The harrowing battles of the Civil War raged for four years, pitting brother against brother at the cost of more than 600,000 lives. Out of the war, however, there was born a new state, the only one created as a direct result of the war - West Virginia.

Did you know that over time, the Civil War has been called and referred to as The Lost Cause, The Brothers' War, Mr. Lincoln's War, The Yankee Invasion, The Confederate War, The Great Rebellion, The War of Secession, The War for the Union, The War for Abolition, The Southern Rebellion, The War for Separation, The War of the Sixties, The War of the Rebellion, The War Against Slavery, The War for Nationality, The War of the Southrons, The War for States' Rights, The War for Southern Rights, The War for Southern Freedom, The War of the North and South, The Second American Revolution, The Second War for Independence, The Civil War Between the States, The War for Southern Nationality, The War of the Southern Planters, The War for Southern Independence, The War for Constitutional Liberty, The War Against Northern Aggression, The War to Suppress Yankee Arrogance and I'm sure there are many more that I've missed.

As you drive about West Virginia and her neighboring states over the next couple years, you'll see a special marker of red, white and blue...the Civil War Trail marker.ﾠ The Civil War Discovery Trail links more than 1000 sites in 16 states to inspire and teach the story of the Civil War and its lingering impact on America. The Trail includes battlefields, historic homes, railroad stations, cemeteries and parks. Civil War Discovery Trail sites are specifically selected for their historic significance and educational opportunities. The Trail is an initiative of The Civil War Trust, in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National Park Service, state agencies and local communities.ﾠ West Virginia is a part of the Civil War Discovery Trail that also covers Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee and Pennsylvania. Currently, there are over 1,000 sites in the program and more than 3,000 map guides are downloaded weekly from the program's website, www.civilwartrails.org.

In Pocahontas County, five sites have been identified and now have signage.ﾠ They include Camp Bartow, Camp Northwest, Huntersville, The First Campaign, The Great Raid - Overview, and Union Camp.ﾠ Today it's difficult for us to imagine what life then would have been like but standing and reading these thoughtful summaries of that time makes one realize the suffering, and anguish that went on during that time.ﾠ In the spring of 1861, Union forces rushed into northwestern Virginia to secure the vital Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, protect important turnpikes, and support Unionists against Confederates.ﾠ From the marker at Huntersville Jail these words come "The two sides fought numerous engagements between June and December. They included Philippi (the war's first land battle), Rich Mountain, Corricks Ford, Cheat Summit Fort, Carnifex Ferry, and Camp Allegheny. The many Union victories made Gen. George B. McClellan's reputation and damaged that of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee-a situation reversed in 1862. Despite later Confederate raids, today's West Virginia remained largely under Federal control for the rest of the war."

We can all learn a great deal about the battles fought on the ground that we travel every day and take for granted along the way.ﾠ Rather than me telling you about each battle or encounter - how about when spring breaks you pack a picnic, a camera, (don't forget the kids) and spend a weekend discovering some of West Virginia's history.

Preservation of Pocahontas County's historic sites is accomplished largely through their remoteness.ﾠ There are no vendors or consignees selling t-shirts, hard back books, or colored post cards. No over-sized American flag, no asphalt covered parking lots with cars from adjoining states. While you're at any of these markers, you may very well be the only one.ﾠ But then, you might have the best experience.

Camp Allegheny still contains some of the foundations where the camps were for the First Campaign.ﾠ From Bartow you can still see the actual trenches where men fought and died.ﾠ Many Civil War sites can be seen as you drive through Huntersville where General William W. Loring's troops launched his ill-fated campaign against General Robert E. Lee. ﾠAfter the defeat, Huntersville was used as base camp for much of the War.ﾠ The old Presbyterian Church was used as a field hospital and many of those killed either through battle action or disease are buried on a hill south of the church or in a second cemetery only a few hundred yards away.

Today there is an eerie silence in these battlefields.ﾠ Can you hear whispers of battle cries, did you see something along that ridge, and could you tell you were in a hallowed place if there were no signs?ﾠ Whether you visit a Civil War site that is well advertised and maintained or one that most people drive right pass without any acknowledgement, enrich your life and that of your children by visiting the battlefields that are close to you.

