According to Deb Cooney, Radford City director of tourism, the campaign has been in the silent phase for the past several years. “Now that we’ve reached this milestone, our fundraising committee wanted to give citizens an update and ask for their help in making the project a reality.” The eight-foot-tall statue, created by artist Matt Langford, will grace the grounds of Glencoe Museum and will help preserve the history of the region. The museum is located in the west end of Radford not far from her family’s homestead.
What this young woman endured as a pioneer in the New River Valley is a great American story. Over the years Mary has become a symbol of strength and courage in the face of danger. In 1755 she was captured by Shawnee Indians at her home near present-day Blacksburg and taken hundreds of miles away deep into the frontier wilderness. “She’s a woman who showed undeniable great courage and remarkable skill and physicality to escape and trek her way back home, and the story continues to capture interest more than 250 years later,” Cooney says.
The result of that interest has included a major novel, numerous books, a long-running play, a couple of movies, a song and an outdoor drama that ran for 30 years at her Radford homestead, which continues today as a working farm. The actors and others who worked on “The Long Way Home” continue to get together for reunions, Cooney said. “I often get calls from tourists asking about performance times and there’s still interest in reviving some form of the play,” she added. For years the play carried the distinction as Virginia’s official outdoor drama.
Donations for the “Bring Mary Home Campaign” are being accepted by the Radford Heritage Foundation. All contributions are tax-deductible and can be mailed to Radford Heritage Foundation, Attn. BMH Campaign, 600 Unruh Drive, Radford, VA 24141.
More information, including a brochure, is available by calling the Radford Visitor’s Center at 540-267-3153.
