Max Curry moved to West Virginia just after Maynard Best left. His story came to light when his store burned down in Cass in 1915.[6] The fire was large with two buildings lost and several others were damaged with a potentially loss of $20,000. The owner of the buildings, Max Curry, was suspected of arson. During the court case, a witness outed Max as transgender. Max was born Mattie Curry in 1883 in Lincoln County, West Virginia. He later taught at a school and kept a store in Dingress. This store also burned down.[7] After the fire in Dingress, he went to Cincinnati and went thereafter as Max Curry. He wooed and married Lilian L. Nethercutt, “a most estimable lady of Grayson, Kentucky.”[8] The couple married in Pocahontas County in 1909.[9] Max Curry was described as a “man of powerful build with a head on him like a lion. He was never particularly popular but he had many friends and was a hardworking, sober and careful business man.”[10] In 1913, his store burned down and he invested in more property with the insurance money. When his store caught fire again in 1915, suspicions were aroused.

When Max was convicted and sentenced six years, his wife succumbed to “great burst of sobs and weeping.”[11] Max tried to appeal the decision but was refused a trial and was taken to the penitentiary in June 1915.[12] Lilian Curry was later accused of setting the fire since Max had an alibi. Lilian is described as a “woman of fine Christian character and has impressed the Marlinton people most favorably since her troubles brought her here. The people of her home town in Kentucky…came here to testify to her good standing. She comes out of the trials and tribulations without a stain upon her character and her acquittal was universally approved by the public.”[13] It was assumed that Lilian did not have an idea of her husband’s misdeeds as “it is to be remembered that husbands do not tell their wives all that they do. They do not wish to disturb them, and besides they claim that they are the best judges of what their wives ought to know.”[14] Max Curry died in prison in 1919.[15] No death record has been found. After Max’s death, Lilian moved to Huntington where she boarded with a family and worked as a clerk at a gas station.[16] She then disappeared from the record.

Men charged with sodomy were given a choice of prison or mental institution.  Richard Weikel, a Lewisburg police officer from 1959 to 1963, related one memory in an oral history: “I never will forget this one. I knew this old boy. He had just got out of the penitentiary. He just wasn’t all wrapped up together right. And I was sort of friendly to the old boy, lent him a dollar here and a quarter there. He was hard-up, wasn’t working anywhere.” One night, the man came up to Weikel and confessed to several robberies and showed him where he had stored the stuff. When the interviewer, Layton, asked why the man confessed, Weikel stated that “He was a homosexual and he wanted to go back to that penitentiary, where he had a boyfriend.”[17] Relationships and sexual encounters in both men’s and women’s prisons were consensual and non-consensual.

by Jack Mayhew - classmate and friend of Lyda Reilly

Growing up in Greenbrier County instills one with a sense of pride that stays with you for the rest of  your life.  So is the life of Lyda Elizabeth Spencer Reilly, RN, an accomplished Artist.  Born and raised on a farm located on Friars Hill Road, a few miles from the town of Renick, Lyda’s early days were filled with school and the attention of her grandfather Charlie Spencer who became her closest friend while he lived out his long life of ninety years with her family.  In her early teen years, her family was expanded by the arrival of Linda and Brenda Spencer, her twin sisters who now reside in Lewisburg.  As a young student, Lyda discovered art and was encouraged to develop her talent by her favorite teachers, Ms. Hanna and Ms. McKnight, which she did.  However, her love of art took a back seat to her education.  Immediately following High School she left the farm to attend nursing school. 

Lyda Became a Registered Nurse (RN) and set about helping those in need.   However, she never lost her love of farm life and her community which her paintings reflect.  As soon as she had the opportunity she captured her family home on canvas.  The painting now hangs on her bedroom wall in a location that ensures that it is the first thing she sees in the morning and the last at night.

Lyda expanded her life’s experiences with marriage and travel.  The arrival of her daughter Kerry was magical and their bond has grown as they both excelled in the professions of helping others.  Her daughter is now;  Dr. Kerry Reilly, Ph.D.

Enjoy some of Lyda's art below: 

By AmeriCorps Member - Abi Smith

​             The issue of sustainable collection storage is particularly important in the communities of the Greenbrier Valley. The Valley experiences flooding disasters on a regular basis. Natural disasters, like flooding, can result in the loss of priceless information from private and public collections, as well as family documents. Sustainable collection storage would mean creating disaster plans and storage facilities that are less at risk to destruction. It might also mean working with local communities to create digital copies of private and family collections in case these physical items are destroyed. So how can small organizations work to promote sustainable collections.

