[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Pages 10069-10070]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  WEST UNION, WV: STILL MAKING HISTORY

  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, among the beautiful, rolling-green hills of 
northern West Virginia is a little town with a big history. I am 
speaking of the town of West Union, the county seat of Doddridge 
County.
  Once a center for railroading and other forms of transportation, as 
well as oil drilling, coal mining, and and other forms of businesses 
and manufacturing, West Union was an important and thriving commercial 
center in the late nineteenth century. Unfortunately, like too many 
small towns in West Virginia and across the country, West Union has 
fallen into some hard times.
  Nevertheless, West Union retains its rich and colorful history. 
Indeed, the entire downtown district of West Union has been placed on 
the National Register of Historic Places. The downtown section contains 
buildings that feature a wealth of architectural styles, with four of 
them having been listed on the

[[Page 10070]]

National Register. These historic buildings include the Doddridge 
County Court House with its Romanesque architecture, and the Silas 
Smith Opera House which was built at the turn of the last century and 
now serves as the county library.
  For a small town in the hills of West Virginia, the town of West 
Union has been the home of a number of prominent American citizens. 
General Bantz Craddock, who rose to be the Commander of U.S. Southern 
Command and is responsible for military operations in the Caribbean, 
Central America, and South America, was raised in West Union.
  For many years, West Union was the home to Clyde Ware, a novelist who 
has been actively involved in television and film production. In fact, 
Mr. Ware wrote and directed many episodes of what was one of my 
favorite television series, ``Gunsmoke.''
  The town's most famous historic resident was the legendary Ephriam 
Bee. Mr. Bee was a pioneer, a blacksmith, the U.S. Postmaster for West 
Union, and the owner of a highly popular inn and restaurant, 
appropriately referred to as the ``Bee-Hive.'' At the age of 60, Mr. 
Bee served as captain of the Doddridge militia which protected the area 
from Confederate forces, thieves, and outlaws.
  In 1863, Mr. Bee was elected to the West Virginia State Legislature, 
defeating Joseph H. Diss Debar, the person who later designed the State 
seal of West Virginia, which is still in use today, without change.
  Another contest that Mr. Bee won was being named the Ugliest Man in 
the State of West Virginia. For that victory, he was awarded a 
beautiful pocket knife, a proud possession which he was forced to 
relinquish a few years later when the State found a man whom it deemed 
to be even uglier.
  In 1845, Mr. Bee originated the Ancient and Honorable Order of E. 
Clampus Vitus, ECV, of which he became Grand Lama. ECV was originally 
formed as a secret order for playing practical jokes, but as it spread 
across the country, it took on different purposes and missions. Today, 
ECV has become an important historic preservation society, with more 
than 100,000 members.
  Mr. Bee also operated an important station on the underground 
railroad. He hid his guests in a nearby cave until it was filled, then, 
it appears, he used ECV to create a diversion so that the escaped 
slaves could be sent on their way to freedom.
  What became the town of West Union was originally settled in 1807. It 
was incorporated on July 20, 1881, which means the town of West Union 
will be celebrating its 125th anniversary this summer. The town will be 
using this milestone anniversary in an effort to promote and celebrate 
the town's history and as a jump start toward the economic 
revitalization of the town. The festivities are planned for July 22, 
and they promise to be a time of fun, entertainment, and education as 
the town wants to share its unique and colorful history with the world.
  The town of West Union has adopted as a slogan, ``We love our 
history--that's why we're still making it!'' With its history--and its 
energetic, creative residents, I am confident that the town of West 
Union will be making history for a long time into the future.
  I wish them the best on their 125th anniversary.

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