Traveling 219 website receives prestigious award

“Beneath the pavement, the highway known as US 219 has a story to tell.”  You’ll find that sentiment at the Traveling 219: The Seneca Trail website, a collection of stories detailing the history and current lives of residents all along this historic route that runs along the eastern edge of West Virginia and into Maryland.

Before white pioneers settled these mountains, the road that is US Route 219 today was a major pathway used by different Indian nations and was known as the Seneca Trail. Historic museums in Beverly, Marlinton, Lewisburg and Union tell of the unsettled memories of Civil War battles fought along these hills, the historic healing springs that once brought thousands of wealthy tourists to the region, and the logging camps that made communities along the new railroad lines flourish briefly at the dawn of the 20th century.

For several years, the Traveling 219 project, a production of Allegheny Mountain Radio, has brought these stories to life through airing of the stories on Allegheny Mountain Radio, West Virginia public radio and on their website and FB page.   At least one of the stories, one about ramps, has found a national audience via NPR’s Morning Edition program.   Now a prestigious historical organization has recognized the project for its contribution to the American history dialogue.

In a letter to Gibbs Kinderman, founder of the Traveling 219 project, the American Association for State and Local History, or AASLH, has chosen the Traveling 219 website as a 2014 Award of Merit winner by the Leadership in History awards committee.  The AASLH Leadership in History Awards is the nation’s most prestigious competition for recognition of achievement in state and local history.   The awards ceremony will be held in September in St Paul, Minnesota and also includes the option to participate in a poster competition as an additional visual component of the website.   By mid June, AASLH will release information about other award winners as well.

The Traveling 219 project has had a number of contributors over the years and is currently under the direction of Project Coordinator Roxy Todd.

Story By

Heather Niday

Heather is our Program Director and Traffic Manager. She started with Allegheny Mountain Radio as a volunteer deejay. She then joined the AMR staff in February of 2007. Heather grew up in the Richmond, Virginia, area and now lives in Arbovale, West Virginia with her husband Chuck. Heather is a wonderful flute player, and choir director for Arbovale UMC. You can hear Heather along with Chuck on Tuesday nights from 6 to 8pm as they host two hours of jazz on Something Different.

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