John Robert (J.R.) Clifford was a trailblazing African American lawyer, educator, and activist whose work continues to inspire the fight for justice. Clifford's landmark legal battles, including the landmark ruling on November 16, 1898 in Williams v. Board of Education of Fairfax District, highlight his profound impact on civil rights and democracy.
The history of bison in the AFNHA unfolds like a windy trail that aligns with a stream of human change. Their presence and proliferation in the region was first blazed by indigenous tribes who brought a fire regime to the Appalachian forest, creating and maintaining the savannah and meadows that invited, hosted, and fed migrating buffalo. When European colonists came to West Virginia, they found much needed salt by way of the bison. Yet the settlers' domineering conception of the New World broke the balance between humanity and bison leading to their abrupt extermination in West Virginia. The cars and locomotives that now traverse these paths of least resistance owe a great debt to the herd-minded engineers they now succeed.
West Virginia’s famed old-time folk family, the Hammons, live in both the mythologies and histories of Appalachia. Through the Hammons and their music, we gain a peek into the history of Appalachian old-time music and its diverse sources. Burl and Currence learned many of their tunes from Black folk artists like Grafton Lacy from Braxton County. Lacy is no exception; Black artists have made founding contributions in the genre. Their role often remains untold, or in the case of Lacy, is sparsely mentioned in the stories of Appalachian folk music. The origins of old-time music, ranging from West Africa to the British Isles, come alive in between the lines of the music itself, where its hidden history becomes clear.
By 1910 there were more than 150 orchards in Morgan and Hampshire counties. A 1919 census of orchards by the WV Department of Agriculture recorded eight orchards in Paw Paw, with a crop of 105,000 bushels. In 1940, the Consolidated Orchard Company constructed a modern packing plant with a capacity of 130,000 bushels, which grew to a capacity of 200,000+ bushels by 1963. On April 16, 1948 Consolidated Orchard hosted the dedication of the B&O Railroad “Paw Paw” Pullman car. B&O chose to honor “Paw Paw” because of the town’s importance as an apple producing center, and the prominence of Henry Miller, Jr as a producer, shipper, and apple authority.
Today all can explore Seneca Rocks because it is public land that sits within the Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area, the first congressionally designated national recreation area established by the USDA Forest Service. Modern-day visitors to the Seneca Rocks Unit of the Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area appreciate the unique amalgam of geological history, rich culture, and fruitful recreational opportunities. Although the rock face is wont to steal the spotlight, the diversity and wealth of culture associated with the area is equally - if not more - deserving of it.
Many towns in West Virginia experienced lightning-fast growth as they became a part of a network of railroads. These towns usually had abundant resources like coal or timber that provided jobs for the towns’ residents. Many towns were built by companies– employees of coal companies would live in houses owned by the company they worked for. However, this was not always the case. One town that was built by residents instead of a coal company is Thomas, West Virginia.
J.R. Clifford was a lawyer, teacher, newspaper editor, and soldier. He was the first black lawyer to practice law before the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals. In the case Carrie Williams v. The Board of Education Fairfax District, he successfully argued that "discrimination against people because of color alone as to privileges, immunities and equal protection of the law is unconstitutional" more than 50 years before Brown v. Board of Education.
