They did not harm my husband or brother, but they kidnapped me, my two boys, and betty, my sister inlaw. Mary draper was born mary alvis to nathaniel alvis and mary chickering. To escape her shawnee indian captors, mary draper ingles of southwestern virginia traversed 800 miles of wilderness, including west virginias rugged new river gorge. In the more than 250 years since mary draper ingles was captured by shawnee warriors, escaped and made her historic return journey to the new river valley of virginia, much has been written and produced about the preeminent colonial heroine. The story of mary draper ingles by john ingles son daniel boone at big bone lick the big bone springs hotel by james duvall, 2011 big bone springs mineral water company, 1916 revolutionary war soldiers in boone county, ky john norris in the war of 1812 establishment of burlington, ky 1800 incorporation of florence, ky 1830. Full text of the drapers in america, being a history and genealogy of those of that name and connection see other formats. An outdoor drama that tells the harrowing true story of a colonial womans capture and escape from the shawnee in 1755. Mary draper ingles bridge cultural feature bridge in summers county. They set up housekeeping near their parents in a place called drapers meadows, a settlement of 10 people, in augusta county, virginia. We were both fascinated by this fictitious account of the kidnapping of mary draper ingles by shawnee indians in 1755. I listened to follow the river by james alexander thom with my husband. In summer 1755 she and her two young sons were among several captives taken by shawnee after the drapers.
Mary ingles escape story like thriller fiction tale. When the ingles and drapers came to augusta county, relations with the indians were relatively peaceful. In the year 1755, new river gorge was the site of one of the great stories of survival and endurance in american history. The story of mary draper ingles and son thomas ingles, as told by john ingles, sr. This is a true story of courage, love and sense of family. Apr 15, 2017 on the last sunday of every month this summer in the sunken garden at nesselrod bed and breakfast, the story of mary draper ingles will be retold as a historical outdoor drama with a working title of, mary draper ingles. William ingles at the time was away from home but he saw the smoke from the burning buildings. In it, mary draper ingles tells her story of strength and determination. Little is known of her life previous to the american revolutionary war. John hale, great grandson of william ingles, and author of transallegheny pioneers 1884, describes the ingles family this way. On october 1, 1789, thomas set out for a trading post with a horse heavy laden with ginseng an early form of currency for mountain settlers in the appalachia. They set up housekeeping near their parents in a place called draper s meadows, a settlement of 10 people, in augusta county, virginia. Mary alvis draper april 4, 1719 1810 is known for the help she gave members of the continental army during the american revolution.
Mary draper ingles bridge is a cultural feature bridge in summers county. The heartbreaking story of jenny wiley appalachian magazine. Mary represents hundreds of women who survived capture and returned to their log cabin homes during the early settlement of the region west of the. Edited by roberta ingles steele and andrew lewis ingles commonwealth press radford, va 1969.
Published november 12th 1986 by ballantine books first published 1981. Drapers meadows and ingles ferry were two early settlements in kanawha county settled by the draper and the ingles families. Mary draper ingles son john built her a proper house, but she continued to live in the windowless log cabin she had shared with her husband william, saying she felt safer there. Until she was, her family homesteaded in lancaster, pennsylvania. Facts are sorted by community importance and you can build your personalized lexicon. This small but important book contains the story of the draper familys settling of western virginia, and especially the story of the abduction of mary draper ingles and her two sons, as told to author john ingles by his mother, mary ingles. The following is a list of books and articles about mary draper ingles which can be found at the west virginia state archives library. In 1750, 18yearold mary draper and 21yearold william ingles were married in the first white wedding west of the alleghenies. Follow the river by james alexander thom goodreads. Untangling a jumbled array of sources augusta county court records chalkley chronicles history reference books by f. Probably my favorite book, follow the river by james a thom is about the capture of mary ingles, not jenny.
In that year the new river area was the far western frontier of english colonial settlement, and. At the drapers meadows massacre of july 30, 1755, the wife of william ingles, mary draper ingles, and her small son thomas. In shawnee captive, author mary furbee has used meticulous research to compile the most accurate and complete account of this incredible tale, including letters. William ingles and john draper escaped the attack, not being home at the time. Living in drapers meadow, virginia, mary, possibly pregnant at the time, her two sons, thomas 4 and george 2, and her sisterinlaw betty, and a male. Follow the river by james alexander thom, paperback barnes. In 1748, the draper family and others moved to the western frontier, establishing drapers meadow, a pioneer settlement near modern day blacksburg, virginia.
