WV State Parks -- Tygart Lake State Park

Tygart Lake State Park

From time to time my wife's family has held re-unions. They are Boone's, of Daniel's Family, but not a direct descendent of Daniel (as best they can tell). This year it was held at the Tygart Lake State Park and its Lodge near Grafton WV (more on this community in a later posting).

Tygart Lake was created when the Army Corps of Engineers built a dam across the Tygart Valley River in the mid- 1930's. This dam was one of many "New Deal" Dam projects. Most people who think about the New Deal and the daming of Rivers, often recall the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). While that was, and remains, a visible symbol of the New Deal, many forget that other water courses were dammed during that period outside the drainage basin of the Tennessee River. Plus many other dam projects were planned, and were started later, much later in some instances. I often think that FDR decided that the best way to get the country moving again, was to dam up as many rivers as possible. The Tygart Dam was completed in 1938.

It has two main purposes. Its first purpose is to keep a steady stream of water flowing down the Monogahela River even at low water during the summer. Just before the dam was constructed, the summer of 1935 to be exact, the water on the Mon. River had fallen so low that the coal tow barges could not move. Thus, the dam was built to hold back the "spring run off" and allow it to flow more evenly into the Monogahela River.

Of course, as with most of these "dam" projects, there were other "benefits to be realized." The most prominent one, in the case of Tygart Valley Lake, is boating. In April we had visited the park in order to make some final arrangements. What we saw then were a bunch of empty docks.

But this time, things were different! The docks were full and the lake was busy every day we were there. There were even boats out at night and during the worst of the Thunderstorms! Truly, such dedication is admirable, if somewhat mis-guided. It also helped me to recall in these days of expensive gas, the truism recently expressed, "If you have enough money to have a boat, you're not going to let a little thing like $4.00 a gallon gas stop you!"

But for those of us who did not have a boat, there was still the scenery. And it was very nice.

Pittsburgh PA and Tygart Lake State Park

And Home We Go!

Too soon, alas, the day after the party, we had to leave for home. And so, the next day, we climbed aboard the Pennsylvanian and headed back to Pittsburgh.

Martha met us the next morning for breakfast. Afterwards we walked her over to her place of work. Thus, finally, in one trip I get to see where both of my daughters work!

After that, we got our car and started home. Of course, this being us, we had to make a few stops on the way. Our major stop was at Tygart Lake State Park where we are planning on having the Boone Re-union (just a week from now as this is being posted). I had been at the park before, and it was mostly as I remembered it, mainly a lake and a lodge. None of the boats were out, however, because it was spring. Plus, when I was there, one of my National Guard Units was working on a new parking lot. And now the lot is all finished and paved (after all, that was almost 20 years ago now!

John is Two: 8

It's Party Time!!!

Of course, there was a party. And what a party it was. It was held at the Riverdale Community House, the same place as last year's party. But what a change.

Last year there was this little boy, just learning to crawl who stayed pretty much where he was placed, unless someone helped him move. His family, in this case his Aunt Jackie, had to get down on his level.

But, this year it was different as everyone, including his other grandfather, Neena, had to move just to keep up with him!
And this year, instead of staying in his mother's arms during the whole "cake and song" routine, he sat right there and took it all in. He even seemed to join in singing his own birthday song. The only problem was, once the candle was blown out, someone forgot to clue him into the fact that the cake (an ice cream cake) would be taken away and cut up and served. That upset him no end! But at last he was consoled.


And so he settled down and joined everyone else as they ate their treat.












And once the eating was over, back to playing, this time with bubbles with his friend Max. And yes, he did catch a few, even if they did disappear.

To see more pictures, got to John's Blog.




When it was all over, we returned home and I got this shot of him talking with his Mommy about everything that he had done at his party! Except for the fact that it was washed out by the flash, I think it is one of the best of the two of them I have taken.

And of course, once we got home there were presents to open, including his favorite, a new "truck" complete with a West Virginia-type song. That was his favorite.











All in all, it was a fun, exciting and busy day.