Radford Magazine 2022 Spring/Summer

Radford Yo u r F R EE G u i d e t o R a d f o r d a n d t h e S u r r o u n d i n g N R V !

Spring/Summer 2022

JBR Vineyards & Win er

Spring/Summer 2022

y

M a g a z i n e

BT’s Restaurant

Elliott’s Fishing Tack

le

Dean’s Body Shop

Volume 2 Issue 1

Farmers Insurance Belinda Blodgett

- A R i v e r R u n s T h r o u g h It www.RadfordMagazine.com

Your Satisfaction Is Our Success A Trusted Pharmacy in Business for More Than 93 Years Radford Drug is your one-stop shop for all of the prescription and over-the-counter medications you require. Our drugstore has been dedicatedly serving families and individuals in Radford, VA for more than nine decades.

What Else Can You Find at Radford Drug?

Basic Drugstore Items

Hardware Items

Candy

Office Supplies

Drinks

School Supplies

Greeting Cards

If you need compounded drugs, our pharmacist can provide them based on your doctor’s prescription.

Your medication can be either picked up at our pharmacy or delivered to your location. If you want to learn more about how we can serve you, contact us today.

RadfordDrug.com

www.

Monday - Friday 9AM - 6PM • Saturday 9AM - 2PM • Delivery Available!

243 W Main St., Radford, VA 540-639-3996 • Fax 540-731-4852 • RadfordDrug@Yahoo.com 2

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Spring/Summer 2022

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Radford M a g a z i n e

JBR Vineyards & Winery

Spring/Summer 2022

On The Cover The Glencoe Museum Photo courtesy of Joyce Crowder

Farmers Insurance Belinda Blodgett

Elliott’s

Locally Grown, Produced, & Bottled!

Military Surplus & Fishing Tackle

8205 Little River Dam Road Radford, VA 540-250-7291

2114 W. Main St - A Radford, VA 540-639-1038

BT’s Restaurant

Auto, Home, Life, Business Insurance, and More!

Dean’s Body Shop

deansbodyshopinc@

gmail.com

www.btsradford.com

Food, Fun, & Friends!

gmail.com

jbrvineyards@

218 Tyler Avenue Radford, VA 540-639-1282

Radford Magazine Team John Brill - Publisher Vickie Holt - Editor

Friendly customer service & quality work for 40 Years!

Elliott’s Fishing Tackle

1620 E Main St Radford, VA 540-633-0879

Farmers Insurance Belinda Blodgett

www.farmersa

gent.com/bbl

Of Rings and Wines: The Story of JBR Vineyards & Winery..............10 -13 From Basement Hobby to National Contacts: The Story of Eleven West.................................14 -15 New Book to Shed Light on Radford Civil War History...............................16 -18 Places of Interest....................................................20 - 21

call John Brill 540-815-1079

The Local New River Valley....................................22 - 23

For additional copies, email

Redefining An Industry......................................... 24 - 27

© 2022 RADFORD MAGAZINE, LLC. All rights reserved.

Reproduction in whole or part, without written permission from RADFORD MAGAZINE is prohibited. Every attempt has been made to verify the information contained in this publication. We assume no responsibility for incorrect, omitted or outdated information contained herein. We publish ads and stories without any implied endorsement of organizations, the views they express or the products/ services they offer.

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odgett

The Saga of Radford Drug...........................................6-8

For publication information,

john@brilldesigns.org

4

1055 E Main St, Radford, VA 540-838-2198

Dean’s Body Shop

BT’s Restaurant inery JBR Vineyards & W

Volume 2 Issue 1

Radford Area Spring/Summer Happenings 2022........... 28 77 Years of Exceptional Service..............................30 - 33 There is so Much to Experience at Glencoe Mansion, Museum & Gallery............34 - 36

Alphabetical Listing of Advertisers Page 38 Spring/Summer 2022

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From Left to Right: Josh Owens, Scott Armentrout, Zan Armentrout, Kim Snider, Michael Dean, and Season Burzek

The Saga of Radford Drug In 1929, Mark Kirby established an independent, community pharmacy at 217 West Main Street in Radford. Radford Drug, Inc. was not only a full-service pharmacy, but it also featured a soda fountain and hand packed ice cream. This made it a favorite gathering spot for the youth of those early decades.

Providing a necessary service to the people of Radford, as well as giving folks a great place to meet and enjoy themselves, was the perfect combination for a long-lasting, successful enterprise.

And so, it was. Despite the Great Depression and the Second World War, Mark Kirby kept the business strong, happily running it until his death in 1962. Mark is still a fondly remembered man to those in Radford who knew him. Current owner, Scott Armentrout, says some of those folks are still customers at Radford Drug, and will sometimes offer kind comments about Mark when they visit.

After Mark’s passing, his wife, Ruth Kirby, kept it going until 1966. That’s when the Kirby’s son-in-law, Bill Armentrout, moved back to Radford to help run the business.

Bill had been living in Front Royal, Virginia, along with his wife, Shirley, daughter of Mark and Ruth. Shirley had become a biologist, but Bill was, as fate would have it, a pharmacist. The couple moved back to Radford and helped run the business until 1968. That’s when they bought the business outright and continued as its owners.

Bill operated Radford Drug at the 217 West Main Street location until 1978. That’s when he moved the store up the street 6

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to 239 West Main Street. There, Radford Drug kept going strong.

Though the days of hand-packed ice cream and soda fountains were far in the past, Radford Drug still provided a vital service to the people of Radford. The pharmacy would soon, however, become so much more.

Ten years after changing locations, Bill found himself on a romantic errand that would inspire the next milestone for the family pharmacy. One February afternoon, Bill was out searching for a Valentine’s Day card for Shirley. Having no luck in town, Bill ended up across the river and out of Radford before he found that what he was looking for.

The decision to expand the location came quickly in 1987.

The next storefront down was empty, having housed Umberger’s Grocery for years and then Hines Bakery. Bill thought the timing was perfect for taking over the empty space. Decisions, however, are one thing. Taking action on them is quite another matter. As the work began, they literally hit a brick wall.

The wall between these two storefronts was no ordinary wall. It was almost three feet thick of solid brick. Engineers were called in.

If they found the wall to be weight-bearing, they would not be able to remove it. Luckily, however, they found a way.

For six weeks, Radford Drug was surrounded with the sounds of jackhammers knocking out the interior wall. Merchandise was stacked everywhere, all covered in dust.

As part of the renovation, the original store entrance was

Spring/Summer 2022

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covered up and a new entrance was installed on the corner, where it remains today.

After the expansion, the new space filled up with all kinds of everyday items, such as greeting cards! Shirley even made homemade bread, selling it at the store along with baking goods, health foods, whole wheat flour, and more. Her space was called Shirley’s Cupboard.

For 64 years, Radford Drug had been going strong. They had relocated, grown, and weathered all the setbacks and adversities that had come their way. That is, until a setback came that they could do nothing about.

1n 1993, changes to health insurance regulations made it difficult for independent pharmacies to fill prescriptions. Rather than facing having to close the store, Bill made the sad decision to become a franchise member for the Medicine Shoppe chain of pharmacies. Gone were the fresh baked breads. Gone was all the extra merchandise that had made their location such a convenient and valuable resource for many day-to-day items.

