previous field, nearby.

it was then that she hit upon the idea of opening her own business, one in which she could continue being creative. she wanted to rekindle her skills with creating logos, designs, packaging, and marketing. ideally, at least to get started, she also wanted something she could do from home.

all that was left was to decide on a product. in many ways, radford, Virginia is very different from Cleveland, Ohio. The one difference that mattered to Christine, however, was that radford didn’t have any popcorn shops.

she began experimenting on her own, using the candy-making knowledge she’d gained during her years with Cap toys and impact Confections. she also drew inspiration from her memories as a child in Cleveland. she began creating different popcorn and flavor combinations then took the results to radford university for the students to taste test. This provided great insight into what the public liked or disliked. They really liked the Lollipopcorns™. Most had never heard of or tried fruit flavored popcorn before, but they loved it!

Marvin Luke was also on board with the idea. together,

they brainstormed and came up with the name Lil’ bit Corny. Christine then designed the logo and was ready to get down to business. she turned to sCOre for guidance to become a small business owner. sCOre is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground, grow, and achieve their goals.

armed with the visuals, the products, and the business savvy, Christine began taking Lil’ bit Corny to local festivals and events, as well as to the radford Farmer’s Market. The specialty popcorns were a big hit with folks in radford, but Christine thought it could be bigger. she created a Facebook page, as well as an instagram account, and was soon shipping Lil’ bit Corny products far and wide.

it wasn’t long before she decided the time was right to open a brick-and-mortar location. in 2011, the eilerts opened a shop in West end radford. as Christine was still learning to be a business owner, she didn’t do much marketing at this point. Contributing to the gradual nature of the store opening was the fact that it was situated a little farther out, away from the downtown foot traffic.

as it turned out, it was all for the best. The shop had to close a year later as Marvin Luke was offered a job at Quantico in northern Virginia. With a young daughter still at home, and travelling back and forth to see Marvin Luke, it just wasn’t possible to dedicate the time and attention necessary for the store.

but that doesn’t mean Lil’ bit Corny was out of the picture. On a smaller scale, Christine continued making and selling her specialty popcorns from home. even when Marvin Luke

returned to r adford in 2015, the couple continued delivering and shipping popcorn throughout the united states. From 2018 to 2022, Christine also worked as manager at sweet n’ savory bagels in r adford.

it was actually 2020 when the eilerts began thinking once again about opening a static location. after all, Lil’ bit Corny was more popular than ever, and the online business had really grown. unfortunately, 2020 was also the year that the pandemic hit, making it difficult for many existing businesses to stay open. it would have been risky to try and open a new business in such an environment. “We were terrified of this pandemic,” says Christine, “and the effects it had on everyone. We continued our homebase popcorn shop with customers thanking us for the orders that we shipped, as they were also stuck at home.”

by 2022, things were getting back to normal. Marvin Luke was doing commercial plumbing and steam fitting with Varney Mechanical, based in roanoke. Meanwhile, the eilerts had completely outgrown their home popcorn business and Christine missed seeing her awesome customers! it was time, once again, to look for a location. everything happened in what seemed like a blink of an eye! in March of 2022, Christine found a vacant space available at 111 3rd avenue, right in the heart of downtown radford, in the same building as hodge Podge Cookies! “Perfect!” says Christine. “Popcorn and cookies in the same spot! a sweet shop for everyone!”

The space had been recently painted with bright colors and fitted with bright lights, so there wasn’t much more to be done. On april 4th, Lil’ bit Corny officially opened its new location, and the locals, many of whom had never seen popcorn this way, have fallen in love! “it’s a nice treat for them,” says Christine, “and it makes me happy to see our customers happy.”

Lil’ bit Corny offers over a hundred different flavors and varieties of popcorn, all non-gMO and gluten free. The candycoated popcorn is called Lollipopcorn™. it’s made from a special popcorn that is much larger and rounder than regular popcorn. The popped corn is then candy-coated with Christine’s own Lollipop candy coating. Though there are many different fruit flavors, the most popular is the mixed fruit rainbow colored popcorn.

Then there are the caramel varieties, including classic caramel and sea salt caramel. New additions to this group are the honey butter Caramel and the Peanut butter Caramel.

The kettle corns include Classic Kettle, honey kettle, Cinnamon sugar Kettle, Pumpkin spice Kettle, and spicy Kettle.

The biggest seller, however, is the white cheddar! The White Cheddar popcorn is handmade with the finest white cheddar cheese available. The white cheddar is also used in almost all the savory flavors, including Jalapeño White Cheddar and buffalo ranch.

specialty popcorns are made in small batches by hand. The eilerts start with their Lollipopcorn™, or their Caramels and Vanilla candy coated Popcorn, then add toppings like nuts, cookies, candies, Coconut, dried fruit, and more. The specialty popcorn is then coated with belgian White Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, or dark Chocolate. some of the most popular flavors are White Chocolate Peppermint, reese’s peanut butter cup, Cookies and Cream, and White Chocolate Cashew.

Christine is thrilled to have the new location up and running, but she wants to remind everyone that coming to the store and buying your favorite popcorn is not the only way to enjoy Lil’ bit Corny! They attend the radford and Christiansburg Farmers Markets from april through mid-October. They also vend at many festivals and events throughout the New river Valley, salem, and roanoke. They do fundraisers with schools, traveling sports teams, clubs, and more. They even make popcorn for corporate

gifts and gift basket companies.

