We the People
Benjamin Duvall-Irwin
Creating Culture in Thomas

Many towns in West Virginia experienced lightning-fast growth as they became a part of a network of railroads. These towns usually had abundant resources like coal or timber that provided jobs for the towns’ residents. Many towns were built by companies– employees of coal companies would live in houses owned by the company they worked for. However, this was not always the case. One town that was built by residents instead of a coal company is Thomas, West Virginia.

Creating Culture in Thomas
Power of Place
Benjamin Duvall-Irwin
Old Growth: Historic Trees of the Appalachian ...

Let’s spend some time thinking about the organisms that have stood tall for well over 250 years. That’s right- we’re talking about trees. There are some trees in our region that have existed for over 250 years or are descendants of trees that play a role in history - from the Pringle Tree in Buckhannon to Cathedral State Park.

Old Growth: Historic Trees of the Appalachian Forest
We the People
Benjamin Duvall-Irwin
Remembering the Rosies: Leona Margie Phares

The Rosie the Riveters of WWII are an inspiration to all generations for their courage and commitment and for blazing the trail that changed the way women were viewed in the workforce. The "Rosie the Riveter" movement is credited with helping push the number of women working up to 20,000,000 in four years. My mother, Leona Phares, was one of these great women who left their homes in the AFNHA region to work in factories in larger cities. 

Remembering the Rosies: Leona Margie Phares
We the People
Benjamin Duvall-Irwin
Katherine Johnson: NASA Mathematician

Down the road from the Green Bank Telescope is the hometown of a person who helped pave the way for space exploration. NASA Mathematician Katherine Johnson was born in White Sulphur Springs in 1918. At Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory, Katherine was invited to work with the space task force and was the only non-white, non-male member of the team who worked to get a man to space.

Katherine Johnson: NASA Mathematician
Power of Place
Benjamin Duvall-Irwin
Winter Traditions in the Appalachian Forest

The dark days of winter are full of traditions spreading cheer and ringing in the new year. Throughout the AFNHA region, many communities come together to celebrate in their own special way. Read more about the unique traditions of Shanghai and Fasnacht.

Winter Traditions in the Appalachian Forest

Pendleton County

Remembering West Virginia's Indigenous History

Remembering West Virginia's Indigenous History

Many contemporary people believe West Virginia was nothing more than a hunting ground for the migratory Native Peoples. People without names, without connection. Yet, in my own survey, I am continuously reminded that West Virginia was home to many Indigenous communities, and these connections were held tight by long-term settlements. We see this by the traces they left behind, such as pottery, copper, shell, luxury items, burial sites, and old-growth trees. Many of the sites that archaeologists research are my direct ancestors, and the ancestors of existing descendant communities throughout the Eastern United States.

 

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