A Catch-Up Post: Storytelling, Ghosts, History

So, where to start? October was, as usual, a whirl of storytelling. We mixed in some family time too.

We had been home only a few days before my first storytelling performance of the month at Ripley Middle School. This was the 6th year I have been to the school to share West Virginia stories and ballads with the 8th grade class. It is always such a pleasure to see how interested the students are in the folklore, history, and traditions of our state.

A few days later I left for several days of storytelling in central West Virginia. I started with a ghost stories program in historic Philippi, WV, home of the first land battle of the Civil War (more of a skirmish, some claim), the two-lane covered bridge originally built by bridge builder Lemuel Chenoweth, and the Philippi Mummies.

What a great place for ghost stories. A gentleman who attended took me out to see some places that were supposedly haunted in the area, and he told me a good story from his family's history that he would like me to include in my repertoire. Working on it!

I left Philippi and headed to Jackson's Mill WVU Conference Center for the 20th annual West Virginia Storytelling Festival. This festival has had its ups and downs but seems to be on solid footing now with two days full of school children and an evening concert for the public. This year saw more schools than in the past, with well over 1000 attending both days.

As soon as I got home we were into making apple butter with our family. Two sons and some of their families came to help. We had a beautiful day for it!

Each year it seems to be easier, less work and more fun.

It was a good return for our time, and everyone had apple butter to take home.

I spent the following week preparing for the third annual Ripley Believe It or Not Lantern Walk. It was so good to have the luxury of a clear week to review, research and prepare the stories for this year. While some are repeats (and favorites of the listeners) I add new details each year as well as new stories and historical anecdotes to keep the walk fresh. 

This year I visited the two cemeteries in town, finding graves of the early settlers and other people who figure in my stories.

The Early Settlers Cemetery is filled with history, and there are many unmarked graves here.

 I liked the way my shadow played between these two matching stones.

The grave of Henry Progler, a Swiss immigrant who was
one of the early movers and shakers in Ripley.

I also visited the library to read old newspapers on microfilm and review some books and a unique scrapbook. This book has an interesting history--I'll write more about it in a later post. 


This old photo from the scrapbook shows the covered bridge (no longer in existence). I had not seen a photo this old of Ripley, and it has some fascinating details, like the paling fence around the courthouse.

The ghost walk was a blast, with very good attendance. The first night was cold and rainy, but 16 people came to take the walk and hear the stories anyway. I was soaked to the knees when we finished, and it took a while to warm up.

The second night was brisk and clear, and about 130 people came out. It was a huge crowd to shepherd through the streets and keep organized, as well as stay within a reasonable timeframe and keep all the stories and details straight in my head. The actors from the local acting group did a standout job portraying various historic figures. It was one more successful year for the walk, and I am already working on stories for next year.

More catch-up in my next post!

Looking Back to Storytelling Days

36°f, clear. Another beautiful but dry Fall day 

This post showed up in my Facebook memories. As I lounge about trying to let this knee heal, I find myself astounded at how incredibly busy I was back then. Of course, I was 9 years younger, but still...

I thought those of you who weren't readers back then might enjoy reading about how my life was back then.

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It was a wild ride, and it was fantastic fun. I told stories from pretty much one side of West Virginia to the other, mixing ghost tales, ballads, stories for children with a few side trips along the way.

It started in Ripley. This was the Do You Believe? Ghost Walks in my county's seat, and we started right at the courthouse steps. This year we had between 150 and 200 people come out for the walks over two weekends, even though it was right chilly the second Saturday. Civil War ghosts, town legends, old murders, historic homes, and the town's beginnings in frontier America all contributed to the evenings' tales.

Sunday I packed and prepared for the week's travels, and I was on the road early Monday morning, heading to Saint Albans, followed by Charleston and then Dunbar, telling West Virginia ghost stories at libraries in Kanawha county. No photos, unfortunately, as I was traveling solo so had no trusty sidekick to snap pics for me.

Tuesday morning found me in Clendenin, the home of the first library I managed. It is always fun to return and see how vibrant this library still is in this small community on the Elk River. I left there and headed north and east to Shepherdstown, WV in the far eastern panhandle of our state, to tell stories for the Speak! Shepherdstown series hosted by storyteller Adam Booth. The audience was fabulous for this event--seasoned adult listeners who really support storytelling in their community. After the evening show I drove west and south once again to Weston to be ready for the start of the West Virginia Storytelling Festival that started the next morning.

 This festival, held at Jackson's Mill, was excellent as always.

We told tales to about 1000 or more school children over two days, and participated in an evening storytelling concert for the public. Fun times!

This photo was taken in the WV Building--an unusual building built for a World's Fair and then brought back to WV. It's built of all the hardwoods found in our state.

The exterior of the WV Building, taken in the mist of early morning.