Customers who do visit the store, however, can take advantage of the popcorn buffet. scoops are provided for filling bowls or bags. Visitors can also purchase popcorn in a variety of bag sizes, from gift size bags to a huge, fivegallon sized bag.

if planning a special event, Lil’ bit Corny creates oneof-a-kind gift bags for birthdays, baby showers, weddings, graduations, and more. Whatever the occasion, Lil’ bit Corny can make it pop! The popcorn can be made in whatever color combinations will match your special event.

Though the new shop just opened this year, Lil’ bit Corny will actually complete twelve years in business on November 11. The eilerts’ daughter, Katy, practically grew up in the business. Not only does she help Christine and Marvin Luke with all the workings of the shop and events, she also attends New river Community College, and has become a strong businesswoman in her own right. “We are so happy that our lil’ popcorn shop dream from long ago could assist her academically and in everyday life,” says Christine. “dreams do come true! We love you!”

Christine eilert is a member of the radford Chamber of Commerce, the american businesswomen’s association of the New river Valley, radford Noon rotary, and board member of Mountain trotter arts. Lil’ bit Corny has been recognized by The better business bureau as an a+ company for eleven years straight.

today, Lil’ bit Corny is making popcorn six days a week. shop hours are 4:00pm – 8:00pm, tuesday through Friday, and 10:00am – 2:00pm on saturday. They are also open by appointment to accommodate customer needs. Lil’ bit Corny delivers and ships their popcorn everywhere across the globe, with free delivery in the New river Valley.

“Our goal has always been to make the highest quality popcorn on the market, and we continue to do so with integrity. We treat our customers like friends and family.”

Lil’ Bit Corny • Christine Eilert and Marvin Eilert 111 3rd Avenue, Radford, VA • 540-250-0236 www.facebook.com/LilBitCorny/

How a Focus on Family Led to a National Company Born in the NRV

Craig Chrisman grew up in r adford, and when it was time for college, he wanted to make sure he invested in a marketable degree. he graduated from r adford university in 1980 with a degree in business Management and found a position with a locally based box company.

anne Pugh grew up in Pulaski County and graduated from Virginia tech in 1982 with a degree in Finance. she also found a good position in radford, working as a banker handling commercial loans. The couple wed in 1983 and soon had three sons, taylor, Preston, and Parker.

after Parker was born in 1992, Craig wanted to plan a strategy that would allow him the flexibility to spend more time with family. he knew that starting his own business would be the perfect thing that would let him be there for anne and the boys, and he had come to love the box-making industry. his ultimate dream was to create his own box-making company.

being a commercial banker, anne worked with business loans every day. she knew very well what it would take to get a new business off the ground, and it wasn’t going to be easy. There would be a lot of sacrifice.

The first sacrifice came with selling the plot of land the couple had bought to build their new, rural dream home. anne had grown

up on a farm but moved to the city of radford after marrying Craig. The home had been planned so that she could return to the natural setting that she loved. anne also cashed in her 401K.

Craig also sacrificed his bass boat. in late 1994, with the funds they had arranged, the Chrismans purchased an empty building at auction in Christiansburg. The insulation was falling out of the ceiling and there was no heat, but it was available, and it was cheap! The 5000 square foot property was part of a multi-building lot beside an old skating rink that is all now part of the shelor Motor Mile.

it needed a lot of work, but to Craig and anne, it was beautiful because it allowed them to set up and launch Prestar Packaging! The name is a combination of taylor, Preston and Parker’s names, all woven together. Preston, however, likes to claim the most fame! The building also had a loading bay, so it was a perfect starter location for the business.

The Chrismans rented a massive propane heater, then bought some scaffolding from a second-hand sale. Craig set up the scaffolding inside the building and used it to shove the insulation back into the ceiling and sew it up!

Their first set of box machines was purchased from a North Carolina printing company at a cost of a mere $14,000. a man in the industry who sold box machinery knew that Craig was starting

From Left to Right: Taylor Chrisman, Melanie Chrisman, Anne Chrisman, and Craig Chrisman.

.

his own business, so when the North Carolina printing company asked the man if he knew anyone who might want to buy the machines, the connection was made.

Finally, a line of credit was obtained from a local bank to purchase starter materials. With the building, the equipment, and the materials ready to go, the Chrismans, along with their parents and brothers, fulfilled their first order over the week of Christmas, 1994. The boys, ages seven, five, and two, picked up trash throughout the days and slept on cots while their parents and family worked well into the nights to complete the order.

On January 2, 1995, that first order shipped out to Prestar’s very first customer in texas! The check from that sale –$11, 708.36 – still hangs on the wall in a commemorative frame to honor a successful beginning.

Craig and anne were Prestar’s only employees for the first six months, during which Craig taught anne how to run the box machines, corner cut the board blanks, and miter the paper wraps. They worked exceedingly long hours with their parents watching the boys and helping when possible.

The company incorporated in July of 1995 and the first two employees were hired, one of whom stayed with Prestar for the next twenty years! Finally, full-time production work began with the team transforming chipboard and paper into rigid paperboard boxes that would hold such products as games, pharmaceuticals, saw blades, candy, automotive parts, school supplies, fishing lures, collectible coins, beauty products, and much, much more!

business grew at such a rapid pace that in 1999, a lot was purchased in the new Falling branch industrial Park in Christiansburg. Prestar became the first tenant of that location, building a 20,000 square foot facility. Three new, state-of-the-art automated machines were purchased from italy over the next several years at a whopping cost of $327,000 to $425,000 each! This allowed Prestar to be nationally competitive by dramatically increasing their output speed with higher quality products coming off the lines.

