Historical Blogs by Guest Contributors
The Frontier Developer
Read the story of James Patton, who, as a major recruiter of settlement on the Virginia Frontier, drew the ire of the Shawnee.
Dr. Freeman H. Hart (1960)
The Revolutionary
Who was William Preston? Who were his rivals during the Revolutionary Era?
Richard Osborn (2008)
The Freedman
What the life experiences of Zacharia Carr (a free person of color living in antebellum Montgomery County) teach us.
Dr. Dan Thorp (2021)
The Settlement
How did the settlement of Draper’s Meadows create a foundation for expanded English-speaking settlement in the New River Valley?
Ryan Mays (2016)
The Escapee
What were the details of Mary Draper Ingles’ daring getaway according to her son?
Col. John Ingles (1853)
The Cherokee War
What do we learn from transcribed Cherokee War documents?
Dr. Marshall’s NDIG/HIST 3174 Students from Virginia Tech (2026)
The Will of Col. William Preston
What does his last will and testament teach us about Preston’s relationships, worldview, and finances?
Edited by Elmer D. Johnson
