MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. — Dr. Jerrel C. Anderson, vice-chairman of the Blennerhassett Historical Foundation, Inc., will present “Professor Henry Stahl: An Antiquarian’s Artifact Collection and its Story of the Archeology of the Mid-Ohio Valley”on Thursday, April 28, 2022, at 7 p.m. The program, the story of an early antiquarian and artifact collector, is free and open to the public.
Professor Stahl of Parkersburg amassed a tremendous collection of ancient artifacts from Blennerhassett Island and its surroundings from about 1865 to 1923. Stahl was well-known as an “antiquarian” and delivered many lectures at centers of learning around the country. He mounted his artifacts on cardboard panels that served as the “slides” he used in his lectures. As a teacher and expert of handwriting, he interpreted his artifacts by making beautifully handwritten labels. Most of his panels are displayed on the lower level of the Blennerhassett State Park Museum located in downtown Parkersburg. Dr. Anderson will tell the story of Professor Stahl as well as the stories of the ancient residents of the beautiful Ohio River Valley told by this amazing exhibit.
Dr. Anderson retired from a research position at DuPont Company in 2007. He is a member of the West Virginia Archeological Society (WVAS), the Council for West Virginia Archaeology, the Ohio Archaeological Council, the Archaeological Society of Ohio and served as president of the WVAS for two terms. In 1993, the Society awarded him the “Sigfus Olafson” award for his outstanding contributions to West Virginia Archaeology, which include leading two major excavations in Parkersburg. He also assisted in the investigation of the Whittington Mound in Devola, Ohio. Anderson has been a member of the Blennerhassett Historical Foundation for over 25 years and served as its chairman for two terms. He currently serves as the foundation’s vice-chairman and as chairman of its Archaeology Committee.
Operated by the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex features one of the largest conical burial mounds built by the Adena people between 250 – 150 B.C. and ranks as one of the largest earthen mortuary mounds anywhere in the world. Exhibits and displays in the Delf Norona Museum interpret what is known about the lives of these prehistoric people and the construction of the mound. The complex also houses the West Virginia Archaeological Research and Collections Management Facility.
Admission to Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex is free. The Delf Norona Museum, located at 801 Jefferson Avenue, is open 9 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and closed Sunday and Monday. Access to the Mound and other outdoor areas closes at 4:30 pm.
For more information about activities and programs at Grave Creek Mound, contact Andrea Keller, cultural program coordinator, at (304) 843-4128 or andrea.k.keller@wv.gov or visit www.facebook.com/gravecreekmound and www.twitter.com/gravecreekmound.