Tag: Founders

Happy 130th! And A Voice From the Past

President 1 Hutchinson, Bennett

Bennett W. Hutchinson was the president when the doors to the West Virginia Conference Seminary opened on September 3, 1890. At that time he was only 31 years old, but he rose to the task of getting the building finished and furnished, a faculty hired, and all of the things that must be done at such a time. He also taught Psychology, Ethics, and Greek! His wife, Ruth, was the Principal of the Music Department.

When he was asked to speak at the college on October 17, 1941 about the early days of the college, he was unable to make the trip due to poor health. So, at the age of 82, he sent a recorded message (attended virtually). This message was recorded on September 3, 1941, 51 years to the day since the college opened its doors to students.

Click here to listen to him tell you about it in his own words and voice.

During the recording (8:46) you can hear him tell in his own voice about those early days. He describes the Seminary Building and campus, he remembers the great need for building a dormitory for women. He also talks abut those early founders and faculty, and reflects on the great success of the students and alumni through the years “scattered from the Atlantic to the Pacific are making good in various walks of life.”

He died shortly thereafter, on November 29, 1941 and his friend Wallace B. Fleming wrote this obituary:

 

Prelude to 1890

Getting ready for the 130th Anniversary of WVWC – which first opened September 3, 1890. Here is a bit of background information! More to come as the week progresses.

Prelude to 1890: What happened in Buckhannon BEFORE WVWC was founded?

Who was involved?  Why was it founded in the first place?

 

Our perspective of time and place is important to the study of history.

For example, here is what it looked like in Buckhannon in 1900.  Ten years AFTER the college was founded!

The campus has changed a bit!  But, you can see some familiar street names to give you some context.

You may not recognize some of the buildings that are in this picture.

And, you will realize that there are a lot of our current buildings missing from the picture!

When you think of WVWC History, you are likely thinking of YOUR history (band, choir, fraternity, sorority, team, professors, classmates: People and experiences).

I am thinking of MY experience:

  • My history goes  back several generations. My Grandfather -Class of 1941, My dad – Class of 1957, My Mom – Class of 1968 and many others.
  • Each generation experienced the school in different times and in different ways, but the core of the place has not changed throughout the years. For example, when my grandfather was here, there were only 5 buildings! When my father graduated, none of the buildings on the Chapel Oval side of campus existed…including the chapel!
  • We each think of the professors that have had an impact on our lives.
  • I think of the time I first met my husband in the cafeteria in McCuskey (where the Art Department lives now). 

The photograph on the right shows my family members who have graduated from WVWC (all except Grandpa Russell and the daughter of the two seen graduating here – who has her Masters in Education.

So, depending on your perspective, your initial impression of WVWC History may be different from mine and from what your classmates assume it is all about.

But, from the very beginning, there are some things we all share whether we know it or not!  Let’s explore them together. 

  • The nature of the place has not really changed throughout all of the changes.
    • Beautiful campus and buildings
    • Spirit of service and community engagement
    • Caring and nurturing faculty and staff

This is a souvenir postcard from 1901.

On the top left corner, you will see Ladies Hall – or, as we now call it Agnes Howard Hall.

On the right, is the Seminary Building. What? This is a building that many do not know about but is a huge part of our history. For the first 15 years, this was the major building on campus. Everything was here — classrooms, offices, 2 chapels, rooms for the literary societies, and even a gym. It burned in February 1905.

On the bottom left you can see the President’s House. This was on our campus from 1892-1952.It was built by President Hutchinson (the first president) with his own funds. He made an agreement with the Trustees that they would buy it from him when the time came that he would be leaving. And they did! If you come out the door of our present-day library and go straight down the sidewalk toward College Avenue, you would have come to this house. It would be on your right and across the street from what is now the Upshur Parish House.

The bottom right is a picture of the Pringle Tree. There is more about this later in this lesson, but I think it is interesting that the person who created this postcard thought it was important to include this tree. It shows that the college and the community have always had a strong relationship.

Here is a better photograph of the Seminary Building. This is one of my favorites because of the people.

I love the parasols, the people leaning out of the windows, and especially the guy on the right who will be forever late…

We tend not to think of these as having been real people.

They were here. They had dreams and worked hard. They had problems from time to time. They greeted each other on campus and in the halls as we do today.

But, let’s take a giant step back and see how they (and we) got here.

How did we get here? 

We did not get here by accident or by magic.  

We were created. By people who had dreams.

We were created through a lot of hard work and effort.

Who were these Dreamers, and why did they create us?

How and why were they here?

In the late 1700s, there were three types of people who came over the mountains to explore and settle the area that we now know as West Virginia.

