Grandma said. . . “She rode off on a White Horse!”

26th Annual Gathering

Hacker's Creek Pioneer Descendants

August 9-August 12, 2007

Grandmas are notorious for their stories. . . She rode off on a white horse. . . Uncle Ned went off to the war and we never heard from him again. . . Uncle Milford and Grandpa had an argument. He left and never did come back. . . The last I heard they lived in Iowa. . . or Florida. . . or Ohio. . . or. . .

Now sometimes we Grandmas remember things exactly as they happened and other times we mix up our stories.. Regardless these stories are clues for genealogists. The trick is to determine the truths, the partial truths, and the little white lies.

How do you do this? Well, tricks and clues to Grandma's stories will be among the topics we discuss at our 26th Annual Gathering in the Old Horner School, 45 Abbotts Run Road, Horner, WV. Check out this brochure, mail in your registration today, and come on home, Ya'all! We promise you'll have a great time!

For those not in the know, the HCPD Gathering is where folks come from all corners of the good ol' U S of A back to good ol' West Virginy to swap tales, dig in musty ol' books and microfilm, wander the hills where the ancestors walked, and get to know cousins and kissin' kin while we break bread together and sometimes enjoy some entertainment. We also do some serious stuff too. We honor our deceased members and family members, we hold a business meetin', and go to church on Sunday mornin'. This year we're goin' back to Broad Run Baptist Church where this whole gatherin' idea started back in 1982!

Now it don't require no fancy duds to come to the gatherin'. Comfortable hot weather wear is perfect for our daytime activities and flat-heeled shoes are great, but you just might wanta' git out some of what they call business casual for our evening git-togethers on Friday and Saturday nights. Of course, Sunday calls for Sunday-go-to meetin' clothes!

Read on! Find out what's happening! Fill in your registration and mail it today! Deadline for reduced registration fees

this year is August 3rd!

SCHEDULE

A full slate of activities is scheduled for the weekend. Here's the schedule as it now stands.

Thursday, August 9, 2007

10:00 am Check in, Library and John Sleeth Trading Post opens.

11:30 am - 12:30 pm Lunch

!:00 pm Research etc.

5:30 pm--- Library Closes

6:00pm--- Covered Dish dinner

7:00 pm--- Official opening of 26th Gathering and a Musical Evening with Missy and Jason Foster

Friday, August 10, 2007

8:30 am Check in at Library, Trading Post open

9:30 am --11:30 am----- Workshop I - David Houchin - "Using Tetrick's Records"

12:00 pm-1:00 pm Lunch

1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Workshop II - Susan Scouras - "Truth and Consequences"

2:30 p.m. - 4:00 pm Workshop III - Judy Seamon - "Memoirs"

5:00 pm LIbrary Closes

6:00 pm Memorial Service, Broad Street United Methodist Church

6:15pm Dinner- Served by the Broad Street United Methodist Women

7:00 pm Roll call of StateS

7:15 pm Diane Davis, Columnist for the Clarksburg Telegram newspaper. Historical Events

Saturday August 11, 2007

8:30 am Check in at Library, Trading Post open

9:00 am Annual Business meeting. 3 board members to be elected this year.

10:00 am Workshop IV -- Using the Newest Genealogy Tool: DNA – Jim Bartlett

12:00 p.m. -- Lunch

1:00 pm- Tour of Hackers Creek, Joy Stalnaker

1:00 pm - 2:00 p.m.- Brainstorming - An opportunity for YOU to share your ideas with others.

5:00 pm Library Closes

6:30 pm Banquet with Award Ceremony & Entertainment w/Denton King - Broad Street United Methodist Church

Sunday, August 12, 2007

10.45 am Church service: Broad Run Baptist Church.- Lightburn

Everything You Should Know

MEALS Breakfast is on your own. Lunches are prepared in house by members Melvin and Wanda Tolley and are served buffet style. Menu includes main course, salad, dessert, and drink. Dinners are a different story!

