Reverend Kenneth B. Wright was born and raised in Elliston, Virginia. Wright attended Montgomery County Public Schools, Virginia Union University, and
graduated from Roanoke College before becoming a pastor. In this interview, Wright describes the…
Joseph Homer Pack was born in 1910, and he grew up in Riner, Virginia. Pack attended his local primary school, a two room schoolhouse, before briefly attending Christiansburg Institute. Later in life, Pack worked in a variety of job positions…
Walter Lewis was born in 1926, and he grew up in the Radford-Blacksburg area. After graduating from Christiansburg Institute, Lewis served in the Navy during WWII; later in life, he worked for Virginia Tech. In this interview, Lewis describes his…
Charles A. Johnson was born in Wake Forest, Virginia, where he grew up and received his primary education. Johnson graduated from Christiansburg Institute in 1953 before serving in the Army. When Johnson returned from the Army, he began cutting hair…
Rice Dobbins grew up in Riner, Virginia in an area called Piney Wood. Dobbins primarily worked as a farmer in the Montgomery County area, specifically on Heth Farm (present day Heathwood Apartments). He moved to Blacksburg in the late 1930s, where he…
Leola Burford, a resident of Christiansburg, worked as a teacher in the Richmond area before getting married, and, eventually returning to the Christiansburg area. In this interview, Burford recalls her experiences at CI and Hampton University and…
Frank Bannister was born in Wake Forest, Virginia in 1913, and his family members were descendants of Kentland Plantation slaves, which is now Kentland Farm in Whitethorne, Virginia. Bannister describes growing up in Wake Forest, working in the…
In this nearly hour long interview, Ren Harman, Project Manager for VT Stories, interviews Kevin Crofton, Class of 1982, in the Holtzman Alumni Center on the campus of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA. In this interview, Kevin reflects on his time…
Photograph of the spring house at Solitude. Although undated, this would have been taken sometime when the Fletchers lived at the house, likely some time between spring 1909 and summer 1914. The two figures are not identified.
Photograph of Margaret, Robert, Richard, and Stevenson Fletcher on the Solitude lawn. This photograph was taken after a snow and has the Duck Pond in the background.
Photograph of Robert and Richard Fletcher on the Solitude lawn with a caretaker, July 1909. The caption reads "Playing on Solitude lawn with nurse Dollie ('Dar-ee') July 1909."
Scrapbook page belonging to Richard Rolston Fletcher, including photographs from Solitude in 1913 and 1914. Photographs include exteriors and interiors of Solitude in 1913 and early 1914, many featuring Fletcher children.
Scrapbook page belonging to Richard Rolston Fletcher, including photographs from Solitude in 1913. Photographs include kindergarten on the Solitude lawn and the Fletcher family in their cart (also individual photographs in this collection), as well…
Scrapbook page belonging to Richard Rolston Fletcher, including photographs from Solitude in 1911 and 1912. Photographs include Main Street in Blacksburg, winter on the Solitude lawn, and planting a dogwood tree in April 1912.
Scrapbook page belonging to Richard Rolston Fletcher, including photographs from Solitude in 1910. Photographs include Fishersville, Va., and Solitude in summer and winter.
Scrapbook page belonging to Richard Rolston Fletcher, including photographs from Solitude in 1909 and 1910. Photographs including the lawn and spring house of Solitude, a family summer camping trip, and a visit from Robert and Richard's grandmother.
Scrapbook page belonging to Richard Rolston Fletcher, including photographs from Solitude in 1908 and 1909. Photographs include the Fletcher children on the lawn of Solitude in fall, winter, and spring.
Scrapbook page belonging to Richard Rolston Fletcher, including photographs from the first year the family lived at Solitude. Images include a family summer camping trip and exterior view of Solitude in fall 1908, when the family first moved into the…
Scrapbook page belonging to Richard Rolston Fletcher, including photographs from the first year the family lived at Solitude. Images include pictures of Robert and Richard Fletcher, as well as their parents, Stevenson and Margaret Fletcher.…
Photograph of the Fletcher family in March 1913. This photo has two captions: "Peter born Jan. 18, 1913" and "The family carry-all, March 1913. 'Black Beauty' powered." The photo includes Margaret Rolston Fletcher and four of her children: Robert,…
Photograph of a wood carving representation of Solitude by a member of the Fletcher family. This is likely a representation of te December 1908 photograph including in this collection.