Director

<p>Currently the Heritage Farm Artisan Guild includes a weaver, a printer, a basket maker, a tin smith, a potter, a woodworker, a broom maker, and a copper wire artist among its members.</p><p>One or two artisans are present at the Center every day, with more during festivals and other large events. Items may be purchased directly from the artisans, or they can be taken to the gift shop if the artisan is not there. Artisans occasionally also offer craft classes for the public; please see the Heritage Farms website or social media for more information.</p><p>A collection of antique quilts and various types of artwork are on display throughout the Center.</p>

The Artisan Center provides a place for skilled artists to showcase their craftsmanship to the public.

The left and center entrances of the Artisan Center lead to the artisan workstations. 

Basket weaving on the front porch of the Artisan Center.

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The Artisan Center is home to the Heritage Farm Artisan Guild. Its mission is to preserve traditional Appalachian skills and crafts such as clothes-making, woodworking, and broom-making. Most of the first floor houses stations for the Guild’s various different artisans, where visitors may observe them at work or purchase some of their crafts. The south end of the building contains the Education Room, which is used for temporary exhibits, presentations, craft classes, and field trips. On the second floor is Heritage Hall, a private event space available for rent that can seat up to 200 people. 

Overview of the Artisan Center by Audy Perry

Artisan Center

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<p>Mike Perry (1936-2015) was a prominent lawyer and banker in the local community for many years. In 1973 Mike, his wife Henriella, and their three children moved to a large farm just outside of Huntington. They wanted their family to experience a simple, rustic lifestyle in the countryside. The Perrys bought a farm belonging to the Schafer family; it was one of multiple dairy farms that once existed around the Harvey Town and German Ridge communities. Their house was a small, burnt cabin with no indoor plumbing and only a single strand of electricity. While remodeling the house the Perrys discovered original hand-hewn logs inside the walls. They marveled at the craftsmanship and countless hours that it took to build such a cabin.</p><p>The Perry family’s interest in history grew when they began taking weekend trips to buy antiques. They bought thousands of items over the years, including tools, appliances, furniture, signs, and vehicles. The family at first stored their artifacts in the farm’s old dairy barn, where they arranged them into exhibits and occasionally gave tours to visitors. Their collection grew so big that in the 1990s Mike and Henriella began constructing buildings on what was once an empty cornfield. This complex was organized and designed to resemble a small village. Heritage Farm Museum &amp; Village officially opened in May 1996 with the first annual Spring Festival. Over the following years the museum gradually expanded to offer programming year-round.</p><p>Today Heritage Farm contains over two dozen structures including seven museums, six inns, two reception halls, a retreat center, a one room school house, a Blacksmith forge, a church, and a petting zoo. Several of the buildings, including all of the cabins, are made with authentic logs recycled from old structures around West Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky. Many of these hand-hewn logs are 100-200 years old. In 2015 Heritage Farm was designated as the first Smithsonian affiliate museum in West Virginia. It is also a certified National Geographic destination; the recipient of awards including the Daughters of the American Revolution Medal for Historic Preservation; and is a WV White House Maker Space Ambassador. It has been featured on the TV shows <em>American Pickers</em> and <em>Barnwood Builders</em> and was also the site of filming for the History Channel documentary <em>America’s Greatest Feud: Hatfields and McCoys</em>.</p><p>The mission of Heritage Farm is to preserve and promote Appalachian history and culture, and instill among visitors a sense of appreciation for the labors of their ancestors. Heritage Farm focuses on early Appalachian settlers and their everyday lives. The museum collections contain thousands of artifacts, mostly ranging from the 1700s to the mid-1900s. Many exhibits are designed to showcase the evolution of technology over the past few hundred years and depict how standards of living in Appalachia have progressed. Heritage Farm also has its own Artisans Guild where craftsman demonstrate historic skills such as Blacksmithing, weaving, printing, basket-making, and broom-making. A petting zoo contains many traditional heritage breed farm animals such as goats and pigs, as well as some non-conventional animals including llamas and peafowl. Lodging is also available with four log cabins, a farmhouse, and a train caboose each available to rent overnight.</p><p>Heritage Farm is open year-round, with either guided or self-guided tours available depending upon the season. The facilities are available for group tours, school field trips, retreats, parties, and other activities. A variety of programs are offered throughout the year such as craft classes, live entertainment, reenactments, and lectures. Popular annual events include the Spring Festival, the July Ice Cream Social, the Mountain Games, Cast Iron Cook-off, and the evening Christmas Village. </p>