Thursday’s dinner is covered dish. Meat is provided by HCPD. Out-of-towners can find deli food or easily prepared food at several local grocers. Both Friday and Saturday dinners will be served family style at Broad Street United Methodist Church by the United Methodist Women. On Friday you may choose either ham or chicken; on Saturday you may choose either baked steak or turkey. Indicate your choice on the registration form.

You must purchase lunch and dinner tickets at the time of registration. We must give our meal providers a headcount for meal tickets by 5 p.m., August 3rd. There is no guarantee that late registrants can obtain meal tickets.

*****Please advise if you have special dietary needs at the time of registration.*****

LODGING Camp sites are available at the library, at Broken Wheel Campground (5 miles from library) (ph 304.269.6097) & at Stonewall Jackson Lake (ph. 304. 269.0523).

Area motels are Comfort Inn Super 8 Motel Hampton Inn

Exit 99 I-79 Exit 99 I-79 Exit 99 I-79

Weston, WV Weston, WV Buckhannon, WV

Ph: 304.269.7000 Ph: 800.800.8000 Ph. 304.473-0900

A Holiday Inn Express is set to open at the Weston exit this summer. No opening date has been announced.

If you prefer to rent a cab in for a day, a week, or an extended period of time, these are available. Hillbilly Haven is near Stonewall Jackson Park. The other two are about 3 miles distant from the gathering site:

Hillbilly Haven Lakeview Cabins Lakewood Cabins

255 Haven Lane 43 Mill Street Hershman Run Road

Roanoke, WV 26447 Weston, WV 26452 Horner, WV 26372

Ph: 304-269-3459 Ph: 304-269-5813 Ph: 304-452-8227

Please feel free to call us for additional brochures on cabins, B&Bs, and resorts in the area at 304.269.7091.

WORKSHOPS & TOURS

Using the Tetrick Records – Friday 9:30 a.m. – David Houchin The Tetrick Collection is the “largest single collection of West Virginia genealogy ever assembled” and contains “literally millions of references.”

Willis Guy Tetrick Sr. was born in 1883 at Enterprise, Harrison County. He was reared on a farm and educated in local schools. At the age of 20, he was employed in the office of the Clerk of Courts of Harrison County. In 1907 he was appointed clerk for an unexpired term, and in 1908 was elected for a six-year term. Following his public career he was general manager and then publisher of the Clarksburg Exponent, Clarksburg Telegram and Sunday Exponent Telegram.

In addition to his professional career, Tetrick Sr. was a compiler of historical information. One of his goals was to collect and publish a genealogical history of the Monongahela River Valley. That the book was never published, toward that end he distributed and had returned to him hundreds of thousands of forms from families throughout the northern half of West Virginia. It is these forms, together with published census records for various counties in West Virginia and the abstracts and copies of County Court House records, that compirse the bulk of the Tetrick Collection.

His son, the late Willis Guy Tetrick Jr. was also a historian in his own right and continued the massive project started by his father.

Tetrick’s Jr.s widow, Helen Hoblitzell Tetrick donated the collection to WVU Libraries’ West Virginia and Regional History Collection.

While not all of the collection has been microfilmed, some 334 rolls are available in various locations, including the Clarksburg-Harrison Public Library’s Waldomore.

David Houchin, overseer of the Tetrick films along with all other genealogical and historical materials available at Waldomore, will present our workshop of using these records.

Truth or Consequences – Friday, 1:00 p.m. – Susan Scouras As a West Virginia Archives librarian Susan stresses the importance of primary document research in the compilation of family histories and genealogies and encourages researchers to use the West Virginia Archives where so many of the state’s primary resources are located.

She will focus on post-1800 genealogy research and the results which can be accomplished with newspaper research and other tools available in the State Archives. She will have examples from her own family history and from research done for letters here that show how newspaper searches can uncover the "truth,"  turn up totally unexpected information, or can provide a different side of a story. Twice she has found news articles about suicides, one the research letter writer knew about and one that didn't have a clue, that helped explain why the person made that choice, and showed that the community was sympathetic and not condemning, etc.