  • Adventurous Settlers – Exploration, Indian Fighting, Hunting and Fishing, pioneers. Other schools have embraced the terms Mountaineer and Pioneer, but they apply to us as well.
  • Social Minded Settlers – Wanted to make a better life. Many were immigrants. They were also seeking to escape the overpopulation and lack of employment in the seaboard colonies.
  • Religious Settlers – (to quote Thomas W. Haught)…….”These were the men whose souls were on fire with a holy zeal for the spiritual well-being of all those living in the scattered pioneer settlements of the new land”.  Education was a key part of that work. Click on the Circuit Rider to see a brief video.

In other words, the third group wanted to save the souls of the other two groups! And they wanted to educate them. This is very important to our story.

Life on the frontier was not easy.

To compound the difficulties posed by rugged terrain, harsh weather, and primitive living conditions, and wild animals, there were wars to deal with!

French & Indian War 1754-1763

This is a war that was monumental in the history of our area, but one that does not get as much coverage in many history classes for some reason. At least it didn’t in classes I was in. (My perspective)

The very basics: 

  • The French had established settlements, missions, and trade with the Native Americans around the great lakes region.
  • By the 1740s, The English settlers were coming across the Allegheny and Appalachian Mountains and began competing with the French.
  • Some Indians chose to side with the English before realizing that the English wanted to take their lands rather than to establish trade.
  • In other words, The British and the French were fighting, the Native Americans were fighting with and for both sides, and life was hard.
  •  William Pitt became Prime Minister of England and had a more aggressive approach
  • The Pringle Brothers (John and Samuel) were not fans of the military life, and deserted from Fort Pitt in 1761
  • Eventually, they came to the area which is now Upshur County and lived in a hollow tree near Buckhannon from 1764-1767 
  • 1768 Went for Supplies
  • 1769 Came Back with Settlers
  • You can read more about them here (Pringle Brothers & the Sycamore Tree).

The Settlers were in conflict with the Natives of the area…

This was not surprising, considering that the natives had considered this their hunting grounds for many many years. Even after the war was over, the fighting was not. 

Revolutionary War – Joined the cause of freedom

Many of the settlers were soldiers during the Revolutionary War. After all, remember that these were independent people who valued their freedom! This one you have likely read more about!

10 years AFTER the Revolutionary War began, the Methodists dedicated Rehoboth Church, in Monroe County. It is claimed to be the oldest church building west of the Allegheny Mountains.

Francis Asbury was still actively preaching and organizing churches in the area.

With all of the wars, primitive settlements, threats from Indians, and economic woes, the role of churches and preachers in the development of the area is sometimes not as widely emphasized, but is a major factor in all of it.

Rifles as well as Bibles were carried by the worshipers. (Still much danger from Indians)

It is still there! And is on the National Register of Historic Places.

In other words, an Independent Sort of People came here, settled here, lived here.  They still do. This is still a good description of our character.

The area west of the Alleghenies was settled by people who valued adventure and freedom. 

Development was slow to come in the early days, and there was also conflict with the people on the other side of the mountains – in “The Other” Virginia.

We valued independence and freedom.

Slavery? Not so much. But there was certainly not agreement on all things among those West of the Alleghenies…loyalties were often divided, even within families.

One of the founders of this college was a member of the Virginia Legislature and voted for the Order of Secession from the Union! He even fought for the Confederacy.

Three of our other founders were in the Union Army. Two as soldiers, and one a Chaplain.

When you consider that only 28 years before the doors opened to students (September 3, 1890) Buckhannon was the site of Jenkins Raid (August 30, 1862) where 20 prisoners were taken by the Confederate troops commanded by General Albert Jenkins. During that raid 5,000 small arms were confiscated along with ordnance, stores, and clothing. ( e-WV article on Jenkins Raid)

As polarized as our society is right now, it seems amazing that these people were able to find some common ground around such an important issue as education, and to do all of the hard work that was necessary to fulfill that dream.

Even beyond the Jenkins Raid, Buckhannon was right in the middle of the conflict. 

  • The first land battle was fought in Philippi – only about 20 miles away
  • McClellan’s army camped here on their way to the Battle of Rich Mountain
  • We have streets named Sedgewick and Meade……..two of Lincoln’s generals
  • Presbyterians had tried to build a school here before the war, and even had lumber and materials on the site. McClellan’s army took them. Now the Presbyterian school is  in Elkins….(Davis and Elkins College, which first opened for classes on September 21, 1904).
  • Upshur County soldiers fought on both sides of the Civil War.

So, the area was founded by independent people, and conflict was all around.

These are important things to remember as we shift to the topic of Education.

