Near Montvale in Bedford County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Colonial Fort
Photographed by Martha Fisher, May 29, 2011
1. Colonial Fort Marker
Inscription.
Colonial Fort. . Near here stood a fortified dwelling used for shelter during periods of warfare between European colonists and Native Americans. To this fort in 1756 came Mary Draper Ingles (Mrs. William Ingles) for protection following her escape from captivity by the Shawnee Indians. She was taken prisoner on 30 July 1755 following an attack on the Draper's Meadows settlement in Montgomery County near present-day Blacksburg. The story of her forced march to the Ohio Indian towns, her subsequent escape, and her long trek back home is part of the folklore of frontier Virginia. During the French and Indian War (1754-1763), many settlers abandoned this area and fled eastward.
Near here stood a fortified dwelling used for shelter during periods of warfare between European colonists and Native Americans. To this fort in 1756 came Mary Draper Ingles (Mrs. William Ingles) for protection following her escape from captivity by the Shawnee Indians. She was taken prisoner on 30 July 1755 following an attack on the Draper's Meadows settlement in Montgomery County near present-day Blacksburg. The story of her forced march to the Ohio Indian towns, her subsequent escape, and her long trek back home is part of the folklore of frontier Virginia. During the French and Indian War (1754-1763), many settlers abandoned this area and fled eastward.
Erected 1997 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number K-121.)
Location. 37° 22.292′ N, 79° 41.975′ W. Marker is near Montvale, Virginia, in Bedford County. It is on West Lynchburg Salem Turnpike (U.S. 460) 0.3 miles west of Circle K Road (Virginia Route 751), in the median. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Montvale VA 24122, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southwest Virginia. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. This sequence of markers show Mary Ingles journey from her capture to her return.
Photographed by Martha Fisher, May 29, 2011
2. US Rt 460 (facing east)
Credits. This page was last revised on July 3, 2021. It was originally submitted on May 30, 2011, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 2,673 times since then and 145 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on May 30, 2011, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.