Memoirs – Friday, 2:30 p.m. – Judy Seamon This workshop will focus on writing one’s memoirs. It is suggested that attendees bring biographical material which they have written for review by Judy. She is a member of the Barbour County reading and writing group and is a writer of poety. She is presently writing her own memoirs. She grew up in Porta Rico as a missionary child and has resided in Elkins for the last 35 years. She has taught GED classes in Randolph County is presently teaching Adult Literacy classes.

Using the Newest Genealogy Tool: DNA Saturday 10 a.m. – Jim Bartlett The Journal recently ran an article which focused on how the DNA Tool works. This workshop will focus on using the DNA Tool.  How to determine if lines are linked! How to get past a brick wall! How to determine the best research strategy! How to determine paternity issues, and then find the bio-logical father! How to determine the DNA of other than your all-male line - all your other lines!

Jim Bartlett will lead this workshop.  He currently manages the BARTLETT DNA Project with over 100 participants, and has successfully handled all of these issues.  He has also helped start several other Surname DNA Projects.

Hacker’s Creek Tour Saturday 1 p.m. – Joy Stalnaker Space is limited for this always popular tour of the area where the first pioneers cleared the land, planted crops, built cabins, fought Natives and the elements to eke out a living for themselves and their children. Because they were here. . . we are! The tour include stops in Buckhannon where John and Samuel Pringle made their first claim, several sites along Hacker’s Creek and may go as far as Broad Run on the West Fork River. . . depending on the time and interests of those on the tour. Joy will share tales of settlers as recorded by and about her ancestors in Border Settlers and Chronicles of Border Warfare. Some will be funny; some may be less than beautiful; all will be as truthful as those who first recorded them told them. Due to increased fuel costs and the hourly rate for bus drivers, we will use one, or maybe two, 12 passenger vans this year. The tour will be 4 hours. There will be at least one “pit stop.” Charge for the tour will be $10.00. Free soft drinks and bottled water will be on board the vehicle. Cool, comfortable clothing and walking shoes are suggested. IMPORTANT! This is a first come-first served event. To insure your participation in this tour, you MUST sign up for the tour with your registration!

MEMORIAL SERVICE

A memorial service honoring those members and the immediate family of members who passed away after August 10, 2006, will be held at 6 p.m. in the sanctuary of Broad Street United Methodist Church. Family members and friends of the departed are invited to attend and stand as we recognize their loved ones with a memorial token. At the end of the service, the tokens are presented to the families in attendance. In those cases where family is unable to attend, the tokens are mailed to the family the week following the gathering.

ENTERTAINMENT

This year we have a mix of entertainment: Diane Davis will come for Clarksburg one evening to share her view of “Historical Events” while the other two will feature heritage music – one of gospel and one of traditional mountain music mixed with some new songs. . . and particularly one about us: “Going Down Yonder to Hacker’s Creek.” This song will be heard on Saturday evening when Denton King, who hails from down Ireland way, will perform for us. Denton wrote the song a number of years ago after performing at one of our first gatherings. On Thursday evening we will hear Jason and Missy Foster singing gospel music. Jason is the grandson of Irma Curtis, the HCPD Librarian. Ms. Diane is a part time staff writer for the Clarksburg Telegram and writes the weekly column, “Historical Events.” She is a graduate of Washington Irving High School and attended Fairmont State University. She retired in October 2004 from the Clarksburg-Harrison County Public Library with twenty-nine years service. You won’t want to miss any of these evenings, so plan now to attend by making your dinner reservation before August 3.

RESERVATIONS

NOW IS THE TIME TO MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS! REMEMBER, THE TOURS ARE ON A FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED BASIS! IF YOU INTEND TO “BREAK BREAD” WITH US, YOU NEED TO REGISTER BY AUGUST 3^RD. ALSO, SAVE $20.00 BY REGISTERING PRIOR TO August 3^rd.

DOWNLOAD THIS FORM, FILL IT OUT, AND MAIL WITH YOUR CHECK OR CREDIT CARD INFORMATION TO HCPD, 213 LINGER RUN ROAD, HORNER, WV 26372