         One step that we can take here at the North House Museum is to be more intentional in our collecting. Did you know that many museums only display 10-20% of their collection? This means that large portions of a museum’s collection are sitting in climate-controlled storage. Although new additions to our collection are exciting, the constant growth of an organization’s collection is not always sustainable. A sustainable collection is one that an organization has enough staff, space, and time to manage. Museum collections are not intended to hold every artifact of a community’s history, but rather are to be curated collections that can be reworked as the needs of the organization changes. Here at the Greenbrier Historical Society, we are working to improve our collecting to focus on our scope of the Greenbrier Valley. This sometimes means deaccessioning exciting collection items that have no relation to our scope, like historic copies of the New York Times. We can deaccession these kinds of items with the knowledge this information will be preserved in other institutions with a more accurate collecting scope. ​

            Preservation of information is a key part of our mission statement, but so is education. Museums are well suited for education as they are designed to communicate to diverse groups of people. Often, environmental sustainability is taught through the science of climate change. However, as a history focused organization, we also have space to teach sustainability. We can teach about historic land use and land management practices. In fact, our newest exhibit opening in May, The Road to Plenty, examines Native American land use and management, and how those practices changed with colonization. We can also teach about the impact of industry on West Virginia’s environment. The lumber and coal industries had a major impact on the land of the Greenbrier Valley, and the effects of these industries still impact our communities. By including discussions of sustainability into the programming we already have, we can provide a framework to help guests better understand the importance of sustainable practices.
           
            The field of museums has been slow to develop sustainable practices. However, as more institutions begin to consider these issues, more museums are beginning to implement sustainability standards. The issues of environmental sustainability can seem overwhelming, particularly for small organizations. It may even make us question our understanding of how museums should operate. However, small, concrete actions will help shift museum and public practices and values to ones that help future community enrichment. ​

By Executive Director Nora Venezky 

​In 2020 I made it my goal to visit every West Virginia State Park and Forest (There are 45). Little did I know it would become the perfect year to spend as much time as possible outside and in nature. I was very fortunate to have great weather 97% of the time and a few friends in my bubble that joined me on my hikes. If you are not aware, West Virginia State Parks have a few awesome programs to encourage you to visit. ​

Their VIPP program allows you to collect stamps at each park when you complete the program you get a patch, window decal, and a $25 gift card for use at any park or forest and its FREE to sign up:   https://wvstateparks.com/parks/programs/vipp/. They also have a hiking program that is only $15 to register for and you get rewards as you hit different milestones: https://wvstateparks.com/parks/programs/hiking/.
There is no time limit on these programs and visiting State Parks is an amazing way to explore West Virginia. It is also amazing how much history you can discover along the way at some of the state parks. Here are a few West Virginia State Parks that had some great history to explore:

​Droop is in the Greenbrier Valley up in Pocahontas County and worth the quick drive (don’t forget to stop at everyone’s favorite Beartown State Park since its just up the road). This park is part of the Civil War Discovery Trail and is the site of the Battle of Droop Mountain that took place on November 6. 1863. They have a small museum you can visit to learn more about the battle, or you can walk up the iconic lookout tower. I recommend the .5-mile Overlook trail if you want to see Civil War trenches, and a scenic overlook.  

​This is one of the last parks I visited in December of 2020. It was stunning with the fresh Christmas snow sticking to the trees. Lots of great hiking and mountain biking trails made for a nice hike. Unfortunately, I visited out of season and the historic village was closed down for the season, but I was still able to explore and read the interpretive panels. The museum depicts pioneer life from 1796 to the early 1900s. The land the park is on was first settled by Watters Smith and his wife Elizabeth in 1796. They built a home and raised eight children on the farm. 

​This park gets its name from Chief Logan, a leader of the Mingo people who lived in the area and fought against white settlers who were encroaching on his people’s land and killed members of the Mingo tribe. This park also hosts a museum and other historic sites. After driving through Buffalo Creek to get to the park I appreciated learning more about the of the Buffalo Creek flood that occurred in February 26, 1972 when Pittston Coal Company’s slurry dam burst and unleashed 132 million gallons of waste water killing 125 people. The museum had exhibits on coal mining, railroad history, and more. I enjoyed a hike on Woodpecker Trail, a 2.3-mile easy hike through the woods that was recommended by one of the rangers. There is a great mix of nature and history at this state park. 