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The Pocahontas County Convention and Visitors Bureau is seeking interested parties in the launching of its new Living Classroom program, the Calvin W. Price Appalachian Enrichment Series. This is a grant-based series in its pilot phase designed to promote continued tourism growth within Pocahontas County.

Any series programs should (a) deliver an authentic, hands-on experience to the visitor and (b) create marketing opportunities for new or existing enrichment-based programs.

The CVB is developing this series in an effort to:

• bring new visitors to the county
• offer something new to returning visitors to the county
• drive overnight stays in the county

Applications must be received no later than January 15th. The applications will be reviewed in the second half of January. The exact date is still to be determined. Applicant or an applicant representative must also be present during the review process.

Event planners, civic groups, and societies in the county are urged to submit an application to receive special funding and be part of the Calvin W. Price Appalachian Enrichment Series. We seek programs or activities that speak directly to the visitor and actively involve the visitor in the special culture and rich experiences we offer in Pocahontas County.

A leading figure in the early Conservation Movement, Calvin W. Price served as the first President of the West Virginia Wildlife Federation. Throughout his life Price wrote and spoke publicly about the need to preserve the land and conserve natural resources for future generations.ﾠ His "Field Notes" and his panther tales made him one of the most widely read country editors in America

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Not all winter fun is on the downhill slopes this time of year.

I went cross country skiing last year for the first time in many years.ﾠ The family and I use to go quite often when we lived out west so much so that my son Brian and his dad would go off and leave me as I was slower and somehow got sidetracked photographing with a micro lensﾅamazing how snowflakes and frozen streams can look.

The Highland Scenic Highway is grand for XC skiing but be on the lookout as itﾒs also a good place for snowmobiling and there were a dozen or so the day that I went.ﾠ First of all, the Highway looks nothing like it does in the fall or any other time of the year.ﾠ The snow was so high I could barely see the guard rails as they pushed upwards to be noticed.ﾠ

Wear sun glasses as the bright snow will blind you against oncoming traffic as well as beauties in the woods. Dress in layers as the further you travel, the hotter you will get and itﾒs good to wrap a jacket around your waist or around your shoulders.ﾠ Pack a water bottle with you too as youﾒll get thirsty, especially if you have no water to drink.

According to Fitness Magazine, a person weighing 150 pounds can burn 550 to 1000 calories an hour snowshoeing depending on speed and incline.ﾠ Time flies when youﾒre doing it too so itﾒs not like drudging away in the treadmill.

You might think that snowshoeing is best done with a couple of friends but it is one sport that can be done in solitude and great enjoyment found. Itﾒs you pushing your body to take one more step, it not giving up or giving in.ﾠ The peace, the serenity that the determined find is beyond beauty and splendor.

Of course if youﾒre going alone be smart and let someone you depend on know where you are, when youﾒre expected back and what to do if you donﾒt return on a timely basis.ﾠ Plan a short trip for your first couple of treks.ﾠ Being good at anything comes from practice so slip on your XC skis and trek down the Greenbrier River Trail, a local street when there is no traffic, or even your backyard.ﾠ Learn to control the shoes, get the best use out of the poles, and as importantly as anything else, know when your body tells you it has had enough.

A good place to go for assistance around here is Elk River Touring Center.ﾠ Mary and Gil will help you find shoes that fit (so you wonﾒt fall into the snow too deeply) and what prettier place is there to snowshoe than the Mon Forest behind the Center?

No matter where you go or how you proceed ﾖ enjoy the freedom that snowshoeing allows.

Have you ever seen so much orange?ﾠﾠ Someone told me the other day you can tell when the hunters come here because there's no bread, milk or beer in the store!ﾠ Pocahontas County West Virginia offers an exhilarating experience when it comes to hunting. With 500,000 acres of national forest, seven wildlife management areas, and two state forests, we're sure hunting trips will be a good ones and hunters will have plenty of opportunity to bring home the game.

We provide the scenic beauty as far as the eye can see, an abundance of varied wildlife, the friendliest people you'll ever meet, and a wide spread of land from level plains to rugged mountain tops. And just like other vacationers, hunters make their own memories.