They weren’t part of the Medicine Shoppe business model.

Also gone was the plastic Radford Drug sign that had hung proudly for decades.

With less space needed, Bill decided to put the wall back up and downsize to the corner storefront only.

In 1997, Bill and Shirley traveled to Fayetteville, North Carolina to visit their son, Scott, and his wife, Alice. During this visit, conversations arose regarding the store. It was time, once again, to pass the torch.

While in North Carolina, Scott Armentrout had been a professional golfer, playing the circuits. He gave up the greens in 1998, however, to move back to Radford. Having received a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Methodist University in Fayetteville, Alice opened “Music Comes to Town Studio” after getting settled. Her business has since been renamed Central Fine Arts Academy, after having moved into Central United Methodist Church at 803 Wadsworth Street.

Meanwhile, Scott started working in the Medicine Shoppe location. Two years later, he became acquainted with Jim Perkinson, a pharmacist who had been working the counters in larger chain pharmacies. They heard Jim was thinking about leaving the chains to open his own pharmacy but brought a better option to the table. After all the details were worked out, Scott and Jim, as partners, bought the store from Bill.

For the next eight years, Scott and Jim ran the Medicine Shoppe location in the corner storefront spot, but in 1986, they decided to expand again. Since putting the wall back up, a photography studio had moved into the old space. Eventually, the building once again became empty and it was time, once

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again, to tear down that wall! “Thank the Lord,” says Scott, “it was not solid brick this time!”

This time, the renovation took more than six months to complete.

During that six months, however, Radford’s only hardware store, Central Lumber, closed. Even before the new space was finished, Scott got the idea to create Radford Hardware. It was a place where folks could pick up nuts, bolts, screws, nails, and other basic hardware items for home repairs. They even added a key machine.

By the time the renovations were complete, however, they decided to merge everything back under the roof of the pharmacy.

Running two businesses just wasn’t as efficient as one. After the reopening, they also brought back school and office supplies, as well as a card and gift section with novelties and seasonal items.

It looked like they were getting a little more wiggle room to operate under the Medicine Shoppe umbrella. In 2013, however, they were able to throw that umbrella into the wind and dance in the rain! Just like changes in health insurance regulations forced them into joining a franchise, it was more changes that set them free.

It was a proud day for Bill and Scott Armentrout when they were able to take down the Medicine Shoppe sign and rehang the original Radford Drug sign that had been stored for two decades in

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the basement. Bill, however, knew right where to find it. “It’s good to have that name back,” he says.

“So, there is a new/old look to Radford Drug,” says Scott, “as progress made way for a return to the past.”

In 2019, Jim Perkinson decided to retire, and Scott bought out his half of Radford Drug. He then hired Joshua Owens as Pharmacist in Charge to run the daily operations of the store. Like Jim before him, Joshua had been working the pharmacy counters in the big chains and was looking for an opportunity in a smaller, more personal drug store.

Along with Joshua, the staff now includes Mike Dean, Emilie Tolliver, Kim Snider, Katherine Young, Zan Armentrout, Caleb Sparks, Season Burzek, and Tasha Spencer.

Radford Drug is a third generation drug store that has been serving the New River Valley for over ninety years, and hopes to continue for a long time to come!

Radford Drug is open Monday through Friday, 9AM – 6PM, and on Saturday from 9AM – 2PM, with delivery available.

Radford Drug • 243 West Main Street, Radford, VA www.RadfordDrug.com • RadfordDrug@Yahoo.com 540-639-3996 • Fax: 540-731-4852

Spring/Summer 2022

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Front: Debby Ring; Back left to right: Cameron Ring and Jessee Ring

Of Rings and Wines: The Story of JBR Vineyards & Winery

By Jesse Ring

Fifty years ago, Jessee Ring met his future wife, Debby, while attending the University of Virginia. One of the things the young couple had in common was an interest in wines.

Wine intrigued them. Not only did they find it an enjoyable beverage, wine also presented them with never-ending opportunities for learning and variety.

One could drink wine for a lifetime and never run out of new ones to try. The Rings also discovered that the world contains endless prospects for wine aficionados to dig as deep as they want into the characteristics of wine regions and the wines they produce.

Jessee jumped in with both feet.

He read books and magazines about wine, popped corks, took tasting notes, started a wine collection, went to wine tastings, attended antique wine auctions, and is still going strong.

He became particularly interested in Bordeaux wines. He did extensive research on them, including referring frequently to an eighteen-hundred-page tome that lists and discusses every one of the approximately seven-thousand wine-growing estates in Bordeaux. In 2013, Jessee and Debby visited Bordeaux, and to this day, they maintain an extensive collection of Bordeaux wines. Proudly, the collection includes bottles from old vintages going back as far as 1945.

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Though Bordeaux is a favorite, there were more wine varieties out there to learn about and enjoy.

But wine was not their business.

Jessee achieved a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering and quickly got into computer applications. His high-tech work then took him across the country and around the world.

He even found himself in India during the out-sourcing movement.

Eventually, Jessee finished his hightech career after seven years in Silicon Valley, working as an independent consultant and contractor.

Debby got her degree in Nursing on a Navy scholarship, became a Navy Nurse during the Vietnam era, got a master’s degree, and moved into the U.S. Public Health Service. While in the PHS, she traveled extensively in Micronesia.

For years, Jessee and Debby talked about someday moving back East. They considered various possible locations like Charlottesville or Lexington in Virginia; Tryon in North Carolina, or even Myrtle Beach in South Carolina.

The Rings had lived the big city life in one form or another for most of their adult lives, including a short time in downtown San Francisco. A change of pace is what they wanted, and a country environment that wasn’t isolated is what drew them.

Southwest Virginia seemed most appealing. After all, it was Spring/Summer 2022

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www.RadfordMagazine.com 11

Jessee’s native home. In the end, while still in California, they bought a five-acre plot just outside of Radford.

During their last years in California, Jessee and Debby started hearing about Virginia wines. This intrigued them, as Jessee was from the area, and they had both graduated from UVA. Whenever making trips to Virginia, they would buy a couple of bottles to take home and try. Their interest was piqued.

In 2005, they finally took the plunge and made the move. It took a year to plan and build a house, but in May of 2006, they moved into their new Radford home.

Once moved into their new house, and with a little bit of land available, a thought occurred to them. Wouldn’t it be fun to plant a few grapevines and make wine from the produce?

Wouldn’t it be fun to sit on the porch sipping a glass of wine made from grapes grown right over there?

In 2006, as an experiment, Jessee and Debby planted a few classic wine grapevines. It wasn’t long before the new endeavor took on a life of its own.

Based upon what they had learned, they replanted and expanded the vineyard three years later, in 2009. It takes three to five years after planting to get a wine grape vineyard into full production, so the first grapes ripened in 2012. The Rings still talk about that first harvest when they used a kitchen colander and a potato masher to process the grapes. After that day, they both vowed that they were never doing that again. It was time to buy some equipment.

Still, they did make some wine with those first grapes, and the results gave them encouragement.

During this time, Jessee visited vineyards and wineries throughout Virginia to learn as much as he could. He also joined the Virginia Vineyards Association (VVA) and the Virginia Wineries Association. At that time, the wine they were making was legally classified as ‘homemade wine’, which meant that it could not be sold.

