June 2 at noon: Brandon Kirk

Lunch With Books: Blood in West Virginia

June 02, 2015, Event starts at 12:00 PM.

Author Brandon Kirk will discuss his book Blood in West Virginia: Brumfield vs. McCoy, which chronicles the Lincoln County Feud, a brutal family war that occurred in the Harts Creek community during the 1880s. During its hey-day, the Lincoln County Feud commanded headlines in newspapers all over the country. Journalists hyped the Lincoln County trouble as something even more awful than the Hatfield-McCoy Feud. For the most part, while managing to chronicle some of the feud's major events, they largely missed the real story. It is only now that the true story of this once-famous West Virginia feud is told.

About the Author: Brandon Kirk

Brandon Kirk, a descendent of feudists from Lincoln County, West Virginia, is an avid scholar of Appalachian feuds and Southern violence. An assistant professor of American history at Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College, Kirk gives daily lectures on Appalachian history and has traveled to schools and colleges as a guest speaker. In addition to having written more than fifty Appalachian-themed articles for regional newspapers and books, Kirk has contributed to the PBS series West Virginia and offered expertise for participants in the History Channel series Hatfields and McCoys.

His diverse career has included working as a university library assistant at Marshall University’s Morrow Library Special Collections Department, writing for the Lincoln (WV) Independent and Lincoln (WV) Journal, researching and writing for Hartford Music, Inc., writing and reporting for the Logan (WV) Banner, and teaching advanced placement history at Logan and Lincoln County Schools. He was appointed to the West Virginia Sesquicentennial Civil War Commission by Governor Earl Ray Tomblin and is a past member of the honor societies Kappa Delta Pi and Phi Alpha Theta. Kirk has appeared on The Friendly Neighbor Show, a local radio program. A close associate of the late John Hartford, Kirk co-authored the Ed Haley biography and contributed to an upcoming John Hartford documentary.

Kirk is a graduate of Marshall University where he specialized in social studies education and Appalachian and Southern history. An enthusiastic collector and compiler of oral histories, he spends his spare time researching at courthouses and archives, collecting old photographs, mapping cemeteries, and conducting field recordings of traditional Appalachian music. When he is not traveling through the American South or visiting old homes, museums, battlefields, antique stores, and music festivals, Kirk studies and preserves the culture of the Guyandotte Valley from his home in Harts, West Virginia.

People are talking about . . .BLOOD IN WEST VIRGINIA: Brumfield v. McCoy
By Brandon Ray Kirk

“When two proud families collide in the hills of West Virginia, there will be blood. Brandon Kirk’s marvelous tale of one of the bloodiest Appalachian feuds is a rip-roaring page-turner! The mountaineers in this book may at times be funny, mysterious, romantic, and deadly but they are always interesting. In Kirk’s sure hands, the reader will be transported back to the hills in an era when no judge and jury was required, just fists, knives, and gun powder. Highly recommended for anyone craving a good spirited read.”
—Homer Hickam, author of Rocket Boys

“This book brings a deadly story to life: As the Hatfield-McCoy Feud was finally coming to a close in the Tug Valley of West Virginia and Kentucky, another bloody vendetta was underway in nearby Lincoln County, West Virginia. Here it was Brumfields versus McCoys—and Haleys and Runyons and Adkinses and others—with results that were equally fatal. Author Brandon Kirk has done remarkable work in untangling the complex web of kinship connections linking both friends and foes, while detailing the social and economic strains of changing times in the mountains. The story he documents in these pages had lasting implications for the families and individuals involved—and, curiously, for the folk music of the region.”
—Ken Sullivan, executive director, West Virginia Humanities Council.
Editor, West Virginia Encyclopedia

Glenn Elliott, owner of the Professional Building (formerly City Bank Building), will discuss Wheeling of the 1890s and the optimism that fueled the construction of many of the city’s finest buildings. He will explore current preservation efforts giving buildings like his a chance for an encore performance in Wheeling's revitalization. Glenn is a Linsly graduate, an attorney, and a dedicated preservationist who believes his hometown is primed for a comeback.

