Webster Springs, West Virginia
Encyclopedia
Webster Springs is a town in Webster County, West Virginia
, United States
. Although it was incorporated as Addison in 1892, it is more frequently referred to as Webster Springs, the name of the town's post office
. It was named as such for Addison McLaughlin, upon whose land the town was originally laid out. The population was 808 at the 2000 census
.
The town was famous in the late 19th and early 20th centuries for its numerous salt
sulfur water wells. People believed that the water from the wells had medicinal qualities. The town also hosts the annual Webster County Wood Chopping Festival, a weekend-long competition in which lumberjack
s from all over the world compete. The festival lasts from mid-week the week leading up to Memorial Day
until the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, when the festival ends with a fireworks
display.
The town has also been known as; Elk Lick, Fork Lick, Addison (officially 1892–present), and Webster Springs (unofficially 1861–present).
The Morton House
was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1986.
sulfur well in the county, it was known as "Old Spring." The well was later owned by Colonel
John T. McGraw. The salt sulfur well helped make Webster Springs a popular summer tourist location during the 19th and early 20th Century.
According to Springs in West Virginia, the town of Webster Springs had four total springs, they included: the Addison McLaughlin Well, located to the west of Court Square, Old Fork Lick Spring, located in the bed of the Elk River, Tracy Well, located on the lot of its owner, W.B. Tracy, in Webster Springs, and the Wm. Smith Well, located in Dorrtown. The wells were popular because people believed that the water from the wells had medicinal qualities. The water was used to treat skin conditions such as psoriasis
, eczema
, acne
and arthritis
.
Johnson Newlon Camden
had built a 265-room hotel of Victorian style architecture
, which was larger than The Greenbrier
Hotel built in 1913, which only has 250 rooms, named the Webster Springs Hotel. The hotel contained a tennis court, horse stables, garden, bowling alley, power plant, and Russia
n and Turkish baths, where visitors could enjoy the "medicinal" qualities of its salt sulfur waters. The hotel was also the largest wood frame hotel in West Virginia.
When first built, the hotel was a three-story dark colored building. After it was completed, construction began on a new, much larger section of the hotel, adding more rooms, and a new exterior color, white. The new section of the hotel contained up-to-date Turkish bath equipment, where guests could have sulfur water bath, window shutter
s, For many years, filled to capacity by guests and a greatly increased overflow which necessitated the building of smaller hotels in the town. The hotel also raised its own cattle and provided some of its own food and milk. The hotel's ice house, according to Elizah Hedding Gillespie, His Ancestors, Descendants and Their Families, was capable of holding 150 ton
s of ice. The hotel was heated by steam.
In 1903, Colonel McGraw purchased the hotel and expanded it by 115 rooms, completed in the spring of 1904. Of the 89 "non-guest" rooms in the new section, 40 were for salt sulfur baths, which took up the entire first floor of one wing. The entire southern wing of the hotel was given to bath rooms, including; "the plunge," Turkish, Russian, Needle, Shower, and Steam baths. Of which they were offered in both fresh and salt-sulfur water.
On the interior, it contained stuffed bear
s, elk
s, and other wildlife of the local county in realistic poses.
At the height of its popularity, the hotel played host to such guests as Senators Thomas Kearns
(Utah
), Henry G. Davis
(West Virginia
), his son-in-law, Senator Stephen Benton Elkins
(West Virginia), and Camden (West Virginia).
On the night of July 20, 1925, the hotel caught fire and was burned to the ground, being completely destroyed. Flames could be seen as far as one mile away, as well, the sky was seen as a bright red color, up to 19 miles away, in Camden-on-Gauley
.
. According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 0.5 square miles (1.2 km²), all land. It is at an elevation of 1,460 ft. (445m).
, there were 808 people, 403 households, and 222 families residing in the town. The population density
was 1,729.9 inhabitants per square mile (663.8/km²). There were 463 housing units at an average density of 991.3 per square mile (380.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.8% White, 0.12% Native American, and 0.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.50% of the population.
There were 403 households of which 22.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them. While 165, or 40.9% were married couples
living together, 51, or 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 180 or 44.7% were non-families. Also, 42.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.00 and the average family size was 2.70.
The age of residents range as follows: 19.9% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 10.5% from 25 to 34, 17.0% from 45 to 54, and 20.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age of the population was 43.9 years. Of the total population, 55.3% where female, while the remaining 44.7% where male. For the total population 45.3% where females 18 and over, while 34.8% where males 18 and over., also, 12.7% where females 65 and older, and 7.8% males 65 and older.
The median income for a household in the town was $
20,592, and the median income for a family was $27,434. Males, full-time and year-round, had a median income of $27,386 as opposed to $16,389 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $13,500. About 22.0% of families and 28.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.2% of those under the age of 18 and 21.9% of those age 65 or over.
