So, we pull into the festival and the parking lot was just a muddy hole in the ground from all the ATV activity. The town of Pickens is situated on the side of a hill, I wish I had thought to take pictures. It was about like any other themed festival you see in West Virginia. You had your chainsaw carving going on, kettle corn stands, bouncy houses, local vendors, quilt shows, and what have you.
My mother usually buys us little souvenirs on our family outings. My brother and I both got suckers made from local maple syrup. It was a little sweet for my liking, but such is the nature of any syrup. I also bought an all natural hand lotion from one of the craft vendors. The sticker on the bottle reads: "Exclusive Pastime Creations From West Virginia, Mountain Arts, Crafts, and Products from The Hills." (I am not affiliated with these people, I just bought some lotion.) It smells exactly like "Love Spell" from Victoria's Secret, and the only ingredients are shea butter, cocoa butter, vitamin E, aloe, honey, and yarrow. The Google machine tells me yarrow is a flowering plant native to temperate regions. All in all, this festival was a nice way to spend an afternoon. I think it's worth mentioning that my dad ate an unopened KitKat he found on the ground.
Since we're on the topic of Pickens, I'm going to share their local legend with you. The sad tale of the local leper. I'd heard about him growing up, because my dad knew people from the town who grew up hearing his story. ALLEGEDLY, he was ostracized by the entire community and was thrown the occasional chicken, and his house was with him and everything in it was torched upon his death. That part is pure legend, I can't say if there is any factual basis to that, but I did look up the Picken's Leper so I could share a more official story with you.
According to wvencyclopedia.org, this man was named George Rashid. He came to America from Syria in 1902, He was a railroad worker in Maine when he first started noticing the symptoms, and he tried to hide his condition with long sleeves and gloves. He and his wife eventually ended up in Elkins, WV, working for his brother. In time, Rashid tried to return home, believing that swimming across the River of Jordan would heal him. He was apprehended and sent to the remote town of Pickens. This article doesn't comment on whether he lived as an outcast, but a doctor named James L. Cunningham cared for him. He discovered Rashid also had a heart condition mitral stenosis, and that is believed to be the cause of his death, not the leprosy.
I'm not sure if his grave serves as a tourist attraction, but there is a sign in town that points toward the "leper grave." If anyone has any information about George Rashid they'd like to share, feel free to email me via the address on the homepage. I welcome feedback. Thanks for reading!
Great first post Bethany! I look forward to following you on your adventures, experiences and just general Appalachian living!!
ReplyDeleteI was just reading about the leper in the WV Encyclopedia published by Jim Comstock in the 70's. The story there is more detailed but basically the same as you tell here. Poor old guy. What a terrible disease, and to be so hated and ostracized.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I've been able to find, Mr. Rachid likely had the disease before he immigrated to the US from Syria. He ended up in Pickens by the choice of the Railroad because he had tried to run away from further medical inspections in Elkins. He hid in a boxcar that was going out of the area. His confinement to a tent below town became an international incident. The local physician was supplied a pair of pistols and authorized to hire guards to help protect Mr. Rachid. I've found lots of articles that provide incorrect or highly inflated description of the events surrounding his time in Pickens. Yes, there were some who were not happy to have a man with a confirmed case of Leprosy in WV. The citizens of Buckhannon - down river from Pickens - raised a very loud objection fearing that his disease would be carried down stream after bathing to their town. Several locals participated in his care - his meals were prepared in Pickens and delivered to his location because he was not allowed to leave it. A rule, that to the best of my knowledge and research, that he honored. Some - mostly non-local timber men, were not pleased with his presence. The B & O Railroad made arrangements for his wife - yes, he was married - to visit. Don't know if she ever did. She remarried after his death and one of her sons published a book about her life that I'm still trying to find a copy of to read. If you think of the time frame (1906), little was known about the disease outside of how the Bible presents it - not good.
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