Pocahontas County is a treasure chest of history. The first settlers crossed the Alleghenies in 1749, and thus, the roots of families and communities run deep.
Without special effort and proper care of collections local history can quickly disappear. Pocahontas County is rich in people who care about its history. This project will provide the resources to help them preserve it and share it with the world.
The Historic Preservation Project will identify, stabilize, curate and store papers, pictures, records, recordings and artifacts. We will capture writings, photographs, interviews, buildings, and artifacts as digital images, sound files and text. We will create and maintain a Digital Library on the World Wide Web where digitized material will be freely available to researchers, historians, students and genealogists. And, we will facilitate community building by working with individuals and organizations as they exchange ideas and showcase their hard work.
Neighbor working with neighbor is the cornerstone of "Preserving Pocahontas." People in our communities will be actively engaged in this project as they are trained in the digitization process. Families and individuals will be encouraged to have their records and photographs digitized and to share those materials with the project.
To learn more, visit pocahontaspreservation.org.
J. Z. Johnson - 1956
James Zachariah "J.Z." Johnson was born in Hampshire County in 1899. In 1930 he married Erma McCarty who was teaching at Marlinton Graded School where he was the principal. In this 1956 photograph Johnson is teaching Bea Gladwell's sixth grade class. He was named County Teacher of the Year in 1959 and remained as principal of Marlinton Graded School until his retirement in 1965. (Photograph courtesy of his daughter, Harriet Johnson Ottaviano.)
The cornerstone of Marlinton Grade School was laid in 1906 on the site now occupied by the McClintic Library. The building was condemned and closed in September 1968. It was used for storage by the Board of Education until May 1975 when it was torn down.
Photographs of the school's demolition can found by following the Search Link at our website www.pocahontaspreservation.org
PRESERVATION NEWS - Staying in Touch
Tune in to Allegheny Mountain Radio on Wednesday mornings at 7:45 for information and discussion on all things to do with Historic Preservation in Pocahontas County.
You can find and "Like" us on Facebook at PocahontasPreservation.
And - you are invited to attend the Pocahontas County Historical Society meetings for monthly updates on the Preservation Project. The Society meets on the last Monday of each month. The next meeting will be February 28 at 7 p.m. at the McClintic Library in Marlinton.
If you have photos or records of historical interest please contact Preservation Officer
B. J. Gudmundsson at 304-799-3989 or email info@pocahontaspreservation.org
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Do you know who we are?
This week's photograph comes from Clover Lick. The children are unidentified and we would like to know who they are. Please call 304-799-3989 if you can help put names with this little darlings.
More photographs and collections can found by following the Search Link at our website www.pocahontaspreservation.org
PRESERVATION NEWS - Digging Through Boxes
People are always asking "what kinds of things are you looking for?" My short answer, "Everything!" I guess that includes the old garden sprayer someone left on my front porch.
Now that our countywide Preservation Project is in third gear folks are discovering how much "stuff" they have stashed away in boxes. There are pictures in the attic; they're under the bed, in the garage. Oh, and there's even a box down at someone's Aunt Ida's.
Have you started digging through your boxes of pictures? Can you identify the photos? Have you written names, places and dates on the back of those you can identify?
Our photographs tell our story. As they are passed down from generation to generation they carry our history with them.
The four little unnamed darlings in Clover Lick are a good example of why we're working so hard to dig out pictures, identify them and preserve the digitized images.
When you start digging through your boxes remember to look for other things such as postcards, letters, wills, land records and the like. And don't forget to look in the old family bible. I hope you find a record of births, deaths and marriages.
If you have photos or records of historical interest please contact Preservation Officer
B. J. Gudmundsson at 304-799-3989 or email info@pocahontaspreservation.org
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Marlinton Parade - Early 1900s
Main Street in the county seat of Marlinton bustled with people lined up to watch this parade in the early 1900s.ﾠ Although we don't know the date, judging by the display of American flags, it could have been the 4th of July
(Photograph courtesy of the Pocahontas County Historical Society.)