Elevation goes from moderate to rugged so everyone on the trip can find conditions to suit them. There's an abundance of white tail deer, black bear, squirrel, rabbit, and wild turkey. We have several special tools on our web site to help you plan your trip or you can our competent staff at 800.336.7009.

Be sure to order our handy little brochure/map that fits in your shirt pocket and it's packed with lots of good information such as access points to Wildlife Management Areas, campgrounds, outfitters and stream stocking.

The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources has made us individual maps of each of the seven Wildlife Management Areas. Go to our website and click each link for a detailed map. These files are about 5 MB and so will load slowly Wildlife Management Area Maps.

Do you know that 5% of the general public hunts, which is about 12.5 million people? Most are men, live in rural settings, and last year hunted a total of 220 million days.ﾠ While they were way from home doing some major male bonding, they spent 22.9 billion with a B dollars.ﾠ White-tailed deer is the most commonly hunted species with wild turkeys next and after that upland game birds like pheasant, quail, and chukar, rabbit or hare,ﾠ squirrel and waterfowl.

The one thing to remember about hunters is that many are visiting from either another state or another part of this state and we have an opportunity to make a good impression on them so they will return either in the summer with their family or in the fall with their friends.

Lately I keep hearing the word hero a lot on the television.ﾠ I'm not sure if we really think everyone we speak of is a hero if in fact we're looking for heroes.ﾠ What do we think a hero is?ﾠ Does he carry a rifle?ﾠ Has he left his wife and children to make third world countries "better"?ﾠ Is he even a he?

Each Monday I have lunch with about a dozen people who I call true heroes.ﾠ No they don't stand in front of moving cars or trains, most of them can shoot a gun, but if they truly had to, I'm not sure they would.

My heroes are the guys and gals who show up at Rotary meeting every Monday afternoon here in Marlinton.ﾠ They're heroes because they will not be defeated...the don't give up, they tackle anything thrown at them.

They have plenty of other things to do; they work, have families and are intricate to the close knit community they choose to call home.ﾠ But if you give them a group of Boy Scouts that need help on a project, a soccer club who's traveling to state and need a bit more funding, or if you talk to them about how the drugs are ravaging their community or how more young people could go to college if they would just help a little....they step up big time!ﾠ These are heroes of small communities like Marlinton.

You'll never see them on TV, no CNN Heroes shows for these people - they don't have time to get away.ﾠ They're busy doing their jobs, being fathers, and mothers, sisters, teachers, friends, buddies.

Rotary has what they call The Four-Way Test.ﾠ Here's how it goes - Of the things we think, say or do

1.ﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠ Is it the TRUTH?ﾠ 2. Is if FAIR to all concerned?ﾠ 3.ﾠ Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?ﾠ 4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

This is what Rotarians live by - this is their truth, this is what motivates them and directs them even when life is at its darkest.ﾠ ﾠRotarians don't wait around for private grants or public funding...if they know a young person needs a scholarship to go to college - Rotarians go out and raise the money for it.ﾠ If someone needs blankets or food, Rotarians dig in to their own pocket, or sell raffle tickets, or raise money in another fashion.

If you're looking for a hero today - I can show you where to find one.ﾠ They're bankers, lawyers, consultants, retired federal workers, news personalities, small business owners and the list goes on and on.ﾠ You sit next to them at a Warriors football games, stand behind them at the local restaurants, and shake their hand at church.ﾠ They are among us and they make all of our lives better, some for the direct help that they give and to others merely for their friendship and camaraderie.

So here's to you Rotary brothers and sisters.ﾠ The world is better because of you - and certainly is in Pocahontas County - your community.

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It was the two strong horses that brought me to the photo in the beginning.ﾠ But then I saw her.ﾠ Who was this woman with checked apron set over her long dark skirt and the small cap set upon her head?

I suppose she could have been anybody's grandmother.ﾠ It looked as though she were in a lumber camp at the turn of the 20^th century.ﾠ The two horses were handsome, full flesh, shiny coats and bright eyes - they'd been well cared for I could tell.ﾠ The camera work was so fancy I could see the veins sticking out prominently in the horses face and legs.ﾠ The tack looked in good repair and each horse had a yoke used for hauling or pulling timber.

