Dr.Jim Glanville will present “William Preston and the Making of America” on Sunday, March 18, 2 PM at the museum. The talk will address Virginia’s role in establishing a nationally-accepted model for local governments. William Preston served as a land surveyor for Fincastle, Botetourt, and Montgomery Counties before his death in 1783. Preston saw many territory exchanges and county formations in his time, making him a very interesting historical figure to study on a local level, as well as a national level.
Glanville is a retired chemistry professor living in Blacksburg, VA. Born in London, England, Glanville emigrated to the United States in 1962, where his professional career included jobs in the chemical industry and academia until his retirement in 2004 after spending twenty years at Virginia Tech. Glanville has an “encore career” as an independent scholar of history and archaeology of pre-1800 southwest Virginia and the area he has named “Holstonia.” Visit his website, www.holstonia.net, to learn more about Glanville and to see many of his publications and presentations online, several featuring more about William Preston.