Number of births to Radford residents in 2004: 111

Number of Radford residents who died in 2004: 105

Radford was the eventual home of Mary Draper Ingles, who was abducted by American Indians in 1755 from her home at Draper’s Meadows, near Blacksburg. Her captors took her to Ohio, but she eventually escaped and returned home on foot. The 800-mile trip took her 42 days. By the time she reached the New River Valley, she was nearly naked and her hair was completely white, despite the fact she was only in her 20s.

Some details of the Mary Draper Ingles legend vary, depending on who is telling the story. Some say she was pregnant when she was abducted and gave birth a few days later. Some say she was impregnated by one of her captors. Others say she was not pregnant at all.

In 1758, Mary’s husband persuaded her to move to the edge of the New River – the current site of Radford — where he constructed a cabin, a ferry and a road. The road is part of the famous Wilderness Road, which carried settlers westward into Tennessee and Kentucky. The ferry provided transportation for George Washington and Andrew Jackson.

Mary lived the rest of her life in fear of American Indians. Her husband constructed their home with no windows, and before she died, she instructed her family not to place any marker on her grave.

The Glencoe house, currently used as a museum, was built by Brig. Gen. Gabriel Colvin Wharton, second in his class at the Virginia Military Institute, an inventor, businessman, engineer and member of the Virginia 51st Regiment. Wharton was married to Anne Rebecca “Nannie” Radford, daughter of the town’s namesake. The home takes its name from the Glencoe, Scotland, home of the Radford family, as well as Scottish warrior William Wallace, the subject of the film “Braveheart.”

At the time the Glencoe house was built, buildings were taxed according to the number of doors they contained. So Wharton built the doors to look like windows. The house was built in 1870 at a cost of $3,000.

Virginia governors Hoge Tyler (1898-1902) and John Dalton (1978-1982) lived in Radford.

Radford has enjoyed at least two population booms in its history. The population grew from 300 in 1880 to 3,000 in 1890 — thanks to an industrial boom in the area. During the 1930s, the federal government decided the Radford area was a choice site for a major industry requiring ample space, plentiful water, good transportation and a large work force. Radford “powder plant” or arsenal was built in 1940-1941 to manufacture gunpowder and other products. Wartime employment exceeded 20,000. Three housing projects were developed in Radford to accommodate the rapid influx of people.