Submitted photo

Pictured is Ronald McAllister portraying Jeremiah Carpenter during last year’s Elk River Gathering.

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MASON COUNTY — Those with the Annual Elk River Gathering will be presenting several historical accounts of people from around the Elk River basin, and perhaps one of the most important figures whose story will be told fought in the Battle of Point Pleasant.

It was reported that Ronald McAllister of Alderson will perform an interpretation of historical figure Jeremiah Carpenter, a Shawnee captive from the age of 9 to 18. It was reported that after Carpenter rejoined his family, he fought at the Battle of Point Pleasant in 1774, and later became the first settler of European decent in what became the Braxton County area. Carpenter’s name, along with many others, is listed on the monument located at Tu-Endie-Wei State Park.

For local history buffs who know all about the Battle of Point Pleasant, as well as all there is to know about the Siege at Fort Randolph, there will surely be some items of interest at this festival. In addition to McAllister’s performance as Carpenter, there will also be portrayals of 18th century music, interactive living history presentations on historic American Indian life skills and Euro-American life skills of both men and women, hiking, and living history interpretation of Civil War events in and around Sutton. The gathering will take place as a complementary historic educational component of the Mountain Lakes Festival scheduled for July 21, 2012.

It was reported that Jerry Milnes of the Augusta Heritage Center of Davis and Elkins College will tell about the origins and perform Appalachian traditional music played by Carpenter from the early settlement era 1750-1799 and other unique West Virginia songs. Dr. Robert Maslowski, US Army Corps of Engineers retired, from Milton will also present “An Archeological Survey of West Virginia People” about the central WV region’s archeology from 10.500 BC to 1900 AD. His presentation will include discussion of West Virginia excavations including St. Albans, Buffalo, Green Bottom and Bull Town and their interpretations.

Doug Wood of Nitro will show-n-tell the history of Sutton area peoples from 1730 up to 1865. He will conduct interactive living history life skill demonstrations of 18th century American Indian males, including construction and demonstration of a fish weir in Elk River. Doug will also perform Ostenaco, funded separately by the History Alive! program of the WV Humanities Council.

Dianne Anestis of Nitro will conduct interactive living history life skill demonstrations of 18th century Euro-American and American Indian females with particular focus on plant uses and fishing techniques. Gwendolyn McAllister of Alderson, will conduct interactive living history life skill demonstrations of 18th century American Indian females with particular focus on cooking and childcare, along with some assistance from her eighth month old baby.

Chris Martin of Daniel, will conduct interactive living history life skill demonstrations of 18th century Euro-American males with focus on log house construction and bridle path establishment. Aaron Bosnick of Fairmont will also conduct interactive living history life skill demonstrations of Civil War soldiers with particular focus on the similarities between 19th century bushwhacking techniques and 18th century American Indian guerilla tactics.

For more information on this festival, visit www.jeremiahcarpenter.org.