Prestar has been blessed with dedicated employees from across the New river Valley and West Virginia. it is due to their work ethic and desire to see a small company succeed that has driven all success seen by the company. Prestar employees are cross trained so

they can move fluidly from machine to machine as the need arises. Craig and anne have created such a great work environment that their folks stick in there for the long haul. One employee has been there for sixteen years! another has been there for eighteen years, and two more for twenty-two years, and they have all become an extension of the Chrisman family. in 2005, gift cards were becoming the go to gift for celebrations and holidays. to participate in this trend, Craig developed a new style box and insert that would make a bigger presentation of getting a gift card than simply receiving it in an envelope. it took many mockups and discards, but in 2009, Craig finally created Prestar’s Presentation Pop up gift Card box with a u s. Patent issued for the design. The box was followed by the development of a Presentation Pop up gift Card Folder with another u.s. Patent obtained. Millions of these gift card boxes and folders have been sold worldwide with customers including Callaway golf, The bellagio, MgM aria resort, ritz Carlton hotels, Peter Millar, shoe Carnival, Virginia Lottery, harley davidson, Volkswagen, Margaritaville Caribbean, del sol, Maui Jim, golfteC, hershey spa, Lobstergram, Massage envy, Orange Theory Fitness, under armour, and hundreds of others. all Prestar products are made from recycled materials, are 100% recyclable, compostable, and made in the usa. They make two-piece, bottom and lid boxes; clamshell boxes; hinged neck boxes; three-piece neck boxes; plain stayed boxes; sleeves; boxes with clear lids; folding boxes and mailers; custom inserts; and gift card packaging. boxes can be wrapped in an endless combination of styles and colors, printing, foil-stamping, embossing, or even plain-stayed with no paper for a great cost-efficient option. One extremely unique and moving opportunity came after the horrific events of 9/11. Prestar was contacted about making boxes with the u.s. Congressional seal stamped on the top to hold american Flags that had been flown over the Capital. Once packaged in Prestar’s special boxes, the flags were then given to all the families that had lost loved ones in the attacks, as well as to all the first responders involved. it was a huge task and very time sensitive. Craig and anne contacted their materials suppliers, requesting

assistance with little to no cost. all came through. The desire to support their fellow americans during such a national tragedy was overwhelming. it was an emotional manufacturing run. Many tears were shed by Prestar employees as the boxes came off the lines and were packed into cartons to be shipped to Washington d.C. an interesting and fun order came about for the emmy awards governor’s ball. after the emmy awards, there is a dinner for all the nominees. For three years in a row, starting with 2008, Prestar had the honor of making custom boxes to hold the treats that were placed on dinner tables for everyone in attendance. For the first year, duncan hines was the sponsor, so four brownies were placed into each box. For their excellent design, the Printing industry honored Prestar with an award in the category of Presentation Packaging.

For the next two years, the sponsor was dove Chocolates, so four different chocolate bars went into each box. For the 2010 design, the Printing industry once again honored Prestar with an award in the category of Confectionary Packaging.

For one of these years, dove Chocolates shipped sixthousand bars from California to Prestar, arriving the last week of august. Prestar turned the air conditioning down to fifty degrees while running the order so the chocolate wouldn’t melt! a refrigerated truck was waiting for the completed order and took the boxed bars back to California for the awards banquet.

all three of the Chrisman boys worked for Prestar during their high school and college years. taylor, however, was the only one to join the family business. Preston and Parker both graduated from Virginia tech and followed their dreams. Preston became a Fisheries biologist for the state of south Carolina while Parker became a Manager with amazon in Chesterfield, Virginia.

taylor graduated from radford university in 2010 with a degree in business Management and began working out in the manufacturing section to learn all the ropes of the processes involved. in 2011, he became involved in sales. From there, he has continued to grow and develop his knowledge of sales, quoting, shipping, and designing.

taylor’s wife, Melanie, graduated from radford university

with a degree in Communications. she joined the team in 2020 and handles Prestar’s special Projects as well as all social media, hiring, fulfilling orders, quoting, and all general areas of customer service. taylor and ‘Mel’ have become an important and integral part of the family business. as an added bonus, Mel will sometimes bring the grandchildren to visit! ten-year-old randy has already begun talking about working at Prestar when he grows up. Maybe the family legacy will continue!

What began as a dream, or nightmare depending on who you ask, has grown to become one of the leading rigid setup paperboard box manufacturers in the united states. With Craig’s knowledge of the industry and all the machines, along with anne’s financial background, the Chrismans have withstood the rigors of starting and growing their own business for the past twenty-eight years. and they’ve done it while also being married for thirty-nine years and raising a family. taylor of course married Mel, and the two of them now have three children of their own – randy, sutton, and Finn. Preston Married brie, and they have grady and addison. Finally, Parker married Nourdjan, and they have aidan, Mila, and Charlie. anne tells us that the support of their sons from the very beginning, and now along with their wives and their own children, have made this incredible journey possible.

