By Rachel Hellwarth
Serving with Upshur County Historical Society
Each summer the Upshur County Historical Society cordially opens the doors of its History Center & Museum inviting the public to a new rendition of its annual summer exhibit. Located at 81 West Main Street, Buckhannon, this year's exhibit will be on view Sunday afternoons (1pm - 4pm) through September 28th. Having been constructed in 1856, the museum is Main Street Buckhannon’s oldest extant building, thus a fitting space to hold the storytelling exhibits spanning Upshur County’s history.
Congruent with the UCHS’s recently published 2025 Journal, the additions to this year’s exhibit: Stories Told and Retold, reflect heavily on the County’s home industries and UCHS’s collection of woven and quilted artifacts. The introductory panel includes a bundle of Upshur flax which represents the necessary beginnings of weaving in Upshur County and correspondently, utilitarian textile productions within homes across the region.
A glimpse into the Home Industries Market replicates the small community market created by Upshur County’s Cooperative Extension Service and the Mountain State Home Industry Cooperative Association. A handful of these co-ops existed across the region during the 1930’s and provided farmers and homemakers a place to sell their goods locally within their community. The initiative was purposed to prompt income for farm folk and raise the standard of production. Items available for purchase at the markets included produce, baked goods, and various handicrafts.
A selection of quilts and coverlets are displayed to represent the handiwork of Upshur County. The textiles represent materials that were available and patterns that were popular at a given time, as well as motivations for weaving and quilting, and how these activities inspired connections within the community.
Two panels provide a view through the lens of local photographers Fred Brooks and Josephine MacAvoy. Fred Brooks, one of three notable brothers, was a man of many interests and talents, combining his position as a naturalist and entomologist into his photographic works. He also captured portraits of family and members of the French Creek community. The Brooks family members live on today through the honor of Brooks Hall at WVU, the Brooks Nature Center at Oglebay, and the internationally known “Brooks Bird Club.”
Josephine MacAvoy, known by many as “Miss Jo,” was Upshur’s first commercial female photographer, specializing in studio portraiture. Josephine was a member of the Monongahela Valley Photographers' Association, vice-president of the National Photographers Association, and the photographer for the Murmurmontis and Rhododendron yearbooks through the 1920s and into the 30s. Josephine was a life long Upshur resident and a prominent member of the community.
While this brief overview highlights a fraction of UCHS’s Summer 2025 Exhibit, we look forward to welcoming guests into the museum space to share in local history and foster curiosity through the many stories unveiled at the selection of the Historical Society’s vast artifact collection, reaching over 28,000 cataloged items. Come see this exciting exhibit, Sunday afternoons through September 2025.
