It’s five months before the general election, and Joe Manchin of West Virginia isn’t running for office. What he has done over the past year is announce he won’t run for reelection as a Democrat, changed his party registration to independent, and ruled out a third-party run for president.
Every election cycle, it seems, Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia tries to find the best fit for himself, dragging both sides of the political aisle — and an entire home-state electorate — along for a wobbly ride.
Five months before the general election, he’s still not a declared candidate for any office, but he’s hitched up the guessing-game wagon one more time. And there’s still time, albeit shrinking, to mull potential runs for governor, the Senate or even the U.S. presidency.
After recently switching his party affiliation from Democrat to independent, the 76-year-old Manchin is content to leave the Senate in January “and be able to hold a more normal life, if you will.”
But in true Manchin fashion, he leaves the gate open just a crack.
“Never say never, because you never know,” he said.
The rutted path he’s chosen, while not necessarily surprising, leaves voters who haven’t lost interest altogether once again trying to figure out where Manchin is headed. One who has tried to keep up, retired West Virginia Wesleyan political history professor Robert Rupp, brings his own metaphor to the discussion.
“This is a whirling dervish,” Rupp said.
Career Crossroads
Career-changing moves for Manchin have come in bunches lately.
Manchin announced his party registration switch on June 1, saying he wanted to “continue to fight for America’s sensible majority.” Manchin had been thinking about it at least as far back as last August.
Then in December at a Washington roast, Manchin teased a potential third-party run for the White House, joking that the nation could use someone slightly younger than the leading contenders. But in February, Manchin announced he would not run for president, saying he didn’t want to be a “spoiler.”
Manchin had been in the Senate since 2010, when he won a special election following the death of Robert C. Byrd during Manchin’s second term as governor. He’s been there ever since, though he considered returning home to run again for governor in 2016. Instead, he endorsed Jim Justice, who won as a Democrat before himself switching to the Republican Party months after taking office.
In 2019, rather than make another run for governor in the 2020 election and take on Justice, who had become a rival, Manchin decided to remain a senator. That decision proved fruitful as he emerged as a linchpin vote and must-have dealmaker for Democrats in the closely divided Senate. Key Biden administration initiatives on energy and infrastructure likely would not have happened without his buy-in.
Another Run For Governor
When Manchin switched parties last month, ears perked up and whispered questions began to circulate: What’s he up to now? The logistics of several possible paths forward offered a glimmer of possible answers.
When he registered as an independent, Manchin met a deadline — barely — in West Virginia for candidates to file their political affiliation 60 days prior to an Aug. 1 deadline to run in this year’s election. That has fueled speculation that he could decide to seek a third term as governor, an office where he was popular. He received nearly 64% of the vote to win his first term in 2004 and 70% of the vote in nabbing a second term in 2008.
West Virginia has turned heavily Republican since then. Former President Donald Trump overwhelmingly won the state in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. Both chambers of the state legislature now have GOP supermajorities. About 40% of registered voters are Republicans, compared with 30% for Democrats and about 25% with no party affiliation.
If Manchin tries for a return to the governor’s office, he’d face an election rematch with Republican Patrick Morrisey and an awkward campaign showdown with Democrat Steve Williams, the mayor of Huntington and the party’s chosen nominee. In the 2018 U.S. Senate race, Manchin defeated Morrisey by just over 3 percentage points. In late May, Manchin said publicly that he wouldn’t run for governor and would support Williams.
Along with reversing course on that statement, Manchin would again have to grapple with the sustained popularity in West Virginia of Trump, whose name will adorn the top of West Virginia’s ballot. Morrisey, the state’s attorney general, is a staunch supporter of Trump, who became popular in Appalachia for making broad promises to put coal miners back to work amid a grim economic outlook in the industry.
Trump did not bring the industry back. The number of coal jobs in West Virginia fell from 11,561 at the start of his presidency to 11,418 at the end in 2021, slowing coal’s precipitous decline but not stopping it. Still, Manchin and Democrats often found themselves targeted as enemies of coal in a state where it was still widely seen as a cornerstone of the economy.
Despite a long line of legendary politicians in its history, only two West Virginia governors have been elected to three terms: Republican Arch. A. Moore Jr. in 1968, 1972 and 1984, and Republican Arthur Boreman during the state’s infancy in 1863, 1864 and 1866.
Third Time A Senator
Without Manchin in the Senate race, Republicans are oozing with confidence that Justice can pick up his West Virginia seat. If all other races across the country stayed with their current parties, that alone would be enough for them to retake the majority next year. And Democrats are defending 23 seats, including five held by independents, compared to just 10 seats for Republicans.
A decision by Manchin to get back in the race as an independent would be awkward as well because it would set up a matchup against both Justice and Democrat Glenn Elliott, whom Manchin endorsed in the May primary.