As Jessee and Debby found themselves spending more and more time on the vineyard, a realization set in. The operation was too much for a hobby but too little for a commercial enterprise. They saw that they needed to either cut back to something suitable as a hobby, or expand again. It would mean, 12 www.Facebook.com/RadfordMagazine

however, building a real wine processing facility and becoming licensed to sell the wine.

“When you come to a fork in the road,” says Jesse, “take it.”

Between 2013 and 2017, they started planning for another vineyard expansion, as well as the construction of a winery building on some land that they already owned in Giles County.

There was not enough suitable land at their Radford location.

They also applied to become a “Virginia Farm Winery”.

Around that same time, Jessee realized he had gained sufficient viticulture knowledge through hands-on experience, attending VVA meetings, visiting other vineyards, and help from the Agricultural Extension. His wine making knowledge, however, was still lacking.

He enrolled in the University of California, Davis on-line certificate program in winemaking. UC Davis is the premier school of viticulture and oenology in the world. After two years of intense study, and loving every minute of it, Jessee scored straight A’s. In June of 2019, he finally received his Certificate in Winemaking, which he now proudly displays at the winery.

As farmers, Jessee and Debby have learned that there are no bumper crops and no meager crops. There are no good crops, poor crops, fat crops, or lean crops. They know that for each year, there is only that year’s crop, and every year it’s a darn site better than no crop.

After years of experience, they have also learned that they don’t control the weather, so, they don’t worry about it. They just try to contend with it.

In 2020, the weather did not cooperate. The vineyards saw two late spring frosts. The problem is when the vines bud out before the last frost date, and they become vulnerable. A hard frost on the buds can seriously reduce the year’s crop. The combination of these two hard frosts after the vines had budded out essentially eliminated the crop that year. By June, Jessee and Debby had written off that year’s crop and were already looking to the next year. “Welcome to the life of a farmer.”

JBR Vineyards & Winery specializes in only two grape varieties: Riesling and Pinot Noir, both of which are unusual in Virginia. They make the Riesling wine in the traditional German style with a little residual sugar that is balanced by the Spring/Summer 2022

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natural high acidity of the Riesling grape. The Pinot Noir wine is a dry, robust red wine.

JBR has two locations for tasting and sales: 8205 Little River Dam Road in Radford, and 1360 Springdale Road in Pearisburg. Rather than restricting the times that people can come, JBR can be open on almost any day at any time, with a little advance notice.

JBR takes pride in their tastings. In contrast to the routine tastings hosted by many other wineries, Jessee and Debby make the tasting a friendly discussion of their wines, as well as wines in general.

Looking forward, JBR Vineyards & Winery wants to train a Vineyard Master so Jessee can then focus more on the wine making aspect of the operation. JBR also wants to spend more time and attention on sales and marketing to increase its presence and visibility throughout the New River Valley.

JBR Vineyards & Winery • Jessee Ring and Debby Ring (540) 250-7291 • jbrvineyards@gmail.com 8205 Little River Dam Road, Radford, VA 1360 Springdale Road, Pearisburg, VA www.facebook.com/jbrwine • free delivery to the surrounding radford area • • breakfast served (fri, sat and sun) 8am-11am • • weekend brunch (sat and sun) 11am-2pm • • nightly dinner specials • daily happy hour • • minutes from exit 109 on i-81 • • homemade soups made daily •

Spring/Summer 2022

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Dana Giesen and John Giesen

From Basement Hobby to National Contacts: The Story of Eleven West In the spring of 1974, Dennis Sayers was an art teacher at New River Community College, while Jon Wyatt was Industrial arts teacher at Radford University. Sayers and Wyatt had been friends for many years, and both had backgrounds in graphics. Their mutual respect for graphics, as well as an entrepreneurial spirit, led them to begin trying their hand at screen printing. No one else in Radford was providing the service, and the two men thought that partnering in a screen-printing company just might be lucrative decision.

From 1974 to 1977, screen-printing remained a hobby for Dennis and Jon. They were just getting started and had to maintain their teaching positions to make ends meet. For those first three years, they fulfilled all their orders from Jon’s basement. Their very first job was for the Virginia Tech All Sports Camp, adding a screen-print decoration to hundreds of wooden paddles.

From that first successful order, word slowly began to spread.

That was the beginning of Eleven West, Inc., the New River Valley’s first screen printing, embroidery, and specialty product company. The origin of the name is a mystery, but Eleven West’s physical location on Route 11, west of Radford, seems to be as good an explanation as any!

As the business ramped up, Dennis and Jon found themselves in need of occasional help. After all, they were still trying to juggle teaching careers as well as a burgeoning business. Luckily, the perfect candidate was already at hand.

John Giesen had graduated from Radford High School in 1975 where Dennis Sayers had been his drafting teacher. In addition to the normal teacher/student dynamic, Dennis got to know John better while John was dating his niece.

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In that first year, John was having a great time. He was still in high school, hanging out with people he enjoyed, and doing work that set him on the path to his future. Once he entered college, he kept returning to Dennis and Jon for summer work.

Eventually, John broke up with Dennis’ niece, but that’s not where the story, or the friendship, ends. As it turns out, Dennis ended up dating and then marrying, John’s sister, Anne! It was then that Anne also joined the business as part of the art room staff.

After graduating from Roanoke College in 1979, John continued working with Dennis and Jon at Eleven West, doing production management for them until the early 1980’s.

In 1988, however, Jon Wyatt made the decision to leave the company. Wyatt’s in-laws had a huge dairy farm, and Eleven West sits in the middle of it! When Wyatt’s in-laws got too old to do the hard work, he left to help them with the farm.

Rather than seeing this as a sign of the business faltering, John Giesen saw it as an opportunity. After Wyatt’s departure, John got even more involved with the company. He thought it was a great business with lots of potential, and so he bought in as part owner. When John’s wife, Dana, joined the business as a sales rep in 1994, Eleven West became a true family business.

In the forty years and more of Eleven West, the screen-printing industry has evolved tremendously, specifically when it comes to technologically. In the early days, printed transfers were used to decorate t-shirts. Since then, this slow and tedious process has been replaced by high-speed, automatic printing which allows for the decoration of 500 shirts per hour! Also, embroidery equipment used to use punch-paper

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‘tapes’ to stitch one piece at a time. Now, computerized machines are used to stitch up to six or more garments at once.

The biggest change, however, is in the graphic design area. The computer has taken hours of work off the hands of the artist. For Eleven West, it has also enabled clients to create their own designs through the website at no additional cost.

The folks at Eleven West have also witnessed major changes in the product mix. In the beginning, basic T-shirts and sweatshirts were the focus for decoration, resulting in a very limited garment selection.

Now, they offer literally thousands of wearables! These include varying fabric contents and weights, such as tri-blend and UV resistant, soft shell, and waterproof materials. There has also been the introduction of ‘retail’ brands such as Carhartt, Nike, North Face, and Ogio.

Also increasing in product selection are specialty products. Early years saw Eleven West producing pens, mugs, stadium cups, and keychains. Now, they can also offer iPhone wallets, antibacterial pens, Post-It notes, computer camera covers, and wireless speakers. Literally anything that can be printed with a name, Eleven West can get.

