Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 9, 1995 TAG: 9503090057
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-10 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PULASKI LENGTH: Medium
Conway Smith, author of ``Colonial Days in the Land That Became Pulaski County'' and ``The Land That Is Pulaski County,'' and his wife will leave in the near future for St. Louis, Mo., to be near their daughter.
Smith's two books together chronicle the county's history for its first 100 years, up to 1939. Smith has also written an anecdotal book of Martin's Tank, the original name for Pulaski, which has not yet been published.
Smith recalled Wednesday that it was W.H. Elmore, then chairman of the Pulaski County Public Library Board, who suggested that he undertake the task of writing the history.
``We felt like we needed a history of Pulaski County, and we knew that Conway was a good writer. ... I think it turned out real well,'' Elmore said.
``I needed something to do, and they wanted me to do it, and I enjoyed doing it,'' Smith said. ``I worked on them eight or nine years.''
Smith grew up in Pulaski with his sister, and worked in his father's printing company until he left for service in the U.S. Navy during World War II. After returning from serving in Okinawa, he operated the printing company until he retired.
It was then that he started the work for which he is best remembered: researching thousands of pages of letters, records and documents and interviewing hundreds of people to get the material for his books.
Pulaski Town Council voted Tuesday to recognize Smith for his ``significant contributions ... in preserving the history of our area and expresses its appreciation and thanks on behalf of all the citizens of the town of Pulaski.''
The resolution is to be presented to Smith at a ceremony at 10 a.m. Saturday in the New River Room of the Old Pulaski County Courthouse.
In other business Tuesday, council approved a request from Robert and Beverly Hudson of Hudson Chevrolet to rezone slightly more than four acres south of the dealership on Bob White Boulevard from M-1 (limited industrial) to B-2 (general business). Automobile sales were not permitted under the M-1 designation.
Council also approved a vision statement for the town outlining area attractions and how they might contribute to Pulaski becoming ``the cultural, educational and recreational center of Southwest Virginia.'' Mentioned prominently were the Raymond F. Ratcliff Memorial Museum, named for the late Raymond Ratcliff who served as mayor from 1974 to 1985, and New River Trail State Park which is being developed to extend to the renovated Train Station building housing the museum and the Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce.
Town Manager Tom Combiths reported that engineering, design and environmental work on extending the trail into town is under way. The timetable for construction and completion of the trail will not be known until environmental studies are complete.
by CNB