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.
The Rosie the Riveters of WWII are an inspiration to all for their courage and commitment and for blazing the trail that changed the way women were viewed in the workforce. Ruth Linger Bell was one of these great women who stayed home to serve the government
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.
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.
First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt was deeply involved in all aspects of the Arthurdale homestead. She watched over the process as the federal government began turning the Arthurdale farm into a community for the long-term unemployed. Mrs. Roosevelt visited Arthurdale in December of 1934 and announced the plans for the homesteaders' first Christmas to the newspapers. Their first Christmas allowed the homesteaders to work together for a joyous occasion.
Situated at the top of the hill in the center of Cumberland, Emmanuel Parish stands for all to see. Visitors are drawn to the church on the hill with the steeple. Once inside, Emmanuel tells the story of our country from its earliest times to today. Situated at the crossroads of Native American trails and natural waterways, Cumberland and Emmanuel were known roads of freedom. It is believed that the original foundations underneath the church were used as a stop on the Underground Railroad.
Laura Jackson Arnold was the younger sister of Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, famed Confederate general, who forged her own path to support the Union in the divided community of Beverly, western Virginia. During the Civil War she served a nurse to help soldiers on both sides, and she later became active in veterans’ organizations and was celebrated as “Mother of the Regiment.”
Situated at the top of the hill in the center of Cumberland, Emmanuel Parish stands for all to see. Visitors are drawn to the church on the hill with the steeple. Once inside, Emmanuel tells the story of our country from its earliest times to today. Situated at the crossroads of Native American trails and natural waterways, Cumberland and Emmanuel were known roads of freedom. It is believed that the original foundations underneath the church were used as a stop on the Underground Railroad.
Following the Battle of Blair Mountain, a U.S. Army Air Service Martin NBS-MB-1*—Bomber No. 5—crashed near Drennen, Nicholas County, West Virginia. Its role in suppression of the largest armed uprising since the Civil War was thereby etched into the hills of West Virginia and into the labor history of our Nation.
J.R. Clifford was a lawyer, teacher, newspaper editor, and soldier. He was the first black lawyer to practice law before the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals. In the case Carrie Williams v. The Board of Education Fairfax District, he successfully argued that "discrimination against people because of color alone as to privileges, immunities and equal protection of the law is unconstitutional" more than 50 years before Brown v. Board of Education.
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.
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.
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.
Sustainable forestry has been on people’s minds for over one hundred years. Started in 1906, the experimental Rothkugel Plantation is the first example of applied sustained forestry practices in the West Virginia lumber industry.