Justice and Manchin had a falling-out after Justice switched parties eight months into his first term as governor in 2017. Justice made that announcement on stage with Trump during a rally in Huntington. Justice, a wealthy businessman who owns several coal mines, is a staunch supporter of Trump and won his endorsement.
After Manchin became an independent, Elliott said on X, formerly Twitter, that he had no reason to believe Manchin had any interest in the Senate race.
A Senate race could be Manchin’s toughest in four decades in state politics — and his most expensive. Manchin has raised $11.7 million with $8.5 million cash on hand, compared with $3 million raised with $931,000 cash on hand for Justice, and $125,000 raised with $65,000 cash on hand for Elliott, according to the latest Federal Election Commission records.
Other Options
In April, the leadership of No Labels, a national bipartisan organization, ended its search for a presidential candidate. Manchin had been viewed as one of the top high-profile prospects to seize on widespread dissatisfaction with President Joe Biden and Trump.
If Manchin were to use his independent status to reverse course again and make an independent presidential run, he’d need to hurry. He’s already missed the filing deadline for the general election in seven states, and deadlines are looming in 10 others in June and July, according to the Federal Election Commission.
One other option lurks in the shadows as the senator mulls his future. In Morgantown, West Virginia University President Gordon Gee plans to retire when his contract is up next June. A search for his replacement is in the early stages.
Manchin, a WVU graduate, has not addressed speculation that he might have interest in Gee’s job. A spokeswoman sidestepped questions about it last year. But in the kind of language that Manchin clearly loves to see as others speculate about his path forward, the Dominion Post reported that the university said its search will have “no preconceived outcomes or candidates.”
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Associated Press reporter Mary Clare Jalonick in Washington contributed to this report.
On this West Virginia Morning, Elizabeth Elswick couldn’t find a lot of merchandise to represent her home state of West Virginia while she was growing up. But today, she represents Appalachian culture and sayings through her sticker shop. Folkways Reporter Maddie Miller brings us this story.
On this West Virginia Morning, Elizabeth Elswick couldn’t find a lot of merchandise to represent her home state of West Virginia while she was growing up. But today, she represents Appalachian culture and sayings through her sticker shop. Folkways Reporter Maddie Miller brings us this story.
Also, in this show, our Mountain Stage Song of the Week comes to us from Nick Lowe and Los Straitjackets. We listen to their 2019 performance of “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding” – a song from their EP, Love Starvation/Trombone.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Our Appalachia Health News project is made possible with support from Marshall Health.
West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker and Liz McCormick.
Eric Douglas is our news director. Tersea Wills is our host. Emily Rice produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Voters across West Virginia are heading to the polls to vote in the 2024 primary election. WVPB’s reporters are visiting polls and speaking with voters. Stay tuned to this live blog for the latest election news from across the state.
Updated on Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 10:30 p.m.
Voters across West Virginia are heading to the polls to vote in the 2024 primary election.
The governor’s race has been one of the most closely watched. On the Republican ticket, Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, former Del. Moore Capito, R-Kanawha, car dealership magnate Chris Miller and Secretary of State Mac Warner have advertised heavily, and at least three of them have engaged in significant mudslinging — something voters said they don’t like.
The lone Democrat running for governor, three-term Huntington Mayor Steve Willams, has saved his campaign war chest and rhetoric for the general election.
The four primary candidates running for Attorney General are Republicans Sen. Mike Stuart, R-Kanawha, and State Auditor J.B. McCuskey. They are vying for votes against Democratic candidates Richie Robb and Wheeling attorney Teresa Toriseva.
Term-limited Republican Gov. Jim Justice is running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. His competition in the primary is U.S. Congressman Alex Mooney, R-W.Va. Polling has shown Justice with a commanding lead throughout the campaign season.
Manchin endorsed Wheeling Mayor Glen Elliot for the Democratic nomination in the U.S. Senate race. Elliot’s primary challengers include former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship and Marine Corps veteran Zach Shrewsbury of Princeton.
For up-to-date information on the candidates and election results, visit the West Virginia Secretary of State’s office and stay tuned to this live blog from West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
Polls close at 7:30 p.m.
Follow the WVPB Newsroom on Instagram @wvpublicnews.
Attorney General Patrick Morrisey has declared victory as the Republican nominee for governor. Former Del. Moore Capito has given a concession speech.
In a state that voted heavily for Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020, Morrisey will start as the frontrunner for the November election. He’ll face Steve Williams, who’s in his third term as the mayor of Huntington in November. Unopposed in the Democratic primary, Williams has been able to wait and focus his efforts on the upcoming general election.
The Associated Press has called the Republican race for West Virginia’s Second Congressional District seat for State Treasurer Riley Moore. Steve Wendelin was uncontested in the Democratic primary for the same seat, setting up a match-up between the two men this fall.
