Looking for a Lady: Genevieve Lee Wyatt Payne

While in Raleigh county, WV the other day, we noticed a roadside marker that made us curious. We turned around and went back to check it out. What we found was this:

Genevieve Payne, apparently, was the guiding light behind the creation of the very popular roadside parks across West Virginia.

I remember that on my first visits to the state these little parks were a real treat, a place to have a pinic, fill water bottles from old iron hand pumps, and occasionally even camp for the night. Each park was a little different from the others, but all were painted with dark green and white paint, and almost all had a picnic shelter and an outhouse. Some were rather large, others just wide spots on the side of the road.

In the 1970's, then-governor Jay Rockefeller decided to stop maintaining the parks. His reasons were probably the cost of maintenance at a time when the state was strapped for cash. And picnicking had lost its poularity too as more people bought backyard grills. Some parks had become the sites of unsavory goings-on since there was no security to watch them during the night. One by one the parks disappeared and today all are gone except for a few taken over by municipalities or civic groups.

I think the demise of the roadside parks was a real loss for the state. They provided something unique, and the outhouses were mighty handy for travelers in remote areas where there might not be other bathroom options.

I never thought about how the parks came about--I assumed they were a project of th Civilian Conservation Corps, so I was surprised to find this roadside memorial to a lady I had never heard of.
So I set out to learn more about her. Who was Genevieve Wyatt Payne?

I have to admit, I've found very little. I learned that she was born Genevieve Lee Wyatt in 1909 in Greenbrier county, and married Mr. Edward M. Payne, Jr of Raleigh county. Her husband apparently was the son of the owner of the large E. M. Payne Store in Beckley. Mrs. Payne was evidently an avid gardener and a founding member and past president of the West Virginia Club, a group comprised of clubs from all around the state. There is still an award given by the club for Genevieve Payne Garden Therapy. I learned that Mrs. Payne had two sons, perhaps a daughter. And sadly, I also found out that she died of breast cancer in 1954. So young.

This is all I know of a lady who must have had a gardening hand, who appreciated beauty, and who knew the value of time spent outdoors and with family, enjoying a meal or just relaxing and observing nature. I did not find any online photos; probably these are available at for-pay sites. So the only images I have of her is the roadside memorial, and her gravesite:

from findagrave.com

But in my mind, I see her as a gracious lady, tending her gardens and busy in her community with projects of all kinds. Perhaps someone reading this can supply a photo. I found no mention of her in the WV Encyclopedia, or in Comstock's Encyclopedia, although her son is listed there. To me her accomplishment in making roadside parks available all across the state should be worthy of a mention in our state's history. Perhaps I just didn't look in the right places.

Here's to you, Mrs. Payne. Thank you for your hard work to beautify so many small corners of our state. Thousands of West Virginians and out-of-state visitors enjoyed the fruit of your vision.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.