Arden Cogar Sr. (born approx. 1942) is a multiple time world champion lumberjack
. He also holds multiple world records. Jamie Cogar (also called Arden Cogar Jr., born in 1972), the son of Arden Cogar Sr., is a Civil defense
trial attorney
as well as a champion lumberjack. Some of his accomplishments are; multiple time Champion, multiple medal winner in the Men's Endurance event at ESPN
's Great Outdoor Games
and multiple Stihl
Timbersports Series Finalist; 2006 Standing Block World Champion; Winner of 40 Individual World Titles including the All Around World Title at the 2007 Webster County Woodchopping Festival; Captain of STIHL's United States National Lumberjack Team. Another notable resident of the town is Dick Stemple (born 1940) is a member of the Board of Directors
(Immediate Past Chairman) for the Tostitos
Fiesta Bowl
. Before becoming a board member for the Fiesta Bowl, he was a teacher and pharmaceutical sales representative for AstraZeneca
. He was also the winner of the 1982-1983 Glenn Hawkins "Volunteer of the Year" Award. Joe Talbot (born January 23, 1933) is Politician
and retired United States Marine
. He is currently a Democratic member of the House of Delegates representing the 36th District. C. Randy White (born May 10, 1955 in Charleston
, West Virginia
) is a Politician. He was a Democratic House of Representatives member from 1996 until 2000). He was a West Virginia State Senate member representing the llth District from 2002 until 2006. As well, he was the town's mayor during the 1990s, beginning in 1991. Philip D. Curtin
a former professor at Johns Hopkins University
and historian on the Africa
and Atlantic slave trade
, though born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, grew up in Webster Springs.
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Although it was incorporated as Addison in 1892, it is more frequently referred to as Webster Springs, the name of the town's post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
. It was named as such for Addison McLaughlin, upon whose land the town was originally laid out. The population was 808 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
.
The town was famous in the late 19th and early 20th centuries for its numerous salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
sulfur water wells. People believed that the water from the wells had medicinal qualities. The town also hosts the annual Webster County Wood Chopping Festival, a weekend-long competition in which lumberjack
Lumberjack
A lumberjack is a worker in the logging industry who performs the initial harvesting and transport of trees for ultimate processing into forest products. The term usually refers to a bygone era when hand tools were used in harvesting trees principally from virgin forest...
s from all over the world compete. The festival lasts from mid-week the week leading up to Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
until the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, when the festival ends with a fireworks
Fireworks
Fireworks are a class of explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...
display.
Etymology
The name of the town is officially Addison, West Virginia. However, it is most commonly referred to as Webster Springs (the name of the towns post office, since 1902). It also labeled on some maps as Addison, and some as Webster Springs. The unofficial name has gone so far that the county commission's letterhead reads "Webster Springs," rather than Addison, which it had previously.The town has also been known as; Elk Lick, Fork Lick, Addison (officially 1892–present), and Webster Springs (unofficially 1861–present).
History
The town's first permanent settler was named Polly Arthur, who arrived in 1860. The first post office established in Webster County was Fort Lick, present-day Webster Springs. The postmaster at the time was a man by the name of John Hall.The Morton House
Morton House (Webster Springs, West Virginia)
Morton House, also known as Morton Mansion, is a historic home located at Webster Springs, Webster County, West Virginia. It is a Queen Anne style house that dates to 1912. It is a massive red brick dwelling set on a solid stone foundation and with a hipped roof. It features two, 2 1/2 story...
was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1986.
Salt Sulfur wells
Hall, along with a man whose first name is not known, who is only known as Mr. Skidmore, drilled the first saltSalt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
sulfur well in the county, it was known as "Old Spring." The well was later owned by Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
John T. McGraw. The salt sulfur well helped make Webster Springs a popular summer tourist location during the 19th and early 20th Century.
According to Springs in West Virginia, the town of Webster Springs had four total springs, they included: the Addison McLaughlin Well, located to the west of Court Square, Old Fork Lick Spring, located in the bed of the Elk River, Tracy Well, located on the lot of its owner, W.B. Tracy, in Webster Springs, and the Wm. Smith Well, located in Dorrtown. The wells were popular because people believed that the water from the wells had medicinal qualities. The water was used to treat skin conditions such as psoriasis
Psoriasis
Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease that appears on the skin. It occurs when the immune system mistakes the skin cells as a pathogen, and sends out faulty signals that speed up the growth cycle of skin cells. Psoriasis is not contagious. However, psoriasis has been linked to an increased risk of...
, eczema
Eczema
Eczema is a form of dermatitis, or inflammation of the epidermis . In England, an estimated 5.7 million or about one in every nine people have been diagnosed with the disease by a clinician at some point in their lives.The term eczema is broadly applied to a range of persistent skin conditions...