​This state park is all about history, open from May 1- October 31 this island adventure was a blast! You can get a combo ticket that includes the sternwheel boat ride to the island, a wagon ride around the island, a guided tour of the reproduction Blennerhassett Mansion (yes this is not the original mansion, it was rebuilt using blueprints and historic documentation), and a visit to the Blennerhassett Museum of Regional History. I thoroughly enjoyed the sternwheel boat ride to the island; it was so mesmerizing watching the sternwheel churn the water of the Ohio River. Make sure you plan a whole day to explore the history and maybe stop at a restaurant or brewery in Parkersburg after.

​This was a great trip that I combined with visits to Cacapon and Lost River State Parks. Berkley Springs is an awesome little town with great little shops and restaurants and so much history. It is definitely worth taking your shoes off and soaking in the waters. Long before the first white settlers, Native Americans found benefits in these spring waters. George Washington visited the springs regularly and helped promote the health benefits of the spring waters. Located right in the downtown of Berkeley Springs, there is a museum as well as a spa to enjoy. 

​This hike we ran into some torrential downpours and thunder storms, but luckily, we happened to be passing by a picnic shelter at the time we could take cover in. With overlooks of the Gauley River and some stunning forest views this park quickly became one of my favorites. It was the site of a Union victory during the Civil War on September 10, 1861 that led to the eventual withdrawal of Confederate troops from the Kanawha Valley.  There is a small museum that teaches you about the history of the battle and area. 

This park is like stepping back into an old lumber town, rows of company houses, the company store, and the train whistles echoing through the valley. Before our current AmeriCorps Member, Abi smith joined us, she spent a year up at Cass working on the historic interpretation of the park. Getting a personal tour from her brought to life so much of the history of this Greenbrier Valley town. I love visiting the remains of the old mill that was built in 1902 before a fire destroyed it in 1922. It used to employ 2,500 people in its heyday before it closed in the 1960s and fell into disrepair. If you are up for the challenge, I recommend taking a weekend bicycle trip from Caldwell up to Cass along the Greenbrier River Trail (You can camp at Watoga State Park on your way!).

Preview by Brehana Scott - Marketing Manager 

​If you've visited the North House Museum and Archive in the last 10+ years you're probably familiar with the "War Room" exhibit.  The "War Room" was a military history display that showcased objects pertaining to regional conflicts, military engagements, and frontier fort history.  This year, the exhibit is getting a much needed makeover and will re-open later this March.  The exhibit will still be heavily focused on objects and images, while our knowledgeable docents handle the descriptions, themes, and dates.  

The newly crafted exhibit, Conflict and Consequences, will start by discussing the complex period of white settlement of Native lands in the Greenbrier Valley before moving on to the War of 1812, the Civil War, and World Wars I and II.  We will view these national and international events on a local scale and explore their impacts on our diverse communities, the economy, and the land.

The updated exhibit takes a deeper, more inclusive, look at the contributions of Black Americans, Native Americans, and the women of our area. Black Americans are honored in this exhibit for their roles as protectors of our community and of our nation during conflicts, wars, and other military engagements.  These Black men and women fought discrimination, exploitation, and racism in every facet of our history, with times of war being no different and with their services and sacrifices often being overlooked. 

Native and Indigenous Peoples are acknowledged in this exhibit for their claim to this land far before European colonization.  As Natives retaliated for land lost, frontier forts began popping up throughout the Greenbrier Valley.  The conflicts and battles that took place regionally in the name of colonization are complex and must be looked at from both the perspective of the Native Peoples and the European settlers.  

Women of the Greenbrier Valley are recognized here for their contributions on the home front, for their role as nurses who cared for wounded soldiers, and for their direct involvement in the fighting and as spies determined to make a difference in the outcome of the war. Women are often overlooked in military history, but their involvement plays a huge supporting role in these conflicts. Visitors will see war as more than just battle maps and weaponry; they will learn about the human experience of war.

While we are excited to announce that Conflicts & Consequences will be a permanent exhibit at the North House, we are always willing to adapt and update the exhibit to recognize more regional characters.  Please feel free to email in stories and images of veterans with ties to the Greenbrier Valley to marketing@greenbrierhistorical.org.  

The "War Room" before its glamorous makeover. 

With all of the objects and artifacts cleared out of the way it seemed like a perfect time to get a few coats of paint up! 

This green color scheme really warms up the exhibit space!
​
Pictured below: 7th grade volunteer, Rowan Woody, painting object display stands