In 1999 I retired from my job with the Central Arizona Project in PHX, AZ. One of my co-workers was from WV. I told him I planned on going to WV and the Eastern Shore of MD to work on my KNOTTS family history. Interestingly enough, his wife is a WV KNOTTS. He cautioned me abt meeting the WV "Natives". But I'm retired from the navy, and had experience with supposedly hostile native people before. My experience has always been that if you treat people with respect, you usually are fairly safe. This holds for the slums of Manila, to Rocky Point Mexico. You mainly have to respect the local traditions, and treat others courteously. I spent time in Grantsville, WV., where there is a "KNOTTS ROOM" in the Historical Society's section of the library. I was never treated anything other than politely, although a local KNOTTS "Cousin" told me that unemployment was VERY high, and poverty was a fact of life. The Grantsville Hotel had just opened. I've learned since that it has gone out of business. A local business going out of business is always sad to me, as it almost always means cutting dreams and opportunities short. My ancestors were in Queen Annes' co MD. as least as far back as 1770, and probably much earlier. My g-grandfather, WM KNOTTS, b 1805, QA co MD, went to Christian co IL. in the early 1840's, and then to Benton Co Oregon in 1845-46, where he become Benton County's first county Clerk. The first Benton Co court session was on WM's front porch, as there was no courthouse. WM and his wife Sylvia WILSEY KNOTTS were among the early settlers in Oregon; their land claim was 176. And I just recently found a branch of my KNOTTS' family who no one knew existed. The first KNOTTS settler in WV was Absalom KNOTTS, who was b in DE. in 1746, and went to WV in 1780. But his father was Robert KNOTTS, b in QA co ca 1725. And if I remember correctly, there was a (MARY ?) KNOTTS involved in the Hatfield-Mc Coy feud. But to put things into perspective, our KNOTTS immigrant is believed to be James KNOTT, a convicted Felon who came to VA from England in 1617, as a 15 year old. But he did well in the new world, at one time owning abt 1000 acres of land. He came to the colonies from Newgate prison to avoid having his necked stretched! I've called numerous KNOTT(S) throughout the US, and I believe abt 40-50% of ALL of the KNOTTS' in the US are WV KNOTT(S)', and therefore almost certainly related to my QA co KNOTTS'. My KNOTTS' in QA co. seem to have b married into the TEMPLE and JARRELL families in QA. and Caroline counties MD. Bob KNOTTS. a DE/MD, IL., Oregon KNOTTS, now living (?) in PHX, AZ. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mountain Curmudgeon" <frankensteinjr@meer.net> To: <1776-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, January 06, 2003 6:34 AM Subject: [1776] bigotry against West Virgnians > HCPD-L: > > This is a letter I wrote to the local newspaper. It may come close to violating the no politics rule of the list (sorry) but it DOES contain some history of a problem we West Virginians face on a regular basis and as it contains history I went ahead and posted it. > > > > Elkins, WV > > 6 Jan 2003 > > Dear Editor: > > Kudos to Bob Dunkerly for speaking out about the negative stereotyping of Appalachians (INTER MT 21 Dec) and the same to Governor Wise for demanding an apology for the bigoted half-time show at the WVU game (INTER MT 31 Dec). This problem is real and some may not realize the extent of the negative image that Appalachians are subjected to. I once had a Baltimore-raised Viet Nam combat veteran in my car and he refused to get out in a rural area of this county because all of his life he had heard that "people go up these hollows in West Virginia and don't come out". He was not kidding. > > Appalachians need to speak out against this bigotry whenever we see it. This being the case perhaps a few lines about how we got here would be helpful. This image has been a long time developing and the more we know about the origins of these misconceptions the better prepared we will be to put things in perspective for others. > > >From the very beginning the people in West(ern) Virginia were different from their tidewater neighbors. Eastern Virginia was primarily English while western Virginia was more Scotch-Irish and German. The Scotch-Irish had a long history of having to fight to survive and they brought this proud, contentious readiness to conflict with them to their new mountain homes. > > The Hatfield-McCoy feud brought journalists from the cities to cover the action and the press given Appalachians by these people often portrayed Appalachians as dangerous, mean, savage-like creatures who were dirty, ignorant, and quick to use a gun. They even staged photos and in one case asked a group of unarmed Hatfield loggers to go get their guns before a photo was taken. From this coverage many in the rest of the nation got their only exposure to Appalachian people and this exposure was distorted, inaccurate and unfair. > > Later West Virginia made national news (again as a bunch of gun-wielding troublemakers) when the only armed insurrection on American soil since the Civil War took place in West Virginia: the West Virginia mine wars. Press coverage from the Hatfield-McCoy and coal conflicts was fertile soil in which to plant seeds of misconception that have grown and continue even in, as an old song says, "these so-called liberated days". > > During the 1960s TV shows like the BEVERLY HILLBILLIES and THE REAL McCOYS did little to help the image of Appalachians. Some years later the TV show NIGHT COURT was asked for an apology by the state for an episode portraying a couple from West Virginia as ignorant misfits with a child wearing a feed sack for a dress. Also the TV show WKRP IN CINCINNATI had Hoyt Axton portray a West Virginian, the Axton character being a "high strung" person to be feared who might pull out a gun and kill at the drop of a hat. Indeed the media has worked hard to make us look bad and this attitude is nothing short of bigotry against an ethnic group. > > I am proud to call myself an Appalachian. My ancestors cut some of the first trees ever cut by Europeans in these mountains 250 years ago and we are still here. I used to try to hide my accent but I learned that the Appalachian dialect is an outgrowth of the speech patterns of the Scotch-Irish and English who came here in the 1700s and I now carry my accent with pride. I also proclaim my Appalachian heritage with pride. I welcome anyone who would like to come to West Virginia to enjoy our scenic beauty, learn about our culture, or live among us in our fine communities. But to those who want to come here and belittle us or look at our poor and indigenous people like tourist attractions I say that the same road that brought you in here leads out! > > We Appalachians are not ignorant, dangerous, gun-toting savages regardless of what the media in other states want you to believe. Certainly we have our share of undereducated, deprived, impoverished people but you show me one and I'll take you straight to any inner-city street corner and show you an urban dweller who is just as deprived. Among Appalachians can also be found brilliance, generosity, a strong work ethic, resourcefulness and good old southern hospitality. It is time that the rest of the country caught up and rid themselves of these bigoted, ignorant stereotypes that are unfair to rural people everywhere. Bob Dunkerly and Governor Wise are to be commended for their parts in helping to educate the rest of the country. > > > > > > > David Armstrong > > 201 Graham St > > Elkins, WV 26241 > > Phone 636-3964 > > e-mail frankensteinjr@meer.net > > > David Armstrong > Elkins, WV > > > > ==== 1776 Mailing List ==== > NEW 1776 LIST SUBSCRIBERS > You're encouraged to post your queries and > questions to our "1776" List anytime. OKAY > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > > >