Press Release

March 21, 2007

Contacts:
For further information about the conference: Mary Thomas, 304-696-2904.

For information about the nomination: Kenny King at 304-752-2260 or Regina Hendrix at 304-343-5211.

Battle of Blair Mountain topic at Appalachian Studies Conference

On Friday, March 23, from 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. panelists will discuss the Battle of Blair Mountain at the “Piecing the Appalachian Experience” conference, which is sponsored by the Appalachian Studies Association at their 30th annual conference, hosted by Maryville College in Maryville, TN.

Battle of Blair Mountain panelists are Barbara Rasmussen, an historian from West Virginia University, Kenny King, an amateur archaeologist from Logan County, and Oscar Rothrock an archaeologist with Appalachian State University. Harvard Ayers, an archaeologist with Appalachian State University, will facilitate the panel discussion.

The West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office recently received an update on citizen efforts to nominate Blair Mountain to the National Register of Historic Places. The latest information answers questions the National Park Service had after the citizens first submitted their nomination.

The panel will detail new information about the Battle of Blair Mountain, which was brought to light as citizens worked to answer the Park Service’s questions by conducting extensive archaeological explorations.

Contrary to past statements that the archaeological remains of the battle have been mostly destroyed by subsequent roads and other activity, there is a rich undisturbed record of the battle from Blair Mountain to Mill Creek Gap, the historically established battle line along Spruce Fork Ridge.

In conjunction with the excellent historical record, the archaeological record to be described by the panel clearly shows the places where the battle occurred, as well as the intensity of the battle at the different sites.

This new on-the-ground evidence along with the documentary record makes a compelling case for the battlefront being placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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