More photographs and collections can found by following the Search Link at our website www.pocahontaspreservation.org
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PRESERVATION NEWS - Digitizing The Pocahontas Times
"Big news this week," as Cal Price would say.ﾠ Come spring of this year folks will no longer have to wind through rolls of microfilm to search past issues of The Pocahontas Times!
The McClintic Library in Marlinton is where researchers and genealogists land when they come to Pocahontas County in search of their family history.ﾠ It is there - in the Heritage Room - that The Pocahontas Times has been available on microfilm for a number of years.ﾠ One could search through 52 rolls that cover the years from 1885 to 2003.ﾠ
Pocahontas County Free Libraries and the Pocahontas County Historic Preservation Project have contracted Creekside Digital in Towson, Maryland, to digitize this entire collection of microfilm.ﾠ All 52 rolls have arrived safely at Creekside's facility and their capable staff has begun the work. Once the digitization process is complete searchable files with indexing will be available to the public on a computer in the Heritage Room.ﾠ The project should be completed by the end of April 2011.
We think that the ol' country editor, Calvin W. Price, would be pleased!
In the meantime, work continues on scanning photographs and records throughout the county and collections are beginning to come in from folks who have moved away.ﾠ If you have photos or records of historical interest please contact Preservation Officer B. J. Gudmundsson at 304-799-3989 or email info@pocahontaspreservation.org
1936 Golden Eagle Staff at Green Bank High School
Row 1, L-R:ﾠ "Rimfire" Hamrick, William Viering, Eugene L. Burner, John Hunter Williams, Catherine O'Brien, Geraldine Kisner, Jeanne Griffith, Evelyn Lee Slavens, Helen Wimer.
Row 2, L-R:ﾠ Mary Ann Hannah, Ethyl Jennings, Martha Lee Pritchard, Phyllis Butterbaugh, Janey Wooddell, Jean McCutcheon, Virginia Mae Hipps, Marguerite Lawson (Sponsor)
Row 3, L-R:ﾠ Ruth Hannah, Norman McLaughlin, Pershing Arbogast, Paul M. Hudson, Paul Cobb, Eva Bowling, Sarah Hannah, Milly Lee Hevener
(Photograph courtesy of the Pocahontas County Historical Society.ﾠ Names are listed as they appear in the Historical Society records.)
More photographs and collections can found by following the Search Link at our website www.pocahontaspreservation.org
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PRESERVATION NEWS
The Pocahontas Preservation Project has started out the New Year with a growing corps of volunteers from around the county.ﾠ These volunteers will be helping folks scan their photographs and they will be assisting in recording information on each item in the archive.ﾠ Dates will be announced soon for informational and training events in Green Bank, Durbin and Linwood.
If you have photos, documents, land records or other items of historical interest, we would like to scan them to include in the digital archive. We can also scan your negatives and slides. You will receive a copy of your digital images on disc for your personal use such as copying, archiving and making prints.
There are a number of ways to have your photos scanned.ﾠ You can scan them yourself with your own scanner or with a handheld scanner available for checkout at the public library.ﾠ (Volunteers are available to help you get started - or to work with you.)ﾠ You can loan them to us for scanning and have them promptly returned.ﾠ Or, you can call and arrange to have us do the scanning in your home or other location.ﾠ Please contact Preservation Officer B. J. Gudmundsson at 304-799-3989 or email info@pocahontaspreservation.org
Caring for you family archives
Should I digitize my photo collection? Is it safe to throw away my original film and prints after I digitize them?
You may want to digitize your photographs because it offers safe and easy access to the images in your collection. Once your photographs have been scanned, you can view them in electronic form and even make hard copies without risking damage to the originals. Do not throw away your original film and prints after you digitize them. Digitized images are not considered a replacement for originals. Data (i.e. your images) can be lost when the storage media deteriorates; and software and hardware technology become rapidly obsolete, in some cases making retrieval of the images difficult if not impossible.