My eyes kept coming back to the woman in the checked apron.ﾠ Her posture was firm - she was sure of who she was and of what she was doing. ﾠDid I tell you that each of the horses had a young boy sitting upon each of their backs? ﾠThe one boy looked very much like the man standing to the woman's left and the second boy looked very much like the woman. ﾠWas this a family - a husband, wife and two children?ﾠ It appeared it might be.ﾠ There was calm in the eyes of each of them.ﾠ They had lived this life a long time I presumed.ﾠ These were not the first horses' backs the two boys had sat upon.ﾠ

The couple held the horses with one hand freeing up the other hand but even though the freed hands be empty and next to one another in the photos, they were not touching, they were not holding on to one another.ﾠ

The woman's hair appeared long and she swept it up on the back of her head not to make herself prettier I surmised but to keep the nuisance lochs out of her way as she did the work required at the site.

The man looked considerably older than the woman not so much in years but in experience.ﾠ ﾠﾠMany of the men in surrounding photos looked like they'd just walked off the ships from Eastern Europe but this man did not - his hat with the wide brim set cock eyed on his head.ﾠ The building in back appeared to be a large house with perhaps enough space to rent out the top floor or a few rooms anyway. There's a pile of slab lumber in the front yard.

As the days of the Smithsonian Exhibit wore on week after week, I never missed an opportunity to go visit again just to see the woman in the checked apron.ﾠ She exuded a quiet strength but not in a heady or cocky way that is fasionable today.ﾠ As small as her world may have been, she was sure of whom she was and what her contribution was - woman, mother, lady, lover, cook, laborer, companion, neighbor, anchor, shepherd, muse...

And so in the middle of dozens of black and white photos of the lumbering days of the region, set off by ﾠvideos, displays, movies, and stories - this woman in the checked apron takes center stage for in her firm but quiet stance, we see the promise of what life can hold for each of us.

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I felt a bit like I was eavesdropping.ﾠ Should I hide behind the curtain, maybe slide down in my seat so nobody saw me?ﾠ This all seemed so personal to me.ﾠ Should I even be here?

Well then the music started flying off the banjo strings and yes, I knew this is where I should be.ﾠ If you missed the concert last Friday September 29 at the Pocahontas Opera House, you missed a very intimate evening between father and son.ﾠ Caleb Diller, along with his father, Dwight Diller, came to play the Opera House for the Smithsonian Exhibit "The Way We Worked."ﾠ The audience got much more than we had expected.

Sitting on center stage were two generations of some of the best banjo playing in the world.ﾠ Dwight is known throughout the country, even the world, as being a leading instructor and player of the claw-hammer banjo.ﾠ And a good teacher it seems he is for the son Caleb, is a chip off the old block. Both pay tribute to their personal heroes, the Hammons Family, with a love and adoration that seeps between the notes and gathers the audience in after the first bar.

What struck me though is the music between these two men - the young, the old. ﾠWhat the audience got to see was as amazing as what they got to hear.ﾠ Dwight kept referring to how he was having senior moments...most in the audience understood this as we were about his age too. Caleb would chime in and make us laugh a bit.ﾠ The glitter in Caleb's eyes was taken as complete adoration of his own hero.

Dwight said he never learned to play the fiddle but that since the Lord gave him back his music in May of 2011 he was able to.ﾠ I wondered about that statement but figured it was a conversation best kept between the Lord and Dwight.ﾠ Next thing we knew he was playing a tune of Burl Hammons' and one would never guess he just recently started playing the fiddle.

We were the first audience graced by Caleb's signing...it was as though he'd been singing his whole life.ﾠ The gentleness between these two men, father to son, teacher to student, friend to friend was magical. It was genuine, authentic and the real deal.ﾠ Thank you Caleb and Dwight for allowing us to watch how the music is made between two friends.