West Virginia had few schools, and few opportunities for formal education beyond the basics

Students had to go to PA or OH for those opportunities to places like Allegheny College, Ohio Wesleyan University, etc. The 1840 Census indicated that 28,924 white persons over the age of 20 could neither read nor write.( e-WV article on Education)

Terminology: 

  • Academy – An academy was often for boys only, and quite often military in nature
  • Normal School – mainly for teacher preparation, and generally offered a two-year course beyond secondary level. The first of the public normal schools in the United States was founded in 1839, in Lexington MA, so the concept had been around some 50 years by the time of our founding.
  • Seminary – The term Seminary meant something very different than the way we use it today.  Although many students from here did eventually go into the ministry – this was NOT a seminary as they exist today, dedicated solely for religious studies. Rather, it was an educational institution which offered educational opportunities for women as well as for men From the very beginning, the founders were adamant about two things:
    • This was not to be a sectarian school (all would be welcome). Although there was a great emphasis on spiritual growth as well as educational growth, that was to be expected!
    • Women and men would be part of it. That included faculty as well as students. In the late 1800s, this was fairly radical.

This timeline shows that many schools were being founded in Western Virginia (West Virginia after 1863) during this period of time.

Education was highly valued.

  • The earliest ones were Academies and Military Institutes.
  • By 1858, there was finally a Female Seminary founded in Morgantown.
  • Education for black children was also being addressed.
  • The first Free Public School was not until 1865.

Some of these things make a bit more sense if you remember that the Civil War was raging from 1861-1865. (Perspective of Time)

Many schools were being founded by church denominations as well as schools to train teachers:

  • Alderson Broaddus – 1871 in Winchester, VA —1876 moved to Clarksburg — to Philippi in 1901 — Baptists
  • Glenville – 1872 – State school. Teacher’s college
  • Salem – 1888 – Seventh Day Adventists
  • West Virginia Conference Seminary – 1890 — Methodist
  • Davis and Elkins – 1904 — Presbyterian

Back to the Methodists……..those Circuit Riders

The Methodists had also experienced some internal conflict! 

The Methodist Episcopal Church was founded on Christmas Eve 1784 at the Lovely Lane Church. Before that time, there were various Methodist Societies that generally met in homes for prayer and worship. http://lovelylane.net/home/history/

Methodist Protestant Church

Formed in 1830 as the result of a difference on several issues by a sizable group in The Methodist Episcopal Church. The key issues at dispute were the role of bishops, the desire to elect the presiding elders (district superintendents), and the desire to have lay persons represented in the voting membership of the Annual Conference. The new denomination soon established its constitution and discipline and held its first General Conference in 1834.  (http://www.umc.org/what-we-believe/glossary-methodist-protestant-church-the)

The Methodist Protestant Church also backed a school which we recognize. Morris Harvey (now University of Charleston). 

Methodist Episcopal Church South

“Formed as a result of the separation from The Methodist Episcopal Church. Reflecting the debate in that nation over slavery, pastors and members of The Methodist Episcopal Church found themselves embroiled in a strong controversy. At the General Conference of 1844, a Plan of Separation was voted on which would have facilitated an orderly division of the denomination over a period of time, largely along regional or geographic lines. However, the leaders of the southern group immediately set out to establish a separate church. This was done in the first General Conference of 1846 of The Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Though weakened through the period of the Civil War, the new church grew and became a dominant religious force in the southern portion of the nation. In 1939 The Methodist Episcopal Church, South reunited with The Methodist Episcopal Church and The Methodist Protestant Church to form The Methodist Church.” (http://www.umc.org/what-we-believe/glossary-methodist-episcopal-church-south-the)

1939 – Uniting Conference in Kansas City, MO – April 26-May 10

Reunited: Methodist Episcopal Church North, Methodist Episcopal Church South, and Methodist Protestant Church to become The Methodist Church

Bringing all of the branches together again after all of the years of Civil War, reconstruction, the Great Depression, and World War I was a monumental step. One of the outcomes was that there are now often two Methodist Churches in the same town – sometimes next door to one another. In addition, West Virginia Wesleyan College was chosen by the West Virginia Annual Conference as the Conference College – over Morris Harvey.

1968- Uniting Conference in Dallas, TX – April 21-May 4

United the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church to become the United Methodist Church

This occurred in 1968 – one of the most divisive years in the history of the United States. It was weeks after Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. The issue of the Vietnam War was dividing people across the country. And, in the midst of all that division, the church came together as one.

All along the way there was a great value put on Social Justice and Equality

Interesting times, though…the United Methodists are once again in conflict.

Before the COVID-19 Pandemic, the General Conference was scheduled to meet in May. At this conference, the issue of the role of gay clergy is one that is tearing the organization apart. That, and the fact that being a worldwide church, means that perspectives from many cultures are clashing when trying to address social issues. General Conference will now be held next year, and could result in far-reaching changes.

