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We have two new books in the Museum Shop.

The Pocahontas County Genealogy Group has produced its sixth volume, which covers Little Levels, in its cemetery inventories series, "In Loving Memory." The group has set as its goal to list the more than 310 known cemeteries in Pocahontas County. The new book lists the details of more than 1,300 people buried in the Little Levels area and, the members have indexed the entries and added pictures and local history articles. The Museum has the other five books in the series for sale, as well. These are vital and easy to use tools for researching your family history, and sales of the books will enable the genealogy group to produce more books, and that's an endeavor we can all support.

The second book added to our shop was produced by Paul A. Cunningham to commemorate the events of the first year of the Civil War, as we mark its 150th anniversary. Titled "Voices from Rich Mountain," this hardback book consists of a collection of first person accounts of some of the first battles in the northwestern part of Virginia. The first and longest of these is "On to Grafton" by Pocahontas native William T. Price. This was a section of his diary written in May 1861 when he served as chaplain to Company E, 31st Virginia Volunteers, of which most of the soldiers were natives of Highland County. Rev. Price, who later became the first minister of the Marlinton Presbyterian Church, was at the time serving two churches in Highland County. When he took up his charge in Marlinton he purchased The Pocahontas Times, and toward the end of his life he and his wife lived several years with their daughter, Anna, in the house which now serves as the county museum. In the 1890s Rev. Price wrote a series of articles called "Sketches of Pocahontas County," which were printed in the newspaper and in 1901 were printed in book form as the Price History of Pocahontas County.

The Price family included many avid writers and historians and one of the reasons that the Museum was able to amass such a big collection so quickly was that so many items were donated by that family. These range from the much loved Swiss music box and the collection of Native American artifacts to William Price's wheelchair. Dr. Norman Price passed on his camera, bicycle, skis and items from his personal collection. Three of the doctors represented in the medical room include Drs. Norman, James and Susan Price. We also have items that Anna Price Hunter donated, including, among other things, a 1904 washing machine, a baby carriage and a cradle which was used by her relatives from the Poage, Barlow and Warwick families who, as early settlers, preceded the arrival of the Price name in the county. On display also is Rev. Price's Confederate uniform (worn for reunions) and photographs taken by Dr. Norman at Civil War reunions, including the 50 year Peace Reunion in Gettysburg and other newsworthy events in the county.

The 2011 Pioneer Days badge, which honors the Pocahontas County Historical Society Museum's 50th anniversary, is in full color and was designed by Historical Society vice president B.J. Gudmundsson.

The badge features items in the Museum's collection as well as the Pocahontas County History Book, produced by the society in 1981. Other items featured include a Civil War sword and sash, the McNeel Bible, a doll from the Fanny Overholt collection, photographs taken by Cal Gay and a blue nineteenth century cream pitcher donated by Mrs. G .F. Crummett. Children under 12 are invited during Pioneer Days to locate these items in the museum.

Entrance fees to the museum will be waived on Friday and Saturday of Pioneer Days; visitors may, instead, donate the amount of their choosing.

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