Vagabonds in West Virginia

Name: Vagabonds in West Virginia
Start: 2024-11-15T18:00:00-05:00
Location: 101 Railroad Ave, Elkins, WV 26241-3856, United States

Schedule

Fri Nov 15 2024 at 06:00 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

101 Railroad Ave, Elkins, WV 26241-3856, United States | Elkins, WV

In 1918, the “vagabonds” group of well-known friends toured through the mountains of central Appalachia. A more recent journey to learn about that expedition will be featured at the upcoming November 15 program of the Randolph County Historical Society.
The program at the Darden Mill will begin with a reception at 6 p.m. and program at 6:30 on Friday, November 15.
“Friends of history from counties all around will be interested in this program,” according to Don Teter, President of the Society. “This is one of the featured activities marking the 100th Anniversary of the Randolph County Historical Society.”
The speaker will be James Gardner, author of the book A Chance to Breathe, which relates the story of a 1918 trip through West Virginia by inventor Thomas Edison, naturalist and writer John Burroughs, automobile manufacturer Henry Ford, and tire tycoon Harvey Firestone. The itinerary included Leadmine, Parsons, Elkins, Beverly, the Cheat Mountain Club, and Bartow.
Gardner was born and raised in Akron, Ohio, and has been a practicing attorney for more than thirty years. His book is not just the story of those travelers, but also of Gardner’s research journeys with his father, an engineer and longtime “Firestone Man,” and retracing the route of the famous “vagabonds.”
The program will be held in conjunction with the annual general membership meeting of the Randolph County Historical Society at the Darden Mill, 101 Railroad Ave., Elkins on Friday, November 15. A reception and brief membership meeting will begin at 6 p.m., followed by the program at 6:30. The event is free and open to the public. For more information contact [email protected].