It’s Black History Month, and I wanted to share a little of my history with you so you can get to know me better. I’m in the midst of tracing my ancestry, and I discovered that a small town near me was discovered by my great, great, great grandmother and grandfather. I remember going to family reunions in a town called Johnsontown, WV, but I have to admit I had no idea of the history behind it.
The town was discovered by George W. and Betty Johnson who were slaves in Pennsylvania. In 1848, they were freed. The slave owners brought them to Virginia where they founded Johnsontown on 12 acres of land. It is now, Johnsontown, WV. My grandfather, my mother’s father, is a descendant. They built several homes, a church and a one room school house in the small community. Before the church was built, the one room school house was used for both church and school.
I remember attending family reunions in Johnstown. The cook-out was Saturday and the following Sunday one of my relatives would preach at the small church shown above. My mother’s side of the family were religious people on both sides. They have a history of being Ministers, Bishops, Evangelists or marrying those who were. I often wonder how my grandfather and my grandmother meet. My grandfather who I loved dearly missed the boat on his religious calling. He drank and raised hell every week-end God sent, but he never missed a day of work. He taught me to care, share, work hard and play even harder. I remember him planting a garden the size of a field to feed all of his children and grandchildren and making a career on the B and O Railroad. My grandparents stayed married until the day my grandfather died. My grandmother grieved herself to death, she passed away 6 months later.
I’m proud of my heritage and wanted to share a part of my history with you. Have you traced your ancestry? Please share a part of your history. Knowing who you are is a great feeling!