Craig Chrisman had a dream of starting his own business. anne Chrisman thought surely it would a nightmare! but he persisted, and she relented. twenty-eight years later, they still own and operate Prestar Packaging, inc. located in Christiansburg, Virginia. The journey was rough and rocky at times, but they endured and have grown their company from just the two of them up to sixteen employees. to this day, they continue the same as when they began all those years ago – investing as much sweat, blood, and tears as do their wonderful and dedicated employees.

Prestar Packaging • Anne Chrisman and Craig Chrisman www.PrestarPackaging.com • 540-382-7051 1690 Parkway Drive, Christiansburg, VA

Located at the center of the majestic New River Valley in southwestern Virginia, Radford is an exciting city with an identity that spans centuries. From the daring journey of Mary Ingles in 1755, to the academic excellence of Radford University, to the New River, to the people that live, work, dream, create, and work here. Whether it’s outdoor activities, art, shopping, intellectual interests, sports, or even the nightlife, Radford has so much to offer!

SAMPLING OF EVENTS:

Friday, October 28th Halloween Treat Trail in Downtown Radford

Saturday, October 29th Jack-O’-Lantern Spectacular at Randolph Park in Dublin Friday, November 4th Russell Moore and IIIrd Time Out at The Little River Bluegrass Barn

Friday, November 11th Veterans Day Ceremony at Hurlburt Student Center Friday, November 11th University Wind Symphony at Radford University Saturday and Sunday, November 12th & 13th The Rainbow Fish Musical at Radford University Friday - Sunday, November 11th -12th 53nd YMCA Craft Fair & Annual Book Fair at The Christiansburg Recreation Center Tuesday, November 15th Percussion Ensamble Concert at Radford University

Wednesday, November 30th University Wind Symphony at Radford University

Thursday, December 1st, 2nd, & 3rd The Nutcracker at Radford University Thursday, December 8th Radford Christmas Parade

Saturday, December 10th Christiansburg Christmas at the Market, Tree Lighting Ceremony and Christmas Parade

WEEKLY

Every Saturday from May - October Radford Farmers Market 9AM - 2PM rain or shine. Music at Long Way Brewing www.longwaybrewing.com/calendar

Motor Mile Speedway Events www.MotorMileSpeedway.com/2022-schedule

Live Music at the Rockhouse Marina www.facebook.com/rockhousemarina/events

Live Music at the Fatback Soul Shack www.fatbacksoulshack.com/live-music

Live Music at the Floyd Country Store www.floydcountrystore.com/music

NOTE: The above events are scheduled as of time of printing. We suggest that you check with the event organizers for continual updates. Also, we accept event submissions for subsequent issues

Meg’s Specialty Womenswear Celebrates Thirty Years in Radford

By Vickie Holt

Meg Weddle, owner of Meg’s specialty Women’s Wear in radford, grew up in blacksburg and is a native of the New river Valley. With both parents being teachers, young Meg enrolled in Virginia tech with her eye on a teaching degree. it seemed like the obvious path. however, being from a large family, Meg needed a part time job to help pay for college.

Meg worked for bonomo’s clothing store during her college years and liked it so much that she turned down a position to teach at Christiansburg elementary after graduation. she had done her student teaching there, and the principal was ready to welcome her on as a full-time teacher. instead, she accepted an offer to manage bonomo’s newest store in radford. ironically, or perhaps fatefully, located in the exact same building that Meg’s occupies today.

From 1982 – 1988, Meg continued working for bonomo’s, and she married garrett Weddle along the way. in 1986, the couple purchased Copenhaver’s Menswear, a third-generation family business located at 1110 Norwood street. The business was renamed garrett’s Menswear, and after some minor renovations and some changes in the stock, garrett’s opened for business.

after so many years managing bonomo’s, and gaining even more experience as part of garrett’s, Meg not only had a lot of experience running a clothing store, but she also had lots of experience with clothing and fashion. in 1992, she got the opportunity to put all that knowledge together with her teaching degree and became an adjunct professor at radford university in the fashion department!

she was thrilled to continue that role until 2000.

1992 was also the year that garrett’s Menswear, after having become a thriving business, gave rise to Meg’s specialty Womenswear. Following many requests, the couple decided to create a partner store on the second floor of the building that would provide for women the same quality of clothing and exceptional service that garrett’s provided to men.

For the next four years, Meg’s and garrett’s grew and flourished. in 1996, however, garrett wanted to go into real estate. That’s when Meg stepped up to take over managing both businesses and running the day-to-day operations. both stores continued to thrive as Meg developed her signature brand of fashion service that went hand in hand with her teaching skills. in addition to providing purchase choices in the showroom, Meg also offered fashion consultation and advice, helping customers to better understand the best choices for their needs. she also went the extra mile to find and obtain items her clients were looking for.

in 2003, garrett’s real estate savvy allowed the Weddles to obtain the storefront property at 1136 e ast Main street in downtown r adford. With a property featuring two storefronts, side-by-side, garrett’s moved in on the left while Meg’s moved in on the right. together, they have become two of the premier clothiers of the New river Valley!

Well established in her current location for nearly twenty years now, Meg celebrated a total of thirty years in business in

From Left to Right: Donna, Meg, and Evan

2022! Not only is she recognized as the owner of a key business in downtown r adford, Meg is also famous for pioneering a group called ‘The Lunch bunch’, which meets every tuesday at bt ’s restaurant on tyler avenue.

at these meetings, Meg gives talks on a wide variety of fashion subjects. Past talks have included what’s new for the upcoming season, market reports, new styles, how to look younger or thinner with clothing, and history of fashion. she has also begun a series that focuses on regional characteristics of fashion, starting with fashion choices from the southeastern united states.

