by Bob Stealey

EDITOR

Historian Anne Mish of Center Point in Doddridge County has informed me that the Swiger Run Pictorial History Library, also in Center Point, will be host to a historic photograph copying session, in collaboration with the West Virginia State Archives, a division of the state's Cultural & History Division of the Department of Arts & Education.

She said the sessions will be held at the old Allen Store building, now known as the Timbers Cafe -- again in Center Point -- from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24. Fred Armstrong, who is director of the State Archives, and his staff will be set up and ready to reproduce historic photos as they are brought in to the copying area.

It's been a number of years that State Archives has been working in a collaborative effort with communities and their counties in West Virginia.

Here's a really interesting part of the project: State officials seek individuals and organizations from any county of West Virginia who have photos that show county businesses, street scenes, agriculture, farm, work scenes, social, civic, religious and fraternal events, disasters (floods, fires, heavy snowfalls, etc.), or people just helping people during such times.

Also: schools, churches, railroad scenes, trolley cars, oil fields, communities, arts and theater productions, parades, fairs and festivals, family gatherings and other popular subjects that may have been photographed.

Mrs. Mish mentioned that the archives copying process is done while you wait and won't harm the original photo or portray. They'll be able to copy prints only, although glass or cellulose can be reviewed for historical content. (They can't be reproduced while you wait, but if you can lend them to the State Archives to be taken back to Charleston, the processing can be done there.

The project is valuable and significant in that it will expand the known history of our state through the images of photography, and will provide for development of a greater photo base for research and publication.

Thanks, Anne, for sharing this project with Bob'n'Along readers.

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It seems some pretty big birds land in West Virginia. A certain 747 with a prominently-placed American flag is among them, according to Rick Atkinson, director of Yeager Airport in Charleston.

"They come in, land and then they take back off," he said of pilots who do touch-and-go practice with what is Air Force 2 when the vice president of the United States is on board. They do that 10 or 15 times and go back to D.C.

"We don't know when they're coming," he said. "We just look out and there they are."

Atkinson, noting that Yeager doesn't have the space to land one of the three presidential 757s, said the vice presidential pilots stop by about once a week.

My thanks to a fellow-employee, Regional Editor Nora Edinger, for providing me with that news bit.

Editor Bob Stealey can be reached by phone at (304) 626-1438, or by e-mail at rstealey@exponent-telegram.com.