One of the great figures in West Virginia history will be portrayed during a History Alive! performance at the Randolph County Community Arts Center in Elkins.
David Hunter Strother, famously known as Porte Crayon, will be portrayed by Don Teter of Monterville at the Arts Center on Sunday, Aug. 14 at 2 p.m. This free presentation is possible through the History Alive! program of the West Virginia Humanities Council.
Strother was one of the most accomplished and diverse men of the new state of West Virginia. Born in Martinsburg, he trained as an artist in Europe and gained fame as a writer and illustrator for national magazines under the name Porte Crayon.
He illustrated several early travel stories including The Blackwater Chronicle that shared the exploits of an 1851 expedition of sportsmen into the Canaan Valley. From Charles Town he reported and illustrated John Brown’s capture, trial and execution for Harper’s Weekly in 1859.
During the Civil War, Strother served as a Union officer and topographer who saw action in several major battles. He was one of the founders of the West Virginia Historical Society and a speaker at the first commencement held at West Virginia University.
Strother is one of the many available character presentations offered through the West Virginia Humanities Council’s History Alive! program as a means of exploring history by interacting with noteworthy historical figures. These programs provide audiences with the opportunity to question those who have shaped our history.
Historical characterization is the vehicle for this program. Humanities scholars have carefully researched the writings, speeches and biographies of the characters they portray and whenever possible, use their original words.
This West Virginia Humanities Council program is being hosted by the Randolph County Community Arts Center and is supported with additional financial assistance from the Office of the Secretary, West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts.
The West Virginia Humanities Council is a private, not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing educational programs in the humanities for all West Virginians. For over 30 years, the Council has been providing educational programs in the humanities across the state.
This program is available to interested nonprofit groups such as libraries, museums, and historical societies. For more information call The West Virginia Humanities Council at 346-8500 or visit the website: www.wvhumanities.org
The Arts Center is currently displaying Echoes of the Past: The Civil War 150 Years Later, an exhibit commemorating the First Campaign of the Civil War. The exhibit, which features work by 10 acclaimed artists, will run daily through Aug. 17. Exhibit hours are Monday – Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.
On display in the Maxwell Gallery at this time is "Grit and Determination", a solo exhibition of photographs focusing on Civil War sites and Civil War reenactment works by photographer Reid Mason of Belington.
Funding for the exhibit is provided by the Randolph County Community Arts Center as well as the Randolph County Commission, the City of Elkins, West Virginia Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission, Marjorie Wolfe, June Myles, John and Joyce Allen, John C. Allen, Jr., Charles Lilly / Red Bone Mining Company, Don and Doreen Hall, Dr. and Mrs. Victor Thacker, and Mr. and Mrs. Robert D. Wamsley.
The Randolph County Community Arts Center, a non-profit organization promoting and supporting the arts in Randolph County and surrounding areas, is located at the corner of Randolph Avenue and Park Street in Elkins.