<p>Located on a historic Appalachian farm, this living history complex features sixteen buildings and events throughout the year. Heritage Farm was made possible by the vision and hard work of Mike and Henriella Perry, a couple who dedicated much of their lives to developing the museum and supporting endeavors that preserve and recreate Appalachian history and culture. The Progress Museum, the Transportation Museum, and the Country Store Museum are the highlights of the complex and showcase the progression of technology through exhibits containing thousands of artifacts. Heritage Farm is open year-round with guided or self-guided tours, depending on the season. Additional features of the museum include overnight lodging, an Artisan Center, the MakerSpace craft center, reception halls, tractor rides, a petting zoo, cafe, and gift shop. Heritage Farm is the recipient of many state and national awards, and in 2015 became the first Smithsonian Affiliate in West Virginia.</p>

<p>The Applebutter Inn is one of four log cabins (along with the Blackberry, Strawberry, and Woodbury Inns) available to rent overnight at Heritage Farm. There is also a farmhouse (the Hollyberry Inn), a 1930s train caboose (the Virginian Caboose Inn) and a Barn Retreat Center for guests to choose from as well. While larger, fancier, and outfitted with modern amenities such as electricity, HVAC, and kitchens, the inns at Heritage Farm are inspired by the traditional log cabin architecture of early Appalachian houses.</p><p>The Applebutter Inn is notably made with logs from eight different structures, with portions obtained from West Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky. The front portion of the inn for example came from South Point, Ohio, while the kitchen came from a structure in Pt. Pleasant, West Virginia. Mike and Henriella Perry had a habit of rescuing abandoned or deteriorating log cabins from around the Tri-State area, and using the salvageable logs to create new structures at Heritage Farm. They developed a lasting love and appreciation for old log cabins after discovering hand-hewn logs within the walls of their own home back in 1973.</p><p>The early Appalachian settlers frequently preferred hewn logs over round logs for their homes. While it took significantly more time to make, hewn logs made the houses more physically stable, and the smooth, flat walls better protected the inside from wind, rain, and snow.</p><p>The Applebutter Inn contains four bedrooms, four and a half bathrooms, three porches, a full-sized kitchen, and a washer and dryer. It sleeps up to eight people and typically rents for $350 per night.</p>

The Applebutter Inn is Heritage Farm’s flagship log cabin. It is one of several lodging spaces scattered throughout the property. Located in the heart of the village, the Applebutter is the most visible and most popular inn at Heritage Farm. The Applebutter and all the other log cabins were constructed using logs recycled from old cabins across the Tri-State area. While heavily modified to provide modern comforts to guests, the Applebutter pays homage to the traditional hand-hewn log cabins once that were once prevalent throughout Appalachia. 

Applebutter Inn

<p>Religion played a key role in the early development of Appalachia, and it still has a strong influence on its culture. The first major denominations in what is now West Virginia were the Baptists, Methodists, and Presbyterians. The mountainous terrain and small, scattered population made it difficult for formal churches to be organized in the area. Communities solved this problem by using the circuit rider system. Instead of having a minister work in one church full time, a traveling minister (known as a circuit rider) would ride on horseback to a different community each day and perform religious services. In this way, a single minister could lead multiple churches across a large geographical area. </p><p>The earliest church buildings erected in West Virginia date back to the latter half of the 1700s. Churches were the physical and symbolic center of many settlements. They were often the first non-residential structure to be built in a new community. Besides hosting religious services, the church would also be a gathering place for important meetings, trials and school. It was the major social center in town. The first Appalachian churches were very primitive; they were small and built with logs or clapboards. Later in the 1800s as towns and cities grew the churches built with them became more elaborate, with some even being made with bricks and stones.</p><p>The log church here at Heritage Farm was built sometime in the mid-1800s near the small town of West Hamlin in Lincoln County. Eventually it was dismantled due to road construction and a local man kept the logs in his barn. In the 1990s Mike and Henriella Perry acquired the old logs and reassembled the church at Heritage Farm. Unlike the log cabins, which were constructed using materials from numerous different buildings, the church was made with many of its original logs. The log church today serves as the symbolic center of Heritage Farm. Throughout the year it hosts various presentations and live entertainment.</p>

The log church is the central landmark at Heritage Farm. It represents the important historical role that churches have had in Appalachian communities. A church was often the first public building constructed in a early settlement and it would be the site of meetings and school lessons in addition to religious services. The church here originated in Lincoln County in the mid-1800s. It was reconstructed at Heritage Farm using much of its original building materials. Today the church hosts many shows, performances, and other live events throughout the year. 

