Historical Note

The Christiansburg Industrial Institute (CII) was founded in 1866 in Cambria (now Christiansburg), Virginia, by Civil War Union Captain Charles S. Shaeffer as a private primary school for black children. Through the support of the Friends Freedmen's Association in Philadelphia (a Quaker organization), Shaeffer received financial backing for the school. In 1896 Booker T. Washington molded the program to one that would emphasize technical training for blacks. A 185-acre farm was purchased as the school's campus in 1905. In 1934 the Montgomery County School Board began its management of the school. CII was converted in 1947 to a regional high school for blacks, and closed in 1966 when the local schools were integrated.

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