2009 Historic Events
Visit our Historic End Cap near the Town Square area of West Main Street and Franklin Street. Grab a chair and listen to historians tell tales of Christiansburg's Town Square and local Civil War Heros. Enjoy storyteller, Randell Jones while he walks you along the Wilderness Trail with Daniel Boone.
Want to see a re-enactment of the first duel in Virginia using rifles that ultimately led to the banning of all duels in Virginia? Then come and watch Philip Travis as John McHenry (1768-1808) and Alex Kennedy as Thomas Lewis (1786-1808) duel it out with direction by Chuck Hayes, retired theater professor.
Are you an avid outdoors person who likes to take home a story from your latest journey? If so, join Bill Mashburn who, himself, is an avid outdoorsman, a wood carver and story teller. Each of his handcrafted woodcarvings represents a unique story of his outdoor adventures that he blends together for an entertaining program. He will also be demonstrating wood carving techniques.
April Danner will be talking about several Civil War soldiers from our area that died in service to our state and are now hidden away in abandoned and forgotten graveyards. One of which is Captain Milton Hall Harmon who won recognition on the Southern Roll of Honor, he was killed at Chancellorsville. The second soldier also killed at Chancellorsville is John Craig Jr., whose grave was vandalized and turned over in the Craig Cemetery. April has been working to clean up and maintain both soldier's graves. She will also mention Private David Earhart, Private John H. Martin, 1st Lt., James Peary Charlton, Private Robert Hudgeons, Major Mathew Bennett, and Captain Jonathan Evans, all killed or wounded and all except one are in overgrown and neglected cemeteries. She may also include several other high ranking Confederate officers from the area who survived that are also resting in forgotten cemeteries and not remembered for their service, such as Colonel Robert Trigg, Captain Hardwick, Captain Hines, and the list goes on. The presentation will conclude by asking for volunteers to help in the clean up of the numerous cemeteries throughout our community.
2009 Historic Events Schedule:
9:15am |
Bill Mashburn will be speaking on his woodcarvings & the stories behind them. |
10:00am |
A re-enactment of the first Duel in Virginia that used rifles. |
10:30am |
Storyteller Randell Jones will walk you along the Wilderness Trail with Daniel Boone. |
11:15am |
Bill Mashburn will be speaking on his woodcarvings & the stories behind them. |
12:00pm |
A re-enactment of the first Duel in Virginia that used rifles which ultimately led to the banning of all duels in Virginia. Watch Philip Travis as John McHenry (1768-1808) and Alex Kennedy as Thomas Lewis (1786-1808) duel it out with direction by Chuck Hayes, retired theater professor. |
12:30pm |
Listen as April Danner tells the stories of Hidden Heros. |
1:00pm |
Visit the Christiansburg Library for a movie about Dueling during the time of Napoleon. |
1:30pm |
Storyteller Randell Jones will walk you along the Wilderness Trail with Daniel Boone. |
2:00pm |
A re-enactment of the first Duel in Virginia that used rifles which ultimately led to the banning of all duels in Virginia. Watch Philip Travis as John McHenry (1768-1808) and Alex Kennedy as Thomas Lewis (1786-1808) duel it out with direction by Chuck Hayes, retired theater professor. |
2:30pm |
Join Roy Kanode as he speaks on The Public Square: Preserving our Common Heritage-- Many years ago, one of our county's monuments could have become victim to a Virginia State Highway Department bulldozer. But some of our past leaders recognized its importance, and they fought for its preservation. |
Additional Events:
The Christiansburg Library will be offering two movies for anyone looking to take a break from the festival and come up to the library. At 11:00am, they are offering a family showing of the musical mayhem that ensues when the folks of River City buy band instruments from a silver-tongued con artist played by Robert Preston. And at 1:00pm, the showing of the story of two soldiers, portrayed by Keith Carradine and Harvey Keitel, who engage in a series of duels during the time of Napoleon.