Prelude to 1890

The school did not just appear………

It took a lot of meetings, travel, reports, WORK – and of course money.

If you recall from the last slide, the Methodist Episcopal Church was founded in 1784 – and by 1884 there were Centennial Celebrations being planned. You may recall that concern over education had been present for many decades before that as well.

The report of the members of the Committee Centennial Celebration stated:

“That the erection and endowment of an institution of learning of high grade for both sexes be one of the principal objects of the thank offerings of our people of this Conference. The location of said institution to be fixed by the Conference at a future session. “ (Annual Conference, 1884; Haught, p.155)

Thus began a whole set of meetings and fund raising. All of them done without the modern conveniences such as telephones or even roads! 

Many of the men who served on the Committee on Centennial Celebration and the resulting Board of Trustees of the Centennial Fund eventually also served on The Board of Trustees of the West Virginia Conference Seminary. 

  • All of this just years after the Civil War, and during the Reconstruction Period.
  • And, all of this while still divided M.E. North, M.E. South, and Methodist Protestant. 

Methodists Valued Education and Social Justice — Then and Now

Clergy were involved

Lay People (church people who are not ministers) were also involved – and these same people,  who were so highly involved in church leadership, were also highly involved in the formation of the WV state government

  • Several were present at the Wheeling Conventions, and in the creation of the State of West Virginia
  • Several were on the committee to draft the state constitution

Fundraising was done all across the state in large and small churches in order to provide funds for building, staffing, and operating the school 

Today the West Virginia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church is still the body which elects the Board of Trustees for West Virginia Wesleyan College.

But in 1890, a mere 25 years after the Civil War ended, and after countless meetings, fund raising, and planning, the West Virginia Conference dream of a school finally came to pass.

Trustees included both clergy and lay members, elected by the Annual Conference.

The Lay Members of the Board of Trustees in 1890 included:

John Cambridge Bardall

  • Trustee from 1887-1915
  • He lived in Moundsville, WV and was a manufacturer of leather goods and brooms.
  • He ran one of the largest broom countries in the country at the time.

John Adams Barnes

  • Trustee from 1885-1930, and Secretary of the Board from 1894-1921
  • He lived in Weston, WV, and served on the site location committee
  • Mr. Barnes was the Director of Citizen’s Bank of Weston

Benjamin Franklin Martin

  • Trustee in 1890-1894, and Treasurer of the Board 
  • Mr. Martin was one of the framers of the West Virginia Constitution
  • He was a delegate to the General Conference in 1876
  • And, he served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1877-1881

Samuel P. McCormick

  • Trustee from 1887-1889 (he died before the school officially opened)
  • He had served in the Army of the Potomac
  • After the war, he was a lawyer and prosecuting attorney
  • In 1880, he was a delegate to the Republican National Convention

Henry C. McWhorter

  • Trustee from 1885-1916, President of the Board from 1898-1913
  • He was a Judge, and lived in Charleston, WV

Alex M. Poundstone

  • Trustee from 1885-1919
  • He served as a Captain in the Federal Army
  • A lawyer in Buckhannon, WV
  • West Virginia Legislature 1872-1879
  • Prosecuting Attorney in Upshur County 1886-1900

William Alexander Wilson

  • Trustee 1890
  • Lived in Wheeling, WV
  • Manufacturing and Businessman

Samuel Woods

  • Trustee 1887-1897, Chairman of the Board 1887-1897
  • Was a member of the Virginia Legislature when they voted to secede from the Union
  • He voted for secession, and fought with Stonewall Jackson’s unit
  • However, after the war, he came back to Barbour County and resumed his Law Practice
  • He was a Framer of the West Virginia Constitution in 1871

The Clergy members of the Board were also an interesting group.

They were not only ordained ministers, but leaders in education and community alike.

H.J. Boatman ( I still have more research to do on this one!)

J.A. Fullerton

  • Trustee 1885-1898
  • Was born in Belfast, Ireland in 1850
  • Edited the Methodist Episcopal Times

L.H. Jordan

  • Trustee 1885-1899

A.J. Lyda

  • Trustee 1884-1897; President of the Board 1884-1887
  • Charter Member of the West Virginia Conference
  • Chaplain in the Third Virginia Volunteers; U.S. Army

E.H. Orwen

  • Trustee 1885-1891; Secretary of the Board 1890

J.W. Reger

  • Trustee 1886-1893
  • Circuit Riding Preacher
  • Chaplain of the 7th West Virginia Infantry

A.B. Rohrbough

  • Trustee 1886-1896
  • Preacher, Teacher, and Newspaperman
  • Superintendent of Public Schools in Buckhannon for two years in the 1870s

L.L. Stewart

  • Trustee 1884-1894
  • Elected to General Conference 1892
  • General Missionary Committee 1891-1892

W.R. White

  • Trustee 1886-1894
  • First State Superintendent of Free Schools

To review:

Those 60 Acres More Or Less

Those “sixty acres, more or less”

So said Dr. Kenneth Plummer in his book, A History of West Virginia Wesleyan College 1890-1965.   The founders of the college had some questions to answer and one of those was where to locate the school.  So, what did Dr. Plummer mean by “sixty acres”? And what was the land like before the college was built?

