What a wonderful day, Saturday, Oct. 23, we had with the 2010 excursion on the New River Train that was sponsored by the Collis P. Huntington Railroad Historical Society headquartered in Huntington, W.Va.

We also found friends from Lawrence County who were involved in this society. The society is celebrating its 51st anniversary, which was founded in 1959.

It was founded to “preserve documents and artifacts of railroad history, to promote the use and improvement of the present railroad industry, to acquire and restore rolling stock for display and operations, and to generally encourage public interest in the ongoing story of the North American railroads.”

It became a chapter of the National Railroad Historical Society in 1961. With more than 300 members, it is now in the top 10 of 171 chapters.

They have many functions, to which the public is always welcome. The New River Train Excursion is really a worthwhile trip to Hinton, W.Va.

This brings to our attention that we have collected $4,550 in membership dues from museum members for the Lawrence County Historical Society. We also have had functions this year such as the festival, that was held in October, the cemetery walk in September, the Victorian Christmas Tea which will be held Nov. 20, the Candlelight Christmas Church Walk, apple butter making, to mention just a few.

At this time, the workers of the society are working at decorating the museum in a Victorian style for Christmas. The public is invited to come and see the Christmas decorations and this will help get you in the Christmas feeling. We also wish to invite you to see our books and different pottery that are on sale at the museum.

Sue Jenkins has informed us that all essays are in and the following judges, Nancy Livingston, Carol Allen, and Bob Leith, are reading them and deciding the winners.

The museum is closed but will open again the first week of November.

Historical Fact: Migration Patterns Within the U.S.

1800 – The second national census

1801 – Very heavy imigration from Europe due to a series of crop failures and the lifting of travel restrictions there.

1803 – The Louisiana Purchase completed adding a huge territory to the United States and more than doubling its area, opening the way to mass immigration into the new western regions. Yellow fever strikes New York.

1805 – Settlement begins in Minnesota

1809 – Jefferson’s embargo locks up U.S. fleets in U.S. ports. No immigration possible until spring of 1809. Settlers from “back east” locate in Montana.

1812 – Great waves of immigrants to America from Ireland. This stops only when war of 1812 breaks out.

1810 – Third national census taken in the United States.

1811 – The “National” or Cumberland Road opens, leading settlers from the East into the Ohio-Indiana-Illinois region. First use of steamboats for travel on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.

1812 – Only one shipload of immigrants arrives from Germany the entire year, mainly due to war in Europe.

(From the Alliance County “Tags” Newsletter, February, 1995)

Naomi Deer is a trustee with the Lawrence County Historical Society.