The State of West Virginia has asked that state, county and local historical, genealogical, preservation, patriotic and/or museum organizations nominate a significant member for a History Hero Award for his/her dedicated service for the organization's programs or a recent significant contribution to state and local history through research, interpretation, publication or preservation. The winners are honored at an annual event in Charleston.
The Pleasants County Historical Society is proud to have selected the following History Heroes.
We have many photos from the event and they require a separate page.
First Lady Gayle Manchin, Gerald E. Bills, Delegate Woody Ireland.
[Photo courtesy of West Virginia Division of Culture and History.]
GERALD E. BILLS has been an energetic, unselfish member of the Pleasants County Historical Society for many years. He has used his talents to find, clean and restore forgotten or abandoned cemeteries, in particular veterans’ graves, repairing or replacing their gravestones. Bills finds and notifies their families and arranges for rededication services for them. His ongoing genealogical research and cemetery preservation never stops, and he answers the inquires of all those searching for their family histories. He maintains a current index of local obituaries in addition to giving Pleasants County a very respectable internet presence.
Robert Conte, chairman of the Archives and History Commission, History Hero Walter S. Carpenter,
Delegate Otis A. Leggett,
and Kay Goodwin, secretary of Education and the Arts.
[Photo courtesy of West Virginia Division of Culture and History.]
WALTER S. CARPENTER, president of the Pleasants County Historical Society, is regarded as the county's leading authority on its history. Through his leadership, the society remains an active organization, and the society's archives continue to grow. An ongoing project is the collection of pictures and histories of Pleasants County's one-room schools. Mr. Carpenter provides support to the Pleasants County Public Library as well as to elementary, middle and high schools, on historical and genealogical projects and requests. The "Walter S. Carpenter Genealogical Room" at the library serves as a magnet for donation of family histories, reference books and genealogical files.
PHOTO #1
Walter Carpenter (left) with Otis Leggett, Pleasants County Delegate, and Bill Romaine, Tyler County Delegate.
PHOTO #2
Walter Carpenter with Frances Hill Webb, Tyler County History Hero.
Background, right: Otis Leggett, Pleasants County Delegate; Ray Harper, Ritchie County History Hero.
PHOTO #3
John Franklin Carpenter, Walter's brother; Walter Carpenter, History Hero