It starts with one of the pioneer families of Buckhannon, the Carpers. 

The Family

Abraham Carper (Kerber), born in Reading, PA in 1763, was the son of a German immigrant. Arriving in the area about 1800, he built the earliest known dwelling within what is now the city limits of Buckhannon, well before the town was surveyed and platted in 1815. He settled on the very land behind where the L. L. Loar and Family Memorial Music Building and the Paul G. Benedum Halls are located, building a log house for his growing family.  The property was described as a thick forest and he would have to clear the woods to build on it.

Much of what is known about this family comes from The History of Upshur County, West Virginia; This book was written by W. B. Cutright in 1907, but the photo on the title page is actually the Honorable William Currence Carper, Daniel’s older brother, who was a lawyer, state senator, and judge. This is an indication of the great esteem in which the family was held.

Church Ties

The family was very religious, and built an early Methodist meeting place on the corner of College Avenue and Kanawha Street.  An illustration survives for us today. It was called the Carper Church since the family constructed and maintained it. In 1834, Abraham Carper sold this property to the Methodists, signing over the deed to the trustees of what is now First United Methodist Church (George Carper, John Dean, Isaac Dix, Henry Reger, Philip Reger, Benjamin Rohrbough, and John W. Westfall).

The Land

Passed down from Abraham to his son, a portion of the land was eventually sold by Daniel and his wife to another influential man in the region, Levi Leonard, and his wife Elizabeth.  Below is part of the deed signed over to them by Daniel and Sarah in 1865.

Methodists Seek A Location For A School

As early as 1874, the Methodists in West Virginia were feeling the necessity of building a school in West Virginia. At their meeting in 1874, the report of the Committee on Education indicated that there were many reasons for this. They did what many groups do, they formed a committee to “receive, consider, and if the way be entirely clear, act on a proposition or propositions such as above suggested, and report to this Conference at its next session”. You can read their full report here. There was much discussion, progress, frustration, and there were many meetings and reports for well over a decade. You can follow along with some of this by reading the reports from 1875, 1877, 1878, 1879, and 1880. The meeting in 1886 was held in Morgantown, and the report stated that:

Your committee deem it imperative on them to place prominently before you the subject of a Conference Seminary. For Years the Committee on Education has kept this enterprise in view, but all action hitherto has been tentative. The time has come when this Conference ought to take definitive steps toward this work.

By 1887, the committee had become a Board of Trustees, and work began in earnest. First of all, a site for the school must be chosen. Although many other locations were considered, Buckhannon was the choice for locating the school. The trustees took out an option to purchase 60 acres from Daniel Carper and his son, Wilbur Fisk, on July 15, 1887. After much discussion, the trustees decided not to purchase this land after all, and let the option expire on August 1, 1887 because they would have had to build a bridge across the Buckhannon River. This added too much expense.

Instead, they accepted an offer from Levi Leonard to purchase 43 acres for the price of $5,551.86. The required $300 down payment was assumed by trustee J.W. Reger, and there was a resolution included “to pay to Wilbur F. Carper any moneys he has heretofore paid out in having his option of land surveyed and platted.”

Thus the Seminary was born.  But the twist: Daniel Carper had sold this property as part of three parcels of land to Levi and Elizabeth Leonard.  So ultimately, the Carpers saw their land used after all as the place where the college grew and became “our home among the hills.”

But What About The Carpers?

The Carper family did not all stay in the area. They began moving out to other towns in other states and many did not see the school grow from a small Seminary to a full accredited college called West Virginia Wesleyan.  One notable exception to this is Daniel’s granddaughter, Grace Tamblyn.

A 1913 graduate of West Virginia Wesleyan, Grace was active in many organizations. Her obituary in the Sundial News (March 1980) tells much about her story – before, during, and after her days at the college – as well as the connection between the family, the church, the community, and the college.

