250th Anniversary Celebration Facts and a sidebar story
Celebration Facts for the Botetourt 250th Anniversary.
Today we are going to talk about the 200th Celebration in 1970. How can 50 years have passed so fast!
The Bicentennial event began with the ringing of the bells in the Town of Fincastle at midnight on Dec. 31, 1969
Miss Botetourt Bicentennial was Debbie Myers. Later on, for a number of years Debbie Myers Singleton would teach horseback riding to students at Santillane Farm in Fincastle.
The Bicentennial held a dynamic theatrical production called, “Echo from the Hills.” It was written by Katherine C. Harris, Jacqueline H. Rader and Mr. and Mrs. Glenn A. Main
The play was directed by Garland Stevens who for years taught French at Lord Botetourt and then 8th grade English at Botetourt Intermediate.
The production had 4 performances in late June of 1970. Two were held at each high school,LBHS and at JRHS.
Historical trivial sidebar that has nothing to do with the Bicentennial:
Back to Garland Stevens who was as fine of a gentleman who ever lived in Botetourt County. Why Mr. Stevens spent the end of his career teaching English to middle schoolers is still beyond me. Here is one reason I think that:
I was the person who let our Botetourt Intermediate custodian Mr. Burrell’s baby pigs in the school.
As a student, I was in Mr. Stevens English class on a Friday afternoon. He left the room to go to the office and the pigs were under our classroom window. Since I had experience with 4H pigs, I opened the back door and called “Suuiieee!“ The pigs came running. I held the door open for them and every one of them came in the school. I arrived back to the classroom door as the pigs scampered down the hall. Mr. Stevens saw me as he rounded the corner.
he took me to the office and he called My Mother. Mr. Ferrell the principal and Mr. Nutter the assistant principal, were busy trying to get pigs rounded up. A very long 15 minutes passed ‘til she fetched me. An even longer evening ensued with me in my bedroom all by myself.
My Daddy visited me in my room upstairs where we snickered on the down low together. On Monday I apologized to Mr. Stevens and to Mr. Burrell. Mr. Stevens and I were friends until his passing, so he did not hold a grudge, but he never forgot the event!
The pigs I think, enjoyed it!
There is a new Facebook group started by Christy Hodge for those who went to BI. It is called Botetourt Intermediate School Memories. (Current Central Academy Middle School for any newcomers and prior to the building of Read Mountain Middle School.)
Ask to join the group. Thus far it has been a great way to recall our middle school adventures when every one of us in Botetourt County went to the school together before splitting to go to high school!
–Cathy Benson, story and photos