Information courtesy of The National Archives.ﾠ www.archives.gov
1917 Panoramic - Minnehaha Springs
Photographer Cal Gay captured the splendor of Minnehaha Springs and the Knapps Creek valley in this panoramic view dated June 11, 1917.ﾠﾠ Pictured to the left is the tennis court at the Allegheny Lodge. The large building at a distance in the center of the photograph is Hotel Minnehaha. (Photograph courtesy of the Pocahontas County Historical Society.ﾠ More photographs from the Historical Society Collection can be seen at www.pocahontaspreservation.org/omeka )
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PRESERVATION NEWS
The Preservation Project is currently scanning a number of private collections in Pocahontas County.ﾠﾠ Bill McNeel's photographs of the demolition of Marlinton, Green Bank and Hillsboro High Schools are now on the internet.ﾠ That entire collection, along with the Alpine Hotel Fire can be found by following the links on our website www.pocahontaspreservation.org
If you have photos, documents, land records or other items of historical interest, we would like to scan them to include in the digital archive.
There are a number of ways to have your photos scanned.ﾠ You can scan them yourself with your own scanner or with a handheld scanner available for checkout at the public library.ﾠ (Volunteers are available to help you get started - or to work with you.)ﾠ You can loan them to us for scanning and have them promptly returned.ﾠ Or, you can call and arrange to have us do the scanning in your home or other location.ﾠ Please contact Preservation Officer B. J. Gudmundsson at 304-799-3989 or email info@pocahontaspreservation.org
You will receive a copy of your digital images on disc for your personal use such as copying, archiving and making prints.
Caring for your family archives
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How should I frame and display my photographs?
Decorative frames, available at many stores, are appropriate for everyday snapshots. However, these frames either do not come with a mat or spacers to keep the photo from contact with the glass, or they use a poor quality acidic paper mat. Unfortunately, many unmatted photos have been damaged or permanently stuck to glass when fluid seeped between the glass and photo after the glass had been sprayed with liquid cleaner or beverages were spilled near the frame. Never use spray cleaners around photographs and artwork. Many cleaners are corrosive and cause immediate fading and staining if they, or their vapors, come in contact with the photograph.
Important family photos or photographic artworks should be matted to museum standards using high quality matboard for the window mat and the back board. The matboard should pass the ANSI IT9.16 Photographic Activity Test (PAT). (The PAT was developed by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and is a test that determines whether or not a storage material will cause fading or staining in photographs.) The safest way to attach the photograph to the back board is with paper or plastic photo corners or paper or plastic edge strips. Edge strips are folded pieces of paper or plastic which secure the edge of the photograph to the back board--the edge of the photo is inserted into the fold and then the edge strip is adhered to the back board. Photo corners and edge strips are ideal in situations where the window mat will cover over the edges of the photo and hide the photo corner or edge strip. Photo corners should not be used on unmounted prints larger than 20 x 24 inches, or very fragile photos. These items should be attached to the back board with paper hinges adhered to the back top edge of the photo (then secured to the back board) or with edge strips along all four edges. Hinging should be left to a qualified framer or someone with training and the proper tools, hinging papers and adhesives.
Once a treasured photograph is properly matted and framed, it should not be displayed in direct sunlight, or under bright lamps, near heat sources or in damp locations such as basements, kitchens or bathrooms. Based on studies by Kodak, typical ambient (diffuse) home lighting is probably not harmful over the course of several years, but light slowly will cause fading and other irreversible damage that may not become objectionable for many years. Therefore, treasured photos which you intend to pass on to future generations should not be displayed excessively in your lifetime. Instead, a duplicate copy can be made and displayed while the original is kept safe with other family keepsakes.
Information courtesy of The National Archives.ﾠ www.archives.gov
1936 - Dunmore "Top Notchers"
Pictured in this 1936 photo of the Dunmore Graded School "Top Notchers" are:ﾠ front row, l - r:ﾠ Ida Hiner, Glenna Stamper, Charles R. McElwee, Jack Miller, Jane Hiner and Pauline Campbell.ﾠ Back row, l - r: Nancy Griffith, Virginia Lee Hevener, Edna Perry, Marilee Campbell and Mary Hunter McLaughlin (Names are listed as they appear in the Historical Society records.)
The Preservation Project is seeking photographs from the Dunmore area.ﾠ If you have photos we would like to scan them to include in the digital archive.ﾠ Please contact Preservation Officer B. J. Gudmundsson at 304-799-3989 or email info@pocahontaspreservation.org
Caring for your family archives
Should I remove my photographs from old albums, such as black paper albums or self-stick albums?
