West Virginia history classes preserving heritage
Niday: Classes are vital for studentsBy DAVE PAYNE Sr., dpayne@newsandsentinel.com
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PARKERSBURG - For years, West Virginia schools have made an effort to promote the state's heritage and history to students.
Each fourth-grade class has class time devoted to studying the state's history and students revisit the subject in eighth-grade West Virginia history classes.
The classes teach the state's students about West Virginia heritage, something that otherwise would be neglected and forgotten.
"They're not going to get this anywhere else. The classes are absolutely vital. It's the only place where most kids will have the opportunity to learn it. We have a wonderful history and it helps people appreciate how great West Virginia is," said Wood County Schools Superintendent Bill Niday.
West Virginia history also puts many state and local events in context, he said.
"It's really important for people to understand our heritage. If you understand what has happened, it explains a lot of about what is happening today," Niday said.
When Parkersburg resident Edelene Wood studied West Virginia history in the late 1930s at Liverpool School on the Roane/Jackson county line, there were no textbooks, but that didn't keep the state's history from being taught.
"Our teacher had a book that was '100 Things to Know About West Virginia' or something like that. It was a quiz book," she said. "I learned all these things little kids have no idea about. I learned Richwood was the clothespin capital of the world - it was a big world for a kid to learn about. After that, I always loved history. Once you get a child interested in history, I don't think she will ever lose that interest," she said.
When Sue Woodward, a member of the Wood County Schools administration, studied West Virginia history in school, she at least had a book.
"Our West Virginia history book had no color, no pictures, it had line drawings and maps - very little to inspire a school-age child to care about West Virginia. I remember in 1963, for the centennial, you could buy 'West Virginia In Color,' they had a copy at the Neale School library. We thought 'Where have you been all our lives.' We had no field trips, there wasn't even a mention of Blennerhassett Island even existing. We took a field trip to Campus Martius (museum in Marietta)," Woodward recalled.
What many residents remember most from their state history classes are the county names students were required to memorize and locate on a map, said John Coe, Wood County Schools attendance director.
"The one thing I really remember are all the counties in the state, we had to memorize them in alphabetical order," he said.
For Woodward, another class-taught tidbit comes to mind.
"I remember this fact that per capita we had sent more people to the world wars than any other state. My dad was a World War II veteran and I thought, 'Wow, he was one of those,'" Woodward said.
Since 1931, the top scorers on an eighth-grade West Virginia history exam have been dubbed Knights or Ladies of the Golden Horseshoe and are given a Golden Horseshoe pin. The Golden Horseshoe itself as well as its knighting ceremony is a throwback to Virginia Gov. Alexander Spotswood's laid-back expedition to see what was on the other side of the Blue Ridge Mountains in 1716. Upon the expedition's return, Spotswood gave each man a piece of horseshoe-shaped gold jewelry.
When Wood took the Golden Horseshoe exam in the late 1930s, test-takers were usually hand-picked by teachers. Wood said the only reason she was allowed to take the test was because no boy wanted to do so.
"When the teacher asked which of us would like to study for the Golden Horseshoe, I raised my hand and he ignored me. He said 'Isn't there anybody who wants to do it?' I still had my hand up and he still ignored me. Finally, he looked at me and said 'No, I mean a boy,'" Wood recalled.
Since there were no other volunteers, Wood studied for the test.
"Jackson County only had one winner then and our teacher took us all to the main telephone switchboard in Ripley so we could find out who won. Of course, it was me," she said.
Her teacher drove her to Charleston for the Golden Horseshoe knighting ceremony.
"At that time, I had never been anywhere. My teacher drove me to the ceremony. I remember the governor talking and I fainted dead-away from the excitement," she recalled.
For more information about the Golden Horseshoe and a database of winners, visit www.wvculture.org/HISTORY/wvmemory/goldenhorseshoe.html.
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walleye
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07-21-08 10:12 PM
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There is so---------much history in and about our beautiful state that children today are oblivious of. The mountains, railroads, Civil War, renown education, rivers and streams, oil/gas/coal, industry are just a few positive resources that should be visible to all of our population and visitors alike. I have had many opportunities to relocate to other states but leaving WV isn't in my vocabulary.
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tallchris60
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07-21-08 9:30 PM
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My wife and I both attended Hamilton Jr. High and had WV history in the 8th grade. I definitely remember my WV history but unfortunately my wife had a different teacher than I. Her teacher had the kids listen to music and then write about their feelings. That teacher was eventually dismissed and a more competent teacher inserted into the classroom. The dismissed teacher now workd for the Parkersburg News. Thanks Dave Poe, thankfully you are no longer teaching kids.
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tallchris60
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07-21-08 9:30 PM
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My wife and I both attended Hamilton Jr. High and had WV history in the 8th grade. I definitely remember my WV history but unfortunately my wife had a different teacher than I. Her teacher had the kids listen to music and then write about their feelings. That teacher was eventually dismissed and a more competent teacher inserted into the classroom. The dismissed teacher now workd for the Parkersburg News. Thanks Dave Poe, thankfully you are no longer teaching kids.
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halfhill
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07-21-08 9:10 AM
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I had two small pamphlet booklets, one green and one red, at McKinley school in the 1930's on WVA history. I remember getting a gold pin and just recently lost the above in an unfortunate accident in downsizing to my present home. Some of the comments in the article brought back good memories. I still remember some of the facts.
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Mama01
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07-21-08 8:58 AM
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I'd like to say that I had the absolute best WV History teacher. His love of the state, the children and teaching still echoes in my heart. Mr. Charles Keeper, gone but never forgotten.
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