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With little money and no work opportunities, Andrew Carnegie’s parents bought passage to America from Scotland in 1848 with 13-year-old Andrew and his 5-year-old brother. Settling in Pennsylvania, the dad again struggled through a failed business. Andrew worked long days in a cotton mill before becoming a messenger. There he taught himself to use the telegraph and advanced. Next job was with a railroad company, and his first investment was $500, which his mother managed to scrape together, for 10 shares of Adams Express Company.
Carnegie was a voracious reader, thankful that a man opened his small personal library to the young lad. By age 30, with no formal education, he was invested in many industries and built Carnegie Steel into the largest steel manufacturing company in the world.
His major lofty goal in life: To give away his self-made hundreds of millions of dollars. Beginning in his native Dunfermline, Scotland, Carnegie built library buildings all over the world, including 1,681 in the United States. He believed that in America anyone with access to books and the desire to learn could educate oneself and be successful, as he had been. He died after distributing $350 million, distressed that he had not divested himself of everything.
NRV Garden Tour
That’s the long introduction into the Friends of the Montgomery-Floyd Regional Library and 30th anniversary of the New River Valley Garden Tour. Carnegie may be dubbed the Patron Saint of Libraries, but dedicated, behind-the-scenes work by tireless volunteers across decades keeps public libraries relevant.
The NRV Garden Tour, a major fundraiser for the Friends of the Montgomery-Floyd Regional Library, has evolved into a multi-pronged event with flower and veggie gardens in the starring role and an amazing support cast of musicians, plein air artists, greeters and sponsors.
A shoutout belongs to the New River Valley Master Gardener Association and Virginia Native Plant Society as well for their participation. The master gardeners offer a plant clinic at one of the garden stops. Around 180 gardens have been showcased across three decades, usually six per year, sometimes seven.
The art works of artists, who graciously set up and painted at different gardens in 2025, are on display at the Blacksburg library between May and August of this year. It’s a wonderful social event and always an amazing visual in what creative, energetic homeowners can do with a landscape in a finite space.
The Friends of the Library organization is responsible for many other programs like visiting authors, interior improvements, toys, coffee, used books, summer reading, computer stations and much more. They meet once a month at 3 p.m. on the third Tuesday, rotating between the library locations. The Friends are friendly and dedicated. Membership is suggested at $15 per person or $20 per family. Donations are always appreciated.
Text by Joanne M. Anderson