Log Church

<p>A typical forge consists of a furnace, which produced a hot fire; a bellow, to blow air onto the flames and make it hotter; tongs to hold and move the metal pieces; and an anvil, a large metal block where the metal pieces were placed while being shaped. Furnaces burned extremely hot, up to 2000 or 3000˚F; pieces of metal placed in a furnace grew so hot that they became soft and easy to shape. Blacksmiths then used tools to hammer, bend, or twist heated metal into different shapes. As it cooled, the metal would become hard again.</p><p>Blacksmithing was a very dangerous job, but it was an essential one. Every community needed to have a Blacksmith forge. The average person did not have the knowledge or resources necessary to create their own metal tools. People therefore relied on a skilled Blacksmith to make or repair almost any metal things that they needed. This included nails and screws; axes and hammers; plows, and shovels; barrel and wagon rims; and horseshoes. Blacksmiths and the tools that they created were critical for helping construction, transportation, and farming. </p>

The Blacksmith forge at Heritage Farm is a functional replica of a forge from the mid-1800s. An artisan Blacksmith works here several days a week creating knives and other pieces for demonstration. Blacksmithing was one of the most important jobs in early Appalachia. People depended on the Blacksmith to make or repair farming tools, horseshoes, wagon rims, nails, and other products that could not be made at home. Blacksmithing requires using extremely hot fires to make pieces of metal soft and bendable; this metal can then be shaped to make different items. 

Blacksmith Forge

<p>General stores sometimes began with a country peddler. Peddlers would travel around a region with a wagonload of goods and try to sell their products to locals. In very rural areas, this could be the only way for people to buy things from the outside world. Anything that could not be bought had to be handmade on the farm.</p><p>When enough settlers came into an area and formed a town or community someone would soon open a general store. They were almost always the first business to open in a new, growing community. Because of the small population and poor transportation, a general store owner often held a monopoly; however, this also meant that they had to provide residents with any items that they could possibly need. Thus, general stores offered a wide variety of goods: food, farming and building tools, fabric and clothing, guns and ammunition, tobacco, and more. Larger and more developed stores might even have a butcher, bakery, or pharmacy. Sometimes the post office was located within the store, as it was the only major landmark in the area initially.</p><p>Because cash was hard to come by in isolated communities, storekeepers often had to use a system of credit when selling their goods. Customers could take what items they needed and then pay the storekeeper at the end of every month or longer. Stores kept an account book containing the names of every resident, a list of the things they had bought, and how much money they owed. It was very important that customers paid their bills on time; storekeepers relied on this money to order more goods to sell. If this system fell apart and the store was forced to closed, the entire community would be devastated. Farmers could also trade crops for items instead of paying cash.</p><p>The earliest general stores in Appalachia appeared in the 1700s. By the late 1800s and early 1900s, when towns became more developed and transportation improved, these stores expanded to sell more items. They might offer penny candy, soda, electric appliances, and cleaning products, among other things. Some even sold gasoline; the first gas stations started out as general stores. In the 1900s the rise of automobiles, mail order catalogs, and competition from newer and larger businesses gradually forced small general stores out of existence. Some continued to exist in smaller and more isolated communities up to the mid-1900s.</p>

The Country Store Museum covers the history of general stores in Appalachia. General stores functioned much like today’s convenience stores. They were oftentimes the only business in town, and because of that they had to be able to provide locals with all the products they needed. They sold food, tools, clothing, tobacco, ammunition, and any other important items. General stores were common from the 1700s to as late as the mid-1900s. The Country Store Museum is a recreation of an early 1900s store, with some artifacts and exhibits representing businesses from other time periods as well. 

Country Store Museum

<p>The majority of the animals in the Critter Corner are described as heritage breeds. These are traditional breeds of livestock used years ago on smaller, local farms. Typically each breed only existed in a certain area, and they were bred to be better equipped for the environments that they lived in. The number of heritage breed animals began to decline –and in some cases vanish- during the twentieth century as agriculture became more commercialized and industrialized. The majority of our agricultural products today come from only a small selection of livestock breeds compared to a century ago. Heritage Farm raises several different heritage breeds in order to preserve them and educate the public about their uses. Specific breeds at our Critter Corner include Narragansett Turkeys, Lavender Orphington Chickens, Scottish Highlander Cows, and Jacob Sheep.</p><p>The Critter Corner has a number of typical farm animals such as pigs, goats, sheep, chickens, turkey, ducks, rabbits, a cow, and a donkey. There are some creatures native to West Virginia as well, such as red-eared slider turtles. The zoo also has some non-local animals including llamas, peafowl, an African spur tortoise, and a camel. </p><p>The Nature Center opened in 2020 as part of a new program to showcase Appalachian ecosystems found within our own backyards. It houses a number of insects, amphibians, and reptiles native to the region. These include various species of turtles, frogs, snakes, and fish.</p>

