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West Virginia Day Events in Wheeling, Marshall County Turn Back the Clock

Joselyn King

The re-reading of a proclamation from President Abraham Lincoln, blue and gold birthday cake, scavenger hunts and crafts all were part of West Virginia Day ceremonies happening in the Northern Panhandle on Thursday.

It was in Wheeling that West Virginia's statehood all began on June 20, 1863 -- 161 years ago Thursday.

Standing on the steps of West Virginia Independence Hall, Lincoln -- as portrayed by John W. King of Rock Creek, Ohio -- at noon on Thursday read to those gathered his historic 1863 proclamation officially declaring West Virginia a state. Others dressed in 1860s style clothing flanked him on both sides.

When the reading was completed, those present then came inside West Virginia Independence Hall for a slice of the West Virginia birthday cake. The arrival of Gov. Jim Justice and the unveiling the statue of Arthur Boreman, the first governor of West Virginia, took place several hours later.

Deborah Jones, site manager for the state's Independence Hall, explained it usually takes "three to four days" to plan the West Virginia Day ceremony, but this year it was a little different.

Work for the dedication of the Boreman statue actually took six weeks, she continued.

Then there were added issues stemming from flooding that happened in the basement of West Virginia Independence Hall during heavy rains in early April, according to Jones.

"Everything had to be redone -- new carpets, new baseboards, new everything, "she said. "It just got finished yesterday (Wednesday) at about 1 p.m. So we're just throwing it all together. It's worth it."

Among those attending was Hayley Craig, a West Virginia history teacher from Franklin, West Virginia in Pendleton County. She was accompanied by her husband Tom, and their dog Kanawha.

Craig noted the name "Kanawha" was one of the first names considered for West Virginia.

"I just love West Virginia a lot," she said.

The family takes road trips to see the state parks, and Craig said they have now visited all of them.

King, who portrayed Lincoln, was teaching third grade in Holbrook, Ohio when a friend suggested to him he resembled Lincoln.

"'But you need a coat and hat,' he told me," King said. "I asked him where I could get one, he told me 'I'll just lend you mine.' I wore it in front of my third grade students, and it just grew from there."

West Virginia Day activities were also held in Marshall County on Thursday including demonstrations and free tours of the historic Cockayne Farmstead in Glen Dale. A scavenger hunt in Moundsville, organized by the Moundsville Public Library and Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex, was also offered to children.

Librarian Mickey Massey said the scavenger hunt began at the Mound where participants received the maps and clues/questions.

"There are yellow signs all around town that will give them their answers," she said. "There are 10 questions they have to answer."

The last stop was the library where the children would get to pick out a prize and adults could pick out a free book. Families could also enter into a free drawing for a prize basket there, too.

Massey said the scavenger hunt is a good way to teach younger children local and state history. She noted West Virginia history classes do not begin until fourth grade.

"This gives young children a start on learning about their state," she said. "And they're learning about their town, Moundsville. A lot of these questions, they are going to places that had been something else before ... and they're learning what it is now."

At the Cockayne Farmstead, woodworker Rich Beekman of Shadyside was displaying his handmade wooden spoons and demonstrating how he makes them.

"You have to remember your history and West Virginia Day celebrates that history. It's a phenomenal history - the Civil War and so on and them making their own state," Beekman said. "So it's a good thing to celebrate."

Kara Gordon, site manager of the Cockayne Farmstead, said the historic site enjoys participating in celebrating the state's birthday. In addition to Beekman's woodcarving, there was also a station for children to learn how to make a small hole-punched lantern from foil and a toilet paper roll.

"We're all trying to participate so people could make a day out of it in Marshall County and see all the different sites," Gordon said.