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Bill McNeel, George Deike and Hank Jaeger will take center stage Friday, September 23, 7 p.m., at the McClintic Library in Marlinton.

"These three men probably know more about logging in this region during the early 1900s than anyone else," historic preservation officer B. J. Gudmundsson said.ﾠ The three scholars will share what they know as part of the Smithsonian's traveling exhibit, "The Way We Worked."

The discussion will be facilitated by Chuck Keeney, Ph. D., a West Virginia University graduate andﾠ a recognized author, historian and professor. Kenney's published books include "To Live Again" and "Defending the Homeland," a book of essays on radicalism and national security. Many may know Keeney as one of the principle organizers of the June 2011 March on Blair Mountain.

William P. McNeel is retired editor of The Pocahontas Times.ﾠ Born in Charleston and educated at Marietta College and the University of Oregon, he taught school in Pocahontas County and Australia. He is the author of many articles and two books on the history of Pocahontas County and the Greenbrier Valley. McNeel is a charter member of the Pocahontas County Historical Society as well as the Mountain State Railroad and Logging Association.

George Deike and his wife, Mickey, have owned Shalimar Farms for more than 30 years.ﾠ The 844 acre farm sits adjacent to Cass Scenic Railroad State Park.ﾠ George Deike attended college in Pennsylvania and Missouri before moving to West Virginia in 1971 to pursue interests in logging, railroads and caves. He is an officer of the Mountain State Railroad and Logging Historical Association.

Hank Jaeger was employed with Cass Scenic Railroad for several years and is also a member of the Mountain State Railroad and Logging Historical Association and is leading the effort to restore the old power house at Cass Scenic Railroad State Park.

It has been estimated that from 1879 to 1912, the total cut of lumber in West Virginia was more than 20 billion board feet. By far, the greater percentage of this was cut by bandmills. This figure represents the lumber from 8,500,000 acres of virgin forest or more than 85 percent of the total timbered area of the state. The total lumber cut in West Virginia between 1870 and 1920 was more than 30 billion board feet. That amount of lumber would build a boardwalk 127 feet wide and two inches thick around the circumference of the earth, or would make a walkway 13 feet wide and two inches thick the average distance to the moon.

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