The Wild Heritage program at Heritage Farm highlights the interactions between people and the environment around us. The Critter Corner includes a number of heritage breed livestock such as goats, chickens, turkeys, ducks, pigs, rabbits, sheep, and a donkey. There are also some non-traditional animals including peafowl, llamas, and an African spur tortoise. The nearby Nature Center contains many reptiles, amphibians, and insects native to Appalachia. Both the Critter Corner and the Nature Center are open most days during the Spring, Summer, and Fall seasons. 

Critter Corner & Nature Center

<h2>Native Americans and the Fur Trade</h2><p>Native Americans lived in Appalachia for thousands of years before Europeans arrived. These included tribal groups such as the Shawnee and the Cherokee. During the 1600s and 1700s, natives developed a trade network with French and English traders who came to the region. They sold the traders fur pelts, especially beaver pelts, which were very popular in Europe and used to make hats. In exchange the Europeans gave Native Americans materials that they could not make on their own, such as steel tools, guns, clothing, silver jewelry, and copper pots.</p><p><br /></p><h2>1850 Cabin</h2><p>Large numbers of Americans began migrating across the Appalachian Mountains in the mid-1700s and continued until the early 1800s. Most were of English, Scots-Irish, and German descent. They formed many small, rural communities, usually near creeks and rivers. Sometimes your only neighbors could be miles away. When a family chose a piece of land to live on, they very quickly worked to build a shelter to live in. They spent many weeks, even months, cutting down trees and hewing the logs to build cabins. These first homes were very small and primitive. They were usually only a single room, although over time the family might add more rooms or build a second story.</p><p>The pioneers had to learn how to survive on their own, as there were no stores or large towns nearby. They lived rough, dangerous, and demanding lives. The men had to be farmers, hunters, and carpenters. The women did much heavy work, raised and cared for the children, cooked, spun yarn, wove cloth, and made soap and candles. There were no doctors, and medical care had to be improvised. The mortality rate was high, especially among children. The pioneer diet was simple, consisting primarily of corn, wild animals, and livestock. Food was preserved by salting, drying, or pickling it. The pioneer way of life fostered values of independence and self-reliance that were reinforced by religion and a strong sense of community. The struggles, hardships, and experiences of the first settlers continued to influence later communities.</p><p><br /></p><h2>1900 Kitchen</h2><p>By 1900, life had improved dramatically. Fireplaces were replaced with cast iron stoves, which were much safer and used less fuel. Kitchens now had cupboards and countertops, which created more room to store and prepare food. People who lived in town could now refrigerate their food using an ice box. An ice man delivered a large block of ice to their house on a regular basis, which was placed in the ice box and kept the food cold until it melted. Oil lamps provided light, and were much safer and cleaner than candles. Businesses and wealthier households in town might have a telephone.</p><p>Another major change for the home was the mail order catalog. This idea became popular by the 1880s and changed the way people obtained products. Companies such as Sears and Roebuck sent out catalogs full of many different items such as tools, toys, books, clothes, furniture, appliances, and even entire houses. Customers could simply send an order through the mail and have it shipped to them. These catalogs were especially important to rural areas and small towns that did not have any large stores; people were now able to buy whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted.</p><p><br /></p><h2>1925 Kitchen</h2><p>By the 1920s, electricity was becoming increasingly common. The decade was also a period of economic prosperity, and more Americans than ever had extra money to spend. These factors allowed a variety of new, modern amenities to be brought into homes. These included electric lights, washing machines, refrigerators, and toasters. Refrigerators in particular were important; food could be easily preserved and did not have to be dried, salted, or pickled to stay safe. Homes also now had running water, indoor plumbing, gas stoves and heat. Most kitchens were designed with white appliances and furniture to provide a look of cleanliness. Chores that once took long hours could now be done much faster and easier. Homes were now also cleaner, safer, and more comfortable.</p><p><br /></p><h2>Radio &amp; TV Repair Shop</h2><p>The earliest radios were developed in the 1890s, but they did not become widespread until the 1920s, when the first radio stations and commercial radio sets were introduced. By the 1930s and 40s millions of Americans owned radios and tuned in nightly to hear news, music, and plays. It enabled the general public to get news faster than ever, and to stay connected to the world at all times. Televisions were developed in the 1930s but were not mass produced until after the end of World War II. By the 1950s many households owned a television set, which largely replaced radios.</p><p>All early radios and televisions used vacuum tubes, a light bulb-like device which amplified the electric signals of the device. They were replaced in the 1960s by the invention of the transistor- a revolutionary device that was smaller, cheaper, and longer lasting than vacuum tubes. With transistors, once-bulky electronics soon started to become smaller, paving the way for personal computers, cell phones, and flat screen TVs.