“Memorial services were held Feb. 5, 1980 in First United Methodist Church in Buckhannon for Mrs. Grace Tamblyn Cox, 90, who died January 28, 1980 in The Hermitage, Alexandria, VA where she had been a resident for several years. The Rev. Mr. Harry P. Light (1952) officiated. The widow of Dr. Oliver C. Cox, a Washington, D.C. surgeon who preceded her in death in 1968, Mrs. Cox was a member of a pioneer Upshur County family. Her father, the Rev. Mr. Silas D. Tamblyn was a Methodist minister in Buckhannon, and her family has long been associated with the local church, Wesleyan College, and the Buckhannon community. She graduated with a bachelor of literature degree in music magna cum laude. She is survived by a niece, Mrs. June Tamblyn Leskuski (1943) of St. Petersburg, Fla., a nephew, and two grand nephews”.

It is a shame that there is no plaque or monument to any of the Carpers.  They had helped found the town of Buckhannon, and their property ended up being the beautiful campus that we love. 

The history of the town, and the people who founded it, is tied into the history of Wesleyan.  Buckhannon’s townspeople have been active participants in helping to make the dreams of a quality education for the young people of the area (such as Grace Tamblyn) to come true. Likewise, the college is active in civic life and provides enriching opportunities to all who live in the town, and maintains a strong relationship with the people.  

The Carpers could be thanked for offering to sell us this land, as the Leonards could be, but they are not around.  The graves of some of them are in the Heavener Cemetery east of town, having been moved there from the simple family cemetery that exists on South Florida Street. Yet, the fenced in area is still there, and ironically it is owned and maintained by the college.  Perhaps that is our final thank you to the family that played a role in our being located on this land.

Still, some memory of them lingers on. Maybe the next time you are walking near the L. L. Loar and Family Music Hall or Paul G. Benedum Hall, you might give them a nod. 

Written by Guest Blogger Jim Watson (1979)

Edited by Paula McGrew (1978)

Special thanks to Amy Tenney and the Upshur County Historical Society.  Their help was crucial in finding the details and in helping Jim satisfy his insatiable curiosity through many hours of searching through records at the Upshur County Courthouse.

We Are Who We Have Been Becoming

I spent this past weekend surrounded by people with shared stories.

These were people from many states and many ages.

Most of them I had never met before, but we had a lot of shared history.

No, it was not WVWC Homecoming!

It was the 38th Annual Gathering of the Hacker’s Creek Pioneer Descendants.

I have often heard people say that this area is different from other places and that WVWC is different from other schools, but that they can’t quite put their finger on why that is. Why do West Virginians stay connected even when they have moved far away – sometimes being drawn back to find their roots more than three generations later?

It may have something to do with explorers, pioneers, and settlers.

The characteristics and values of the people who came and endured hardships while building a region and state are still to be found here today:

  • Independence
  • Courage
  • Creativity
  • Curiosity
  • Someone who is an initiator
  • Someone who is a groundbreaker
  • Someone who sees potential and possibilities all around them
  • Someone who pushes boundaries, advances a cause, or breaks records
  • Someone who is dedicated and does not give up easily

Same Stories and Different Focus

As I read about WVWC, I find things about the Hacker’s Creek Pioneer Descendants, about the history of the region, about the state of West Virginia, and about my family roots. It is all connected, and overlaps in strong ways.

On any given day, I am finding that these four areas of interest overlap and come into focus in different ways depending on my project.

Family : those ancestors whose DNA is literally part of me, the stories of their lives, the connections they had to others, their interests, skills, and passions make me who I am today.

Region: the beauty of the area, the rich natural resources, the rugged terrain, the events that happened here, the people who made them happen. This area in North Central West Virginia which was hard to find and settle, that which is not near the border of another state, that which has so much to offer in what may seem to the uninitiated as being literally in the middle of nowhere. This also includes the religious and educational history of the area, and in my particular case the history of the Methodist Church. Circuit riders and preachers run in my family. As far back as seven generations, there have been church leaders lurking in the family tree.

State of WV: the same as region, but including all areas of West Virginia including those along the Ohio River, bordering Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and Kentucky.  The exploration,  pioneer adventures, and settling of the only state to be born of the American Civil War. Even today, northern states consider WV to be a southern state while southern states consider WV to be northern.  During the early years, WV was the Western Frontier. Now it is neither east nor west. We are a unique place whose people still can be characterized as independent. In fact, quite a few of those early qualities seem pretty familiar today as I look around the city, state, Methodist Conference, and West Virginia Wesleyan College.

WVWC: Founded in 1890, only 25 years after the state of West Virginia, WVWC was the culmination of a great deal of work by the Methodists in the area. In fact, without those people dreaming us into existence, we would not be here today. Our first trustees incuded both Union and Confederate soldiers and chaplains. Some were active in the act of secession. Some of them attended the first and second Wheeling Conventions in 1861 to determine the name of the state, the position on slavery, and to created the laws. The history of the state and the region can not be separated from the founding of WVWC.

Connections and overlapping stories. People who feature prominently in all of these categories. History is not about lists of names and dates — it is about the stories. And these are what set us apart.

