Look Back: Writer thanks Wood County Historical and Preservation Society for help
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Dear Wood County Historical and Preservation Society and friends in Parkersburg,
I write to thank you. In October of 2020, I drove from my home in Washington, DC to Parkersburg.
Before that visit, all I knew about Parkersburg was that my ancestors called it home. In 1869, my great, great grandmother, Ellen Nelson, was widowed six weeks before she gave birth to her third and fourth children; twin boys. The community and her family rallied around her. With their help, by 1905, she had become the proprietor of a boarding house at the corner of Sixth and Market, directly across Sixth Street from her parish, St. Francis Xavier. Her Uncle Patrick Whitstead, along with his nephew Thomas Hughes, operated a grocery store in the 400 block of Market Street. All of the girls in the household attended DeSales Heights Academy, which made such an impression on my great-grandmother that she named her first daughter Margaret DeSales.
These people - my real-life ancestors - would become characters in a book called The Visitors, which I wrote with my nieces between 2020 and 2022. While I was in Parkersburg researching, Bob Enoch agreed to meet with me at the Phelps-Tavenner Research Center and introduced me to Diana Hill. Ms. Hill graciously helped my research in ways I never believed possible. Each time I wondered aloud about a school, business or street name, she would disappear into what I came to think of as her "magic room." From it, she would produce a file folder of meticulously-organized information. I looked at photos, maps, newspaper articles, yearbooks, city directories, city council minutes and more. More swiftly than I could have imagined, these records formed a picture of Parkersburg as it existed during the third week of November, 1905; the precise time period of our book.
Beyond the Historical Society, I was amazed by the support of the larger Parkersburg community. Jim Miracle guided me through the library's genealogy center. Norm and Judy Smith of the Julia-Ann Square district showed us around their incredibly preserved, historic home.
Thanks to their help and many others, The Visitors (by Abigail and Ella Jordan, and Kate Payerle) is now available on Amazon.com. I sent a copy to Ms. Hill, and to my surprise and delight, she coordinated with Jeanne Michie of the Wood County Public Library to host two author events at the Wood County Library and encouraged us to share our book with the Parkersburg Catholic Schools. Christi Greathouse welcomed us to both the elementary and high schools, giving us a chance to meet with the bright and engaging students. (Go, Catholic Crusaders!)
In The Visitors, my nieces and I travel backward in time to 1905 and spend a week in Parkersburg. Readers of our book will meet our ancestors and will imagine living as they lived in your city at the turn of the century.
During our real-life visits to Parkersburg, my nieces and I were impressed by the care your city takes to preserve your history, to teach others about it, and to welcome visitors with open arms. We are grateful to you for your hospitality, the enthusiasm you've shown for our book, and for all that you've taught us about your very, very special city.
Warmest regards,
Kate Payerle
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Bob Enoch is president of the Wood County Historical and Preservation Society. If you have comments or questions about Look Back items, please contact him at: roberteenoch@gmail.com, or by mail at WCHPS, PO Box 565, Parkersburg, WV 26102.