These meetings are not only attended by clients. Clothing vendors and suppliers also make time to attend. as a perk for being there, Meg also provides discounts for anyone visiting the store after the meeting.

Looking back over the years, Meg notes how the fashion business has changed with the information age. in years past, clients would come into a store and simply choose from what was available on the shelves and racks. today, however, people have the ability to search the internet and they can see fashions available from all over the world. in today’s world, clients have become more specialized in their desires and needs. When they shop for clothing, they have ideas that often go far beyond the four walls of the store, so there are more special orders. some folks just want something new, so Meg also keeps an eye out for new fashions in the market to give people a reason to buy. she carries labels such as brighton, tribal, Liz Claiborne, Merrell, and Joseph ribkoff.

and since people can get products from all over the world now, a store really has to offer services to get folks to come in and shop. as for those special orders, if her clients don’t find what they need in the store, Meg tries her best to get it for them. she also continues to provide advice and consultation, delivering clothing solutions for different needs. she even offers complementary alterations!

Meg also makes sure her staff are trained so they, too, can provide these five-star services. ann is on hand to help with buying for the store. she also does a wonderful job with the display windows, making a positive impact on the downtown aesthetic.

shoppers are also likely to meet the lively and wonderful Peggy who can brighten anyone’s day on the sales floor. in addition to sales, garrett (not related) also provides support as Meg’s online media person. Filling out the sales staff are donna, as well as havva and evan – two radford high school students who bring a youthful look to Meg’s. Then there’s teitum, part-time seamstress and fashion design student at radford university, who facilitates those complementary alterations.

Finally, Meg tells us we must also mention Kevin, who graduated from radford university with a degree in accounting. Kevin has been garrett’s and Meg’s accountant for thirty-three years, and Meg is grateful for the consistency his service has provided to the operation of her businesses from the beginning.

“Fashion itself has gotten much more casual,” says Meg, reflecting on more of the changes she’s seen over the years. “When we first opened, ladies wore suits and high heels to work. Now many companies allow shorts and flip-flops and no one thinks anything about it.”

Meg goes on to tell us that though much has changed, the prices for clothing haven’t seen the same increases as other consumer products. Prices may have increased a little, but they are not so different as they have been over the past few decades.

Looking forward, Meg tells us the plan is always as it has been. “you constantly need to change and reinvent yourself. update the stores and the sales floors. brainstorming new ways to reach out to clients in special ways, such as birthday boxes. Perhaps adding online shopping.”

Meg is super thankful to all their clients, especially for their support through the pandemic. she is honored to be part of the radford community and to serve the New river Valley and beyond. “service is our trademark. We started the store with this motto, and this is why we are still here.” Meg’s Specialty Women’s Wear

Courtesy of Giles County

Community Efforts Keeping the New River Clean

By D.J. Matthews

The New river is a body of water whose headwaters begin near blowing rock, North Carolina. Though it has been a source of life for countless species of plants and animals, as well as home to native humans for over sixty-five million years, it is only in recent times that adjacent communities, like giles County, have utilized it for economic development.

Now that tourism has become the second largest industry in the state, county officials are beginning to consider the potential of the New river. during discussions about improving the appearance of the entire community, it was decided to include the New river in the clean-up plan, as it winds through the middle of the county. according to giles County administrator, Chris McKlarney, there was originally talk in 1999 about having a countywide cleanup. as a result, about ninety volunteers waded along the shores to pick up trash in 2001. Lots of discarded tires were found during that first effort. by 2016, however, there were close to three-hundred volunteers. s ome worked to clear trash near the river, but most floated out in canoes and other small watercraft to clear the

waters of the New. in just over twenty years, volunteers have removed 200,000 pounds of trash and debris. but it wouldn’t have been possible without the reNew the New Committee, along with cofounders, ann g oette and Paul Moody. since 1990, Moody has owned a private retreat on the New river called ‘The New river’s edge’, complete with boat rental. he became familiar with the New river as a boy, splashing around in its waters during family vacations near his boyhood home in Monroe County, West Virginia. Now he goes rafting and fishing with his brother-in-law or with friends, including the much younger, Chris McKlarney. When Moody heard about the county’s newest development plans, he became involved with helping the river.

Cofounder, ann g oette, was brought up in Louisiana, near the Mississippi. according to goette, that river was “muddy and flat.” When she moved to this area in her early twenties, g oette was amazed at the New river’s clarity, and she enjoyed swimming in it. Wanting to keep it that way, she contacted Paul Moody and left a message on his voicemail. she let him know she wanted to do something for the river and asked that he call

Photo

Paul Moody and Ann Goette, head organizers for “ReNew the New” Committee, stand on the edge of Moody’s private retreat bordering the New in Giles County. Photo by D. J. Mathews

her back.

in 2005, goette and Moody got together with Chris McKlarney, as well as the Virginia department of game and inland Fisheries and several more concerned citizens. also involved were three outfitters: Moody’s New river’s edge, The Nr angler, and i Canoe the New, now called Nr Outdoor Company. it was eventually decided there would be two cleanups a year. One, called ‘Fall into the New’, would focus on the river. The other would be called ‘r amps and roads’ and would be devoted to cleaning up land litter and boat ramps. during the organization’s first year, roughly 150 volunteers cleaned along the New river from ripplemead to bluff City. using rafts and canoes, they were able to extract a significant amount of garbage, including close to four-hundred tires. according to g oette, it was also discovered that the river had an even larger polluter than fishermen and their beer cans. From Norfolk s outhern r ailroad Company, the volunteers found items like grease pots, railroad ties, and rusting nails. it took several years and a lunch with officials in eggleston to get the railroad involved but it’s made a huge difference. “We’ve really cleaned the river,” says g oette. Thanks to those early efforts, as well as Moody,

Students carrying trash back to the entry site. Photo Courtesy of Giles County

Participants gather for the yearly “ReNew the New” cleanup on the New River.

