By Stephen Smoot
Recently, the Pendleton County Convention and Visitors Bureau received a grant from the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area to work on ways to use local history and culture to promote tourism.
The AFNHA, based in Elkins and founded in 2001, according to its website “works with willing partners in 16 West Virginia counties and two counties in western Maryland to explore and enhance the relationship between the forested mountains and the people who live here. With the overall theme of forest heritage, we focus on conservation, forestry, cultural heritage, asset-based tourism and community development.”
Amber Nesselrodt, executive director of the CVB, hosted the event at Elevated Grounds, a coffee shop in Franklin. She explained that she will hold two meetings for community members to contribute their input toward establishing ways to use the region’s history to draw tourists.
The AFNHA’s guidelines for application of grant funds includes touching on four main themes. First is the “crucible of isolation,” which refers to how thick forests and imposing mountainous terrain created communities isolated from both major population centers and each other. Another theme centers on the logging and timber industry which helped to push economic development in the Appalachian forest area.
Other themes listed are “we the people” and the resiliency of the forest in the face of settlement and development.
“National Heritage Areas are zones . . . tied in with the National Park Service and Forest Service” that adopt a cultural theme from a particular area, said Annie Humes, CVB board member.
Russ Sasso, a member of the Franklin Town Council, shared that he had come to the county when working at the Sugar Grove Navy base and never left. “I was hoping we’ll be able to amplify and modify and build on the Civil War,” he said. Sasso explained that growing up in New York, he never learned much about the Civil War.
Paul Clayton and Brenna Mitchell represented the Pendleton County Historical Society. Clayton serves as president of the organization while Mitchell is a popular presenter for the group. She recently spoke on Pendleton County soldiers lost in World War II, as well as the history of the Franklin fire of 1924.
They brought up efforts in previous years that created guides recorded on compact disc and other means of helping visitors learn about Pendleton County history and heritage at their own pace
“I get so deeply excited about the many, many ways you can be in a place,” shared Humes. She discussed how visitors can get interested in different aspects of history, heritage, culture, and even landforms all over Pendleton County. “Geologically it’s fascinating,” she noted.
Jeff Munn, CVB board member and owner of Dry Run Distillery, shared that Pendleton County currently has its lowest population since the Census of 1870, but that opportunity may lie there. “All sorts of communities have disappeared,” he said, listing Peru, Dahmer, and others.
“It would be really neat to encapsulate these communities” by telling their stories, Munn suggested.
The timing to tell community stories may be ripe. A recent national poll showed that more people are currently considering moving to West Virginia than leaving. A New York Post article last week highlighted the Southern Appalachians as the new trendy region in the United States to move into, especially for families seeking to buy affordable homes.
Locals have noticed the reversal as well. Katie VanMeter, who along with her husband, Jared, own the William McCoy House and other businesses, stated that “more people are moving back in. They want the experience they had when they were kids.” She also, as she has on many occasions, explained how they would use the McCoy House as a resource to help draw people into the community for special events.
The meeting held two weeks ago kicks off a series of such gatherings planned by the CVB. As Nesselrodt explained, “We are creating a space for local, cultural heritage stakeholders to contribute, participate, and collaborate with our local tourism office.”
The meeting also included board members of the CVB, local business owners, and others.