This article is within the scope of wikiproject womens history, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of womens history and related articles on wikipedia. One of the most famous indiancaptive stories of the frontier is that of mary draper ingles. The story of ingles ordeal has inspired a number of books and films, including. Boone county kentucky historical society the story of. I n the more than 250 years since mary draper ingles was captured by shawnee warriors, escaped and made her historic return journey to the new river valley of virginia, much has been written and produced about the preeminent colonial heroine. They were taken to lower shawneetown at the ohio and scioto rivers. This is the reason for calling the place burkes garden as james burke seems to have been the first to actually make a settlement in the valley.
On the last sunday of every month this summer in the sunken garden at nesselrod bed and breakfast, the story of mary draper ingles will be retold as a historical outdoor drama with a working title of, mary draper ingles. Tickets and additional information about the play can be found here. Mary draper ingles new river gorge national river u. George draper, and a draper child, wounded james cull, and captured mary draper ingles, her two sons, mrs. This page is dedicated to the revival of the drama the long way home in its newest form as walk to. Indeed, however, staunton may have been the towns name as early as 1747. Many members of the shawnee indian tribe attacked our farm. Mary draper ingles most of what is known about mary ingles escape from indian captivity comes from a narrative account of the ingles family written by mary s son, col.
His book is still available at bookstores around the country and world and has been used as the basis for the hallmark television movie by the same name 8. Mary draper ingles 1732 february 1815, also known in records as mary inglis or mary english, was an american pioneer and early settler of western virginia. Mary draper ingles monument virginia is for lovers. James alexander thom is the author of follow the river, long knife, from sea to shining sea, panther in the sky for which he won the prestigious western writers of america spur award for best historical novel, signtalker, the children of first man, and the red heart. Outdoor play returns to radford with story of mary draper. Within a few months, william ingles had died, at the age of 53.
Mary draper is famous for her efforts to assist the continental army by offering food, hospitality, clothing, and ammunition to the patriots. At age seventeen their son tommy returned to their family. They can usually be found in eastern national bookstores at new river gorge. Oct 04, 2019 the mary draper ingles trail mdit is under construction. Alone on the frontier, young jenny could never have imagined the events that awaited her in the days to come. Mary draper ingles was born in 1732 in philadelphia, pennsylvania to george and elenor hardin draper, who had immigrated to america from donegal, ireland in 1729. She had one sister, one half sister, and one half brother. A monument to her was erected from the chimney stones of that old farmstead at nearby west radford cemetery. Mary ingles is kidnapped from drapers medows on the morning of july 8th, 1755, mary draper ingles was kidnapped from her home at drapers medow along with her two sons, sisterinlaw and henry lenard.
Read on for more of the extraordinary story about this pioneer woman who risked her. In 1750, at the age of seventeen, mary draper married twentyyear old will ingles, the first wedding of two white settlers in the region. Remote work advice from the largest allremote company. Thomas ingles, according to family tradition, was descended from a scotch family, was born. National bestseller it takes a rare individual not only to see that history can live, but also to make it live for others. In 1744, according to tradition, thomas ingles and his eldest son, william, then a youth, made an excursion to. Throughout history, new river gorge has been both an obstacle and a corridor. Mary was born in philadelphia in 1731 to scotchirish immigrants. Outdoor play returns to radford with story of mary draper ingles. Most of what is known about mary ingles escape from indian captivity comes from a narrative account of the ingles family. The mary draper ingles trail mdit is under construction. Oct 02, 2017 mary draper ingles monument this monument was erected in 1909 a 22foot obelisk stands in the center of west view cemetery, about a mile and a half from where she lived out her life.
It approximates the route taken by a pioneer woman, mary draper ingles, and her companion, an elderly dutch woman, following their escape in 1755 from shawnee captors at what is now big bone lick, kentucky. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks. When eleanor lahr read follow the river, a novel based upon the true experiences of mary draper ingles, it changed her life. Soon thereafter their son, thomas, became the first white child born west of the alleghenies.