Photo Courtesy of Giles County

g oette, McKlarney and all their associates and volunteers, reNew the New has become a countywide event for the giles community. Thanks to the skills of Paul Moody, dynamic graphics were created for cleanup posters and flyers. he even wrote song lyrics for the organization’s mission: “We want to let the people know/That we have a dream/to make the river flow/Crystal clear and clean...” to help engage the public, reNew the New has planned art contests for school children. They’ve also expanded their cleanup efforts to include ‘Carcass Collection’ for those hunters who left animal carcasses in or near the river and roads. The Carcass Collection effort is targeted for the fall and utilizes specific dumpsters in the county just for discarding the carcasses of deer and other animals. Moody tells us these cleanups have spread to other towns along the New, showing “a huge love of the river.” in 2016, fifteen years after the first county cleanup, reNew the New and the New river Valley regional Commission decided to concentrate on the eleven miles between Claytor Lake and Prices Fork bridge. r adford became the focal point that year, and the r adford community has been holding river cleanups every august since. r adford Mayor, david horton, is proud of the town being called ‘the New river City’ and is concerned about the multiple boating landings that residents and visitors often use. he pointed out that due to flooding, carelessness, and misuse, there’s always trash in the river. The annual cleanup efforts help to keep the river in r adford clean and inviting.

Currently, interest in beautifying the New river is growing. The nearby communities of Pulaski, Montgomery County, and Floyd have conducted their own river cleanup projects in

recent years. giles County has gone a step further, designating its thirty-seven miles of river as ‘The New river Water trail’. The Water trail features thirteen boat landings that encourage locals and travelers to visit.

director of tourism, Cora gnegy, felt that the cleanup efforts of reNew the New had really benefitted river outfitters and other local businesses. With the area being clean and attractive, more people are keen to visit and utilize outfitters, restaurants, and retails stores.

goette tells us that the cleanup events have brought so many people together to work for a common goal and that the improvements have even resulted in some former residents moving back to the area.

here in 2022, reNew the New Program Coordinator Charles Mullins says the river clearly has less garbage after two decades of cleanups. ann g oette says that in one recent river cleanup, people were actually disappointed that they only found two tires! going forward, Mullins hopes a school program called ‘Litter Quitters’ will create the mindset to continue the tradition of keeping the roads and rivers clean in the county.

The most recent river cleanup event was august 27, 2022, during which r adford and many other communities in the New river Valley once more took to the shores and waters. For more information on the cleanup events for 2023, or for anyone interested in being a part of a future cleanup, visit online at www.renewthenew.org, or follow reNew the New on Facebook.

ReNew the New • www.RenewTheNew.org www.facebook.com/ReNewtheNew

Two teams of women volunteers troll the New River for litter during the annual ReNew the New cleanup. Photo Courtesy of Giles County

Some of the trash items found in the New River from the cleanups. Photo Courtesy of Giles County

Photo Courtesy of Giles County

Nancy Creed

They Say that the Best Reason to Carry a Handkerchief is to Give it Away

By Vickie Holt

Nancy salem grew up in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, surrounded by mountain coal fields. Originally founded by eastern and western european immigrants, Johnstown was filled with people who had great work ethic. everyone wanted to work in the steel mill because it was a job that could set a worker and their family up for life. Johnstown was a hard-working, blue-collar, western Pennsylvania steel town that was, at one time, known as an all-american friendly city. even when Nancy was growing up, the city had a huge population, with everyone hustling and bustling.

after graduating from high school, Nancy attended the university of Pittsburgh. she had started college with her eye on a teaching career but changed her mind when placed into a prestudent-teaching exercise. after deciding that teaching was not for her, Nancy thought she might want a degree in communications. at the time, however, the university of Pittsburgh didn’t offer a communications degree, so she took courses in persuasion, rhetoric, conflict management, and organizational development. in the end, she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in the equivalent of speech and communications.

after graduating, Nancy went to work as a corporate trainer with C&P telephone company in Charleston, West Virginia. in

1982, however, the phone company broke apart into its separate sub-companies. 1982 was also the year Nancy married her first husband and moved to northwest Ohio for his job. she couldn’t get a transfer to the phone company there because that sub-company was no longer affiliated with C&P. so, Nancy returned to college. This time, she attended bowling green state university, where she was finally able to get her official master’s degree in interpersonal and Corporate Communications.

Nancy also started a family at this time, giving birth to daughters Kate and sarah. Not wanting to place her children in day care, Nancy chose to be a stay-at-home mom. While she wouldn’t trade away a minute of it, after the girls were older, this creative lady felt called to something more. all her life, Nancy had been a creative person. she loved crafting, making, painting, and creating beautiful things. she had a knack for taking something and making more of it.

in 1991, Nancy and her family lived in salisbury, North Carolina where her husband worked for the Celanese Corporation. it was there that she ventured into the world of Mary Kay. her creativity, along with her education in communications, allowed Nancy to become a quick success! she continued with Mary Kay, even after

her husband got a transfer to giles County in 1993. From her new home in the New river Valley, Nancy continued her Mary Kay success by advancing to senior sales director. Furthermore, she earned five career cars, including the coveted pink Cadillac, which she still owns!