, acne
Acne
Acne is a general term used for acneiform eruptions. It is usually used as a synonym for acne vulgaris, but may also refer to:*Acne aestivalis*Acne conglobata*Acne cosmetica*Acne fulminans*Acne keloidalis nuchae*Acne mechanica...
and arthritis
Arthritis
Arthritis is a form of joint disorder that involves inflammation of one or more joints....
.
Webster Springs Hotel
In 1897, SenatorUnited States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Johnson Newlon Camden
Johnson N. Camden
Johnson Newlon Camden was a United States Senator from West Virginia. Born in Collins Settlement, Virginia , he attended school in Sutton. He was appointed as a cadet to the United States Military Academy at West Point from 1846 until 1848, when he resigned...
had built a 265-room hotel of Victorian style architecture
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
, which was larger than The Greenbrier
The Greenbrier
The Greenbrier is a Forbes four-star and AAA Five Diamond Award winning luxury resort located just outside the town of White Sulphur Springs in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, United States....
Hotel built in 1913, which only has 250 rooms, named the Webster Springs Hotel. The hotel contained a tennis court, horse stables, garden, bowling alley, power plant, and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n and Turkish baths, where visitors could enjoy the "medicinal" qualities of its salt sulfur waters. The hotel was also the largest wood frame hotel in West Virginia.
When first built, the hotel was a three-story dark colored building. After it was completed, construction began on a new, much larger section of the hotel, adding more rooms, and a new exterior color, white. The new section of the hotel contained up-to-date Turkish bath equipment, where guests could have sulfur water bath, window shutter
Window shutter
A window shutter is a solid and stable window covering usually consisting of a frame of vertical stiles and horizontal rails...
s, For many years, filled to capacity by guests and a greatly increased overflow which necessitated the building of smaller hotels in the town. The hotel also raised its own cattle and provided some of its own food and milk. The hotel's ice house, according to Elizah Hedding Gillespie, His Ancestors, Descendants and Their Families, was capable of holding 150 ton
Ton
The ton is a unit of measure. It has a long history and has acquired a number of meanings and uses over the years. It is used principally as a unit of weight, and as a unit of volume. It can also be used as a measure of energy, for truck classification, or as a colloquial term.It is derived from...
s of ice. The hotel was heated by steam.
In 1903, Colonel McGraw purchased the hotel and expanded it by 115 rooms, completed in the spring of 1904. Of the 89 "non-guest" rooms in the new section, 40 were for salt sulfur baths, which took up the entire first floor of one wing. The entire southern wing of the hotel was given to bath rooms, including; "the plunge," Turkish, Russian, Needle, Shower, and Steam baths. Of which they were offered in both fresh and salt-sulfur water.
On the interior, it contained stuffed bear
Bear
Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
s, elk
Elk
The Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...
s, and other wildlife of the local county in realistic poses.
At the height of its popularity, the hotel played host to such guests as Senators Thomas Kearns
Thomas Kearns
Thomas Kearns was a mining, banking, railroad and newspaper magnate. He was elected United States Senator from Utah from 1901 to 1905.- Immigration and mining :...
(Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
), Henry G. Davis
Henry G. Davis
Henry Gassaway Davis was a self-made millionaire and U.S. Senator from West Virginia. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904. His brother was U.S...
(West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
), his son-in-law, Senator Stephen Benton Elkins
Stephen Benton Elkins
Stephen Benton Elkins was an American industrialist and political figure. He served as the Secretary of War between 1891 and 1893...
(West Virginia), and Camden (West Virginia).
On the night of July 20, 1925, the hotel caught fire and was burned to the ground, being completely destroyed. Flames could be seen as far as one mile away, as well, the sky was seen as a bright red color, up to 19 miles away, in Camden-on-Gauley
Camden-on-Gauley, West Virginia
Camden-on-Gauley is a town in Webster County, West Virginia, United States, along the Gauley River. The population was 157 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Camden-on-Gauley is located at ....
.
Geography
Webster Springs is located at 38°28′34"N 80°24′36"W (38.476192, -80.410025), along the Elk RiverElk River (West Virginia)
The Elk River is a tributary of the Kanawha River, long, in central West Virginia in the United States. Via the Kanawha and Ohio Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River.-Course:...
. According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 0.5 square miles (1.2 km²), all land. It is at an elevation of 1,460 ft. (445m).
Demographics
As of the 2000 censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, there were 808 people, 403 households, and 222 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,729.9 inhabitants per square mile (663.8/km²). There were 463 housing units at an average density of 991.3 per square mile (380.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.8% White, 0.12% Native American, and 0.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.50% of the population.