I left Jackson's Mill and headed south and west, taking the scenic route so I could once again visit two favorite places: Falls Mill and Bulltown.

Falls Mill is a small park on the site of a former mill, and Bulltown was the site of a Civil War skirmish.

West Virginia had no huge battles during the war but there were quite a few sizable skirmishes in the state. Bulltown was quiet when I stopped there, with no other visitors. There is an eerie feeling of going back in time in such a place when one is all alone. I almost felt the presence of the soldiers and family there.

Friday was booth day--we worked at Marietta to being new items to our spaces there. I'm afraid this booth was a little neglected lately while I've been on the road so much. It looked fine though, and we added a few new things. I'll post pics in a later post.

Then Saturday I drove to Cross Lanes for the last of my Kanawha county library performance series and then came back to Ripley for the Saturday night ghost walks. I was happy to see two people from the morning's program at Cross Lanes in attendance for the ghost walk--they drove a good ways to be there, bringing several friends with them.

I was kind of sad to see the end of this wild week of storytelling. I met so many people along the way, and West Virginia is wearing its beautiful fall coat so the drives were a treat in themselves.

Yesterday I unloaded my van, unpacked my suitcase, and then went over to Ravenswood to work on the booth there (pics coming in another post). And today? I think it's going to be a bit of a catch-up day, doing laundry, writing thank-you notes, paying bills, and all the mundane things that keep home running smoothly.

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

On the Road Again

Off today to Clendenin (WV) Library, then to Shepherdstown (WV) for an evening performance at the Shepherdstown Community Club for the Speak! Shepherdstown Series, which is the brainchild of storyteller Adam Booth (who got standing ovations, I hear, at the National Storytelling Festival!).

Then tomorrow starts the WV Storytelling Festival at beautiful Jackson's Mill, WV, and I'll follow that up with a 6:00pm Thursday evening performance at the Elk Valley Library in Elkview, WV.

So I'll be back in a few days with tales to tel about my travels. Meantime, have a good week, friends.

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

West Virginia Storytelling Festival, Jackson's Mill

I intended to write more about Grantchester this evening, but after a long day of driving I am going to take a rain check on that post and instead share photos of last week's storytelling festival at Jackson's Mill, WV. The Mill, as it is called by those who love it, was the boyhood home of Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson and today is operated by WVU's Extension Service as a Conference Center and 4-H camp.

This was the 17th year for the storytelling festival, making it the oldest one in West Virginia. I've been a teller at all but two of those years--I was a listener the first year, just getting my feet wet with storytelling, and had another engagement another year (I believe it was 1999). Being part of this festival every year is something I treasure: the faces, the familiar staff, the lovely grounds, and the knowledge that I am walking on historic ground combine to create an atmosphere that is positive and forward-looking while still acknowledging and respecting the past.

The Extension Services staff are excellent to work with. The event goes smoothly; all I need to worry about is being ready with new stories and getting there on time. The rest is taken care of.

4-H agents from around the state come to help with crowd control and logistics. They know and love kids and bring high energy and enthusiasm to the festival.

Early morning at the mill before the buses arrived:

 

In the assembly hall, all is in readiness:

And here they are! One entire school, that fills the room corner to corner. Did we have fun? Yes we did! Hmm, I look like the Headless Woman in this photo.

 

 

Nope, still have my head. Whew.

 

Millstones are everywhere at Jackson's Mill. Wonder why?

One of two log cabins on the property. This one has a kitchen attached by a dogtrot, a wise move in the days of frequent kitchen fires.

The McWhorter cabin, reflected in the mill pond:

 

Fall color was just beginning to peak.

March Harshman, West Virginia's Poet Laureate, ramps it up wit the kids. He's an excellent storyteller and presenter. How many poets do you know who love being around children?

At the West Virginia building, the buses line up:

And inside everyone is ready for a story.

Some members of the Jackson family rest in this peaceful graveyard; looks quiet here, but there is actually a busy road bordering one side.

After the rains on Thursday.

Looking forward to another great festival next year!

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

Beautiful Jackson's Mill

Sharing some of the beauty of Jackson's Mill with you:

 The graveyard just across from our lodge hold graves of some of Stonewall Jackson's relatives, incuding his grandfather.

 Stone, iron, and earth create a landscape of angles and softness.

Maples glowed in the woods behind the cemetery. 

The flag is on the grave of Jackson's grandfather. 

 Adam explored the herb garden beside the McWhorter cabin, and brought bits of leaves for us to smell and identify.

 The McWhorter cabin basks in the October sun,

and a Koi glides beneath reflected green in the mill pond.

Blaker's Mill is still operational and I brought home a five-pound bag of corn meal stone-ground at this mill. It makes the best cornbread.

 The Director's house is a testament to his wife's gardening abilities.

Stately, restful oaks line a path on the grounds.