Don't rush to remove photographs from albums just because you think the album is not "archival.ﾔﾠ Many older albums with black, gray or colored paper actually may not be harming your photographs while removal may cause immediate damage that is not easily repaired. In addition, older family heirloom albums frequently have valuable inscriptions and a character all their own that would be lost by replacement with a modern album. People sometimes erroneously assume that damage they see is caused by the paper when in fact the damage occurred years ago. For example, stains and fading (especially on black-and-white photos) can be the result of poor processing by the photographer or the glue originally used to spot adhere the photos to the pages. Very little can be done to reverse the damage in these situations. However, some album page papers, even different types of photos or poorly processed photos, or previous tape mends which are in contact with photos on adjacent pages, may be contributing to fading or staining. One simple solution is to interleave those pages with these problems using high quality paper or plastic sheets to isolate each page from its neighbor. Care should be taken so that the album doesn't become overstuffed with the interleaving, possibly breaking the binding. If the photos really are deteriorating and you choose to have the album disassembled to ensure their preservation, photocopies in color or black-and-white can be made of each page to capture the look and feel of the original, preserve all inscriptions, and keep a record of the order in the album.
As mentioned above, removing photos from old self-stick album pages that have dried up, especially when the plastic cover sheet no longer sticks to the page and the page has discolored, may be easy--frequently the photo just falls off. However, removing photos from pages that are in the extremely tacky stage can cause permanent damage. This treatment, especially for those photos that are very important to you, is best left to trained conservators. Photographs which were recently attached to self-stick album pages usually can be removed easily within a year or two by inserting a thin knife under the edge of the photo and gently separating the photo from the page. Never curl or peel back a photo from a self-stick page as the photo may be permanently cracked and curled in the process.
Information courtesy of The National Archives.ﾠ www.archives.gov
Alpine Hotel Fire - 1968
The Alpine Hotel fire in Marlinton, West Virginia, occurred in the early morning hours of January 2, 1968. The blaze erupted at about 2:30 a.m.ﾠ Fire Chief Fred C. Burns, Jr., directed fire units from Marlinton, Durbin, Renick, White Sulphur Springs and Hot Springs, Virginia, in fighting the flames as water was pumped from the Greenbrier River.ﾠ An entire city block in the heart of the county seat was destroyed.
The fire, aftermath and razing of the buildings were photographed by William P. McNeel and have been donated to the Pocahontas County Historical Society.ﾠ You may view all forty-seven photographs in the Alpine Hotel Fire Collection by visiting the on-line archives at www.pocahontaspreservation.org
Moving Day - 1911
This photograph, taken in the summer of 1911, shows John Young and his family moving their household from Lobelia to Edray.
The Pocahontas Times microfilm, located at the McClintic Library, has been sent to Creekside Digital in Towson, Maryland., to be digitized.ﾠ The process will take approximately four months and, when completed, will give folks the ability to search the pages of The Pocahontas Times on a computer in the McClintic Library Heritage Room.ﾠ We apologize for this inconvenience but know that when the project is complete it will have been worth the wait.ﾠ
Ice Jam in Marlinton
A group of men pose for the photographer on an ice jam in Marlinton.ﾠ The photo was taken on January 25, 1904.ﾠ You will see the courthouse in the background indicating that this picture may have been taken on Knapps Creek.
PRESERVATION NEWS
The Preservation Project's On-Line Digital Library has been launched and can be accessed from our website at www.pocahontaspreservation.org
Featured items include 47 photographs of the January 2, 1968 fire at the Alpine Hotel.
If you are interested in volunteering or having your photos scanned please contact Preservation Officer B. J. Gudmundsson at 304-799-3989 or email info@pocahontaspreservation.org
Horses Doing Heavy Work
This photograph of a horse team skidding logs is one of many in the Historical Society collection that documents the lumbering and timbering history of Pocahontas County.