</p><p><br /></p><h2>Model Railroad</h2><p>This model railroad was built by the Appalachian Model Railroad Society in 2001. It depicts typical coal mining towns and logging camps in West Virginia.</p><p>Trains were enormously important to the social and economic development of West Virginia starting in the last decades of the 1800s. Historically the state had been very isolated due to its mountains and rugged terrain, which made travel and industry difficult. The construction of railroads allowed West Virginia to export its natural resources, namely coal and timber, across the country. Dozens of towns across the state were built by new railroads to service them and take advantage of the economic opportunities they presented. Huntington, for example, was built as the western terminus for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, while nearby Kenova was built for the Norfolk and Western Railway.</p><p>Many railroads were strategically built next to sources of coal in order to mine and transport the coal easier. Many communities in turn were built by the coal and railroad companies to support the miners and their families. The railroads also brought thousands of new migrants into West Virginia to work in the coal mines. These included African Americans from the South, and Italians, Poles, Germans, Slavs, and other groups from Eastern Europe.</p><p><br /></p><h2>Printing Presses</h2><p>For thousands of years, all books and other documents were handwritten; this made them very rare and expensive. Few people could read or write as a result. The earliest printing presses were developed in China over one thousand years ago. In the 1440s a German man named Johannes Gutenberg invented an improved version of the printing press and introduced it to Europe. People with printing press were able to produce thousands of books, newspapers, and other documents. Literacy rates increased as more people were able to acquire printed materials. One of the first books ever printed was the Bible, around 1454. The printing press made communication better by allowing people to preserve and share ideas with others cheaply and easily all over the world.</p><p><br /></p><h2>Soda Fountains</h2><p>Soda fountains were for many years a major gathering place for communities all over America. Soda fountains existed for much of the 1800s, but they peaked in popularity from the 1920s to the 1950s. Soda water was originally sold in pharmacies because they were once believed to have medicinal properties, curing ailments such as stomach aches. As brands such as Dr. Pepper, Coca Cola, and Pepsi emerged in the late 1800s and early 1900s, soda became more popular as a casual drink. Many fountains expanded to sell ice cream and entire meals. Soda fountains and ice cream parlors were a place for young people to socialize, enjoy a milkshake, listen to music on a jukebox, or maybe play an early arcade machine.</p><p><br /></p><h2>Zane’s Park</h2><p>The Zane’s Park carnival set celebrates the bygone days of classic carnivals in the early to mid 1900s. This complex series of model rides was built years ago by a Cabell County school custodian with an obvious sense of ingenuity. When Heritage Farms acquired it, the set had been dissembled into over a dozen boxes. Luckily a volunteer named Zane Parsons was able to put the carnival back together and get it operating again. Zane’s Park is loosely modeled off of Camden Park, the only amusement park in West Virginia and one of the oldest in the nation. </p><p><br /></p><h2>Making Clothing</h2><p>Making clothing was one of the longest and most difficult tasks that a family would have to do. Premade clothes were extremely expensive, and out on the frontier or in rural communities people had no choice but to make their own. This task was usually performed by women, and required a great deal of skill and patience. There were typically three different types of materials that could be used for making clothes: flax plants, cotton plants, and sheep wool. Any of these could be processed to extract fiber. Spinning wheels were used to turn the fiber into yarn or thread. A loom would then be used to weave the yarn into cloth, and from there it could be sewn to make different kinds of clothing. Many people wove flax linen and wool together to form a stronger material called linsey-woolsey, which could be used to make blankets and quilts. </p><p><br /></p><h2>Entertainment Products of the Early 1900s</h2><p>By the early 1900s many people had more free time and more cash to start buying new inventions for entertaining themselves. The phonograph, an audio recorder that used wax cylinders, was invented by Thomas Edison in 1877 but was not mass-marketed to homes until the 1890s. They were eventually replaced by record players and disks in the 1910s. Slide projectors and stereoscopes (an early version of the View-Master) allowed people to view photographs and paintings of all sorts of scenes for both educational purposes and entertainment. The zoetrope also remained a popular toy. Invented in the 1860s, this spinning wheel blurred a series of pictures together to give the illusion of a moving image. This was the precursor to animation, and in many ways is similar to today’s GIFs. </p>

The Progress Museum explores how life and technology changed in Appalachia from pioneer days to the 1900s. Throughout history people have created new or better inventions to make life easier and more productive. It is through their hard work and creativity that we have all of the comforts and amenities we enjoy today. The Progress Museum is much like a walk-through timeline. You begin during the days of the Native American fur trade and travel onward through exhibits showcasing everyday life in the 1800s and 1900s.