As a group of sports enthusiasts, the folks at Eleven West gravitate towards athletic teams and events. In the early 1980’s, they printed for University of North Carolina, as well as North Carolina State, when they won national championships in basketball. They printed garments all through the night and delivered them to Belk stores in North Carolina the morning after the teams won. The North Carolina State connection also allowed them to cultivate a relationship with Coach Jim Valvano, for whom they produced a line of clothing during his later years.

Another memorable relationship was with Frank Beamer. Dennis and Frank were high school friends. Dennis played for Dublin High School while Frank played for rival, Hillsville. The friendship continued for many years and the line of clothing for Beamer Ball was born in Frank’s office at Virginia Tech. The term ‘Beamer Ball’, as well as the

Spring/Summer 2022

line of clothing that highlighted the slogan, was originally produced by Eleven West.

Dennis, John, and the family at Eleven West enjoy being able to provide for multiple sectors. Their client base includes individuals that need as few as ten garments, to universities and corporations that need thousands. They also serve retail outlets on Quantico Marine Corp base, supplying the FBI Academy’s store a wide variety of merchandise.

Currently, Eleven West is recovering from a multitude of pandemic setbacks. However, they are back on track to have a record sales year in 2022. The Marine Corp base at Quantico is reopening to the public.

FBI, DEA, and NA training centers are back in full swing. All the local schools and universities are welcoming students back to the classrooms.

With all that, as well as life just getting back to normal for most folks and their life events, production at the Fairlawn facility is in full swing.

All fifteen employees are hard at work, keeping up with the demand from local, regional, and national accounts.

“Our great employees, along with our loyal customers, are what makes Eleven West successful,” says John Giesen, President of Eleven West. “Our mission statement is to build long term relationships with our customers and employees, and we strive for this to happen every day.”

In a time when so much emphasis is placed on shooting emails back and forth, instead of having voice-to-voice or in-person interactions, Eleven West prides themselves on taking the time to walk their customers through the process, helping them find what they want and need.

Eleven West • John Giesen and Dana Giesen 6598 New River Road, Fairlawn, VA www.ElevenWest.com • 540-639-9319

www.RadfordMagazine.com 15

Wharton descendant Sally van Solkema (right) with husband Frits van Solkema (left) with their granddaughter Charlotte (center). Photo courtesy of Wharton-Radford Papers

Wharton descendant Sue Heth Bell with some of the family’s treasured documents Photo courtesy Damon Bates Photography

New Book to Shed Light on Radford Civil War History Back in 1972, an aspiring Civil War historian named William C. ‘Jack’ Davis set out to write a history on the Battle of New Market, Virginia. He reached out to dozens of people via letter, including descendants of key military figures from the battle.

Among those was a descendant of Confederate Brigadier General Gabriel C. Wharton. In response, Davis received a cordial but disappointing letter, saying that the family had no documentation of Wharton’s war record in their possession.

Some forty years later, however, Wharton descendant, Sue Heth Bell – with no knowledge of the previous exchange – approached Davis about her family’s papers related to the Civil War. During those forty years, the Wharton family had made the very difficult decision to sell Glencoe, a Radford residence that had been in their family for over 100 years. Contained within the home’s attic, they found trunk after trunk full of documents.

Wharton descendant Sally, along with her husband, Frits van Solkema, had held onto and carried these trunks with them for decades.

By 2013, the daughter of Sally and Fritz, Sue Heth Bell, had begun investigating the contents of the trunks. It was then that she realized her family had been in possession of a treasure trove of history! Within the confines of those long-sealed trunks were thousands of letters, 16 www.Facebook.com/RadfordMagazine

documents, and journals spanning from the 1840s to the early 1900s. Through the writings of her ancestors, Bell discovered she had some amazing documentation of what life was like in Southwest Virginia during the Civil War. Forty years ago, Jack Davis thought he had encountered a dead end for his writing project about the Battle of New Market. Today, however, in partnership with Sue Bell, Davis is bringing to light one of the most complete accounts of the Civil War Gen. Gabriel – relating specifically to Southwest C. Wharton Virginia – to survive the war itself.

Photo courtesy of Wharton-Radford At the outbreak of the Civil Papers War, Gabriel C. Wharton found himself, like many others, at a great precipice as the nation faced possible dissolution. As a native Virginian, Wharton enlisted in the Confederate war effort and soon found himself stationed in the far southwestern portion of Virginia, a region containing vast supplies of mineral deposits, such as salt, lead, and iron. Despite the region’s great importance and the bounty of raw materials it held for the war effort, Wharton was forever frustrated by his appointment.

There was one thing the region had, however, that brought him his greatest happiness.

Anne “Nannie” Radford was coming of age in Southwest Virginia at the outset of the Civil War. A child of privilege, Nannie was the eldest daughter of John Blair and Elizabeth Spring/Summer 2022

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Book Cover Art Courtesy of UNC Press

Nannie Radford Wharton

Photo courtesy of Radford Heritage Foundation

Letter from Gen. Wharton to Nannie Radford Wharton Photo courtesy of Wharton-Radford Papers

Taylor Radford – a name that would later be placed upon the City of Radford. Nannie was a fiery young woman, never one to shy away from letting her thoughts and feelings be known.

By February 1863, Wharton and Nannie were engaged. To say the very least, Wharton was besotted, but it would take some time for the more pragmatic Nannie to voice her love. They began a correspondence that carried from their engagement to marriage, and even into the first years of wedded life. Theirs was life forever at the mercy of the times and events that surrounded them.

Wharton, who was quite the romantic, asked his wife to save all the letters and sew them together. Upon completing the task, Nannie wrote her husband saying, “I have just finished the peculiar task of arranging our letters in a volume. They make a very ponderous one.”

Unfortunately, Nannie only lived until 1890, passing away at age forty-six. Her husband survived her by sixteen years, passing in 1906 at the age of eighty-one. With Wharton’s passing, thus ended a chapter of history, and a lifetime of memories were sealed away.

All told, there are 524 surviving letters between Wharton and Nannie, spanning from 1863 to 1865. This set of correspondence is nearly a complete dialogue between two people as they entered marriage while facing a war in a changing world. They not only cover large scale events, but also the problems that we would now describe as ‘personal issues’. These letters offer a completely unfiltered view into the couple’s relationship, which at times defies conventional wisdom about gender dynamics.

From the moment she knew she would marry the then Colonel Wharton, Nannie pushed for him to move up the military ranks. From their letters, it was apparent that both understood that Wharton was to become nothing short of a Major General.

Unfortunately, he only managed the rank of Brigadier General.

He’d become frustrated in the effort whenever confronted with politics, or ‘wire-pulling’, as he called it. He faced having the 18 www.Facebook.com/RadfordMagazine

realize that it was not always by merit alone that one advanced.

His wife, however, was the encouraging force he needed, writing such lines as, “And you will not have yourself promoted.

Doubtless in my heart I secretly admire that delicacy & nobility of character wh[ich] prompts you to act so, but alas, it so materially interferes with the ruling passion of my life – Ambition – that I am almost tempted to condemn it & quarrel with you in good fashion.”