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The Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibit, The Way We Workedﾔ comes to Marlinton for its first show in West Virginia from September 10 to October 22, 2011. Besides an award-winning photo display, there will be many family activities going on during the Exhibit. ﾠ

Visitors to the Exhibit can participate in a Heritage Passport Program and become eligible to win two train tickets to Cass Scenic Railroad. Hereﾒs how it works ﾖ Pick up a Heritage Passport at the main Exhibit in Marlinton at the Municipal Building or online at www.pocahontashistorical.org/smithsonian.htm Visit places listed on the back of the form and have the passport stamped by five different partners and become eligible to receive Cass Scenic Railroad train tickets. Places listed on the passport include any of the restaurants in Marlinton, the Pocahontas Opera House, any branch of the Pocahontas Free Libraries, any state park, including Watoga State Park, Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park, Beartown State Park, Cass Scenic Railroad State park and the Greenbrier River Trail, The Trail stamp will be issued at the visitors center in Marlinton. Other passport sites include Seneca State Forest, the Pocahontas County Historical Society Museum, the Old Pocahontas Times Museum and Shop, the Durbin Art Center, the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, and the Pocahontas Artisans Co-op in either Green Bank or Marlinton.

Completed passports must be returned to the main exhibit (Marlinton Municipal Building at 709 2nd Avenue, Marlinton) to be eligible. Drawings held at 5:00 p.m. each Friday 9/16, 23, 30 and October 7, 14, 21st. at main exhibit hall. You do not have to be present to win.

The Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibit, The Way We Worked" comes to Marlinton for its first show in West Virginia from September 10 to October 22, 2011.ﾠ Besides an award-winning photo display, there will be many family activities going on during the Exhibit.

Visitors to the Exhibit can participate in a Heritage Passport Program and become eligible to win two train tickets to Cass Scenic Railroad.ﾠ Here's how it works - Pick up a Heritage Passport at the main Exhibit in Marlinton at the Municipal Building or online at www.pocahontashistorical.org/smithsonian.htm Visit places listed on the back of the form and have the passport stamped by five different partners and become eligible to receive Cass Scenic Railroad train tickets. Places listed on the passport include any of the restaurants in Marlinton, the Pocahontas Opera House, any branch of the Pocahontas Free Libraries, any state park, including Watoga State Park, Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park, Beartown State Park, Cass Scenic Railroad State park and the Greenbrier River Trail,ﾠ The Trail stamp will be issued ﾠat the visitors center in Marlinton.ﾠ Other passport sites include Seneca State Forest, the Pocahontas County Historical Society Museum, the Old Pocahontas Times Museum and Shop, the Durbin Art Center, the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, and the Pocahontas Artisans Co-op in either Green Bank or Marlinton.

Completed passports must be returned to the main exhibit (Marlinton Municipal Building at 709 2nd Avenue, Marlinton) to be eligible. Drawings held at 5:00 p.m. each Friday 9/16, 23, 30 and October 7, 14, 21st. at main exhibit hall. You do not have to be present to win.ﾠ See you out and about in beautiful Pocahontas County!

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The Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibit, "The Way We Worked" comes to Marlinton for its first show in West Virginia from September 10 to October 22, 2011.ﾠ There are numerous people giving up time and effort to pull together the local portion of the exhibit.ﾠ In Pocahontas County we are very proud of our rich heritage in the logging and timber industry.ﾠ That is the focus of our portion of the exhibit.ﾠ All aspects of work will be featured as we point the spotlight to the logging industry and the implications (sometimes subtle, sometimes not).

Besides showcasing the logging history with never before seen photos, we will celebrate the music that kept workers going through rough times.ﾠ What better venue to celebrate the music of the working people than the century old Pocahontas County Opera House?

Art and music history cannot be seriously reviewed in Pocahontas County without mentioning the crown jewel - The Pocahontas County Opera House. By 1909, J. G. Tilton, publisher of the Marlinton Messenger, opened the Opera House as a venue for the rapidly increasing number of cultural and sporting events in the Marlinton area. The railroad had come to Pocahontas County less than a decade earlier and life was changing from a small rural community to the center of county activity, including culture and music.

The Smithsonian Exhibit kicks off its opening on Saturday September 10 with a concert in the park by the local Viney Mountain Boys.ﾠ This group features Doug Scott, Richard Hefner II, David Kershner, Jody Harrison, and Alan Duchess.ﾠ Their old, traditional bluegrass brings out the purist fans as well as a young set of new fans.

