By: Eric Douglas, Author | Posted: Jan. 17, 2018 | Source: Kanawha Metro
I learned a lesson in humility recently.
With the cold weather, I was using my fireplace more than anticipated. I knew I wasn’t going to have enough firewood to make it through the winter, but my supply dwindled faster than I expected.
Just as we were running out, my wife found someone locally who could deliver to the house at, frankly, a better price than I expected. (Another quote was $50 more.)
It takes a village to restore a village. The people of Elk River know this well, having lived through the devastating flood of 2016, and having welcomed thousands of volunteers into the area to assist in recovery efforts. Town maintenance crews have been working hard to restore the infrastructure and cleanliness of Clendenin, but it’s a very large and ongoing task. Now that some locals are catching up on their own personal recovery issues, several are giving back to the community by volunteering their time and efforts to the town as well.
Every fall during Mountaineer Week at West Virginia University, two outstanding students are recognized as Ms. and Mr. Mountaineer. Five male and five female finalists are selected from the student body based on their outstanding academic achievements at WVU and their involvement in extracurricular activities. The honorees are then announced during halftime of the WVU football game at Milan Puskar Stadium, marking the conclusion of Mountaineer Week. (more…)
(via: The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in the State of West Virginia)
In 1917 the National Society of Colonial Dames of America in the State of West Virginia established a marker to pay tribute to the pioneer Clendenin family of Charleston, West Virginia. Charles Clendenin, his sons, and the Virginia Rangers built Fort Clendenin in 1788, a frontier outpost that protected settlers from Indian attacks. The Clendenin Fort was officially called Fort Lee in honor of Henry “Lighthourse” Lee, governor of Virginia and father of Robert E. Lee.
The Sundial marker and commemorative plaque were placed along the Kanawha River in the 1200 block. This monument was the first of seven Colonial Dames’ monuments paying tribute to the patriots who risked their lives to settle the land in western Virginia. The sundial is on a marble pedestal surrounded by a black wrought-iron fence. A bronze plaque at the site reads: Erected in 1917/ By the Colonial Dames of West Virginia/In Memory of Charles Clendendin /For Whom Charleston Was Named/December 1794. (more…)
This Article was written by Jerry D. Stover | Featured Image: Elk River Courtesy Of WV Division of Tourism (WVDT) | Photographer: David Fattaleh | (via: wvencyclopedia.org)
The Elk River meanders 177 miles from its headwaters in Pocahontas County westerly to its confluence with the Kanawha River at Charleston. The river flows through some of West Virginia’s most rugged and remote terrain, before finally reaching the state’s major center of population. The important tributaries include Holly River, Birch River, Buffalo Creek, and Big Sandy Creek. Other tributaries that drain areas of 50 square miles or more are Little Sandy, Blue, and Laurel creeks, and Back Fork. The Elk River watershed of 1,532 square miles accounts for about 6.5 percent of the territory of West Virginia.
Featured Image: American Pioneer, Daniel Boone, Getty Images. | (via: wikipedia.org)
After the Revolution, Boone resettled in Limestone (renamed Maysville, Kentucky in 1786), then a booming Ohio River port. In 1787, he was elected to the Virginia state assembly as a representative from Bourbon County. In Maysville, he kept a tavern and worked as a surveyor, horse trader, and land speculator. He was initially prosperous, owning seven slavesby 1787, a relatively large number for Kentucky at the time.[36] Boone became a celebrity while living in Maysville. In 1784, on his 50th birthday, historian John Filson published The Discovery, Settlement And present State of Kentucke, a book which included a chronicle of Boone’s adventures.[36]
Every year American Legion Post 61, typically holds their Christmas Dinner in Clendenin where it is hosted by Crown Catering. Post 61 is comprised of veterans mostly from the Clendenin, Clay County, Elkview, and surrounding Elk River Valley areas.
This is a traditional and special annual gathering for the Legion membership and their families at Christmas time. Due to the 2016 Flood which left many Clendenin buildings heavily damaged, including Crown Caterings, last years dinner was held in Elkview.
Meet Your Neighbor is a great way to get acquainted, or re-acquainted with folks you may or may not know in the Elk River and/or Clendenin areas. We will just randomly select individuals on a regular basis, that we cross paths with in our travels, who are game for some fun! We will ask them to briefly answer, on video, three questions:
We want to keep this light and informal, positive, and fun! So be ready! One day we may just walk up and invite you to be profiled on “Meet Your Neighbors”!
Enjoy!
