Lewis County residents celebrate bicentennial with party

WESTON, W.Va.  — A few dozen Lewis County residents sang “Happy Birthday,” danced and played games, during the county’s 200th birthday party at St. Patrick School’s gymnasium in Weston Tuesday.

Lewis County First member Brittney Barlett said she and other volunteers prepared the birthday party over the course of a month.

“We’ve been doing a lot of projects with the 200th birthday, and they asked us if we’d be willing to throw a birthday party,” Barlett said. “It was definitely a group effort — we brainstormed a lot of ideas and a lot of people came together to help.”

Barlett’s husband, Thomas Newborough, and Ray Smith are also members who served on the bicentennial committee. Smith came up with music from the last 50 years for people to dance and reminisce to during the birthday party.

Chelsea Wood, a member of Lewis County First on the bicentennial committee, monitored candle-making since she has seen it done multiple times at WVU Jackson’s Mill.

“I thought it would be really cool to be a part of the time capsule and try to put it back together. And I really like being part of the parade and activities and these activities,” Wood said.

A second-grade teacher at Jane Lew Elementary, Wood said her contributions to the time capsule include the elementary school’s 2016-17 yearbook, birthday cards her students made and photos from Energy Express.

Photos and handwritten notes written during Monday’s event are to be included in the time capsule, as well, Barlett said.

Commissioner Agnes Queen thanked Lewis County First for hosting the birthday party and said she was glad to see children and families enjoyed the games and other events.

Brianna McClain of Camden was crowned a bicentennial queen in October at the Masonic Temple in Weston. McClain was also “Ms. Law Enforcement” queen in 2012.

“This is something to celebrate, of course. And we have 50 more to look forward to,” McClain said. “I can’t wait for 50 years for someone to open the time capsule and see what we put into it.”

“I thought it was cute. She said while she was crowning me, ‘Hopefully, when they open these pictures, we’ll be able to look at them together.’ She caught herself and said, ‘I might not be here.’ And I said, ‘Well, I’ll make sure someone knows about you,’” McClain said.

Queen said each elected official is writing a letter to future elected officials for in the time capsule.

“Hopefully we’ll give some wisdom and words of advice. It’ll be interesting to see what their take on it will be,” Queen said. “I think most counties like Lewis County will still have the same challenges we’ve always had, but I think the county will be bigger and I anticipate there will be a lot more things happening.

“And I hope to even have a grander party.”

The time capsule will be buried Dec. 18.