“i loved being self-employed and working from home,” she says. “i was able to combine the sales training offered through Mary Kay with my background in communications to build a large organization and client base. tapping into my creative side, i also designed gift baskets for the holidays.”

Nancy tells us she would even host special husband’s events where she would sell gifts to husbands that she knew her female clients wanted to have. to make the gift even more special, and to help the husbands out with presentation, she would sell these items arranged with her own gift designs.

Nancy was with Mary Kay for fifteen years, during which she and her first husband parted ways. in 2004, she felt it was time for a change. it was time to say goodbye to Mary Kay and start a whole new chapter in her life.

Though she would continue with Mary Kay for two more years, Nancy entered the world of hospitality in 2005. For the next ten years, Nancy held a variety of positions with hilton hotels in the New river Valley. even here, however, Nancy had the opportunity to be creative. at the hotel, the director might order a gift from a local florist, then would ask Nancy to fix it up more creatively and attractively. Once the word was out, she got more and more requests to fix up gift-giving designs.

The same year Nancy started her career with hilton, she also became Nancy Creed after marrying the wonderful david Creed. in addition to finding a new life partner, Nancy welcomed david’s daughter, Megan and his son, aaron, into her family.

as the years went by, Nancy began feeling the time was right to reinvent herself once again. all the kids were growing up and starting their own families. Kate became Kate Cayne and moved to Colorado with her family. sarah became sarah hall and is doing the same in georgia. Megan, now Megan hash, is in Pulaski with

her family, and aaron is in Christiansburg with his family. interacting with corporate clients had been rewarding, but now Nancy was feeling the entrepreneurial spirit. she wanted to explore the challenges of having a business at home – something that would combine her communications skills with her sales expertise and creative endeavors. since she had created gift baskets and gift-giving designs throughout her careers with Mary Kay and with hilton, Nancy Creed started The Orange bandana, a homebased gift basket business. The name came from a sweet tradition in which david would carry different colored bandanas in his back pocket. it seemed that whenever Nancy needed it, it was always the orange one. to prepare for this new chapter, Nancy became a Certified gift designer through the gift basket association, now the gift designers association. Launched in 2010, this organization has certified hundreds of gifting professionals who deserve to be recognized for their commitment to excellence. it’s a four-session training program held once a year. Learning includes information about the gifting business and how it has changed since 2010. The course also covers traditional gift baskets and new, modern design theories, followed by how to set up a business using the latest tools, supplies and technologies.

Finally, the certification includes creating programs and communicating for ultimate success.

armed with her certification, Nancy began her home-based business, designing and selling a variety of innovative and themed gift baskets and boxes. Over the years, she built an impressive catalog of corporate clients, as well many individuals. her signature touch is that she tucks an orange bandana into every basket or box. They say that the best reason to carry a handkerchief is to give it away, and she wants each basket recipient to have one.

david Creed is Nancy’s biggest fan. he really encouraged her to do this, and even retired from his electric supply job and became her partner. she says she couldn’t do it without him. especially what came next. after six years of being a home-based business, the Creeds thought they might experiment with retail by opening a store location. Nancy had experienced a huge boom in business

Nancy Creed & David Creed

during the lockdowns in 2020. Corporate clients would meet with her via Zoom then place their large orders for her to ship. even individual clients were calling upon her services since they couldn’t visit their loved ones in person. The business had grown so much that she just couldn’t do it from home anymore.

in May of 2021, Nancy signed a lease for the storefront located at 446 Peppers Ferry road, Northwest, in Christiansburg. after four months of preparation, The Orange bandana opened its doors with a huge ribbon cutting on september 15.

Not only does the business location allow for foot traffic and on-site sales, but it also solves a limitation she had encountered when working out of her home. some gift baskets and boxes come with wine or other spirits. because of abC laws, Nancy could only sell these designs if she shipped them. she could not hand deliver, and could not allow customers, even local ones, to pick up. With the store location, however, she was able to get an off-premises license that allowed her to sell gift arrangements that contain wine directly from the store.

at Orange bandana, customers can purchase pre-created baskets and boxes, or individual items like candles. Customers can even gather a selection of individual items then have Nancy use them to build a custom gift box or basket.

The Orange bandana focuses on local products, using twenty local vendors and even more suppliers from the surrounding region. all products are fresh and new.

Nancy especially loves assisting corporate clients with their gift giving needs. Corporations, as well as individuals, can view her designs and place orders online at www.theOrangeb andana.com.

at this point in her life, Nancy loves creating gifts, and she just wanted to have something of her own. she also wanted the experience of running her own business and owning her own shop. With retirement in view at some point on the horizon, she hopes to continue success with the Orange bandana designs, as well as the retail location, and she wants to grow her portfolio of corporate clients. b eyond that, Nancy is looking forward to travelling and visiting her daughters.

