Madeline Hoge
RADFORD – If you’re chasing your ancestors, this year’s Mary Draper Ingles Festival has a workshop for you.
Madeline Hoge, a historiographer and author who lives on the historic family farm Belle-Hampton in Southwest Virginia, will take participants through a structured yet personal journey of discovering their roots utilizing interviews with relatives and various research tools.
Hoge says “uncovering and sharing your family story is a powerful way to preserve legacy, foster connection, and strengthen identity across generations.” She says she will start with how to research family history using a combination of oral traditions, public records, historical archives, and digital tools like Ancestry.com and FamilySearch. Attendees also will learn how to conduct interviews with relatives, interpret census and military records, and utilize historical data to fill in the gaps. Special attention will be given to organizing information into timelines, family trees, and thematic storylines that reflect not only names and dates, but also values, challenges, and triumphs.
The presentation will explore how to craft and communicate your family narrative in ways that are meaningful and lasting. Whether your goal is to publish a family history book, create a documentary, host a storytelling night, or pass on a set of recorded interviews, you’ll learn techniques to bring your ancestors to life. Participants will explore different storytelling formats—from chronological biographies to legacy letters and themed narratives (such as resilience, migration, or entrepreneurship)—and how to match tone and format with the intended audience, whether children, siblings, or a wider community. Ultimately, this session will help individuals move from collecting facts to cultivating a legacy, empowering them to ensure their family story doesn’t just survive, but inspires.
Madeline Hoge will be presenting on Saturday, July 26, at 1 p.m. at Glencoe Mansion.
The presentation is part of the weekend-long Mary Draper Ingles Festival, being held in the City of Radford and Pulaski County July 25-27.
This year’s Mary Draper Ingles Festival celebrates the 270th anniversary of her 1755 capture and escape during the French and Indian War. Born in Philadelphia to immigrant parents from Ireland, Mary and her family became part of the westward migration movement and eventually settled in Draper’s Meadow (today’s Blacksburg). In the midst of the war, Mary was captured by American Indians and taken to Ohio. She later escaped and completed a treacherous trip back to her home near the New River. That journey was made famous by the “New York Times” bestseller, “Follow the River.”
New to the festivities at Glencoe Mansion is Kinnfolk, the husband-and-wife duo of Josh and Julie Kinn, who weave octave mandolin, the Irish drum and vocal harmonies into their Celtic folk music. A part of the Virginia Commission for the Arts touring roster, the Roanoke artists are quickly developing a following in the U.S. and Canada. They have been named one of the top Celtic folk bands to watch in 2025.
Blue Ridge mountain music performers William Gayheart and Ricky Cox return for the weekend. Gayheart is from Galax and presents a weekly program at a music venue on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Cox, a folklorist and historian from Floyd County, taught courses at Radford University for over 30 years. Their program will feature duets from “brother acts” in the 1930s and songs made popular by the original Carter Family.
West Virginian Doug Wood, who is known for his interpretations of historic American Indian cultures, returns this year to also present the story of Mary’s son, Thomas, set during the summer of 1775 as he returns home from military duty along the Ohio River. Thomas, who along with his mother, was taken captive by the Shawnees and spent many years among the tribe. Onlookers will hear the story of how this young man lived in both the Native and the European settler worlds. Wood’s wife, Dianne Anestis, will present 18th century uses of medicinal and edible plants and will tie the cultural exchange of knowledge and skills from Amerindians to such frontier newcomers as Mary Draper Ingles.
Other weekend activities include:
The premiere of a new exhibit “Mary Draper Ingles: Steps to Revolution,” which explores the complexities of the French and Indian War and how the colonial heroine and other settlers became caught up in this global conflict
The Southwest Virginia Regional Juried Art Exhibition at Radford University’s Tyler Gallery and the “Celebrating Appalachia” show at Glencoe Mansion
Tours of historic landmarks, Ingles Tavern and La Riviere, also known as Ingles Castle and built by Mary’s great-grandson. Wilderness Road Regional Museum in Dublin is sponsoring 18th century living history interpretations by the Fincastle Company at both the Tavern and the museum.
Bus tours of Mary Draper Ingles regional sites, Claytor Lake boat tours and floats along the New River between the historic Ingles Tavern and La Riviere.
Food trucks and vendors at the Radford Farmers Market (adjacent to Glencoe Mansion), which will have extended hours on July 26, from 9 am to 3 pm.
Food trucks, live music and children’s activities at Long Way Brewing.
For the full schedule, go to www.glencoemansion.org/mdifestival. The event is made possible in part by a grant from the Virginia Commission for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts and a grant from the VA250 Commission in partnership with Virginia Humanities.
Staff report
