Forums · in the hills of West Virginia
This relates to what Az said about ancient folks not understanding human conception. It is very true but do you know that in this very century in this country I ran into the same thing and it about blew my mind.
I lived in the coal fields of West Virginia down in Bluefield in 1980 to 82. there was a nurse who worked at a clinic and part time at my husbands jewelry store. she told me that a woman who had 6 kids came in and did not know that conception came from doing the wild thing!!! she was pretty floored to when it happened the first time but this woman was not the first. what was pretty cute was when they explained it to her the woman left saying "why, that son of a bitch".
Honsetly- I thought she was pulling my leg but she wasn't.
It was pretty wild country back then but the shopping mall in mercer county brought about great cultural change. the folks didnt want the mall- then when it was built they would come in and gawk. the average clothing size was 14 but the clothing stores had the usual sizes like 5-7-9. at first I worked in a dept. store at the jewelry dept and when I waited on a black lady and her daughter I was told not to again. ( I quit the job!) when I went to get an ad sales job at the newspaper I was told by a fat lard butt man with suspenders and a cheap cigar that they wouldnt hire women for that job!!
I went back a couple years later to visit friends and folks were down to size 7,wearing boat shoes and riding 10-speed bikes.Quite the little civilized folks! Isnt it funny what something like a mall can do to change the face of a culture??
so- right in our own country - the 1800's were alive and well in the hills and hollers of WVA!
I lived in the coal fields of West Virginia down in Bluefield in 1980 to 82. there was a nurse who worked at a clinic and part time at my husbands jewelry store. she told me that a woman who had 6 kids came in and did not know that conception came from doing the wild thing!!! she was pretty floored to when it happened the first time but this woman was not the first. what was pretty cute was when they explained it to her the woman left saying "why, that son of a bitch".
Honsetly- I thought she was pulling my leg but she wasn't.
It was pretty wild country back then but the shopping mall in mercer county brought about great cultural change. the folks didnt want the mall- then when it was built they would come in and gawk. the average clothing size was 14 but the clothing stores had the usual sizes like 5-7-9. at first I worked in a dept. store at the jewelry dept and when I waited on a black lady and her daughter I was told not to again. ( I quit the job!) when I went to get an ad sales job at the newspaper I was told by a fat lard butt man with suspenders and a cheap cigar that they wouldnt hire women for that job!!
I went back a couple years later to visit friends and folks were down to size 7,wearing boat shoes and riding 10-speed bikes.Quite the little civilized folks! Isnt it funny what something like a mall can do to change the face of a culture??
so- right in our own country - the 1800's were alive and well in the hills and hollers of WVA!
Hey fellow hillbilly (Yes, I'm a hillbilly and proud of it! (puff out chest) you just don't know there's a difference between a hillbilly and a "dirty" hillbilly. - That's what I was raised to say.) I was born in Pearisburg Virginia - county seat of Giles County, just over the boarder of WV (take I-77 south and you'll run through it but don't blink), not too far from Bluefield (right near Blacksburg where they're doing all those pig gene experiments for human organ transplants). That's where I spent my summers.
It was culture shock going from Cleveland to the hills (they're mountains but they call them hills) of Virginia. Malls or not, you're still going to hear the stories of whole families of people not coming out of the hills for anything except maybe to see a doctor. In every holler (that's hollow), you're going to have an old woman that sells eggs and milk but only if you go to her - go to the end of the holler, past farmer John's cattle feed (just ignore the snarling dog), take the path past the old chestnut grove (it's called old because it's not actually there anymore)about a half mile and wait at her gate until she decides if you're friend or foe and lets you in - she's probably the same old woman that can put a jinx on you if she doesn't like you.
I think I can take credit for educating a few people down there (had my first fiancee at 14 but that's another story). In 1964 I started going down there for summers with my grandparents. When I'd first arrive, school was just wrapping up for them so I was allowed to go to school one day with my cousins. While they were in elementary it was pretty neat just to meet some new kids. I ran into trouble the first time we tried to do this at the Junior High School. This was the first time that they had to attend school with black kids, which was no big deal to me. The problem came at lunch. All the white kids were on one side of the room and all the black kids were on the other side of the room. I natuarally sat with my cousins. After we ate, someone in the white group turned on a radio to a country station. Shortly afterward, I heard a thumpa, thumpa from the other side of the room. I looked up and the black kids were dancing. I watched for awhile and the need to groove took over but as I got up to go dance, my cousin grabbed my arm and said "you can't go over there" (I heard whispers of "it just isn't done", "what's she doing" but I Ignored them). I said "watch me". I had a blast. Except for a few "questioning glance" exchanges and the same whispers that I'd heard from the white kids, nothing was said directly to me but my cousins did run home after school with the "oohh, mamma, do you know what she did?" blab, blab, tsk, tsk. Think about what era that was, mid 1960's. According to my cousins, that was the first time anyone (white or black) had crossed that line and no one knew what to think or how to react - If I'd done that a couple of years later, there could have been a riot over something so simple.
