McDonald's Mill

McDonald's Mill is located on VA State Route 785 about 10 miles from Blacksburg towards Catawba.

 The current McDonald's Mill was built in 1861 and was featured in a Roanoke Times article about land trust.  It pleases me that the current owners, Ned and Janet Yost, want to preserve the mill and the land around it so that others can get a glimpse of life on the North Fork of the Roanoke River as it was when the region was first occupied by immigrants from the British Isles.  The origin of the creek  that eventually becomes the Roanoke River is just a mile or two from Dad's home place. The fledgling stream gathered water quickly  from springs and hollows and in a short distance, was big enough to make a mill pond inside the current Montgomery County line. The stream was dammed and a race was constructed of lumber sawed for nearby forest to carry the water to the top of the mill wheel several hundred yards downstream. According to Yost, the mill was established in the 1790s and was operated by five generations of McDonalds. Two buildings preceeded the current structure that Yost purchased in 1952.

An idle grinding wheel serves as a reminder of the past and a durable picnic table near the meandering stream.

Dad has vivid memories of the mill and its importance to the neighborhood that took on its name. He had worked with his dad, brothers, and neighbors to wrestle out a living on the steep hills and narrow bottoms of the upper North Fork. While still a boy, he remembers playing in the mill. He remembers when the wooden races became so broken that a steam engine was brought in to replace the water power. But in the beginning, the creek was the reason the mill was where it was and the mill was the reason that a community grew up around it. 

                                                    The unharnessed North Fork of the
                                                    Roanoke River now by-passes the
                                                    Historic Mill.

A Visit to the Bug Shop

A newcomer to Blacksburg or a visitor with car trouble may not think about driving two miles out of  Blacksburg on Harding Road to get help. But local folks have been making the trip for years to The Bug Shop or Wright's Garage as it was originally known. While the new name indicates a speciality it implies a narrow customer base which is inaccurate. Jewel Albert and his knowledgeable mechanics work on cars and trucks of all makes.

One of my fondest memories of my boyhood neighbors was Arthur Wright, the original proprietor of Wright's Garage.  Mr. Wright had been badly disfigured by a fire when he was a small child to the point that you couldn't see his smile. But only a short conversation would reveal to you a happy man with a smile in his heart. He and his boys provided reliable service at a reasonable price. You generally got more than a repair when you visited the shop. There always seemed to be lots of laughter and in-fun-picking that didn't necessarily stay in the family. The Wrights would greet you with a smile and try to let you leave with a grin or a laugh.

Jewel and his crew seem to carry on the tradition of the building in which they work. They know about customer service and practice it with a smile.

My parents live about 1/2 mile up the road from the Bug Shop. Several years back, Dad fell in the garden and couldn't get up by himself. Mother couldn't help him so what did she do? She called the Bug Shop! They didn't need a wrecker but Jeff was there in a flash to get Dad up and running ( walking) again. Everybody needs that kind of neighbors.

Va Tech remembers

April 16 Memorial Bench dedication scheduled for April 15

By Meghan Williams

BLACKSBURG, Va., April 12, 2010 -- Virginia Tech will honor the community of survivors of April 16, 2007.

A ceremony will be held April 15, 2010, at 4 p.m. dedicating two sitting benches — one located on each side of the April 16 Memorial in front of Burruss Hall. Charles W. Steger, president of Virginia Tech; Mark McNamee, senior vice president and provost; and representatives of the community of survivors will offer remarks and officially dedicate the benches.

The ceremony is open to the public and will be immediately followed by a reception on the Drillfield with musical selections played by the University Student Brass Quartet.

The benches, which will serve as a location for personal reflection and remembrance, honor the survivors of April 16, 2007, and the resilience of the Virginia Tech community.

In the event of inclement weather, the dedication will take place in the Commonwealth Ballroom, Squires Student Center.

About the memorial benches

The bench seats are 52 inches wide, 18 inches tall, and 8 inches thick. They are made out of a special concrete mixture that simulates Virginia Tech's native limestone, Hokie Stone, and each bench weighs approximately 900 lbs. The benches are inscribed, "In Honor of the Survivors – April 16, 2007."

Due to planned events and a large number of anticipated attendees, on-campus traffic and parking will be affected beginning April 14. Details about traffic, parking, and transit information can be found online or by calling (540) 231-3200.

Contact Meghan Williams at iwill07@vt.edu or (540) 231-4754.