John Blair Radford
John B. Radford | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Radford, c. 1850s | |
| Born | John Blair Radford April 20, 1813 Bedford County, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | June 30, 1872 (aged 59) Central Depot, Virginia, U.S. |
| Burial place | Arnheim |
| Education | University of Pennsylvania |
| Occupations |
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| Political party |
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| Spouse |
Elizabeth Campbell Taylor
(m. 1836) |
| Children | 7, including J. Lawrence |
| Signature | |
 | |
John Blair Radford (April 20, 1813 – June 30, 1872) was an American physician, businessman, farmer, and namesake of Radford, Virginia.[1]
Biography
Radford was born in Bedford County, Virginia, the son of William Radford and Elizabeth Moseley.[2] He attended medical school in Philadelphia.[3] In 1836, Radford married Elizabeth Campbell Taylor and they had 7 children, including Nannie, who married Confederate General Gabriel C. Wharton, and James Lawrence, who served two terms in the Virginia House of Delegates.[4][5]
After their marriage, John and Elizabeth moved to Radford, which at the time was a community known as "
In addition to his work as a physician and his plantation's agricultural activities, Radford was active in various other commercial and railroad ventures. In 1844, Radford was appointed by the Virginia Board of Public Works as a Director of the LaFayette and English Ferry Turnpike Company.[7]
In 1864, during the
Death
Radford died in 1872 and is interred at the Radford Family Cemetery in Radford.[2]
Legacy
Local residents began to refer to the Lovely Mount area as "Radford" in the years following Radford's death. The City of Radford was officially incorporated in January 1892 and was formally named after Radford.[6]
A bronze statue of Radford is displayed in the Radford municipal building.[11]
See also
References
- ^ "Glencoe History | Library | Radford, VA". Retrieved 2022-10-31.
- ^ a b Yates, Robert Somerville Radford (1986). A History of William Radford of Richmond, Virginia: His Ancestors and Descendants from 1700 to 1986. R.S.R. Yates. p. 3.
- ^ "Letter from William Radford II to Dr John Blair Radford". Radford Family Letters Collection, McConnell Library, Radford University, Radford, VA. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
- ^ a b "126-0002 Arnheim". www.dhr.virginia.gov. Retrieved 2022-10-31.
- ^ Pulaski County Virginia Heritage 2003. S. E. Grose. p. 68.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-4396-3371-7.
- ^ "Letter from the Board of Public Works to JB Radford". Radford Family Letters Collection, McConnell Library, Radford University, Radford, VA. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
- ^ "Virginia's Civil War Trail | Radford, VA". www.radfordva.gov. Retrieved 2022-10-31.
- ^ "Battle of New River Bridge (Radford) – Virginia Center for Civil War Studies". Retrieved 2022-10-31.
- ISBN 978-1-4696-6771-3.
- ^ "Dr. John Blair Radford". www.bettybranch.com. Retrieved 2022-10-31.