[ January 09, 2002: Message edited by: Connie ]
[ January 09, 2002: Message edited by: Connie ]
It was culture shock going from Cleveland to the hills (they're mountains but they call them hills) of Virginia. Malls or not, you're still going to hear the stories of whole families of people not coming out of the hills for anything except maybe to see a doctor. In every holler (that's hollow), you're going to have an old woman that sells eggs and milk but only if you go to her - go to the end of the holler, past farmer John's cattle feed (just ignore the snarling dog), take the path past the old chestnut grove (it's called old because it's not actually there anymore)about a half mile and wait at her gate until she decides if you're friend or foe and lets you in - she's probably the same old woman that can put a jinx on you if she doesn't like you.
I think I can take credit for educating a few people down there (had my first fiancee at 14 but that's another story). In 1964 I started going down there for summers with my grandparents. When I'd first arrive, school was just wrapping up for them so I was allowed to go to school one day with my cousins. While they were in elementary it was pretty neat just to meet some new kids. I ran into trouble the first time we tried to do this at the Junior High School. This was the first time that they had to attend school with black kids, which was no big deal to me. The problem came at lunch. All the white kids were on one side of the room and all the black kids were on the other side of the room. I natuarally sat with my cousins. After we ate, someone in the white group turned on a radio to a country station. Shortly afterward, I heard a thumpa, thumpa from the other side of the room. I looked up and the black kids were dancing. I watched for awhile and the need to groove took over but as I got up to go dance, my cousin grabbed my arm and said "you can't go over there" (I heard whispers of "it just isn't done", "what's she doing" but I Ignored them). I said "watch me". I had a blast. Except for a few "questioning glance" exchanges and the same whispers that I'd heard from the white kids, nothing was said directly to me but my cousins did run home after school with the "oohh, mamma, do you know what she did?" blab, blab, tsk, tsk. Think about what era that was, mid 1960's. According to my cousins, that was the first time anyone (white or black) had crossed that line and no one knew what to think or how to react - If I'd done that a couple of years later, there could have been a riot over something so simple.
[ January 09, 2002: Message edited by: Connie ]
[ January 09, 2002: Message edited by: Connie ]
Connie!
You're from Pearisburg?? Know right where that is! I have kin all through that area- dont know 'em though-and then all the way up into Martinsburg, Wva where my great great grandfather fought in the Berkely county VA militia for the southern cause- it turned into WVA in 1863 but he was still sesesh- as some of us in the family still are. got family in botetourt county SW Va and around Tazewell too. My grandma on Mom's side is from Williamstown right acros the river from Marietta ohio.Also have Bairs from Mom's side in Pa and Berkeley co Wva! Gads! I'm a hillbilly river rat combo! My family originally came from baden-baden germany in 1720, settled in the Lancaster pa area (many are still there) and then began moving south (smart folks!)
Hey- do you know anyone with the last name of CARPER from around there?
I always knew when I was near Pearisburg- there's this funny smelling Celanese plant there.
Girl- we could be related somewhere down the line!
You're from Pearisburg?? Know right where that is! I have kin all through that area- dont know 'em though-and then all the way up into Martinsburg, Wva where my great great grandfather fought in the Berkely county VA militia for the southern cause- it turned into WVA in 1863 but he was still sesesh- as some of us in the family still are. got family in botetourt county SW Va and around Tazewell too. My grandma on Mom's side is from Williamstown right acros the river from Marietta ohio.Also have Bairs from Mom's side in Pa and Berkeley co Wva! Gads! I'm a hillbilly river rat combo! My family originally came from baden-baden germany in 1720, settled in the Lancaster pa area (many are still there) and then began moving south (smart folks!)
Hey- do you know anyone with the last name of CARPER from around there?
I always knew when I was near Pearisburg- there's this funny smelling Celanese plant there.
Girl- we could be related somewhere down the line!
=O!
Oh this is neat! Truck drivers and GettysburgMary are the only other people who've know where Pearisburg is.
I'm going to have to ask my Mom about the Carper name. I just ran a whitepages check and there are quite a few Carpers that have the same area code as my Aunts and Uncles. My family names down there would be on mom's side, Lucas for my Grandfather and Brown for my grandmothers and on Dad's side it would be Mc Ghee for my grandfather and Miller for my grandmother. Dad's people are just over the WV boarder in a little place called Lindside.