Progress Museum

<p>Cabooses were an important part of the railroad industry for many years. They were first developed around the 1840s and continued to be used by some railroads until the 1980s. Cabooses had several different purposes. They provided a place for crew members to eat, sleep, and work in. They contained bunk beds, a stove, a toilet, and space for storing tools. Cabooses usually housed a conductor, a brakeman, and a flagman. The conductor had to look out all the windows and doors to inspect the train and make sure all of its parts were working correctly. The brakeman had to climb on top of each train car and turn a wheel to activate the brakes. The flagman walked behind the caboose whenever the train was stopped and carried lanterns or flags to warn upcoming trains that the train in front was not moving. Eventually new technologies such as automatic brakes and signals eliminated the need for these jobs.</p><p>The caboose seen here is from the Chesapeake &amp; Ohio Railroad (C&amp;O), the most influential railroad in the area’s history. The line was built in many phases, with most of the work done from 1869-1873. It stretched from the coast of Virginia, through the Appalachian Mountains, and ended at the Ohio River in West Virginia (in later years it would expand farther). The C&amp;O primarily transported coal from West Virginia to eastern Virginia, where it could then be shipped around the world. During the 1870s the new city of Huntington grew around the railroad’s terminus along the river. It was named after Collis P. Huntington, the C&amp;O’s president and chief financier. During the mid-1900s the C&amp;O merged with several other railroad companies and today is now part of CSX.</p><p>This particular caboose stood for many years in front of Marshall University’s Fairfield Stadium, the school’s football stadium from 1927-1990. It was painted green and white and served as the ticket booth. After the stadium closed the Perry family acquired the caboose and brought it to Heritage Farm. It was later repainted to resemble its original C&amp;O appearance. </p>

This original Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad caboose represents the importance of the railroad industry to West Virginia. Cabooses were a part of most trains for over 100 years, from the 1840s to as late as the 1980s in some places. These small cars served as the work space, office, bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom for crew members. They were also used by crewmen as an observation post, to see the outside of the train and make sure that there were no problems. 

