F-12 McNelis Hodgson House*

Another of the early homesteading families, the William and Viola "Chris" McNelis family, moved here in the summer of 1934. The McNelis family had two children: Louise McNelis Shafer and Jim McNelis. Before coming to Arthurdale, the family lived in Cassville, WV, in the Scotts Run area. Eleanor Roosevelt later helped their son Jim get a summer internship under Treasury Secretary Morgenthau. After serving in WWII he earned a journalism degree and spent 35 years as a journalist, 19 of them as Washington D. C. Bureau Chief. He credited Arthurdale with his success in life. Jim can also be seen dancing the Virginia Reel with Mrs. Roosevelt at the Arthurdale High School in 1938.

In a series of recollections published in the Arthurdale Heritage newsletter and later in Goldenseal Magazine (Summer 2012), Jim McNelis shared stories about growing up in Arthurdale. Upon moving into their Hodgson-style house, the McNelis family had, for the first time, running water, an indoor bathroom, and their own house and land.

Many tourists came to Arthurdale in those early years due to the press the project received. Jim McNelis remembers, "It was not unusual, especially on Saturdays and Sundays, to have visitors ask my parents for permission to walk through our house to see how it was designed and constructed. My parents usually granted permission unless we were entertaining relatives." Later, a model home was furnished for visitors to walk through.

Jim McNelis started attending school in Arthurdale in the Arthur Mansion as a 7th grader before the school buildings were built. Starting in 9th grade, Jim attended the brand new Arthurdale High School. In 1938, Louise McNelis was one of the graduating seniors who received her diploma from President Franklin D. Roosevelt himself. After the ceremony, the McNelis family went home to work on their farm and have dinner, but they returned in the evening for the graduation dance. Jim McNelis remembers, "When the caller announced the Virginia Reel - Eleanor Roosevelt's favorite dance - she looked around for a partner from among the attendees. Very few of the homesteaders of the guests knew the steps, but I did, as I had learned them the previous year in school. The next thing you know, I was dancing with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, in my work pants and muddy sneakers."

According to Jim McNelis, "Arthurdale and its survival owe a lot to Mrs. Roosevelt." Besides her efforts to create the town and keep it running, she also visited many times and made a real impact on the lives of the homesteaders.

Arthurdale Heritage, Preserving Arthurdale, WV – Eleanor Roosevelt's New Deal Community. Arthurdale Heritage Inc.. Accessed March 20, 2017. http://www.arthurdaleheritage.org/.

Haid, Stephen Edward. "Arthurdale: An Experiment in Community Planning, 1933-1947." Master's thesis, West Virginia University, 1975.

Maloney, C. J. Back to the Land: Arthurdale, FDRs New Deal, and the Costs of Economic Planning. John Wiley & Sons, 2013.

McNelis, Jim. “Growing Up in Arthurdale.” Goldenseal Magazine vol. 38, no. 2. 2012. Pgs. 8-16.

McNelis, Jim. “Dancing with Mrs. Roosevelt.” Goldenseal Magazine vol. 38, no. 2. 2012. Pg. 17

Patterson, Stuart. “A New Pattern of Life: The Public Past and Present of Two New Deal Communities.” Doctoral Thesis, Emory University, 2006.

Penix, Amanda Griffith. Images of America: Arthurdale. Arcadia Publishing, 2007.

Ward, Bryan. A New Deal for America. Arthurdale Heritage Inc., 1995