Mary ingles was twentythree, married, and pregnant, when shawn. As more europeans moved into the area, tension between the settlers and the native americans increased. Mary ingles was twentythree, married, and pregnant, when shawnee indians invaded her peaceful virginia settlement, killed the. The primary coordinates for mary draper ingles bridge places it within the wv 25951 zip code delivery area. Boone county kentucky historical society the story of mary. The indianapolis newsmary ingles was twentythree, happily married, and pregnant with her third child when shawnee indians invaded her peaceful virginia settlement in 1755 and kidnapped her, leaving behind a bloody massacre. A group of indians attacked their home and killed many of their loved. In 1748, the draper family and others moved to the western frontier, establishing draper s meadow, a pioneer settlement near modern day blacksburg, virginia. Shawnee captive is a short novel that has enough verifiable historical research to give an outline to the underwritten time period just before the french and indian war. Mary draper ingles was a real, live pioneer heroine who lived through a shawnee indian attack, kidnapping, and escape.
The obelisk was constructed of the chimney stones from the original ingles cabin, and is featured in the book, a guide to american womens landmarks. Follow that river was similar story, but was about mary draper ingles, not jenny wiley. Mary and her family were industrious and strong, quickly learning skills to survive on the frontier. Cabin by the new river where mary and william lived out their years after marys return from captivity. In summer 1755 she and her two young sons were among several captives taken by shawnee after the drapers meadow massacre during the french and indian war. Mary draper ingles monument this monument was erected in 1909 a 22foot obelisk stands in the center of west view cemetery, about a mile and a half from where she lived out her life. In the summer of 1755, she and her two young sons were among several captives taken by shawnee after the draper s meadow massacre during the french and indian war.
When the town of staunton was mentioned early on, i figured that must have been a slip. There are several books on the ordeal of mary draper ingles. Mary draper ingles, also known in records as mary inglis or mary english, was an american pioneer and early settler of. Wanted to live as he had for the past years, as an indian. Mar 30, 2007 mary draper ingles was a real, live pioneer heroine who lived through a shawnee indian attack, kidnapping, and escape, to walk almost 800 miles back home to her family. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books every 1, 2, or 3 months new customers receive 15% off your. Mary draper ingles on 30 july 1755, during the french and indian war, shawnee indians attacked the drapers meadow settlement nearby. The story of mary draper ingles is the true story o. Mary draper ingles was a real, live pioneer heroine who lived through a shawnee indian attack, kidnapping, and escape, to walk almost 800 miles back home to her family. Taken captive, she lived with the shawnee for months until she finally escaped at big bone lick, kentucky by following a thousand mile trail to freedom. Jun 24, 2007 mary draper ingles son john built her a proper house, but she continued to live in the windowless log cabin she had shared with her husband william, saying she felt safer there. Follow the river by james alexander thom, paperback.
Mary draper ingles return to virginias new river valley. Mary draper was 18 years old when she married 21yearold william ingles in 1750. On july 8, 1755, mary was living with her husband and their two young sons in western virginia, part of a small settlement of log cabins on the west slopes of the allegheny mountains known as drapers meadows. Mary jo draper is the editor of the midtown kc post, an online news site that covers midtown kansas city issues. B this article has been rated as bclass on the projects quality scale. At the draper s meadows massacre of july 30, 1755, the wife of william ingles, mary draper ingles, and her small son thomas, then four years old, were taken captive by the indians. Mary draper ingles 1732 february 1815, also known in records as mary inglis or mary. She is a former news director at kcur public radio and active with the valentine neighborhood association.
Mar 04, 2020 mary draper is famous for her efforts to assist the continental army by offering food, hospitality, clothing, and ammunition to the patriots. The war on july 8, 1755, my husband and brother were working in the field when it happened. Still, i think she must have approved roundly, america was built by tough people looking to the future. Being first setting precedents seems to have been the stuff of which mary draper ingles was made. George draper, jasper barrier and a child of john draper were killed. Theres a certain irony to mary draper ingles son setting out to eliminate the frontier mentality the very mentality that mary draper ingles embodied in her tenacity, resourcefulness and strength. Oct 27, 2016 mary draper ingles was reunited with her husband. The story of mary draper ingles and son thomas ingles, as. In the summer of 1755, she and her two young sons were among several captives taken by shawnee after the drapers meadow massacre during the french and indian war. Full text of the drapers in america, being a history and.
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