Robert C. Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education
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Finding New Ways to Revive a West Virginia Industry

5/30/2017

 
The timber industry has played an important role in the economy and culture of West Virginia throughout much of its history. In the early-19th century, the hardwood forests of the Allegheny Mountains supported the cutting of timber for building construction and the production of charcoal. Later in the century, the production of paper from wood pulp became a major driver in the state's economy. However, by the 20th century, the market for the timber products exported from West Virginia was changing. At the same time, the environmental impacts of over a century of extensive cutting were also becoming evident.

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Senator Byrd (2nd from right) tours the Northeast Experimental Forest in 1961 with representatives from the U.S. Forest Service.

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The C-SPAN Video Archive: A Magnificent Achievement for the Nation

5/23/2017

 
By Ray Smock
 
I am just back from a visit to the C-SPAN Video Library, at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. This incredible vast video archive contains more than 231,000 hours of C-SPAN broadcasts going back more than thirty years, and it is growing daily, with digital audio and video recordings of each day’s broadcasts on the three C-SPAN channels and C-SPAN radio.  While I have been a user of this archive before, this was my first opportunity to see how it works. 
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C-SPAN President and CEO Susan Swain, Dr. Robert X. Browning, and Ray Smock at the C-SPAN Video Archive in West Lafayette, IN.

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Celebrating Preservation Month

5/9/2017

 
​May is Historic Preservation Month, a celebration of the role historic places play in our communities, economy, and culture. Congress passed the National Historic Preservation Act in 1966, providing a framework and incentives to preserve historic buildings and sites, such as the National Register of Historic Places and State Historic Preservation Offices. Preservation Month was created in 1973 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Research institutions, state and local historical societies, civic organizations, and other groups mark the month by promoting the benefits historic preservation projects can bring to their communities. 

​Senator Byrd believed in the benefits historic preservation could bring to West Virginia's economy and culture. Throughout his career, he worked to increase support for existing historic preservation sites and worked to gain recognition for new ones. These projects included the expansion of Harpers Ferry National Historical Park in the state's eastern panhandle and the creation of the New River Gorge National River which led to the preservation of the town of Thurmond in Fayette County. One of Senator Byrd's later preservation projects was the creation of the Wheeling National Heritage Area in West Virginia's northern panhandle.
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Senator Byrd visits Harpers Ferry National Historical Park in 1981 to review the rehabilitation of lower town buildings to serve as a visitors' center.

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A Historic Evening with the Editors of the First Federal Congress Project

5/3/2017

 
By Ray Smock
​
I was honored to attend a wonderful reception on April 28 at the historic Anderson House in DC, in celebration of the completion of a great landmark in documentary editing and congressional scholarship, the 22-volume series on the First Federal Congress.  This project, housed at George Washington University and published by The Johns Hopkins University Press, has been the life-long work of the chief editor, my dear friend of many years, Charlene Bickford.  Along with her fabulous colleagues Ken Bowling, Helen Veit, and Chuck diGiacomantonio , all top professional editors and historians, this magnificent project collected, researched, edited, and annotated the full record of the First Federal Congress that met from 1789 to 1791. It was the Congress that launched our government and turned the words of the U.S. Constitution into the reality of a working government.
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L to R: Ken Bowling, Ray Smock, Charlene Bickford, Helen Veit, Chuck diGiacomantonio.

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    Welcome to the Byrd Center Blog! We share content here including research from our archival collections, articles from our director, and information on upcoming events. 

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PO Box 5000
Shepherd University
Shepherdstown, WV 25443
(304) 876 - 5701

Our Mission:

The Byrd Center advances representative democracy by promoting a better understanding of the United States Congress and the Constitution through programs and research that engage citizens.
Copyright © Robert C. Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education
  • Home
  • About
    • Latest News
    • Leadership
    • Our Partners
    • Parking and Directions
    • News Archives
  • Education
    • Educational Resources
    • Internship Program
    • People Powered
  • Research
    • Congressional Collections >
      • Robert C. Byrd Congressional Papers
      • Harley O. Staggers, Sr. Congressional Papers
      • Harley O. Staggers, Jr. Congressional Papers
      • Scot Faulkner CAO Papers
      • Alan B. Mollohan Congressional Papers
    • Digital Collections
    • Byrd's-Eye View
    • Plan a Visit to the Archives
    • Collecting Policy
    • Oral History Project
    • Share Your Story!
    • Blog
  • Events
    • Constitution Day
    • Past Events >
      • Kate Masur 10/8
      • Nancy Spannaus 11/20
      • Tom Barkin 10/24
      • Constitution Day 2024 9/18
      • Mountain Music at the Mill 8/24
      • The Fiddlin' Bobby Byrd, Mountain Musician with Adam Booth 5/9
      • Beto O'Rourke 3/3&4
      • An Evening of WV Stories with Adam Booth 2/22
      • Niagara Movement Film 2/8
      • Voices of the Community Series 2023
      • Summer Fundraiser 2023
      • Constitution Day 2023
      • The Arc of Power
      • Forum on Pollution
      • Formidable - author event
      • Constitution Day 2022
  • Support Us
    • Friends of the Byrd Center
    • Name a Seat
  • Reservations
  • Login
  • WV Civics Coalition