The Whartons’ letters provide countless insights into their world, including the lives of their enslaved workers. At the time of their marriage, Wharton and Nannie received an enslaved couple, Tim and Emeline Lewis, from her parents. Tim became Wharton’s body servant on the battlefront and the two developed a close relationship. Emeline remained with Nannie at home in what is now Radford. The complexities of southern slave culture are apparent from the Whartons’ compassionate inquiries into the wellbeing of Tim and Emeline while living with the understanding that these people were their property. A fascinating development to see in the letters is when Tim began to assert his independence as he shed the name Tim (his name in slavery) and took on the name William, the name he carried for the rest of his life.

Information like this and much more is found in the Whartons’ letters, and it shows there is so much more to learn about the history of the region. They will be made available this summer, 2022, in the publication “The Whartons’ War: The Civil War Correspondence of General Gabriel C. Wharton and Anne Radford Wharton”, published by the University of North Carolina Press.

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www.RadfordMagazine.com 23

Bugz Forbes

Redefining An Industry Bugz Forbes, tattoo artist extraordinaire for over thirty years, has become a Radford institution in an industry few would expect. Born Hampton Edward Forbes IV in the state of Delaware, Bugz’s parents dropped all the extra syllables when he was a child and gave him a nickname that has stuck to this very day.

What also stuck was his childhood interest for art in every available medium. By the age of fourteen, inspired by the likes of Franklin Paul Rogers, father of American tattoo, Bugz developed a habit of drawing on himself.

In 1985, a fifteen-year-old Bugz became so fascinated with the art of tattoo that he would often skip school and venture across town to Endicott, New York. There, he would frequent a tattoo parlor owned

by Ski Liner, an artist who took good-natured advantage of the young man’s unbridled enthusiasm by having him run errands in exchange for mentorship. Despite his fascination with tattooing, however, he soon recognized that he was uncomfortable in the atmosphere of the place.

Many who visited tattoo parlors in the 1980’s were not necessarily the best crowd, and even at fifteen, Bugz knew he’d prefer different company.

Still, he stayed on with Ski for a little over a year, learning all he could. Eventually, he was able to find another apprenticeship back home in Deleware, with Ernie Carafa at Tigers Eye Tattoo in Newark.

In addition to learning cleaning and sterilization techniques, Bugz also began learning how to run a business.

It would be three years under Ernie’s tutelage before Bugz was allowed to put needle to skin. In the meantime, however, there was still a lot to learn. In those days, there were no convenient supply houses for tattoo equipment. It would also be a couple more decades before internet retail was common.

Bugz tells us he spent a great deal of those three years learning how to make and build all the tattooing equipment, including the needles! Every piece and every part had to be built from scratch. Not only did Tigers Eye Tattoo build their own equipment, but they even built and sold to others.

It was an excellent, foundational education that would help Bugz as he continued down the path of tattoo art and business ownership.

Eventually, however, he did perform his very first tattoo. Because it had been his long-time hobby, and because he already had several years of apprenticeship under his belt, neither Ernie nor the customer had 24 www.Facebook.com/RadfordMagazine www.Facebook.com/RadfordMagazine

By Colleen E. Grecus

reason to worry. Bugz was a quick study.

By 1991, Bugz had obtained his license and Ernie was ready to sell the shop. Along with occasional employee, John Brooks, Bugz was helping Ernie to load the truck on closing day. When he asked Ernie, “What’s left to do?”, Ernie replied that rent and electricity had been paid up enough to last one more month.

“Gimme a dollar,” Ernie had told him.

And that’s how Bugz Forbes came to own his very first tattoo parlor…for the price of a dollar!

In addition to helping load the truck that day, John Brooks had worked occasionally at Tigers Eye, and he was an artist Bugs had grown to respect. They also knew each other is social circles. When Bugz quickly asked John to be his partner in the new business, the two became great friends.

Despite many challenges, including trying to operate in a rough part of town, Bugz and John maintained that location for another year.

When the lease was up, they moved to White Marsh in Baltimore, Maryland. John knew people there, and though the area was still pretty rough, he felt they could make more money with a slightly lower chance of being robbed.

In the ‘Charm City’ of Baltimore, they opened Thinkin Ink in 1993 and continued tattooing. The partnership, however, would not last much longer.

Bugz had family in Virginia, and he’d heard from them that there had been a loss. At the urging of his relatives, Bugz journeyed southwest to visit far flung family, and to see where his father had come from. Truth be told, however, he’d also been wanting to get out of Baltimore for a while. It was the old story. As much as Bugz loved the art of tattoo, he just wasn’t comfortable in the atmosphere that usually came with the business.

He began spending more time in Virginia, and eventually made Southwest Virginia his home. Still, he would frequently return to visit John and to do some work at Thinkin’ Ink. That is, until John’s untimely death in 2002.

Bugz first settled in Covington where he met a man named Jed Dill. Together, Bugz and Jed opened a tattoo studio called Living Color.

This business was successful for a time, but the stigma surrounding

Spring/Summer Spring/Summer 2022 2022

Spring/Summer 2022

www.RadfordMagazine.com 25

Bugz Forbes with another satisfied customer at Soulsign Gallery.

Photo of Franklin Paul Rogers, the father of American tattooing, under glass on the counter of Soulsign Gallery. Franklin was the mentor and friend of Ernie Carafa, who would in turn be a mentor and friend to Bugz Forbes.

tattooing was still prevalent in the area. Eventually, Bugz began seeking opportunities in other local cities.

His search led him to Ancient Art Tattoo, where he helped to open a branch in Blacksburg for the Roanoke-based company. He worked for Ancient Art from 2002 to 2008, after which he and longtime girlfriend, Donna, relocated to Radford. Not only was Radford an affordable place to live, but Bugz felt strongly that the area needed consistent and reputable tattoo studio.

There, he worked with Black Diamond Tattoo Studios for three years. Not too far from Black Diamond had been a tattoo studio called Lew’s Custom Tattoos, run by Lewis Lebris. Bugz and Lebris had become friends, and it was through that friendship that Lebris came to know that Bugz was interested in going back into business for himself.

In 2011, when Lebris left the tattoo business to be a teacher, he sold all his equipment to Bugz and wished him the best. It was like an echo from the past. This time however, it was a bit more than a dollar. Bugz signed a lease with Bart Castleberry, and Soulsign Gallery Tattoo was born.

Bugz has always strived for excellence in his work, but when he was able to call Soulsign his own, it truly became a labor of love.

Most particularly, that love came in the form of creating a tattooing environment that was clean, approachable, comfortable, and respectful.

The tattooing industry had never been particularly respected in America, and part of that was due to the come-and-go “parlors” catering to questionable clientele. “The reputation hurts us all,” he says.

Like any place dominated by open people, dynamic and frequent moves are seemingly common in the tattoo world. What’s less common, however, is how long Bugz has now managed to stay in the same place.

It’s been well over a decade!

Bugz Forbes opened Soulsign in 2011 and has worked to build a strong reputation in Radford, both for himself, and his colleagues. In

fact, Soulsign Gallery Tattoo is the only licensed, award winning, and published studio in the area!

He invests, not just in his art and his reputation, but in his impressive facility, as well. It feels more like a comfortable, clean home than a tattoo parlor, with relaxing alternative and folk-rock music to add to the ambiance. It is a literal art gallery, where local artists can display and sell their work on crisply painted walls. The collection is eclectic, but quality and ever-changing.