I think I'll just call you cuz from now on!
Oh this is neat! Truck drivers and GettysburgMary are the only other people who've know where Pearisburg is.
I'm going to have to ask my Mom about the Carper name. I just ran a whitepages check and there are quite a few Carpers that have the same area code as my Aunts and Uncles. My family names down there would be on mom's side, Lucas for my Grandfather and Brown for my grandmothers and on Dad's side it would be Mc Ghee for my grandfather and Miller for my grandmother. Dad's people are just over the WV boarder in a little place called Lindside.
I think I'll just call you cuz from now on!
Well then I am a cousin too cause my father's side of the family comes from Baden Germany too!
And I am jealous about the lancaster thing. I love Lancaster! Its so pretty there and oh so close to Gettysburg! My great great ++ grandfather was Peter Keller and he came to America in 1851 from Baden. We don't know who is parents were or anyone prior to him. He married A Catherine Meyer in Cleveland Ohio. My sister in law's family are from that area of West Virginia too. Marvin my hubby's family is from
Hazzard Kentucky. He is a good ole boy!
And I am jealous about the lancaster thing. I love Lancaster! Its so pretty there and oh so close to Gettysburg! My great great ++ grandfather was Peter Keller and he came to America in 1851 from Baden. We don't know who is parents were or anyone prior to him. He married A Catherine Meyer in Cleveland Ohio. My sister in law's family are from that area of West Virginia too. Marvin my hubby's family is from
Hazzard Kentucky. He is a good ole boy!
How wonderful all of this is! I think it is terrific that we may have some relatives on the message board who have never met! It is a very small world sometimes. It will be interesting if you do a little more puttering around in Genealogy... who knows what you might find!!!
My father-in-law and his parents lived in Lancaster, PA when he was growing up. Surname is Deacon, just in case this might add to the pot! My father-in-law went off to WWI from Lancaster. He drove an ambulance in France... and later got his Doctorate in Bacteriology from Wesleyan U in Connecticut, and became a Professor of Bacteriology at Vanderbilt U. in Nashville, TN, where my husband was born. Wouldn't it be something if all of us were linked in various different ways to Lancaster via relatives and/or family acquaintances? Now, that would be quite a story!
azspirit
My father-in-law and his parents lived in Lancaster, PA when he was growing up. Surname is Deacon, just in case this might add to the pot! My father-in-law went off to WWI from Lancaster. He drove an ambulance in France... and later got his Doctorate in Bacteriology from Wesleyan U in Connecticut, and became a Professor of Bacteriology at Vanderbilt U. in Nashville, TN, where my husband was born. Wouldn't it be something if all of us were linked in various different ways to Lancaster via relatives and/or family acquaintances? Now, that would be quite a story!
azspirit
Yall-
This is neat!! get this- my nephew, Davy, moved to Lancaster a number of years ago. he is a cartographer- you'll find his name listed on nat'l geographic map books etc. His company became mapquest which has been bought out by AOL. Aol sucks. Davy is coming home to Akron to go to pilot school at Kent State.Ooh- I dont want my baby to be a pilot!! It scares this old auntie!
Anyway..... I digressed out of pride there for a moment.... he converted to catholocism cuz his wife Tami is Italian/Irish. he goes to church in Lancaster with a CARPER who never left the area! Small small world!!!
Mary- somewhere along the way I saw some Kellers married into Carpers down in the MD/WVA/VA area.
Golly- we are a bunch of hillbillies and Pennsylvania Dutch around here!!! How fun is this!
Let me throw this out to my fellow Buckeyes here...I had a later branch of the family that came over from Alsace Lorraine in 1836- The Gabel's. they settled in what was then called the Black Swamp area of Ohio- the sandusky/fremont area. They founded the first Catholic church in
Gabel's Corners up there. Gabel is pronounced Gobble up that way - how appropriate could that be for a food slut like me?
The other part of my family from near there are the Adam's. George Adams was in the Ohio calvary in the civil war (I dont talk much about him- being a yankee and all and we are sorta sesesh)
These Adams came to Ohio from Massachusetts- I think- that is the rumor anyway.
His wife's name was Aurilla- isnt that cool?
Do any of you have any connections up that way??
When I was a little girl I grew up hearing old german beer songs, reading grimms fairy tales and of course- Thor comic books, then after learning about Hitler I was careful to say I was Alsatian and not german. My grandad still spoke german over 50 years after his family came here!!! Boy- did he make some good beer and wine too! He made sous too- can do without that! Too gross even for my mouth.
