Dear Glenn: The Pioneer Family Reunion emphatically does not involve Hamricks alone. True, Hamricks once dominated it and, to some extent, still turn out in the largest numbers because they probably have the largest numbers. But we have been moving in recent years toward a wider concept of "pioneer families." After all, Hamricks were not nearly the first. And they were not the only Pioneers. Last year, we had a Cogar speak on Gregorys and Givens. Next year, I have invited a Lynch and an author of pioneer books to speak. Hamricks were preceded in what is now Webster itself by several families including Millers and Arthurs, among others. So they have no right, even if I am one, to confine a "Pioneer" designation to themselves alone, although our family is not known for failing to assert its rights or opinions in anything. I know that representatives of many other family surnames are coming again this year. It has never really been possible to isolate any particular one of these families because of the inter-relationships. And as the years have advanced, many more nuclear families hold their own reunions. Barbara White, proprietor of the Mineral Springs Motel, tells us she has three different weekends for "Hamrick Reunions." I was just advised that the Happy Jack Hamrick descendants had a reunion at Holly River State Park. It had evolved into Hamrick, Gregory, Dodrill, Riggleman, Miller, Chapman, Cogar and Mollohan. But then we were leaving out other kin: Arthurs, Dobbins, McElwains, McAvoys, Conrads and, in my own line, Heveners, among others. I have more Hevener lines myself than Hamrick. And more Gums from Pocahontas than Hamrick. The Moores were well known in the area. The principal of my grade school was Ted Moore. At its apex, when it attracted 5,000 to 10,000 people, many different families came out to see old friends who, perhaps, had moved away from Webster. Our concept, partly because of the internet communication and the increased interest in genealogy, is to bring them back. The genealogy fair on Saturday at the VFW Hall will have representatives from Webster and Braxton County; individual exhibits; and an exhibit from the Hackers Creek Pioneer Descendants. By the way, I notice that your question came from a posting on the Pocahontas County list, where my maternal families, Trainers, Lambers and Gums, and even many of my Hamricks lived in the days when the biggest employer in the countryside was the sawmill at Cass. And it was at the Pioneer Family Reunion that I met a Hamrick relative, Clara Jane Ahlberg, whose great grandmother and mine on the Gum side were sisters. What is gotten from it is to some degree up to the individual. But I haven't missed it in 10 years. And Anna Dodrill, 79, of Monterville has not missed one since 1926. You will be welcomed and asked to tell about your family tree. I am going to take the liberty of posting my answer to your question because it is one asked by others. -- danhamrick@earthlink.net Dan Hamrick 402 23rd Street NW Canton OH 44709-3818 Telephone: 330-454-2376 > Daniel, > Can you tell me if the Pioneer Reunion involves Hamrick's only? My family, > Ray & Moore are from that area. John Wesley Ray and Chloe Susan (Moore) Ray > and several of their children were long time residents on Point Mountain. A > G/G Grandchild, I spent many summers there visiting with all of them and > would enjoy reviewing any information that may be found. Let me know if it > would be worth a trip from PA. > > Thanks, > Glenn Gribble > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Daniel Hamrick" <danhamrick@earthlink.net> > To: <WVPOCAHO-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Monday, August 12, 2002 11:45 AM > Subject: Pioneer Family reunion > > >> Now that nearly all the details are set, here is a release on the program >> for the annual Pioneer Family Reuniion. As to reservations, the first > place >> to try is the Mineral Springs Motel in Webster Springs, and it can be >> reached through a toll free number 1-800-call-wva. Just tell them to > connect >> you. >> If the motel is full, contact me by email or phone and I'll try to help > get >> you to the closest place nearby. >> >> >> -- >> danhamrick@earthlink.net >> Dan Hamrick >> 402 23rd Street NW >> Canton OH 44709-3818 >> Telephone: 330-454-2376 >> >> >> >> >> PIONEER FAMILY REUNION >> >> The annual Pioneer Family Reunion < once the state¹s largest and still >> one of the oldest spanning 76 years < will be held for two days on > Saturday >> Aug. 24 and Sunday Aug. 25 in Webster County. >> The Saturday events will be highlighted by a genealogy fair at the VFW >> Hall in Webster Springs. And the Sunday events will be focused around the >> annual picnic and family gathering at on the east side of WV Rt. 15 the >> family park 17 miles from Webster Springs and 14 miles from Valley Head, > WV. >> The reunion was first held in 1926 as it evolved from gatherings >> following church services as the Hamrick-Gregory Reunion but it has been >> extended to include all families with roots among pioneer families in West >> Virginia . The growth of the internet < and easier communication between >> individuals < has led to the attraction of more and more people from out > of >> state with roots in West Virginia. >> Everyone is invited to attend any of the events. >> The program will begin with a genealogy fair at the VFW on Back Fork >> Street in Webster Springs from 7 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Saturday. >> The genealogy fair will include representatives from the Pioneer > Family >> History Preservation Society; the Webster County Historical Society; the >> Hackers Creek Pioneer Descendants; the Braxton County Library Archives; > and >> any others who want to display or sell genealogical materials. >> Michael Henline, president of the Pioneer Society, said tables will be >> free, and everyone is invited to display family research material. >> There will be door prizes including two recently published books, ³A >> Pictorial History of Webster County² by Mark Romano and ³Gone but Not >> Forgotten,² an inventory and survey of Webster cemeteries by Henline. >> The day¹s events will be capped by a dinner at the Bergoo Community >> Center to begin about 7 p.m. with dinner to be served at 7:30 o¹clock. > The >> dinner will feature oldtime story telling and singing, led by the Rev. Jim >> Hamrick of Harper¹s Ferry, WV, and the Rev. Charlene Hamrick of Rock Cave, >> WV. >> Advance reservations are required for the dinner at $20 per person. > They >> may be obtained, if received soon enough, from Sharon Hamrick, 5501 > Cardinal >> Drive, Orient, OH 43146; Telephone: 1-614-877-4009. Profits will be used > for >> the preservation of Pioneer Family history. >> The Sunday events at the family park will begin at 10 a.m. with a >> service to be deliveed with introductions of those present; a service by > the >> Rev. Charlene Hamrick in lieu of her late husband, the Rev. David Hamrick >> who died of a heart attack following an emergency fire run last Jan. 25 > and >> then a long break for food and visiting on the grounds. The afternoon >> program will include a talk by Mark Romano about how he collected > thousands >> of photographs and published a book; information about Henline¹s book; and >> information on the work of the Pioneer Family History Society. >> Konnie and Floyd Conrad of Kernersville, N.C., have prepared home-made >> door prizes to be raffled at the reunion. >> Anna Dodrill, 79, who has never missed a reunion, has been asked to > tell >> stories about early reunions and other storiess of bygone times. >> >> >> ################# >> >> >> For additonal information: >> Contact: >> Dan Hamrick >> 402 23rd Street NW >> Canton OH 44709-3818 >> 330-454-2376 >> Email: danhamrick@earthlink.net >> >> Or: >> Michael Henline >> 49A Erbacon Road >> Cowen WV >> Phone: 304-226-0830 >> >> >> >> >> >> ============================== >> 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 >> >