For Bugz, the other tattoo artists who work at Soulsign are independent contractors, rather than employees. One Soulsign colleague, Nathan Popp, acts as the gallery coordinator. Nathan is also an artist and professional custom framer with a strong online presence.

Bugz’s other associates include the legendary Brian Johnson, who is also an artist, as well as James Babb. James, in particular, challenges Bugz as an artist. According to Bugz, James gets the credit for making him an even better tattooist.

The singularly cultured atmosphere and talented, independent staff are not the only things that set Soulsign Gallery and Tattoo apart from the rest. Bugz holds to a strict set of ethics for himself and his customers.

He is honest about his limitations and abilities. Though he is beyond talented, and though he has seemingly never had a dissatisfied customer, if he feels he isn’t the best man for the design requested, he will defer to an associate he knows would be a better fit.

Because he is not in the business of inhibiting his customers’ potential, Bugz also declines requests for hand, neck, and facial tattoos, unless there is no other available space on the body. He doesn’t want anyone he tattoos to regret their decision one day. He has personal experience with this type of regret with one of his own tattoos. He wants to make sure nearly every customer becomes a repeat customer.

It’s safe to say ‘mission accomplished’, because many of Bugz’s

26 www.Facebook.com/RadfordMagazine

Spring/Summer 2022

Brian Johnson is carefully at work tattooing a customer.

customers refuse to get tattooed anywhere else! In fact, many have even brought in subsequent generations.

Though Soulsign has been very successful, the pandemic of the last two years has impacted the tattoo industry, just as it has most other small businesses. Considered ‘non-essential’, the gallery was shut down for over eight months. During this time, Bugz worked as a stone mason to make ends meet and to prevent losing the business for good.

Nevertheless, the present and future look good for Bugz, as well as the rest of the crew at Soulsign because tattoos are more popular and less taboo than ever! And they’ve come a long way.

Despite a respected, cultural history that dates back thousands of years, tattoos in America have endured over a hundred years of ill repute. There were tattooed ‘freaks’ displayed in circuses and carnivals as cheap entertainment. Decades following that, tattoos became associated with lawless and violent motorcycle gangs, sailors, and other countercultural icons. Today, however, tattoos are wildly popular and a common expression of individuality.

There are many positive outcomes to this growth in popularity.

Among them is the loss of the stigma that society placed on tattoos and the people who had them. With growing popularity also comes growth in the industry, offering more opportunities talented artists.

One drawback to a booming industry, however, is that the moment it starts booming, crowds of hopefuls try to get on board.

The trendiness of tattoos has resulted in a too many prospective artists trying to find a place.

At Soulsign, however, Bugz ensures the best quality by recruiting only the most talented and experienced artists available. He has personally mentored several over the years, but only a few have stuck with it long enough to really make a name for themselves.

One of his mentees, Jeremy ‘Sandman’ Crummy, went on to start Dreaming Art, down in Jessup, Georgia. Another, Sam Myers, has found success in Portland, Oregon. It takes a certain level of commitment few people anticipate to carve out success in this business. Most are in it for the money and have no passion.

These men, much like Bugz and his current crew, have that passion.

As for what the future holds for Soulsign, Bugz tells us, “We could all be gone tomorrow, but it’s been a hell of a ride.” On a more serious note, Bugz tells us he hopes to keep the business going, right where it is now, at 1104 Grove Avenue in Radford, for another decade or more. If his past success and keen decision-making are any indication, it’s safe to say he’ll absolutely do just that.

Soulsign Gallery • Bugz Forbes • SoulSignGrove@gmail.com 1104 Grove Avenue, Radford, VA • 540-633-2377 www.facebook.com/SoulsignGalleryTattoo

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Radford Area Spring/Summer Happenings 2022 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,

Saturday, June 18 St Albans Sanatorium’s May Flashlight Tour & Public Investigation

Radford has so much to offer!

Thursday - Staurday, July 28 - 30 Bluegrass Gospel Revival at The Little River Bluegrass Barn

SAMPLING OF EVENTS: Saturday, April 16 Light Up The Lake at Claytor Lake State Park April 24 — 29 New River Valley Senior-Games Sunday, April 24 St Albans Sanatorium’s April History Tour Saturday, April 30 Owl Prowl Campfire at Claytor Lake State Park Friday, May 13 St Albans Sanatorium’s May Flashlight Tour & Public Investigation

Saturday - Sunday, June 18 - 19 Floyd Artisan Trail Tour www.floydartcenter.org/artisan-trail Wednesday - Sunday, July 27 - July 31 Floyd Fest - www.floydfest.com

Friday, Saturday, & Sunday, July 29 - 31 Mary Draper Ingles Festival www.GlencoeMansion.org September 1 - 4 Floyd Yoga Jam • www.FloydYogaJam.net

WEEKLY Every Saturday from May - October Radford Farmers Market 9AM - 2PM rain or shine.

Music at Long Way Brewing www.longwaybrewing.com/calendar

Saturday, May 21 Music and Merchants Festival in Downtown Pulaski

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

Sunday, May 22 St Albans Sanatorium’s May History Tour

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

Thursday - Monday, May 26 - May 30 Claytor Lake Music Fest at the Rockhouse Marina

Every Tuesday - April through September The Marketplace in downtown Pulaski - 4PM- 7PM

Friday, Saturday, & Sunday, June 3 - 5 Little River Poetry Festival www.LittleRiverPoetryFest.com

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

Saturday, June 11 Claytor Lake Festival at Claytor Lake State Park Tuesday, June 14 Flag Day Boat Parade at the Rockhouse Marina Saturday, June 18 Summer Solstice celebration at St Albans Sanatorium 28 www.Facebook.com/RadfordMagazine

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 Spring/Summer 2022

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www.RadfordMagazine.com 29

William A. “Bill” Caldwell

Colonel Arthur R. “Ott” Giesen

Joyce Spivey “Jo” Alderman

77 Years of Exceptional Service

By Colleen E. Grecus

707 West Main Street in Radford is home to the GiesenCaldwell Agency, a Realty Agency with a story that starts way back in 1945, when Colonel Arthur R. “Ott” Giesen, a proud alumnus of the Virginia Military Institute, returned to his hometown of Radford from WWII. Along with his brother-in-law, William A. “Bill” Caldwell, Ott decided to establish a Real Estate agency in the New River Valley that would be named after themselves. They set up shop in a second-floor office on Norwood Street, now East Main Street, next door to Leggett Department Store.

They set out to broker Real Estate and insurance, and though they undoubtedly strove for success, they may not have known that their agency would still be thriving some seventy-seven years later!

That’s longer than any other agency in the region!

The Insurance portion was sold to Brown Agency in Blacksburg after Lois Spivey Hruska, the Office Manager for eighteen years, moved to Rochester, Minnesota. To fill the spot she left open, Joyce Spivey ‘Jo’ Alderman came to the agency as a part time secretary in 1972.

After having established and served the agency for over twenty

years, Bill Caldwell left in the late 1960’s to pursue other interests.

The Giesens, however, so valued the foundation he helped to form and the family he helped create that they kept his name on the business to honor his legacy.