After doing a lot of geneology and realizing that my family is 2/3 germanic and 1/3 celt I began to reclaim the heritage that had been so embarrassing.It was hard to do too. Been studying the norse and germanic myths and religion. the art, the culture.Actually - the old myths have been calling to me.
I still have a bit of guilt about being German and white and am really tired of political correctness dictating that to me!!!Jeezus- being Germanic doesnt make ya a default racist!
And I will confess- I love Wagner and the Ride of the Valkyries!!! OOh dont tell!
And dont none of yall crack on me cuz of the Bluebellies in my family!! I'll get real right hurt!! Tee-hee.... I'll be down at the 'biergarten' singin' Dixie!
sundog
[ January 11, 2002: Message edited by: sundog ]
This is neat!! get this- my nephew, Davy, moved to Lancaster a number of years ago. he is a cartographer- you'll find his name listed on nat'l geographic map books etc. His company became mapquest which has been bought out by AOL. Aol sucks. Davy is coming home to Akron to go to pilot school at Kent State.Ooh- I dont want my baby to be a pilot!! It scares this old auntie!
Anyway..... I digressed out of pride there for a moment.... he converted to catholocism cuz his wife Tami is Italian/Irish. he goes to church in Lancaster with a CARPER who never left the area! Small small world!!!
Mary- somewhere along the way I saw some Kellers married into Carpers down in the MD/WVA/VA area.
Golly- we are a bunch of hillbillies and Pennsylvania Dutch around here!!! How fun is this!
Let me throw this out to my fellow Buckeyes here...I had a later branch of the family that came over from Alsace Lorraine in 1836- The Gabel's. they settled in what was then called the Black Swamp area of Ohio- the sandusky/fremont area. They founded the first Catholic church in
Gabel's Corners up there. Gabel is pronounced Gobble up that way - how appropriate could that be for a food slut like me?
The other part of my family from near there are the Adam's. George Adams was in the Ohio calvary in the civil war (I dont talk much about him- being a yankee and all and we are sorta sesesh)
These Adams came to Ohio from Massachusetts- I think- that is the rumor anyway.
His wife's name was Aurilla- isnt that cool?
Do any of you have any connections up that way??
When I was a little girl I grew up hearing old german beer songs, reading grimms fairy tales and of course- Thor comic books, then after learning about Hitler I was careful to say I was Alsatian and not german. My grandad still spoke german over 50 years after his family came here!!! Boy- did he make some good beer and wine too! He made sous too- can do without that! Too gross even for my mouth.
After doing a lot of geneology and realizing that my family is 2/3 germanic and 1/3 celt I began to reclaim the heritage that had been so embarrassing.It was hard to do too. Been studying the norse and germanic myths and religion. the art, the culture.Actually - the old myths have been calling to me.
I still have a bit of guilt about being German and white and am really tired of political correctness dictating that to me!!!Jeezus- being Germanic doesnt make ya a default racist!
And I will confess- I love Wagner and the Ride of the Valkyries!!! OOh dont tell!
And dont none of yall crack on me cuz of the Bluebellies in my family!! I'll get real right hurt!! Tee-hee.... I'll be down at the 'biergarten' singin' Dixie!
sundog
[ January 11, 2002: Message edited by: sundog ]
I'm posting these pics for Connie. Here's what she said about them:
Wenonah is a picture of the Court House (which is still there) during Civil War time. The other is the Andrew Johnson house. I found the Giles County Historical Society site - http://personal.picusnet.com/gileschs/[/URL]
Court House
Andrew Johnson House
Wenonah is a picture of the Court House (which is still there) during Civil War time. The other is the Andrew Johnson house. I found the Giles County Historical Society site - http://personal.picusnet.com/gileschs/[/URL]
Court House
Andrew Johnson House
Thanks Kell,
Wenonah is one of the two main streets in downtown Pearisburg, VA. It runs east and west (Interstate Route 460)and I believe it's the only street in town with two red lights. The other is Main Street (State Route 100)and they intersect at the Courthouse (you can't see it but I'll bet there's another dirt road on the other side of the court house).
The Andrew Johnson house is the oldest brick house. Mom's best friend when she was younger was a Johnson and she was always telling stories about staying overnight at the old Johnson house. If this is the same house - it is haunted!
Wenonah is one of the two main streets in downtown Pearisburg, VA. It runs east and west (Interstate Route 460)and I believe it's the only street in town with two red lights. The other is Main Street (State Route 100)and they intersect at the Courthouse (you can't see it but I'll bet there's another dirt road on the other side of the court house).
The Andrew Johnson house is the oldest brick house. Mom's best friend when she was younger was a Johnson and she was always telling stories about staying overnight at the old Johnson house. If this is the same house - it is haunted!