Hacker’s Creek Pioneer Descendants (HCPD)

John Hacker was the first permanent European settler in what is now Lewis County, WV.  Following the Pringle Brothers, who remained in present-day Upshur County with the Jacksons and the Sleeths, he moved a bit further to the west. HCPD founder Joy Gilchrist (now DeFazio) wrote a book about these explorers and pioneers called, They Started it All. An excerpt about this group can be found here.   Joy is one of the Founders of HCPD in 1982, and has been a tireless worker, cheerleader, storyteller, and tour guide.

The HCPD was formed in 1982, and moved locations several times until finding their permanent home in the old Hornor School in 1998. It is a busy place!  On any given day you will find people asking questions, poring over volumes, finding some great information about someone who up until that time was just a name on a page. It gives an opportunity to discover what life was like in former times. The perspective of time gives us an opportunity to see both the good and bad parts of society that make up our own histories. (Pretty sure that I would have a hard time surviving in the late 1700s!!)

Pioneering still, this group of descendants gathers annually to study and research, to tell stories, to share pictures, and to delight in the company of others who understand the value of knowing their history. This year there were more than 50 persons gathered. Many were from West Virginia towns large and small from all over the state. There were people from California, Montana, Georgia, Virginia, Indiana, and Ohio. They gathered in the library in Hornor where there are more than 15,000 books, periodicals, obituaries, cataloged photographs, manuscripts, maps, drawings, yearbooks and memorabilia. And, they ate – this group knows how to cook! On Friday evening there was a slide show which included photographs of people no longer living, but who had been active in HCPD during their lifetimes. The stories multiplied!!

A National Endowment for the Humanities blog post, February 6, 2017, gives the background of this organization. The article is titled 50 States of Preservation: Hacker’s Creek Pioneer Descendants in Hornor, WV.

There is a lot of material! There is a lot of work to be done in processing even more collections. The beauty of it is that the 350 members from around the world are connecting and sharing and finding that their history matters a great deal. They also stay in contact  with those far away through their website and Facebook page.

History is Relevant.

History Relevance

Starting as a series of conversations in 2012 about why

“children are not expected to learn it in schools, community leaders rarely look to it to inform today’s decisions, and national leaders select and distort facts to support their positions. Sure, some people visit historic sites and history museums; and many more watch history-based movies. For them, engagement in history seems to be an occasional pleasant pastime, not something especially relevant to their lives”.

The History Relevance Website was born.

History is Relevant

To Ourselves.
  • Identity: History nurtures personal and collective identity in a diverse world. People discover their place in time through stories of their families, communities, and nation. These stories of freedom and equality, injustice and struggle, loss and achievement, and courage and triumph shape people’s personal values that guide them through life.
  • Critical Thinking: History teaches vital skills. Historical thinking requires critical approaches to evidence and argument and develops contextual understanding and historical perspective, encouraging meaningful engagement with concepts like continuity, change, and causation, and the ability to interpret and communicate complex ideas clearly and coherently.
To Our Communities
  • Vibrant Communities: History is the foundation for strong, vibrant communities. A place becomes a community when wrapped in human memory as told through family stories, tribal traditions, and civic commemorations as well as discussions about our roles and responsibilities to each other and the places we call home.
  •  Economic Development: History is a catalyst for economic growth. Communities with cultural heritage institutions and a strong sense of historical character attract talent, increase tourism revenues, enhance business development, and fortify local economies.
To Our Future
  • Engaged Citizens: History helps people envision a better future. Democracy thrives when individuals convene to express opinions, listen to others, and take action. Weaving history into discussions about contemporary issues clarifies differing perspectives and misperceptions, reveals complexities, grounds competing views in evidence, and introduces new ideas; all can lead to greater understanding and viable community solutions.
  • Inspires Leaders: History inspires leaders. History provides today’s leaders with role models as they navigate through the complexities of modern life. The stories of persons from the past can offer direction to contemporary leaders and help clarify their values and ideals.
  • Legacy:  History, saved and preserved, is the foundation for future generations. Historical knowledge is crucial to protecting democracy. By preserving authentic and meaningful documents, artifacts, images, stories, and places, future generations have a foundation on which to build and know what it means to be a member of the civic community.

We Are Who We Have Been Becoming

To find the explorers, pioneers, settlers, and others who have come before us, we need to gather in groups like I experienced this weekend.

We need to read and listen and be inspired.

We need to know where we have been to know who we are. Why do people think that our state, region, campus have something special? Because we are who we have been becoming.

We need to know who we are to know where we are going.

We need to know it ourselves, and to teach it to future generations.

If you would like to read more about these people, you can start with these great books which have been written by those who realized the importance of history and some pioneer has placed on the internet for you.  If you would like to find more, there are some on the DreamersAndGiants.com website under Sources.