Ott Giesen and his wife, Charlotte Caldwell “Pinkie” Giesen, had always been community minded, each having served on the City Council. Many locals today still hold fond memories of the pair.

Ott also served as Mayor while his dear wife managed to become the first female Republican to be elected to the Virginia House of Delegates.

In addition to selling insurance and Real Estate, local subdivisions, Cumberlea and Woodlawn, were developed by Ott, providing much needed housing to the growing community.

Colonel Giesen also managed to teach and coach at the local Radford High School. Furthermore, the Real Estate Agency they formed became a founding member of the Radford Chamber of Commerce.

Today, the Agency is owned by Jo Alderman, who quickly fell in love with Real Estate after coming to work as a secretary. In fact,

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Front Row: Becky Murphy, Katrina Compton, Rena Rickey, M J Jarrett Back Row: Mike Johnston, Robert Alderman, John Farmer

she decided to get a broker’s license the very next year. This was in a time where there were few women in the business, and even fewer appraising. At the time, it was a commonly held belief that a woman had to be married in order to buy a house. Jo set out to correct that, and Colonel Giesen took her under his wing.

Colonel Giesen did a large percentage of the appraising for Interstates 81 and 77, and also for the Snyder Hunt developments on Prices Fork Road in Blacksburg. It was the Blacksburg project where Jo got to cut her teeth with appraising.

Jo earned every type of degree and certification in existence to better serve her clients and run a Real Estate business. She was also made an Associate member of the Appraisal Institute, and she was given the Realtor of the Year Award and the Radford Business Person of the Year Award back in 2001. It may come as no surprise, but it’s most impressive that she was credited with the Ethics in Action Award in 2004.

The agency’s current location on West Main has been settled since they remodeled and rebuilt the office in 1989. The office is lovingly managed by Rena Rickey, a friendly face and voice that greets clients who may call or who may grace the office doorstep. The location is also faithfully guarded by the adorable, hypoallergenic pup, Autumn. Autumn is companion to realtor, Robert Nelson Alderman, son of Jo Alderman.

Robert and his sister, Katrina Alderman Compton, are both realtors with the agency. Katrina also fills her mother’s shoes as manager. Their skill as brokers and their consideration for their clients continue to exemplify the tradition of Giesen-Caldwell, which makes their newly retired mother very proud. Katrina, has been with the Agency fourteen years, and Robert is in his third year.

Before joining the agency, Robert was in Lynchburg for thirty years, ten of which were spent in Real Estate there.

In addition to Jo’s adult children, Giesen-Caldwell currently has four other agents. John Farmer has been with the Agency for a whopping forty-five years! Michael Wade Johnson has been with Giesen-Caldwell for twenty-seven years and is unbelievably 32 www.Facebook.com/RadfordMagazine

knowledgeable and invested. MJ Jarrett joined the family four years ago, and most recently, Becky Murphy has joined the team.

It’s true that Giesen-Caldwell is small, but it has been deliberately kept that way for nearly eight decades. This creates several advantages for the company. It maintains stability, so they can weather with ease the cyclical highs and lows that often come along in this business. It also helps to maintain a personal atmosphere in which clients can be known by name, rather than by number. Customers always feel they are a priority. Finally, it helps Giesen-Caldwell to be especially selective with the agents and brokers they take on. They want to make sure that whoever represents their company and serves their clients can be trusted to put people before profit. This means having honesty, integrity, and even a willingness to help a fellow associate without question. The team can rely on one another, and they stay.

Another practice behind the success of the agency is the encouragement of the agents to continuously further their education.

This helps them to better assist their clients and stay current. Agents also renew their licenses every two years. In such a constantly evolving and ever-changing industry, these practices are not only essential, but at Giesen-Caldwell, it’s a continuing tradition.

After Colonel Giesen passed away in 1990, and later, Mrs. Giesen in 1995, the new owner, operator, and president, Jo Alderman, chose to maintain the small “family” size that had served so well. She also chose to preserve the established values and high ethical standards which had long been the agency’s hallmark. This family atmosphere makes the agency stronger, and each associate more successful.

In Florida now, Jo reports that she is blessed to have had the privilege to work, for fifty years, doing something that she absolutely loved. She also feels blessed to have met so many wonderful people through her long and storied career.

Other memorable Agents who have retired include Sue Griggs, Shirley Lowman, and Barbara Prillaman, who many in the community may remember as having assisted in buying or

Spring/Summer 2022

Builders - Developers - Property Managers For over 30 years, Price-Williams Realty has developed and managed a diverse selection of residential and commercial properties in Radford, Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Abingdon, and Pearisburg.

We take great pride in the fact that year after year, over 1,000 university students look to Price-Williams Realty to serve their off-campus housing needs. By providing a wide range of floor-plans, quality housing choices and excellent customer service, we’re proud to state that we are Radford’s PREMIER off-campus housing provider!

Contact our leasing office today!

540.639.3027

www.PriceWilliamsRealty.com 600 E Main Street, Suite H, Radford, VA

Lois Spivey Hruska in 1954 in front of the Giesen-Caldwell Office when it was in downtown Radford.

selling their homes.

R. L. Thomas, who has become a well-known artist in his retirement, was another prominent agent with GiesenCaldwell. Having also worked in advertising, the company slogan, “Making People at Home Since 1945,” was the work of Mr. Thomas.

Worth noting was a beloved office manager, Martha Gardner, who recently passed away. Having served the agency for eighteen years, she was a key person in its general operation and growth of reputation. Rena Turpin Rickey, the current office manager, learned much of what she knows from Martha. She, herself, has been with Giesen-Caldwell for five years and is carrying on with the same level of efficiency and expertise. Rena, Katrina, Mike, and the rest of the amazing team of agents are all committed to carrying on in serving the people of the New River Valley, as they always have, in the Giesen-Caldwell tradition.

Giesen-Caldwell Agency • 700 W Main St, Radford, VA 540-639-1322 • www.GiesenCaldwell.com

Spring/Summer 2022

www.RadfordMagazine.com 33

Radford University Tour Group

Photo courtesy of the Radford Heritage Foundation

Photo Courtesy of the Radford Heritage Foundation

There is so Much to Experience at Glencoe Mansion, Museum & Gallery Located at 600 Unruh Drive in Radford, Glencoe Americans who once called the area down by the New River Mansion, Museum & Gallery sits atop a knoll off West Main their home. Also, there are displays that track the lives of famous Street, shining as one of Radford’s main tourist attractions. citizens like Mary Draper Ingles and Gov. John N. Dalton, Here, visitors of all ages can take in a three-in-one museum whose histories tie into the larger narrative of the country’s development. Additionally, there are experience, including the Historic social and cultural exhibits that feature Residence, History Exhibits, and the amazing items from the community, Art Gallery. Adjacent to the site, including the Edison phonograph. visitors may also see the Mary Draper In recent years, the museum has Ingles Cultural Heritage Park, with a been striving to better tell the history statue of the pioneer heroine. There is of all those who have called Radford also the New River Train Observatory. their home, which includes the The Residence portion occupies African American community. With the building’s main level and provides the Historic Residence, the museum a fascinating glimpse into the life and is providing more insight into the times of the Wharton family who called lives of those who worked for the Glencoe home for over a century. The Wharton family. The Glencoe estate house was built by General Gabriel C. was a post-Civil War operation that Wharton and his wife Nannie Radford employed the services of newly freed Wharton in the years following the enslaved workers.