C&O Caboose #90324

<p>For most of human history, people traveled from one place to another on foot or with animals. Getting anywhere took long periods of time; communication and trade were much slower. Boats could travel faster, but they were limited to wherever bodies of water were located. Everything changed in the 1800s with the rise of the steam engine. New inventions such as steamships and steam-powered trains greatly reduced the amount of time it took to travel and brought people closer together. By the late 1800s, numerous inventors and engineers were experimenting with creating a fast, self-propelled machine that did not need tracks or water to move on.</p><p>Steam tractors and similar devices were being developed by the mid-1800s, but the first true car (which used an internal combustion engine) was invented in 1886 by a German man named Karl Benz. The first American car was developed in 1893 by Charles and Frank Duryea. For the first twenty years of automobiles, they were very slow, heavy, and expensive. Many regarded them as little more than a toy for the wealthy. Dozens if not hundreds of small companies formed across America and Europe, and tried to sell competing models of cars. Many of these companies only sold a small number before closing. During this period there were numerous cars of different shapes and sizes. Some were gasoline-powered, some were battery-powered, and some were even steam-powered.</p><p><br /></p><h2>Commercial Electric Truck</h2><p>Electric vehicles may seem like a new innovation, but in actuality they have been around for as long as vehicles themselves. Companies and inventors were experimenting with making battery-powered cars by the 1890s. Studebaker even had its own line of electric cars from 1902 to 1912. Electric cars were fairly popular because they were easier to use, quieter, and did not emit any pollutants. For a number of years they were a serious competitor against gasoline-powered cars. Ultimately interest in battery powered cars declined when gasoline became cheaper and better roads were constructed. Electric cars’ short battery life and the introduction of the gasoline-powered Ford Model T were problematic as well. By the 1930s electric vehicles had faded out of the market.</p><p>The electric truck seen here was built by the Commercial Truck Company of Philadelphia in 1908. It was part of a fleet of 22 trucks used by the Curtis Publishing Company, a Philadelphia business that printed and distributed magazines such as the <em>Saturday Evening Post</em>, the <em>Ladies’ Home Journal</em>, <em>Jack and Jill</em>, and <em>The American Home</em>. These trucks were massive, weighing five tons and able to carry ten tons of materials. These trucks were used to deliver giant rolls of paper to the printing presses; then they would pick up the printed newspapers and magazines to deliver them to post offices and newsstands.</p><p>The truck was powered by a large set of batteries which took six hours to charge. The cab noticeably had two wheels; the top one was the steering wheel, while the bottom was the gear shift. The Curtis Publishing Company maintained and used these trucks up until 1962. Several eventually made their way to West Virginia. Heritage Farm purchased two models in the 1990s, and used parts from one to restore the other.</p><p><br /></p><h2>Sears Motor Buggy</h2><p>This vehicle is a testament to the wide variety of items that Sears offered in its mail order catalogs. Unlike other products however, Sears’ attempt at selling a car did not fare so well. The Sears Motor Buggy was introduced in 1908 and was marketed until 1912; during that time only 3,500 were sold. The buggy’s main appeal was its simplicity: it was essentially a wooden carriage with an engine and bicycle chains attached to it. The large wheels allowed it to ride smoothly over unpaved roads. It cost a comparatively cheap $395 and could go up to twenty miles an hour. The Sears car was ultimately unable to compete against the numerous other car manufacturers in the market at the time; it also happened to be introduced the same year as the famous Ford Model T. The vehicle here is from 1910.</p><p><br /></p><h2>Ford Model T</h2><p>While electric trucks, Sears Motor Buggies, and countless other kinds of vehicles were being tried and tested on the market, a Michigan man named Henry Ford was unveiling his latest car, the Ford Model T. Ford had produced several models of cars before, but the Model T was by far the most successful. The car was first marketed in 1908 for $850, but the price dropped over the years. The car was durable, decent quality, could go up to 45 miles per hour, and was extremely popular.</p><p>The key to Ford’s success was his use of the assembly line process. In an assembly line, different workers were tasked with doing individual tasks, such as attaching the tires on each car, painting the body of each car, etc. This sped up the rate at which cars could be produced, allowing Ford to sell them at lower costs over time. Thanks to its low price and wide availability, the Ford Model T became the first car accessible to the majority of Americans. No longer would cars be restricted to businesses and the wealthy. Between 1908 and 1927, over 15 million Ford Model Ts were sold.</p><p>The model seen here is from 1915 and is referred to as a Ford Runabout or a Ford Roadster. It sold for about $440, much lower than the initial price in 1908. Cars like these were still considered very expensive, but now it was possible for middle class families to obtain one.</p><p><br /></p><h2>Airplane</h2><p>The small airplane seen here is a fully functional model constructed by a local hobbyist. It is powered with a Volkswagen car engine, and logged around 300 flight hours before the owner donated it to the museum. The design of this plane is modeled off of the biplanes that were common throughout the 1910s and 1920s. Airplanes date to 1903 when the Wright Brothers tested their first successful plane, but they did not become common until the 1920s when the first commercial airlines developed to deliver mail.</p><p><br /></p><h2>Ford Depot Hack</h2><p>The Ford Depot Hack, sometimes known as the “Woody,” was used specifically for carrying passengers and their luggage from train stations to hotels, or vice versa. In a way, they were like the first taxi cabs. Depot hacks were designed with a spacious back, to allow room for suitcases or extra seating. Interestingly, Ford did not manufacture these cars. Instead, other companies purchased the chassis (or framework) of Ford Model Ts and built the bodies themselves. The depot hack seen here is from 1923.