The Shadow
CLIFTON FORGE, Va. (VR) —M. Ray Allen, founder of The Virginia Opry, and Cherie Davis Allen, Miss Virginia 1968, will soon celebrate 25 years of owning the Buckhorne Country Store and Campground near the entrance to Douthat State Park.
The Allens purchased the Buckhorne Country Store and Campground on Nov. 4, 2000, at an auction from Jancie Middleton. Ray was employed as an English teacher at Alleghany High School at the time, and their son, Landon Ray Allen, had just graduated from Virginia Military Institute. As Miss Virginia, Cherie had made appearances at VMI with dignitaries, one being the most decorated U.S. Marine, William Burrell, “Chesty” Puller and another being Hollywood director, John Ford.
Cherie’s father, Walter Davis, Jr. of Clifton Forge, was a U.S. Marine during World War II, and he survived the Battle of Iwo Jima. He returned to Clifton Forge after the war, and he became an engineer with the C& O. Cherie’s mother, Jewell “Judy” Davis worked at the Alleghany Regional Hospital.
Ray and Cherie met in Roanoke during the summer of 1971, after Ray’s Corvette Stingray convertible broke down and was hauled to Berglund Chevrolet for repairs. Ray recalled, “Bergland Chevrolet had no wheel bearings to fit my car, and none were available at parts stores in Roanoke.”
The delay in receiving parts from Louisville where they were shipped by air freight to Roanoke resulted in Ray meeting Cherie who had finished performing as a vocalist with the Freddie Lee Orchestra at Hotel Roanoke.
Ray recalled, “After driving back to Long Beach, California that summer to resume my position at Marina High School as varsity baseball coach and as a physical education instructor, I continued to stay in contact with Cherie by letters and telephone calls.”
Before the end of 1971, Cherie had moved to Long Beach, and she was awarded a scholarship to attend the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera’s Musical Theatre Workshop.
After completing the Workshop, she was hired as an actress/vocalist. Cherie had finished as a Top Ten Finalist in the Miss America Pageant and won her Talent Division as a vocalist.
After touring with the Los Angeles Civic Light Oprea in three productions , “The Sound of Music,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” and “Gigi,” a musical that made it to Broadway; Cherie decided it was time to become a mother. Cherie and Ray were married in Long Beach in 1973, and they began their family when Landon Ray was born in 1977.
Ray recalled, “We were visiting Cherie’s parents during the summer of 1978, and on Landon’s first birthday, I was hired to serve as the varsity basketball coach at Alleghany County High School.”
After Ray and Cherie sold their home in Los Alamitos in 1979, they moved to Alleghany County where they had purchased a home. Ray continued to teach and coach at Alleghany County High School and at Alleghany High School after consolidation took place in 1983 between Alleghany County High School and Clifton Forge High School.
Nearing time for retirement from teaching in 2000, Ray purchased the Buckhorne Country Store and Campground at an auction conducted by Garten’s Greenways Company. He was the only person who offered up a bid.
Ray noted, “After purchasing the Buckhorne that had no restroom facility for its customers, I immediately hired Hammond and Mitchell to build an addition onto the country store, one that included a kitchen, customer seating and restroom as well.”
After that addition was completed, many other improvements were made, including a storage room with a walk-in freezer next to the ice cream parlor, a beauty salon, two additional storage rooms, a portable wood wagon a children’s playhouse adjacent to the store, a stage beside the store, and two dry camping cabins, one that was a prefab hauled in from Christiansburg and another one built from the ground up.
“The campground had no full-hookups when I purchased it, and I have had 10 new RV full-hookup sites constructed while converting all but four of the other RV sites from no sewer to adding sewer service via septic tanks,” Ray added.
Ray continued, “We developed the wooded area for tent camping, and we purchased a tiny home and an RV Sport Tech 2019 model that we rent on a weekly basis.”
The Allens added to their family while living in Alleghany County, Jana Allen Bahrns, Amber Suzanne Dean, and Anmarie Rosalee Herald. All three of the girls were born in the Alleghany Regional Hospital, each one attended Sharon Elementary School and graduated from Alleghany High School. Jana is married to Douglas Bahrns, a Colonel in the U.S. Maine Corps; Amber is married to Dwayne Dean, owner of D.P. Dena Construction, LLD, and Anmarie is employed as an assistant floor manager at Rent-A- Center in Covington.
Ray said, “All four of our children have worked at the Buckhorne, and now Uriah Ray Dean, Amber and Dwayne Dean’s son, who is 15 and a sophomore at Alleghany High School, is employed at our family business.
The Allens have won 22 Golden Scoop Awards, Hershey’s Ice Cream’s Top sales award, and increased the number of flavor offerings from 24 to 36, not including non-dairy and no sugar added flavors. Chocolate has been the best seller throughout the years.
He concluded, “The Buckhorne has hosted visitors from all 50 states and from 15 foreign countries, and we have expanded our campground from five and one-half acres to 17 and one-half acres over the years, all acreage situated between the George Washington National Forest both on the east and west sides.”
