In Radford, trace the history that began in 1762 when William and Mary Draper Ingles established Ingles Ferry at a spot on the New River between the Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains. Then in 1796, an enterprising settler built a tavern on the stagecoach route. The tavern was called Lovely Mount andincluded a general store and blacksmith shop. . It was the beginning of a commercial center. Radford’s featured stops on the Wilderness Road include: