Central West Virginia's Guide To Life

WV Wanderer
By Janet Davis

October 2008 - Stonewall Jackson Heritage Jubilee

The Stonewall Jackson Heritage Arts & Crafts Jubilee, near Weston, is a large festival that combines crafts, historic reenactments and music in a location that is, in itself, historic. I had driven by Jackson's Mill, but it had been many years since I had seen it up close. Well tended, this cultural location should be on anyone's list to visit.

Jackson's Mill historic area includes an operating water-powered gristmill, a blacksmith shop, several cabins, and Jackson's Mill Museum. It is said that Stonewall Jackson spent much of his childhood there. I spent time there myself, attending 4-H camp when I was younger. It certainly has changed since then.

The Jubilee is a huge event held over Labor Day week-end each year. Parking was in a nearby airfield. Not close, but transportation from the parking spaces to the Jubilee center was by shuttles (passenger carts pulled by tractors) which ran every few minutes, so no one had to wait very long. There were stops on the festival grounds and in the parking lot, so no one had to walk too far to catch a taxi – they seemed to go by about every five or six minutes.

Aside from the arts and crafts, other events included historic reenactments by the Appalachian Rangers, deer calling, wood chopping, and axe throwing demonstrations. I wanted to see the "Bee Beard" man, but I am far too timid around bees to voluntarily venture that close to a group (swarm?) of them.

There was a lot of music and dancing - - the Mountain State Cloggers, WV Highland Dancers, and Vandalia Dancers among the performers. At one point, I looked up to see a bagpipe player casually strolling across the grounds. He was headed for the building where the highland dancers were performing, so he may have been calling festival goers to that event.

The West Virginia Woodsmen demonstrated some of their lumberjacking techniques, using saw, axes, and chainsaws. The Woodsmen Team was founded in 1939, as a sub-group of the Forestry Club. WVU's Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Consumer Sciences is the University's oldest Academic Unit. In addition to honing physical skills, the woodmen also develop mental discipline as they concentrate on the marks they want to hit. This seems to be especially true for the axe throw.

Bum, the Wonder Horse also caught my attention. Mr. Melvin Langford, of Buckhannon, has been performing with his Tennessee Walker for many years and brags that he's ridden him over 40,000 miles. A big horse now nineteen years old with gentle eyes, Bum has spent the last sixteen of those years with Melvin. It must have taken a lot of time and patience to end up with a repertoire of 150 tricks.

Fred Butler, of Greenville, had his soap recipe displayed at Ethel's Lye Soap table. I stopped to talk with Fred, whose recipe was bubbling in an iron pot over a wood fire. I've known for some time that lye soap is great for removing stains on clothing - just pre-treat before you throw it in the washer by wetting the fabric and rubbing a little lye soap on the stain. But I had to stop and talk to Freddie about his claim that lye soap was good for acne.

Never in a million years would I have thought putting lye soap on my face would not result in burning my skin! But I tried it, being careful to not get it too close to my eyes, and I was pleasantly surprised to find it left my skin feeling very soft. I later researched soap-making and found that most, if not all soap, is a mixture of fat (lard or tallow), lye and water. Some more gentle soaps on the market must have either a lower concentration of lye or several additives to make them more moisturizing. I don't have acne, so I can't judge whether lye soaps works for that or not - but it was surprisingly gentle on my skin.

The festival contests and shows included a pie contest, quilt show, photography contest, needle art, and fine arts displays. Information about the Stonewall Jackson Heritage Arts & Crafts Jubilee is available online at www.jubileewv.com, or you can write to SJ Heritage Arts & Crafts Jubilee, P.O. Box 956, Weston, WV 26452. Janet Thompson Davis

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