The Orange Bandana • Nancy Creed and David Creed 446 Peppers Ferry Rd. NW, Christiansburg, VA www.TheOrangeBandana.com • 540-250-7945

Belle Heth in Radford History

When referring to their elementary s chool, many teachers, parents, and children in r adford speak the words ‘b elle heth’ every day. Few realize, however, that b elle heth was also an extraordinary person. s o notable, in fact, that the school located at 151 g eorge street has born her name for nearly one-hundred and forty years. b elle heth was a lifelong resident of what is now r adford, and it was she who gifted a town lot for the purpose of building a new school. The school became the b elle heth academy, but b elle’s role in r adford’s history goes far beyond those halls.

in 1842, belle heth was born isabella Norwood hammet to parents edward and Clementina Craig hammet. at the time, the hammets were a prosperous, slaveholding family living at their 500acre estate called Norwood. belle’s father had emigrated from ireland in 1825 and by the 1830’s had established himself as a prominent citizen. edward was an influential man. he also started the Presbyterian church in radford, now known as Old brick Presbyterian Church. in the 1850’s, he championed the development of a rail line through the region, and it was fifteen acres of his own land that first became known as Central depot. it was this critical piece of development that gave rise to the City of radford.

it was belle’s birth into this affluent and influential family that enabled her to receive an education during a time when higher learning was strictly a luxury. she received her diploma in 1860

from the Virginia Female institute in staunton, Virginia. she was an intelligent person, and it is evident from family documents that her family placed great faith in her abilities. she and her sister, sue, along with their brothers, participated in multiple aspects of the operation of the family’s estate. This experience would serve belle very well in years to come.

in 1867, belle married Captain stockton heth of Culpeper County, Virginia. stockton was also from a prominent family, often referred to as an ‘Old Virginia’ family. his family’s name seemed to be the key element he brought to the marriage as it would be belle’s inheritance and property that would become the main source of wealth for the couple. That said, she and her husband were true partners in the operation of their ‘empire’. at its height, their holdings encompassed four farms, multiple rental properties, and a winter home in Washington, d.C.

Much of the driving force behind belle’s efforts to work and build her assets was her family, especially her children. she and stockton had five surviving children: sue, Pickett, Virginia, stockton, and Clement. seemingly, everything belle did was to provide well for her children. They all benefited from their mother’s work, receiving good education, and living comfortable lives. still, all the children played their part in the operation of the family’s business operations.

belle heth was born into privilege, but she never took that for

Late-19th century photograph showing students and teachers in front of the original Belle Heth Academy in Radford. Photo Courtesy of Glencoe Mansion, Museum & Gallery.

Belle Heth. Photo Courtesy of Anne Heth Connor.

granted. she constantly worked to re-invest her assets. eventually, she inherited her family estate, which now encompasses a good deal of the eastern portion of radford. The original fifteen acres used for Central depot had belonged to belle’s father, so as the rail town grew, it had nowhere to spread but onto more heth family property.

by the 1880’s, thanks to an economic boom brought on by rich resources like coal, the area became a prime locale for expansion. it was this rapid development around the old Central depot that led to the establishment of the City of radford in 1887.

in 1890, belle sold a 300-acre tract of her land to the radford development Company for $90,000. That’s almost three million in today’s money, or $10,000 per acre. For context, and to demonstrate how belle heth was constantly reinvesting, she took that windfall and purchased a 1,200-acre farm in blacksburg, as well as a home in a fashionable district of Washington, d.C.

by the end of the century, however, the heth family was dealt a financial blow when the radford development Company proved unable to pay for the land they had purchased. The land reverted back to belle, but she was still on the line for the properties she had purchased with the proceeds from the original sale. Pressed into a tight situation, belle and her family were forced to make some difficult decisions. despite this major setback, however, they moved forward, continuing to play a major role in the history of radford.

b elle’s ancestral land had helped give rise to the City of r adford, and it was her land that also produced one of the most

significant aspects of r adford’s history and economy. in 1910, the Virginia general assembly authorized the establishment of the state Normal s chool for Women at r adford. Once authorized, the school needed to find a home. That home was quickly provided on a thirty-acre parcel of land that b elle heth sold to the b oard of trustees. That modest school grew over the years to eventually become r adford university.

Though belle heth played a major role in the development, establishment, and history of radford, others in her family are also historically significant. her sister, sue, was the wife of James hoge tyler who would go on to serve as governor of Virginia from 1898 to 1902. her daughter, also named sue, married, and shared the home of William radford Wharton, the son of general gabriel C. and Nannie radford Wharton. That family home eventually became the glencoe Mansion, Museum & gallery.

in 1916, belle heth passed away in Washington, d.C. her family made the journey so they could lay her to rest in the family cemetery in radford. her husband, stockton, followed her in 1927.

belle heth undoubtedly left many indelible marks on the City of radford, though few would recognize them today. all who knew her are gone, and except for historians and descendants, she is all but forgotten. still, in the brightly colored halls at 151 george street, her name is kept alive.

Glencoe Mansion, Museum & Gallery 600 Unruh Drive, Radford, VA • www.glencoemansion.org Scott Gardner, Executive Director 540-731-5031 • info@glencoemansion.org

(From left to right) Belle Heth, Pickett Heth and Virginia Heth in front of their home in Washington, D.C. Photo Courtesy of Sue Heth Bell.

(Left) Sue, eldest daughter of Belle Heth with her husband (right), William Radford Wharton. Photo Courtesy of Sue Heth Bell

Certificate of coursework completion from the Belle Heth Academy for 1906-7. Photo Courtesy of Glencoe Mansion, Museum & Gallery.