The Wharton Civil War. As two supporters describe family’s document collection provides it, “Entering through the main door an amazing glimpse into this oftenof the nineteenth century property, neglected period of history.

To history greets you like a proper support this focus, a new exhibit on hostess, enthralls you with its storied the history of slavery in Appalachia past, and captures your imagination will be unveiled in Fall of 2022. The through the artwork shown on its exhibit is made possible through a gallery walls.” grant from Virginia Humanities.

The Wharton’s were considered Wharton family Library at Glencoe.

The expanded Art Gallery by their contemporaries to be among Photo courtesy of the Radford Heritage Foundation represents a dynamic aspect of the the movers and shakers of the region.

In fact, Wharton, who was a member of the Virginia General museum with a new exhibition every two months. In the Assembly, played a major role in bringing a land-grant college, Gallery, the public can see the artistic talent of the region through a variety of mediums and styles. Everything from now Virginia Tech, to Blacksburg.

The History Exhibits section of Glencoe provides visitors painting and photography to carved wood and fiber art has with an array of topics, showcasing the multi-faceted history of been on display. Tied into the Gallery is the Gift Shop, which the city and the region. There is an exhibit featuring the Native also features the works of local creatives from artisans to 34 www.Facebook.com/RadfordMagazine

Spring/Summer 2022

Elliott’s Military Surplus & Fishing Tackle

Quality Residential and Commercial Painting throughout the New River Valley

- Exterior House Painting - Interior House Painting - Deck Restoration - Commercial Painting -

Call 540-391-8837 for a Free Quote! www.PaintingConsultantsNRV.com PaintingConsultants@yahoo.com

Spring/Summer 2022

540-639-1038

2114 W. Main St - A, Radford VA

www.RadfordMagazine.com 35

Mary Draper Ingles Statue

Photo Courtesy of the Radford Heritage Foundation

Board Member Sarah Carter in Gift shop. Photo courtesy of Waggaman Photography

authors to musicians. The Gift Shop is open the same hours as the museum and is a great spot in Radford to find that special gift.

A recent addition to the Glencoe site has been the new Mary Draper Ingles Cultural Heritage Park, which has been declared a ‘Virginia Treasure’ by the Department of Conservation and Recreation. Donated by Norfolk Southern, the 1.3 acres are home to a picnic area, pathways, and an eightfoot bronze statue of the frontier heroine, along with interpretive panels on her life and the frontier experience.

In 2019, Radford resident Kay Edge, who is a professor in Virginia Tech’s School of Architecture + Design, created a project for her students and other faculty members to plan and construct the New River Train Observatory using sustainable hardwood found in Virginia. The structure, which has received national and international recognition, affords visitors an exciting The train viewing observatory view of Norfolk Southern trains traveling through the city, as well as the rail bridge crossing the New River. With a grant from the state’s Department of Forestry, improvements to the park are underway. These will help visitors to learn about native flora and fauna.

Glencoe Mansion, a state and national landmark, opened to the public in 1998, following a nearly two-year-long restoration. The structure, which had been in family hands until 1981, was donated to the City of Radford by Kollmorgen in 1996 so that a museum could be opened for the community.

36 www.Facebook.com/RadfordMagazine www.Facebook.com/RadfordMagazine

Today the museum and park operate through a public-private partnership between the City of Radford and the non-profit Radford Heritage Foundation.

The Foundation can only operate the museum and the park through the generosity of individuals and businesses.

Donations come in many forms, including objects, financial resources, and time and effort from members of the community, in Radford as well as the region. At the heart of the facility’s operation is the work of volunteers.

There are so many ways for people to give back to the community from helping with events and outreach to utilizing special skill sets to help bring history and culture to the public.

Glencoe Mansion and the Gift Shop are open to the public Wednesday through Saturday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, and Sunday from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. There is no admission charge, and donations are welcome. A Photo courtesy of Edward Becker membership program is also available. While fundraising efforts are underway to improve accessibility to the site, currently only two of the three floors of the museum are accessible to those with special needs.

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

Spring/Summer Spring/Summer 2022 2022

P.R. Sturgill Fine Jewelry

540-639-6391 1037 E Main St, Radford, VA

www.prsturgills.com Katrina A. Compton, Broker

Robert Alderman, Associate Broker

REALTOR®

REALTOR®

Cell 540-320-2694

Katrina@GiesenCaldwell.com

Cell 434-841-3143

robertsellsreal@gmail.com

“Making People at Home Since 1945” Office 540-639-1322 Fax 540-639-4657

Spring/Summer 2022

www.GiesenCaldwell.com

700 W. Main St. Radford VA 24141

www.RadfordMagazine.com 37

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS Airtech Home & Business........................................... 17 Arrow Stone Creations................................................. 21 Blake Alexander........................................................... 23 Blue Ridge Alchemy.................................................... 21 Blue Ridge Folklife Festival........................................ 39 Bread Basket................................................................ 29 BT’s Restaurant................................................1, 4, & 13 Buffalo And More........................................................ 21 Buffalo Hemp Company.............................................. 40 Cooke, Lavender, Massey, and Company, P.C............. 19 Crockett Home Improvement...................................... 29 Cultivate Financial Planning.................................5 & 23 Deans Body Shop....................................................1 & 4 DeHart Tile Co............................................................. 33 Dogtown Restaurant..................................................... 35 Dulaney’s Greenhouse................................................. 11 Electrical Supply Company........................................... 5 Eleven West.................................................................. 13 Elliott’s Military Surplus & Fishing Tackle.....1, 4, & 35 Farm Credit of the Virginias........................................ 25 Farmers Insurance, Belingda Blodgett....................1 & 4 Floyd Country Store..................................................... 25 Floyd Hemp Factory.................................................... 31

Floyd Yoga Jam............................................................ 31 Giesen-Caldwell Agency............................................. 37 JBR Vineyards & Winery.................................1, 4, & 27 LCF Group................................................................... 27 Lichen or Knot............................................................. 19 Mary Draper Ingles Festival.......................................... 5 Norman’s Cabinetry....................................................... 9 NRV Hearing.................................................................. 7 P.R. Sturgill - Fine Jewelry.......................................... 37 Painting Consultants.................................................... 35 Plott & French Financial Advisors............................... 29 Price-Williams Realty.................................................. 33 Radford Drug................................................................. 2 RE/MAX Cavaliers........................................................ 9 Rice Realty................................................................... 17 Rorrer Well Drilling..................................................... 37 Ryan L. Pry Attorney-at-Law....................................... 29 Soulsign Gallery - Custom Tattoo................................ 13 State Farm, Sarah Tilson-Miano.................................. 11 Tuck Chiropractic.......................................................... 5 Villa Appalaccia Winery & Vineyard........................... 23 Virginia Furniture Market - Mattress Store................... 3

Want to get in on the next issue?

Contact John Brill about advertising or submitting a story.

540-815-1079 • john@brilldesigns.org 38 www.Facebook.com/RadfordMagazine

Spring/Summer 2022

Spring/Summer 2022

www.RadfordMagazine.com 39

40 www.Facebook.com/RadfordMagazine

Spring/Summer 2022