Appalachian Aspects - Episode 1

By Delaney Conner
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​Welcome to Appalachian Aspects, the Robert C. Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education’s first student-developed podcast. I conceptualized, researched, and produced the podcast as part of my public history internship at the Byrd Center this summer.  I hope that this initial episode, which focuses on the development and construction of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Conservation Training Center (NCTC) during the 1990s, will be the first of a limited series of podcasts that explore West Virginia’s deep and varied history, primarily since the beginning of the 20th century.

Aerial view of NCTC and the Potomac River after its completion, fall of 1997.

​As part of the project, I conducted research in the Byrd Center’s archives and the archives of the Fish and Wildlife Service at NCTC.  This episode discusses Senator Byrd’s involvement in the project and his role in securing over $138 million dollars for the project while serving as chairman or ranking Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee in the 1990s. The episode also questions whether federally-funded projects that are beneficial to their surrounding communities, such as the NCTC, should be viewed as simply another piece of “pork.”

The groundbreaking ceremony for NCTC on October 1st, 1994, featured (from left to right): CEO for Centex-Simpson of Fairfax, Col. Milton Hunter, Fish and Wildlife Service Director Mollie Beattie, Senator Byrd, NCTC Director Rick Lemon, and Shepherdstown Mayor Vince Parmesano.

One of many articles in the local Shepherdstown Chronicle written by Chronicle owner Mary Lehman in conjunction with Rick Lemon that exemplifies the efforts from the Fish and Wildlife Service to be good neighbors during and after construction.

​Writing about one of West Virginia’s hidden gems has been very rewarding, and I’ve gathered a better understanding of the impact that federal appropriations and federal agencies have had in West Virginia.  My initial interest in the NCTC was sparked in the spring of 2017 when my ‘Introduction to Historical Preservation’ class helped preserve a cemetery located on the campus. I later worked briefly as an intern and volunteer at the facility, and I quickly grew attached to the buildings’ construction and the surrounding campus grounds. The integration of environmental-conservation history into the décor made it even more appealing to me, an aspiring historian.   I hope you enjoy the podcast, and I look forward to creating more content in the future. 

Students cross the bridge from the commons dining hall to the instructional buildings, 1997.