There were 403 households of which 22.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them. While 165, or 40.9% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 51, or 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 180 or 44.7% were non-families. Also, 42.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.00 and the average family size was 2.70.
The age of residents range as follows: 19.9% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 10.5% from 25 to 34, 17.0% from 45 to 54, and 20.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age of the population was 43.9 years. Of the total population, 55.3% where female, while the remaining 44.7% where male. For the total population 45.3% where females 18 and over, while 34.8% where males 18 and over., also, 12.7% where females 65 and older, and 7.8% males 65 and older.
The median income for a household in the town was $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
20,592, and the median income for a family was $27,434. Males, full-time and year-round, had a median income of $27,386 as opposed to $16,389 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $13,500. About 22.0% of families and 28.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.2% of those under the age of 18 and 21.9% of those age 65 or over.
Notable residents
The town, though small, has some notable residents. Those include; Arden Cogar Sr., Jamie Cogar aka Arden Cogar Jr., Dick Stemple, Joe Talbot, Tim Adams and C. Randy White.Arden Cogar Sr. (born approx. 1942) is a multiple time world champion lumberjack
Lumberjack
A lumberjack is a worker in the logging industry who performs the initial harvesting and transport of trees for ultimate processing into forest products. The term usually refers to a bygone era when hand tools were used in harvesting trees principally from virgin forest...
. He also holds multiple world records. Jamie Cogar (also called Arden Cogar Jr., born in 1972), the son of Arden Cogar Sr., is a Civil defense
Civil defense
Civil defense, civil defence or civil protection is an effort to protect the citizens of a state from military attack. It uses the principles of emergency operations: prevention, mitigation, preparation, response, or emergency evacuation, and recovery...
trial attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
as well as a champion lumberjack. Some of his accomplishments are; multiple time Champion, multiple medal winner in the Men's Endurance event at ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's Great Outdoor Games
Great Outdoor Games
The Great Outdoor Games is a series of outdoor games created by ESPN. The program was cancelled in 2006.Great Outdoor Games individual events include:* Fishing Events** Fly Fishing** Freshwater Doubles* Sporting Dog Events** Agility...
and multiple Stihl
Stihl
Andreas Stihl AG & Company is a manufacturer of chainsaws and other handheld power equipment including trimmers and blowers. Their headquarters are in Waiblingen, Baden-Württemberg near Stuttgart, in Germany. The company was founded in 1926 by Andreas Stihl, an important innovator in early chain...
Timbersports Series Finalist; 2006 Standing Block World Champion; Winner of 40 Individual World Titles including the All Around World Title at the 2007 Webster County Woodchopping Festival; Captain of STIHL's United States National Lumberjack Team. Another notable resident of the town is Dick Stemple (born 1940) is a member of the Board of Directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
(Immediate Past Chairman) for the Tostitos
Tostitos
Tostitos is a brand of tortilla chips and dips produced by Frito-Lay and introduced in 1979, with national distribution in the United States reached in 1981. They are made from all-white corn. Traditionally, Tostitos chips contain no extra flavoring or preservatives, and thus are advertised to be...
Fiesta Bowl
Fiesta Bowl
The Fiesta Bowl, now sponsored by Frito-Lay and named with their Tostitos brand, is a United States college football bowl game played annually at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Between its origination in 1971 and 2006, the game was hosted in Tempe, Arizona at Sun Devil...
. Before becoming a board member for the Fiesta Bowl, he was a teacher and pharmaceutical sales representative for AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca plc is a global pharmaceutical and biologics company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's seventh-largest pharmaceutical company measured by revenues and has operations in over 100 countries...
. He was also the winner of the 1982-1983 Glenn Hawkins "Volunteer of the Year" Award. Joe Talbot (born January 23, 1933) is Politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and retired United States Marine
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
. He is currently a Democratic member of the House of Delegates representing the 36th District. C. Randy White (born May 10, 1955 in Charleston
Charleston, West Virginia
Charleston is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers in Kanawha County. As of the 2010 census, it has a population of 51,400, and its metropolitan area 304,214. It is the county seat of Kanawha County.Early...
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
) is a Politician. He was a Democratic House of Representatives member from 1996 until 2000). He was a West Virginia State Senate member representing the llth District from 2002 until 2006. As well, he was the town's mayor during the 1990s, beginning in 1991. Philip D. Curtin
Philip D. Curtin
Philip De Armind Curtin was a Professor Emeritus at Johns Hopkins University and historian on Africa and the Atlantic slave trade...
a former professor at Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
and historian on the Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and Atlantic slave trade
Atlantic slave trade
The Atlantic slave trade, also known as the trans-atlantic slave trade, refers to the trade in slaves that took place across the Atlantic ocean from the sixteenth through to the nineteenth centuries...
, though born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, grew up in Webster Springs.