The Marion County Historical Society held it’s annual Julia Pierpont Day in downtown Fairmont at the Society’s headquarters on May 29, 2010. (See 2009’s coverage for more details.) Governor Pierpont and, of course, Julia (Art and Pam Dodds) were in attendence, as well as Senator John Carlisle and Mrs. Carlisle (Gary and Millie Goetze). The political notables were protected from random secessionists by a guard detail consisting of Jed Bates, Jim Barnes and Mark Tennant. The program again consisted of period music, historical presentations about the Pierponts and refreshments. Afterward, we all journeyed to Fairmont’s Woodlawn Cemetary for a short wreath-laying ceremony.
The Pierponts were key players in not only the origin of Memorial Day, but also the Civil War in the East and the formation of the state of West Virginia. It is commendable that the historical society is continuing to provide this program. It is a shame that so few people in the area show any interest. We had very few drop in for the program and the event organizer expressed her frustration at the lack of support in the community. I don’t know the answer to that. I suspect that on a sunny Memorial Day weekend, most people were more interested in grabbing some beer and heading for the nearest lake. It’s too bad, because they missed a nice little program which wouldn’t have eaten up that much of their time. At any rate, I count it as a privilege to participate in the program and hope to continue to do so in the future.
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