American Historical Society (1923). History of West Virginia Old and New, Volume 3 (West Virginia Biography) [electronic]. Retrieved from Internet Archive. Chicago and New York.

Atkinson, G.W. & Gibbens, A.F. (1890). Prominent men of West Virginia: biographical sketches, the growth and advancement of the state,a compendium of returns of every election, a record of every state officer[electronic]. Retrieved from Internet Archive. Wheeling: W.L. Callin.

Atkinson, G.W. (1901). Public addresses, etc., of Geo. W. Atkinson, governor of West Virginia, during his term of office [electronic]. Retrieved from Internet Archive. Charleston: The Public Printer.

Atkinson, G.W. (1919) Bench and bar of West Virginia [electronic]. Retrieved from Internet Archive. Print copy available in Annie Merner Pfeiffer Library: WV 340.092 At54b

Bruce, T. (1894) Heritage of the trans-Alleghany pioneers, or, resources of Central West Virginia. Baltimore, Maryland: Nichols, Killam and Maffitt.

Thank You Note to the Founders

Dear Pioneers,

Your bravery in coming across the Allegheny Mounains in the 1700s is hard for us to comprehend. We understand from reading our history that you were adventurous, social minded and religious. Many of you were immigrants. The religious among you included our Methodist Founders.

THree Kinds of Settlers

Dear Founders,

Thank you for having the vision, courage and determination to create a college. For having a dream which has turned into our present reality. You were determined and creative and generous. It was not an easy task!

Some of you fought or were chaplains in the Union Army, and one of you was a member of the Virginia Legislature and voted to secede from the Union – and fought with Stonewall Jackson’s troops throughout the war. And yet, in the aftermath of that war you were able to join together in this common cause.

You were business leaders, judges, lawyers, pastors, and legislators who helped to create the new state of West Virginia. In 1890, there were sixeen of you – half of you were Methodist Clergy and half Methodist Laymen, and you were all leaders in the Methodist Conference.

The Lay Members of the Board of Trustees in 1890 included:

John Cambridge Bardall

  • Trustee from 1887-1915
  • He lived in Moundsville, WV and was a manufacturer of leather goods and brooms.
  • He ran one of the largest broom companies in the country at the time.

John Adams Barnes

  • Trustee from 1885-1930, and Secretary of the Board from1894-1921
  • He lived in Weston, WV, and served on the site location committee
  • Mr. Barnes was the Director of Citizen’s Bank of Weston

Benjamin Franklin Martin

  • Trustee in 1890-1894, and Treasurer of the Board
  • Mr. Martin was one of the framers of the West Virginia Constitution
  • He was a delegate to the General Conference in 1876
  • And, he served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1877-1881

Samuel P. McCormick

  • Trustee from1887-1889 (he died before the school officially opened)
  • He had served in the Army of the Potomac
  • After the war, he was a lawyer and prosecuting attorney
  • In 1880, he was a delegate to the Republican National Convention

Henry C. McWhorter

  • Trustee from 1885-1916, President of the Board from 1898-1913
  • He was a Judge, and lived in Charleston, WV

Alex M. Poundstone

  • Trustee from 1885-1919
  • He served as a Captain in the Federal Army
  • A lawyer in Buckhannon, WV
  • West Virginia Legislature 1872-1879
  • Prosecuting Attorney in Upshur County 1886-1900

William Alexander Wilson

  • Trustee 1890
  • Lived in Wheeling, WV
  • Manufacturing and Businessman

Samuel Woods

  • Trustee 1887-1897, Chairman of the Board 1887-1897
  • Was a member of the Virginia Legislature when they voted to secede from the Union
  • He voted for secession, and fought with Stonewall Jackson’s unit
  • However, after the war, he came back to Barbour County and resumed his Law Practice
  • He was a Framer of the West Virginia Constitution in 1871

The Clergy Members of the Board of Trustees in 1890 included:

Here is an account of the founding of the college in 1890 by one of those who was a participant and leader throughout that process. Captain A.M. Poundstone wrote this account for publication in the 1914 Murmurmontis, some 24 years later.

Ever since that time, there have been leaders carrying on the work of the school and helping the school to grow into what you had envisioned – or maybe even more than you could have possibly imagined. These Giants (Trustees, Administrators, Faculty, Staff, Students) have lived and worked and taught and studied here in this place thanks to you. You have changed and enriched lives.

We will salute you in Wesley Chapel during the Founders Day Convocation.

Because of you we exist and learn….

Because of what we learn, we grow stronger and smarter…..

Because we are stronger and smarter, we are able to make an impact for good in the world.

Love,

Your school in 2018

Harriet Beecher Stowe quote on past, present, future