If you love banjo pickin' then mark your calendars for Friday September 30 as Dwight Diller takes the stage with his son, Caleb.ﾠ You'll witness some of the best clawhammer banjo music around these parts. There'll be friends and guests along too so anything can happen.

October 14 brings the mellow sound of John Wyatt and the Appalachians.ﾠ John sings some of the old railroad tunes and other music popular at the turn of the 1900s.ﾠ Wyatt's stories also come from those experiences of growing up in rural Appalachia in the 1950s and 1960s.

Local favorite Bill Hefner and his family grace the stage on October 15th.ﾠ The Hefner name is synonymous with music in the mountains of Appalachia.ﾠ Whether it's a soft, slow ballad, or a reeling swing, Bill puts his magic touch on all his music.

There will be nights for films, conversation with renowned railroad enthusiasts, and young foresters who show us how the forest is being replenished for the next generation.ﾠ I'll tell you about that next time.ﾠ Now go to your calendar and mark the dates I listed above.ﾠ Music at the Opera House in Marlinton.ﾠ Can you think of a better way to spend an evening?

"The Way We Worked," adapted from the original exhibition developed by the National Archives, explores how work became such a central element in American culture by tracing the many changes that affected the workforce and work environments over the past 150 years. The exhibition draws from the Archives' rich collections to tell this compelling story.

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The Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibit, "The Way We Workedﾔ comes to Marlinton for its first show in West Virginia from September 10 to October 22, 2011.ﾠ There are numerous people giving up time and effort to pull together the local portion of the exhibit.ﾠ In Pocahontas County we are very proud of our rich heritage in the logging and timber industry.ﾠ That is the focus of our portion of the exhibit.ﾠ All aspects of work will be featured as we point the spotlight to the logging industry and the implications (sometimes subtle, sometimes not).

Besides showcasing the logging history with never before seen photos, we will celebrate the music that kept workers going through rough times.ﾠ What better venue to celebrate the music of the working people than the century old Pocahontas County Opera House?

Art and music history cannot be seriously reviewed in Pocahontas County without mentioning the crown jewel ﾖ The Pocahontas County Opera House. By 1909, J. G. Tilton, publisher of the Marlinton Messenger, opened the Opera House as a venue for the rapidly increasing number of cultural and sporting events in the Marlinton area. The railroad had come to Pocahontas County less than a decade earlier and life was changing from a small rural community to the center of county activity, including culture and music.

The Smithsonian Exhibit kicks off its opening on Saturday September 10 with a concert in the park by the local Viney Mountain Bluegrass Boys.ﾠ This group features Doug Scott, Richard Hefner II, David Kershner, Jody Harrison, and Alan Duchess.ﾠ Their old, traditional bluegrass brings out the purist fans as well as a young set of new fans.

If you love banjo pickinﾒ then mark your calendars for Friday September 30 as Dwight Diller takes the stage with his son, Caleb.ﾠ Youﾒll witness some of the best clawhammer banjo music around these parts. Thereﾒll be friends and guests along too so anything can happen.

October 14 brings the mellow sound of John Wyatt and the Appalachians.ﾠ John sings some of the old railroad tunes and other music popular at the turn of the 1900s.ﾠ Wyatt's stories also come from those experiences of growing up in rural Appalachia in the 1950s and 1960s.

Local favorite Bill Hefner and his family grace the stage on October 15th.ﾠ The Hefner name is synonymous with music in the mountains of Appalachia.ﾠ Whether itﾒs a soft, slow ballad, or a reeling swing, Bill puts his magic touch on all his music.

There will be nights for films, conversation with renowned railroad enthusiasts, and young foresters who show us how the forest is being replenished for the next generation.ﾠ Iﾒll tell you about that next time.ﾠ Now go to your calendar and mark the dates I listed above.ﾠ Music at the Opera House in Marlinton.ﾠ Can you think of a better way to spend an evening?

ﾓThe Way We Worked,ﾔ adapted from the original exhibition developed by the National Archives, explores how work became such a central element in American culture by tracing the many changes that affected the workforce and work environments over the past 150 years. The exhibition draws from the Archivesﾒ rich collections to tell this compelling story.