With 50 years of storytelling in our pages, we've had the privilege of touching thousands of lives throughout the region. To celebrate our 50th anniversary, we're pleased to offer a free digital download of our very first issue, published September 1974.
You can download our inaugural 1974 issue HERE.
Fred Cramer
"One of the finest photographers in the state, Fred Cramer, captured the symbolic photograph of the new FNEB building for our cover." —Richard Wells, September 1974, on our inaugural issue's cover
“They said it couldn’t be done… and a few times, we thought just maybe they were right. But despite some protracted labor pains, The Roanoker, the magazine of Metro Roanoke, was born… and the future looks bright.
The coincidence of this publication with the major rebirth downtown and across the Valley was no accident. As our cover story points out, Metro Roanoke (including Vinton and Salem) is in the midst of dramatic change … progress. We want to be part of that change.
On a quarterly basis, The Roanoker will focus on life in the beautiful Roanoke Valley, its business and leisure, its people and their lives. One of the finest photographers in the state, Fred Cramer, captured the symbolic photograph of the new FNEB building for our cover.”
Those were the first official words from The Roanoker's publisher and first editor, Richard Wells, as he launched what would become a legacy of local Roanoke business. Fifty years later, we're still celebrating the stories of our citizens, businesses, restaurants and more, and are honored to keep the spirit of local magazine journalism alive and well.
Here's a peek at the Table of Contents in what readers learned in our first issue:
ROANOKE: A NEW ERA IS DAWNING: The Roanoke skyline is changing almost overnight. After countless years, the city has finally made a move. Everywhere there is construction and even bigger projects are still on the drawing boards. Editor Richard Wells examines the renaissance and what lies ahead.
IN QUEST OF THE CONVENTION DOLLAR: The Roanoke Valley, with two civic centers and its built-in natural beauty, is ripe for a major thrust into the booming convention business.
APARTMENT LIVING/ARE YOU GETTING YOUR MONEY’S WORTH? The Roanoker examines four fashionable Southwest apartment communities and finds they are definitely not all alike. We found differences in what your dollar was buying.
FACES OF VIRGINIA/PHOTOGRAPHIC ESSAY: The sensitive lens of Roanoke photographer Fred Cramer captures the serenity and beauty of early morning trout fishing, the nostalgia of the one-pump country stores and the enchantment of a Virginia woods.
FALL IN ROANOKE: A guide to upcoming events this fall in the Roanoke area. Art, music, nightlife and sports.