Noon, Burning Down the Fireproof Hotel and at 6, The Trivia Challenge!

Lunch With Books: Burning Down the Fireproof Hotel

May 19, 2015 at noon.

Ask any Wheelingite if they know of a fireproof hotel and 10 out of 10 will declare, “The Rogers!” But while you may be familiar with the sturdy old brick structure, did you know it has inspired a life-changing, spiritual epiphany? Washington D.C. resident Cary Umhau has written a book about that journey and will share her story.

Then at 6 Pm: It's Wheeling History Trivia Challenge, Round 1

May 19, 2015

Event starts at 6:00 PM.

Get Ready for the “It’s Wheeling History” Trivia Challenge!

The Wheeling National Heritage Area, the Ohio County Public Library, West Virginia Independence Hall, and Dr. David Javersak are joining forces to present the first ever “It’s Wheeling History” Trivia Challenge.

The competition has room for twelve teams of three to four members each. Round one will feature six games on Tuesday, May 19, starting at 6 PM in the auditorium of the Ohio County Public Library. Each first round game will be limited to twenty minutes. Dr. Javersak, emeritus history professor at West Liberty University, will serve as the host for all games. Teams will choose from categories such as People, Places and Events and will accumulate points for correct answers. Team members will be permitted to consult for 30 seconds before a final answer is required. If the team answers correctly, the opponent will choose a category. If a team answers incorrectly, the opponent will be able to steal the points with the correct answer. Any ties after regulation will be settled by a sudden death lightning round. A panel of three expert judges will settle any disputes. Participants will not be permitted to access the Internet during competition.

Six teams will advance to Round Two, which will be held at the historic courthouse at West Virginia Independence Hall on Tuesday, June 23 at 7 PM. The second round will feature three games of 30 minutes in duration. The same rules will otherwise apply.

The three winning teams from round two will advance to the “It’s Wheeling History” Trivia Challenge Championship, to be held on First Friday, August 7 at 7 PM at the historic “Blue Church,” at 12^th and Byron Streets in East Wheeling. The evening will feature musical entertainment, beverages, and snacks.

The Championship round will last 60 minutes and the winning team will receive the inaugural, prestigious and highly coveted, “It’s Wheeling History” Trivia Challenge Championship Cup, a traveling trophy comprised of a red antique galvanized “Dura-Zinc-Alloy” fire bucket manufactured by Wheeling Corrugating Company. Individual team members from the first, second and third place teams will also receive locally made gifts.

Team registration will be on a first come, first served basis until 12 teams are registered. The fee per person is $10.00. All registered participants will receive an “It’s Wheeling History” Trivia Challenge tee-shirt. Tee-shirts will also be available at the three competition venues for purchase. Teams can register in person at the Ohio County Public Library or online by visiting the library’s web site at www.ohiocountylibrary.org. Registration will not be considered official until the registration fee for all team members is paid in full.

Sponsors for the inaugural “It’s Wheeling History” Trivia Challenge includeDr. David A. Kappel, C.J. Kaiser, Dr.David Javersak, David H. McKinley, Dr. William Noble, the Ohio County Public Library, West Virginia Independence Hall, and the Wheeling National Heritage Area Corporation.

Register now by clicking here!

May 12: Use All the Crayons with Chris Rodell

Pittsburgh author Chris Rodell will discuss his book, Use All The Crayons! The Colorful Guide to Simple Human Happiness. This effervescent guidebook promises to combine populist common sense with a healthy dose of optimism in the hopes of teaching others how to make every day as vivacious as the brightest crayon in the box. The book includes 501 hilarious and thoughtful tips and anecdotes and 33 Colorful Day Diary essays that detail what can happen to your life when you “Use All The Crayons!”