About Us

Devoted to honoring those who have made outstanding contributions to the agricultural and forestry industries in West Virginia and the nation.

Pictured below and lower right are inside views of the Hall of Fame Building at Jackson’s Mill, which features enshrines and their history.

The West Virginia Agriculture and Forestry Hall of Fame had its beginning in informal conversations between West Virginians who thought it desirable to honor their fellow citizens who had achieved national and international fame in agriculture. Mr. J. Kenton Lambert proposed a Hall of Fame at the annual meeting of the West Virginia Association of Fairs and Festivals in 1972 and again in January 1973 with the concurrence of Mr. Gus R. Douglass, Commissioner of Agriculture. On March 19, 1973, Mr. Lambert sent letters to all agricultural leaders in West Virginia suggesting a meeting to discuss the establishment of an Agricultural Hall of Fame. The response to the letters was enthusiastic and a meeting was held at Fairlea, W.Va. on August 22.

 

A committee was formed at that meeting and, under the able co-chairmanship of Mr. Lambert and Commissioner Douglass, significant progress was made. Meetings were held and ideas were committed to paper and distributed for evaluation. Finally, on April 30, 1974, after nearly two years of intensive discussions and three formal meetings, 28 agricultural organizations joined forces to charter the West Virginia Agricultural Hall of Fame Foundation.

 

During that time, an agricultural seal and motto were designed and adopted, memberships were actively solicited and two groups of honorees were nominated, elected and enshrined in a temporary Hall of Fame at the Jackson's Mill State 4-H Camp.

 

In 1976, the Board of Governors voted to include forestry into the Hall of Fame and to change the Hall of Fame name to the West Virginia Agriculture and Forestry Hall of Fame. They adopted a new seal to include forestry and selected Jackson's Mill in Lewis County as the permanent site for the Hall of Fame Museum. Later, the concept of regional museums was approved. A regional agricultural museum, under the directorship of Walden Roush, was established in Point Pleasant, Mason County, on October 11, 1980.

 

This website is dedicated to

the individuals who have been

voted membership in the Hall of

Fame. We sincerely hope you

enjoy reading about them and

their deeds and will decide to

help the foundation in selecting

and honoring the many others

who so richly deserve

remembrance.

 

Jackson's Mill is the historic

And famous boyhood home of

General Stonewall Jackson and

the first State 4-H Camp to be

operated in the United States.