</p><p><br /></p><h2>Fruit and Produce Truck</h2><p>This vehicle was manufactured by the Denby Motor Truck Company in Detroit, Michigan. The company was in existence from around 1912-1929 and sold commercial trucks. It also contributed to the development of military transport trucks for the U.S. Army in World War I. The Denby has a fuel tank positioned behind the steering wheel so that the gas could be gravity-fed into the engine. It uses no electrical components whatsoever; no gauges, water pump, electric starter, etc. The headlights are even fueled by acetylene gas instead of electricity.</p><p>The Denby at Heritage Farm is a 1915 model; Huntington resident Jack A. Thompson purchased it from a farmer named Leo Donhauser in New York in 1973. Thompson restored the truck, and once a year he would drive it around town selling produce for charity in honor of his father, who once drove a similar produce truck. For many years Thompson owned a popular grocery business in Huntington called the Quality Fruit and Produce Company.</p><p><br /></p><h2>Ford Model TT</h2><p>The Model TT was Ford’s first version of the pickup truck. Introduced in 1917, it was essentially a larger and heavier version of the Model T. It weighed around one ton, and because of this could only travel at fifteen miles per hour. Originally Ford only sold the chassis (or framework) of the truck, and buyers had to construct the bed and cab themselves. This allowed for a little bit of customization so that people could adapt the truck to their individual needs. In later years Ford also sold the trucks with a body. The truck was quite popular with farmers who had to transport crops and supplies.</p><p><br /></p><h2>Ford Model A</h2><p>The Model A was Ford’s successor to the Model T. The company produced this car from 1927-1931 and it came in a variety of shapes and colors. Ford sold roughly five million Model As, and the vehicle became an icon in 1920s and 1930s media.</p><p><br /></p><h2>Conestoga Wagon</h2><p>The iconic Conestoga wagon is named after the Conestoga River area in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania where they were originally created. The wagons were first produced around the mid-1700s and usage peaked between 1820 and 1840. They were large and durable, able to transport large amounts of goods; up to six tons. It took a team of four or six horses to pull one, and could travel 12-14 miles a day. The wagons had a distinct curved shape to prevent cargo from shifting during movement, and to aid when crossing small bodies of water. Conestoga wagons were used primarily in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, and Virginia (including present-day West Virginia) to transport cargo for trade; they were essentially the original semi trucks. Contrary to popular belief, Conestoga-style wagons were not used by pioneers to travel far out West because they were too heavy to travel extremely long distances. Pioneers instead used flat-bed wagons known as schooners.</p><p><br /></p><h2>Wells Fargo Stagecoach</h2><p>Stagecoaches were the dominant method of overland transportation prior to railroads. These wagons were designed to take people, mail, and money over long distances. They notably included a leather suspension system to absorb some of the shock created by rattling and bouncing; this made the ride more comfortable for passengers compared to other wagons. Some of the better ones could travel up to fifty miles in one day. There were a number of stagecoach companies and stagecoach routes around the country, with the earliest ones dating back to the 1700s, but the most well-known was Wells Fargo. The banking company was founded in 1852 and speedy, long-distance deliveries were originally a major part of its operations. It first ran stagecoaches all over California during the California Gold Rush. Stagecoaches began to decline in popularity by the 1870s due to the rise of railroads, but some lines (including Wells Fargo) remained in operation as late as the 1910s.</p><p><br /></p><h2>Logging Camps</h2><p>This model railroad depicts typical logging community in West Virginia. Next to coal mining, logging was the state’s second largest industry from the 1880s to the 1930s. West Virginia was rich in undeveloped land and millions of large trees. This resource became accessible with the development of railroads and the creation of giant, steam powered sawmills to cut the logs into lumber. Many small railroads were constructed around the state to transport logs down the mountains; from there they would either be put onto other trains or floated down rivers and sent all over the country to be made into tools, barrels, furniture, or building materials.</p><p>Small communities (such as the town of Cass) would often form alongside logging operations to support the loggers. Usually these were more short-lived than coal mining towns, as trees could be harvested much quicker. The logging industry in West Virginia collapsed by the 1930s due to overharvesting; entire swaths of the state became deforested and much of the original virgin timber was lost. Today most of the trees and forests in West Virginia are new growth, with very few more than a century or two old.</p><p><br /></p><h2>Riverboats</h2><p>Rivers were the first “interstates” in America. Boats floating down rivers could travel faster and carry more goods than wagons. Use of the river for trade and travel increased during the 1800s with the invention of the steamboat. Steamboats could move up to five miles an hour, much faster than normal boats. Many towns and cities developed along rivers so that people could easily send crops and other goods on ships to be sold elsewhere, or to buy products from visiting ships. They were extremely important for economic development and trade between communities and states. Steamboats were dangerous machines however; the boilers sometimes exploded, destroying the entire ship. Usage of steamboats declined starting in the early 1900s due to the growth of railroads, automobiles, and airplanes. These new forms of transportation were all faster and, unlike boats, their range was not restricted to bodies of water. Today riverboats in the Ohio River Valley region are mainly used for transporting coal barges.</p>

The Transportation Museum is devoted to the history of all things that move. It contains a diverse assortment of artifacts and vehicles such as wagons, cars, trucks, and a small airplane. The collection also includes a rare 1908 electric commercial truck, and a 1910 motor buggy from Sears and Roebuck. This museum explores the history of transportation and how its development has influenced business, communication, and lifestyles in the United States. The exhibits primarily focus on horse-drawn wagons, automobiles, railroads, and riverboats. 

Heritage Farm Museum & Village

Artisan Center

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Additional Information