As dawn broke on August 28, 1884, Governor Tyler rejoiced in having another daughter. His prayers were answered after the scary experience of almost losing his other baby girl, Eliza, to illness. He thanked God for his renewed feeling of goodness and mercy and named this precious bundle Eleanor Howe Tyler after her great-grandmother.

Like a family's balance sheet, life presents us with various forms of capital (intellectual, social, human, spiritual) and liabilities (death, illness, black swan events, or financial change).  Just as financial statements include assets and debts, our lives are composed of moments that encompass tragedies and joys. These contrasting elements, like different forms of capital and liabilities, shape the overall picture of our journey. We find richness and depth in the delicate balance between these experiences. This is Beverly Lacy Hoge’s story behind his purpose.

Those majestic trees that have been around for 140-160 years during historical events are called "witness trees." To qualify for the official naming and protection, they must be on former battlegrounds. Although there may have been family "battles" on our property, Belle-Hampton, we have a black walnut tree estimated to be about 200 years old. It had witnessed family events since 1826, when the Main House was first established. As owners, we are the 7th generation raising cattle on the property. The tree has seen the earlier proprietors' births, weddings, and deaths—all of the family celebrations and the workings of the family business. As we construct our 250-year plan, we first look to the witness tree for perspective.

Growing up in a family business is a beneficial educational experience for any young child family member if done well.  Exposure to day-to-day interworking and challenges that family firms face gives children a perspective their peers may never see. When I was in kindergarten, I learned math basics on a cash register in my family’s small business, Ratajacks.  Although I could barely see over the counter, I worked side by side with my mom, who taught me the art of customer service while building family relationships.  Being exposed to mounds of cash taught me the value of trustworthiness.  But not all family businesses operate smoothly.  Some family businesses become intertwined in family turmoil, as depicted in the movie Boss Baby: Family Business.  How do you prepare a family business's heirs to function successfully over time while maintaining family harmony?

Rev. Moses Drury Hoge, DD, one of the soundest thinkers and most eloquent preachers of his day, rests among presidents and other leaders in the Hollywood cemetery in Richmond, VA. Situated on the James River, this cemetery is recognized as the most prominent burial place in Virginia. The President’s Circle is the final resting place for the 5th President of the United States, James Monroe, and the 10th President of the United States, John Tyler. Six Virginia governors, two Supreme Court justices, and other notables who have significantly influenced history rest in peace there. Rev. Hoge is amongst his fellow influential Virginians, celebrated as a great man of faith.

In 1917, America entered World War I. Robert Hoge was thirteen years old and craved adventure. He was too young to serve in the military but too bored with school to finish his high school education. He contemplated running away from home. As the son of a Baptist Minister, he needed a change from his town of Waycross, GA. His parents were strict but not cruel. All he remembered from this time was his resolve to break for freedom.

Integrity is a core value in the Hoge family. Down through history, it was a standard the Hoge’s held of themselves. It is currently defined by the family as, “We live by the Golden Rule, never compromising the truth. We communicate openly, and our actions are consistent with our words.” It wasn’t one that friends necessarily defined the same way.  What happens when a friend deceives a friend and/or spouse?

Women spies played a significant role in the American Civil War, both on the Union and Confederate sides. They gathered valuable intelligence by infiltrating enemy territory and obtaining information that could be used to gain strategic advantages on the battlefield. Many women used their gender to their advantage, as they were less likely to be suspected of espionage. But does deceiving friends to obtain information cross the line of Integrity?

Moving into Walnut Spring with her brother Otey after her husband’s death in 1903, Lulu became the wage earner. Her position in 1905 was the Blacksburg, VA Postmaster. In 1910 she bought the Alexander Black House on the corner of Draper and Clay Street in downtown Blacksburg. She and the children moved there, but the young widow, only 31 years after her husband’s death, must have had difficulty raising six children. In 1915 she decided to get wed again to John James Davis, a professor who was 12 years younger.

Do you have famous friends? Having a renowned friend is rare and limited to a small percentage of the population. Since I cannot remember anyone’s name, even illustrious people, I am not the person to ask about famous friends. When people name-drop a personal pet peeve, I usually frustrate the person trying to impress me since I don’t know people.

John didn’t plan on scaring someone sober, but nevertheless, it happened. John Dunbar Howe owned a mercantile along Wilderness Road in Newburn. He offered a wide range of goods available for purchase, including staple food items such as milk and bread and various household goods such as hardware and other supplies.  For those not interested in shopping, John would also keep liquor on hand for those awaiting the wagon. In the early 1800s, the wagon was the stagecoach that delivered the latest news and letters from loved ones.

Near where a beautiful antebellum mansion once stood, cars blast by on a four-lane highway, not realizing abandoned gravestones are buried deep in the brush. Overgrown ivy, toppled down trees, and broken gravestones laid lost in the dirt, strangled by vines keeping them trapped deep beneath the earth. An occasional family member, curious about the historic stones, tries to locate them but typically gives up because of the lush overgrowth. On a fateful July 4, 2022, my husband, Tom, and our son, Peyton, and I are determined to resurrect the missing headstones. As an 8th-generation descendent from the Hoge family's arrival to Southwestern Virginia, Tom is relentless in cutting a path into the brush to begin our work. However, he secured the property owner's permission. 

Two significant families make up the descendants from Belle-Hampton farm, Hoge and Howe.  Although one might not recognize Hoge, the Howe name was most known from the Howe Dynasty and the family's involvement in the British side of the American Revolution.  Specifically, Brigadier General William Howe led the British against George Washington's leadership with the Americans.  It was presumed that Howe came to his position of high status from his family's wealth.  Although the family came from royalty and was brought up within high society, the Howe children succumbed to the shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves scenario of so many wealthy families.  But how did the Howe family lose their money?

The Mickey Mouse Fan Club became a rage in the late 1950s, where they popularized the term Mouseketeer.   Walt Disney himself spoke as Mickey Mouse in each episode.  Mickey, the character, made his debut significantly earlier in 1928.  Now, Disney’s following is even more extensive.  If you log onto Twitter, Disney has 7.2 million followers, while on Facebook, they have 52 million.  Their tag line, "Disney magic right at your fingertips."  They continued with Walt’s philosophy that the magic is inside each of us. The Walt Disney World's guiding principle is to create a culture of magic in the company.  But how can your company include magic as a goal?