Co-sponsored by the Jefferson County Historical Society and the Jefferson County Museum.
These lectures will be held in the Jefferson County Commission Meeting room, down the hall from the Jefferson County Museum.
Tickets must be purchased in advance, all proceeds benefit the Jefferson County Historical Society and the Jefferson County Museum.
The name of the lectures honors Alva Dayne Kenamond and Ella May Turner. Kenamond was the Dean at Shepherd College (now University) and was the first President of the Jefferson County Historical Society. Turner was the Founder of the Jefferson County Historical Society, the Society’s first Corresponding Secretary, and was the Head of the Department of English at Shepherd College (now University).
9:30-10:30 AM
John BAGLADI: “What's in a Name--The Battle Of…?"
On August 21, 1864, Union and Confederate armies fought across a large swath of southwestern Jefferson County, West Virginia. Officially, according to the National Park Service’s Civil War Sites Advisory Commission, the name of that battle or engagement or series of skirmishes is the “Battle of Summit Point.” This discussion
focuses on whether that name is correct or whether there is a more accurate designation for that clash of forces.
Bio: John Bagladi is a retired computer security consultant who has lived in Jefferson County since 1977. His interest in history changed from the Colonial and Revolutionary War period to the Civil War when he and his wife Peg moved from Michigan to this area. John was a tour consultant and trainer of tour guides in Washington D.C. for ten years and has continued to be involved with history and guiding as a former docent at St. Peter’s Church in Harpers Ferry, local speaker, and as a member of the Charles Town Civil War Roundtable and board member of the Jefferson County Historical Society. He says, “If you live in this part of the country, how could you not be interested in and involved with our nation’s history?”
10:40-11:40
Cathy Baldau:“The Bard of Harpers Ferry”
The Strange Story of Harper's Ferry is cited in practically every piece written about 19th century Harpers Ferry. And for good cause. Its author, Joseph Barry, escaped the Irish Famine to find the American Dream. But reality found him in the crosshairs of abolitionist crusaders, trapped in a border town during civil war, fighting famine in a broken country, and witnessing historic floods. Fortunately for historians, he lived to tell the tale. But what brought Barry to Harpers Ferry? Why did he stay? And can he be considered a reliable narrator of Harpers Ferry's history?
Bio: Catherine Baldau is the Executive Director of the Harpers Ferry Park Association, where she has edited several publications including the award-winning Harpers Ferry Under Fire. Her essays are published in the Harpers Ferry Anthology and “To Emancipate the Mind and Soul, ”Storer College 1867-1955. Catherine's freelance writing has been featured in Fluent Magazine and other local publications. Her first novel, Thoughts & Prayers, co-authored with three local writers, won the 2022 Florida Authors and Publishers award for fiction.
11:50 AM – 12:50 PM
Jim Glymph: “From The Ferry to North Carolina: The Fayetteville Rifle” Description: The evolution of the Confederate copy of the Harper’s Ferry 1855 rifle.
Bio: Jim Glymph has been studying the Civil War since he was nine years old. He is a relic hunter and belongs to the Turner Ashby Camp, Sons of Confederate Veterans. Most importantly, he lives just minutes from here on the Avon Bend of the beautiful Shenandoah River.
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