By Marty Gordon
“A brand is more than a logo” is the underlying theme announced this week by Montgomery County officials. “A brand is something that tells a story. It’s something relatable and relevant to the organization,” the county’s Public Information Officer Jennifer Harris said earlier this week.
While the county will continue to use the iconic official seal with a church, a deer, hunting and Virginia Tech, the public will begin to notice a new look for some uses
“Montgomery County, Virginia. has been steadfast and industrious throughout its rich history in agriculture, manufacturing, and technology. There are several narratives that have organically developed to tell Montgomery County’s story,” Harris said. “While these organic narratives are authentic, an internal committee was formed to review them, find common themes and then establish the values, visuals and voice of Montgomery County so as to be effective and consistent and clearly define the county’s identity and its brand.”
Thus, the new brand or logo will include a drawing of a “huckleberry bush leaf with berries.”
“Naming things in honor of the Huckleberry is not new to Montgomery County,” Harris said.
But, in this case, it will become more relevant.
The changes, or rebranding, come after two years of research and discussion. The official launch of the new logo took place late last year, but only recently started appearing in public.
Harris said of course, the Huckleberry connection is nothing new for Montgomery County.
In fact, it began in the early 1900s when railroad tracks were in the works to connect Christiansburg to Blacksburg,” she said.
The area along what is now the Huckleberry Trail was a prime location for the site at which the promised railroad tracks would connect Christiansburg to Blacksburg. At that time, citizens would pick and eat the huckleberries during their visit. In fact, on November 4, 2016, on an Appalachian history blog, Dave Tabler wrote, “These ‘huckleberries’ rapidly gained a wide reputation for the most delicious of pies, cobblers and jams.”
One of the earliest printed mentions of the completed railroad tracks was in May 1904 when a writer for The Virginia Tech publication wrote, “It appears that the ‘Huckleberry System’ will certainly extend their line to Blacksburg.” In the years that followed, it became common to pick and eat the Huckleberries along the railroad tracks between the two towns.
“Armed with this knowledge, the Montgomery County Brand Committee decided to highlight the Huckleberry for the county’s brand,” Harris said.
The new logo is similar to one approved by the town of Christiansburg two years ago and is part of the community’s own rebranding in recognizing the connection to the historic trail.
