Photos by Matt de Simone
By Matt de Simone
The Botetourt County Historical Society, Inc. (BCHS) welcomed Virginia Tech Cartography students Hannah Crook, Sarah Cohoon, and Emma Dilic as they presented a digital rendering of a map of Botetourt from 1773-1777 created using ArcGIS Pro. The students were joined by Cartography Instructor Stewart Scale donating a map containing modern and historical locations during that period leading up to America’s independence.
“We found a website that showed the counties over time,” Dilic explained, “We imported the county layer that we wanted, overlaid it over a map, created it as a layer, and then I just went in and I found the point data, and then Sarah and Hannah help style it.”
The students presented the map and a timeline graphic to BCHS President Ed Holt and BCHS Executive Director Lynsey Allie. These visual aids are going to be on display at the upcoming “Remember the Botetourt Resolutions” event presented by BCHS and the Botetourt County Chapter of the Daughters of the American Resolution (DAR) at the Kyle House in Fincastle on March 14.
Holt spoke to the students about the Battle of Point Pleasant and shared information about the events leading up to Patrick Henry’s March 23, 1775 reading of “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death.”
Due to limited space, tickets are required for this event and are $10/person and will be available for sale at the museum and online. Tickets allow access to the short program as well as the reception after, where heavy hors d’oeuvres will be available.
For more information, or to reserve a place, contact BCHS or visit online at bothistsoc.wordpress.com or on Facebook and Instagram.
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Commemorating 250 Years of the Botetourt Resolutions
This year marks the 250th anniversary of the Botetourt Resolutions, a powerful declaration of support for American liberty adopted in 1775 by the citizens of Botetourt County.
The Botetourt Resolutions emerged in response to growing unrest in the American colonies as British rule became increasingly oppressive. Adopted by the freeholders of Botetourt and published in the Virginia Gazette on March 11, 1775 in Williamsburg, these resolutions reflected the bold spirit of the county’s leaders, who declared their willingness to stand with their fellow colonists in defense of their rights.
What set the Botetourt Resolutions apart was their firm tone and forward-thinking stance. While many colonial petitions at the time sought reconciliation with the British Crown, Botetourt’s leaders — including prominent figures like Andrew Lewis, John Bowyer and John May — went a step further. They stated that if the American colonies were forced to separate from Britain, they would support an independent government rather than submit to continued tyranny.
The Resolutions not only aligned Botetourt with the revolutionary cause but also demonstrated the crucial role of Virginia’s backcountry in the fight for independence. These words, forged in the heart of the Appalachian frontier, echoed the growing call for freedom that would soon ignite the American Revolution.
As we commemorate this historic milestone, the Botetourt Resolutions remind us of the courage and foresight of those who dared to envision a free and self-governing nation — a vision that would become a reality just a year later with the Declaration of Independence.
To commemorate this historic milestone, the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors has officially proclaimed March 9-15 as Botetourt Resolutions Week. The week will culminate in the Remembering the Botetourt Resolutions event on Friday, March 14, at 7 p.m. at the Kyle House in Fincastle.
This special evening will feature a live re-enactment by costumed historical interpreters of the events surrounding the Resolutions and the Second Virginia Convention along with period music by Kaeli Berry. A reception will follow.
Attendance is limited and tickets must be purchased in advance at the Botetourt Museum of History and Culture or online at www.bothistsoc.wordpress.com.
~ Lynsey Allie, Botetourt County Historical Society