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PRESERVATION NEWS
Personal collections of photos and documents are a valuable part of our county's history.ﾠ Your participation in our Archive Project will assure that our history is preserved.ﾠ Digital images of your records will be maintained in the county archive and, with permission, made available on the internet for historians, genealogical researchers and others.ﾠ The process allows you to share your history while keeping the originals in your possession.ﾠ
Many families have joined in the project and their photos are being scanned and prepared for inclusion in our on-line Digital Library.ﾠ Volunteers are being trained to assist you with scanning photos and documents.ﾠ Members of the Pocahontas County Historical Society and the County Genealogy Group are available, upon request, throughout the county to help you.ﾠ
Items are currently being added to the Digital Library.ﾠ The internet archive will be launched during the month of December.ﾠﾠ Visit us at www.pocahontaspreservation.org
If you are interested in volunteering or having your photos scanned please contact Preservation Officer B. J. Gudmundsson at 304-799-3989 or email info@pocahontaspreservation.org
CARING FOR YOUR FAMILY ARCHIVES:ﾠ What kind of photo album should I use?
There are many types of photo albums available. These albums may or may not be appropriate for certain photos in certain circumstances. Keep in mind the long-term implications when selecting an album as some may cause damage in the short or long term and should not be used with family keepsakes or those you wish to keep for decades.
Album pages, not the covers, have the most influence on the long term preservation of your photos since they are in direct contact with the photos and can cause the most harm. There are three types of album pages:
1. Plastic pocket pages (pages with pockets for inserting the photos)
2. Paper pages with or without a clear plastic cover sheet
3. So-called magnetic albums or self stick albums having clear cover sheets
Plastic pocket pages have the advantage that no adhesive is needed to secure the photo but photos may slip out of the pocket opening. Paper pages require some method of securing the photo to the paper such as photo corners or adhesives. Self-stick pages provide their own means of securing photos to the page, but surround the photo with adhesive which may be deleterious to the photo.
All papers, plastics, and adhesives used in albums should pass the Photographic Activity Test (PAT).
In general, plastic pages and cover sheets made from uncoated pure polyethylene, polypropylene and polyester (also called Mylar D or Mellinex 516) are considered stable and non-damaging to photographs. Polyester is crystal clear and is more rigid than polyethylene and polypropylene. None of these recommended plastics have any odor to them, while polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic does have a strong odor (like a new car odor). Avoid the use of PVC plastics--they generate acids which can fade the photograph in time. In addition, the plastic can stick to items inside and, in some types of photographs (and printed items such as baseball cards), actually cause the image to transfer to the plastic. For these reasons, PVC cover sheets, pages and albums should not be used for valuable photographs or those you want to preserve for a long time.
Look for paper pages that are made from a high-quality, non-acidic, lignin-free paper (either buffered or unbuffered) made from cotton or highly purified wood pulps. Paper pages with plastic cover sheets offer more protection to the photographs--from fingerprints, accidental spills, and by preventing the photos from sticking to each other in damp conditions.
Self stick albums should be avoided for any valuable photos that are meant to be kept for a long time. Self-stick pages are coated with an adhesive that stains photos and possibly fades some types of photographs over time. In addition, in the long term, the adhesive either dries up and fails after several years and discolors to an unsightly dark yellow, or, in the short term, the adhesive becomes very tacky making it difficult to remove photos without damaging them.
Albums are available in many styles from spiral or ring binders to post or clamp bindings or those bound with traditional sewing; with cloth, plastic or leather covers. All are acceptable and your choice of album style may depend more on the "look" you want and cost. One thing to remember is that the album should not be overstuffed once you have added all the pages and attached the photographs. Overstuffing is particularly bad for post and sewn bindings--the added thickness of the pages with attached photographs might break the narrower binding and splay open the album. Overstuffing also makes it difficult to turn pages in a spiral and ring binder and damages the pages
Paper corners, which are to be used only with paper memorabilia, need only pass the standard for permanent paper ANSI/NISO Z39.48, Permanence of Paper for Publication of Documents in Libraries and Archives. This standard specifies the characteristics of paper that is of a permanent nature and which will not harm other documents with which it is in contact.
Information courtesy of The National Archives.ﾠ www.archives.gov
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