Almost 50 years after Bill Coxton graduated from Garden High School, the 1957 graduate has made it his goal to preserve the old school's lost and seemingly forgotten keepsakes.
  Coxton, who retired with his wife, Harriet, to Gold Canyon, Ariz., was in the area visiting friends when his interest in preserving GHS's history reached its peak. It was while speaking with former classmate and 1970 GHS graduate Mickey McGlothlin that the subject of yearbooks came up. At the time, it was regarding the Appalachian School of Law's yearbooks. But, the thought triggered Coxton's concern for his old school's memories.
  "I began asking what would happen to Garden's yearbooks," he says. "Because, once our 1940s graduates pass away, our history will go with them."
  Soon, word traveled that he was collecting GHS yearbooks and before he knew it, he was consumed with the project of compiling the information into a book on the history of the Garden school.
  "People started giving me their yearbooks to scan," says Coxton.
  Not only does the book base many of its admissions on the school's annuals, but it also utilizes newspaper clippings, photographs provided by GHS and TMI alumni and the memories of teachers and students alike.
  The book is dedicated to his mother Emily "Cutie" Johnson Coxton, who died in 1974.
  According to Coxton, she was always determined to educate he and his brother, Ben, in order to prevent them from being forced to work in the coal mines.
  "She emphasized the three Es to me and my brother Ben," the book reads. "Education, Education and more Education."
  He adds that her pet, "Cuddles," was the mascot for the 1959 undefeated football team in Garden.
  "Garden High School: History ... to 1967" spans from the school's roots in the 1920s when Triangular Mountain Institute (TMI) was established through its transformation into Garden High School.

For more of the story, see the print edition of the Mountaineer, on sale at newsstands now.  To subscribe to the Mountaineer, call 276-935-2123 today.

  A business development seminar, Entrepreneur Express: Moving Your Business Forward, will be held December 5 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Food City Community Center at Vansant.
  The event is hosted by the Buchanan County Chamber of Commerce through the Virginia Department of Business Assistance and is open to members of the public interested in starting or growing their own small businesses.
  “With the economic transformation underway in Buchanan County, it is a great time for individuals who are thinking of starting a business or for existing business to take advantage of this opportunity,” said VDBA Business Services Manager Sandy Ratliff. “With the growth of two universities in the county, there is a need for various business to support these institutions.”
  Additionally, Ratliff noted tourism is another area in the county which is growing with plans now underway to extend the Coal Heritage Trail into Buchanan County.
  “The Entrepreneur Express workshop is designed to help individuals who have a dream to start their own business and to be their own boss, to learn the steps to live the dream,” Ratliff said. “It is also a a great opportunity for existing businesses to learn methods to grow and identify new markets. It would also benefit individuals who have a home-based business and need consultation with business professionals on basic business management.”
  Lunch, provided by TruPoint Bank, will follow the seminar.
  For additional information about the seminar, or to register, interested persons may call Ratliff at 276-676-3768 or the chamber at 276-935-4147.