The Clay County Landmarks Commission and Historical Society met June 1, 2016 in the Clay County Library. Present were Marlene Potasnik, Jerry Stover, Jeanine Samples, Betty Burdette Robinson, Sandra Claybrook, Eloise Boggs and Danny Dawson.
President Jerry Stover called the meeting to order. The minutes of the May, 2016 meeting were approved as printed in the local newspapers. There was no treasurer’s report.
The meeting consisted of discussions of various topics concerning present projects of the Society and plans for future projects, including the up-coming Apple Festival.
• Danny Dawson is considering taking over and updating our present website.
• Paul Jones, a Clay County native now living in Washington State, has prepared a how-to kit for persons interested in researching their family histories. The kit includes pertinent WV and Clay County history, lists of suggestions for getting information, forms for record keeping and other helpful information. He is donating copies to the Society to have available for a small fee at the Apple Festival.
• Other plans for our part in the Apple Festival included designing and printing a card of invitation to the Historical Society meetings. Danny will work on details as suggested during our discussion.
• The Historical Society has for many years had hopes and plans for using the Old Courthouse as a safe place for storage of historical records and items of historical value, a museum, a place for reenactment of memorable Clay County criminal trials, and a Clay County tourist information center. We need a benefactor with a sympathetic ear and deep pockets to help us realize our dream. Betty will try to contact persons of this description.
• Work goes on at the Old Courthouse during the Tuesday workdays, sorting, filing, labeling, etc. Some boxes of “stuff” are mysteries as to content and origin, and other eyes and opinions are needed at times. We decided that the July meeting would be a “work” meeting on the second floor of the Old Courthouse.
• Betty is donating three CCHS yearbooks – 1941, 1950 and 1952 – to our library in memory of her mother, Othel Davis Burdette.
• NEXT MEETING: Wednesday, July 6, 2016, 1pm at the Old Courthouse
Adjournment
Eloise Boggs, Recorder
