Francie Arnett was born on January 28, 1952, in Wheeling, West Virginia. She grew up in St. Clairsville, Ohio, in a house built the same year she was born. Francie is of Polish descent, with all four grandparents having ties to Poland. Both her grandfathers immigrated from Poland, while her grandmothers were born in the United States to Polish parents. Francie was raised in a close-knit, extended family, participating in various family celebrations and reunions. She attended Catholic schools for twelve years, from grade school in St. Clairsville to high school in Lafferty, Ohio.

subject: Fishery processing plants--Maryland, Southern; Oyster fisheries--Maryland, Southern; Maryland, Southern--History.

Interview with Gary Zuckett, Founding member of West Virginia Surface Owners' Rights Organization (WVSORO)

Gene Barr, Carl Miller, and David Hefley are three individuals who have made significant contributions in their respective fields. Gene Barr is a professional who is ready to get started on projects as soon as they are approved. He is knowledgeable about flood proofing measures and the eligibility criteria for the program. He is also familiar with the process of signing up for the program and the responsibilities that come with it. Carl Miller, on the other hand, is an expert in emergency management.

George Robert Bailey was born in November 16, 1925, in Mount Victoria, Maryland.  George spent his formative years in Charles County, Maryland. Having received his education in the public schools of Charles County, George embarked on a career as a waterman. His expertise extended beyond the sea as he showcased his culinary mastery by serving as a chef for several establishments in the region, including White House, Robertson's, and Fin & Claw. In his later years, George transitioned to a role at Camp St. Charles in Rock Point, Maryland.

Greg Arnett was born on April 17, 1953, and raised in Columbus, Ohio, in a neighborhood characterized by small, family-run shops and a strong sense of community. In the 1960s, his family moved to the suburbs of Reynoldsburg, a rapidly developing area transitioning from farmland to suburban housing. After high school, Greg moved to Connecticut with friends, where he lived in a communal setting and worked various jobs. He married Francie in 1972, and they spent a few years in Connecticut before moving back to Ohio to manage a commercial fruit and vegetable farm in Norwalk.

Harold Trivett was born on May 13, 1924, in Dickenson County, Flatwood. He was raised on a large farm of 1,560 acres, where he learned farming from a young age. By the time he was five, he was already milking cows, and by six, he was milking two cows, walking two miles to school, and then returning to milk them again. Harold completed his education at Virginia Tech (VPI). After finishing school, he worked in a store in Haysi for three years before moving to Grundy, where he built a building and started a business named Arington Trivett, also known as the Family Shop, in 1950.

Helen Combs Johnson was born on February 7, 1912, in Grundy, Virginia, where she was also raised. She was delivered by her uncle, who was a doctor, in her family home located downtown, where the Combs Building currently stands. Her early childhood was marked by a significant event when the town burned down on Christmas Eve in 1915. Johnson, along with her brother, was rolled up in a blanket and taken to safety by her parents, who managed to save most of their wedding presents before their home was consumed by the fire.

Michael Kline interviewed Henry Gwyn Edwards for the Steamboat Era Museum Oral History Project. Henry Gwyn Edwards, born on December 18, 1904, in Mill Point, grew up in the area and still resides near his childhood home.  Edwards provides background about his early life, education, and career. He recounts his reluctance to attend school as a child and how his father took him on horseback to his first day of school. He completed his education at Cubs Creek High School, the only high school in the county at that time.

At that time, you didn’t buy the oysters.  You bought the man and the boat.  Now, the white man got from five to ten cents more on a bushel than the colored person got.  Same oysters, but that’s the way they worked the system.