West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, David Elkinton Research Papers
Collection
Collection Number: A&M 3653
The papers of David Elkinton, environmentalist and author of Fighting to Protect the Highlands: The First Forty Years of the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy. This collection is divided into two series: Book and Research Materials, and Historical Materials.
Series 1, Book and Research Materials, includes papers relating to the research, writing, and publication process of his history of the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy (sometimes abbreviated as WVHC). Book materials are related to the process of funding and publishing, as well as drafts and feedback during the writing process. Research materials include notes about sources, research trips, and contacts, as well as articles, correspondence, and several detailed topical indexes of the Highlands Voice (Box 2, Folder 12), the WVHC’s publication (also referred to as “the Voice”).
Series 2, Historical Materials, contains the records, documents, publications, and audiovisual material collected by Elkinton during his research, as well as during his time with the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy. These records concern the group’s activist and recreational activities, as well as administrative records such as meeting minutes, financial records, and correspondence. This includes records of the early years of the organization, beginning in 1966 (Box 3), the regular review workshops the organization hosted (Box 4), publications of the the Highland Voice from the first edition as well as the early newsletter, original photographs collected for the Highlands Voice, and tapes of the interviews Elkinton conducted. Copies of the 1969-1989 editions of the Highlands Voice are available on microfilm and digitally upon request. Other audiovisual materials include a CD from the 2005 review workshop, and a floppy disk containing a 2007 draft of his book.
Highlights include complete drafts of his book (Box 1); legal records from the 1985-1986 cases against the Division of Water Resources and Canaan Village (Box 3 folders 8-9); a notebook containing a list of early members (Box 3, Folder 4); copies of the newsletter that preceded the Highlands Voice (1968, box 5 folders 1-2); and interviews conducted by Elkinton (box 10) as well as the accompanying notes (Box 2, folder 2). See the box list for more details about contents.
No special access restriction applies.
Researchers may access digitized materials by requesting to view the materials in person by appointment or remotely by contacting the West Virginia & Regional History Center reference department.
Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website.
Dave Elkinton was elected the third President of the Highlands Conservancy in 1973 at the age of 29, serving continuously as a member since 1970, and as a Board member from 1973 to 1990. Elkinton is a retired social worker, with degrees from West Virginia University and the University of Kentucky. His career was split among community development, non-profit management, and state and local government, including service as executive of the Pricketts Fort Memorial Foundation from 1983 to 1998, an organization which operates Pricketts Fork State Park in Fairmont, West Virginia.
The West Virginia Highlands Conservancy is an environmental activist organization focused on the preservation and management of the Highlands Region of West Virginia. Founded in 1965, the group has used advocacy and legal strategies to organize around issues such as the proposed Highlands Scenic Highway, the Davis Power project, strip mining, and clean water, and played a role in the passage of the Eastern Wilderness Areas Act of 1975. In addition to activist campaigns, the group has also published the Highlands Voice and hiking guides, and has organized group activities such as hiking, canoeing, and regular workshops.
For more information and sources, see the About Us page, or explore the Highlands Conservancy website
5.56 Linear Feet (2 record cartons, 15 in. each; 5 document cases, 5 in. each; 1 document case, 2.5 in.; 1 artifact box, 4.5 in.; 1 artifact box, 3 in.; 1 reel of microfilm, 1.75 in.)
7.53 Gigabytes (1,756 .jpg files)
English
The papers of David Elkinton, environmentalist and author of Fighting to Protect the Highlands: The First Forty Years of the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy. Includes resource materials collected for his book, such as research notes, video and audio tapes of interviews, photographs, and historical records of the environmental activist organization West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, including correspondence, court papers, and issues of its periodical publication the Highlands Voice for period 1969 through 1989, as well as the 1968 newsletter and some editions of the Highlands Voice from 1990-2005.
West Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536 / URL: West Virginia & Regional History Center
Gift of Elkinton, David, 2008 November 11.
Part of the West Virginia and Regional History Center Repository