The AP has also called the GOP primary for the First Congressional District for Carol Miller over Derrick Evans, a former Republican lawmaker who pleaded guilty to charges related to the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection.
Republican Gov. Jim Justice has won West Virginia’s GOP U.S. Senate nomination, according to the Associated Press. He is immediately favored to flip a Democratic seat that will be vacated by Sen. Joe Manchin.
As expected, Democratic President Joe Biden and Republican rival Donald Trump easily won their primaries in West Virginia. However, as of 8:30 p.m. on the Secretary of State’s website, Nikki Haley has approximately 10 percent of the Republican vote.
Secretary Of State’s Office Gives Primary Voting Update
The Morgan County Courthouse served as a polling location for West Virginia’s 2024 primary election.
Photo Credit: Jack Walker/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
WVPB checked in with Secretary of State (SOS) Deputy Chief of Staff and Director of Communications Mike Queen mid-afternoon on primary election day to see what was working well and what challenges were being met. Queen said, so far, so good.
He said 1,643 polling places opened this morning. “With the exception of just little glitches that you normally have, everything is going really well so far in all 55 counties.”
Queen said the SOS started primary day planning 10 months ago, working with a network of 55 county clerks.
“We have 1,643 precincts online,” Queen said. “We’ve got backup generator systems with the National Guard on alert all day long in case there would be an electrical issue. The power companies are our partners on Election Day and all in with us in case there would be a problem.“
Asking about statewide voter turnout after about seven hours of voting, Queen turned a disappointing three word phrase.
“Slow and low,” he said. “And that’s probably the biggest disappointment in the election process for us this year. We started the day out with about 17 percent of the registered voters having actually cast ballots, either in person during early voting, or by absentee ballot by mail. That 17 percent is low. By this time, we’re usually in the 21 to 25 percent range. We’d love to get to 40 percent, but I think it’s probably going to be around a 33 to 35 percent turnout for today.”
Queen said voters should visit GoVoteWV.com to follow all the statewide primary races in real time.
Stories From Around The State
Scroll below for stories from around West Virginia as our WVPB reporters speak with voters.
Cabell County
Governor’s Race Runs In The Family For Huntington Resident
For some Huntington voters Tuesday, the primary election was a family event.
Mark Miller is a lifelong Huntington resident. When asked what motivated him to vote in Tuesday’s primary, his answer was simple.
“Yes, my nephew is running for governor,” he said. “I’m Chris Miller’s uncle. So I don’t know if that’s a plug, but it probably is.”
Chris Miller, a businessman, is one of several Republican candidates vying to succeed Republican Gov. Jim Justice. He’s also the son of GOP Rep. Carol Miller, R-W.Va.
Mark Miller said voting went smoothly for him at Huntington High School on Tuesday.
“It probably took us, all told, maybe half an hour.”
Other voters said they waited an hour or more to cast their ballots at the high school.
Nancie Perry of Huntington said she waited more than an hour to vote at Huntington High School on May 14, 2024. She even saw some people leave because of the wait.
Photo Credit: Curtis Tate/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
People waited an hour or more to vote at Huntington High School Tuesday.
Nancie Perry of Huntington said she’s been participating in elections for six decades. But she’d never spent as much time waiting to vote as she did on Tuesday.
“I’ve never seen it like that,” she said. “And I really don’t know what they’re standing in line for.”
Perry said she didn’t take advantage of early voting because she didn’t expect a long wait on Election Day.
She added that the high school gymnasium didn’t have enough voting machines.
“I saw several people leave,” Perry said. “And that’s sad.”
Perry, a Democrat, said she was motivated to vote against former President Donald Trump, who endorsed candidates running in West Virginia.
Monongalia County
Local Levies Drive Voter Turnout In Monongalia County
In a college town like Morgantown, funding for education and other public services drives voters to the polls.
Galen Anderson is a student at Morgantown High School excited to vote in his first election at his own school. Anderson said he voted in favor of a more than $150 million levy to fund the Renaissance Academy, a new STEM and Career Technical Education center. He believes the new school will help ensure other students in Monongalia County will have more opportunities like the ones he’s afforded by attending Morgantown High.
Galen Anderson was excited to vote in his first election on May 14, 2024.
Photo Credit: Chris Schulz/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
“Personally, I’m a fan,” he said. “You can argue with someone for 1,000 years or whether something’s good or bad. The only way to move that forward is to vote.”
Anderson expressed a particular desire to come out and vote for President Joe Biden’s reelection.
“As everyone has said, for every election since the beginning of the United States, this is the most important election ever,” he said. “You should vote. Everyone should vote. If you haven’t voted, you should go vote. And if you don’t vote, that’s OK, too. You’re a part of the system.”
Matthew Misfeldt said his support for the Renaissance Academy came down to “investment in STEM education, investment in children and in providing opportunities that will keep talent and particularly the youth talent here in West Virginia.“
Misfeldt said he was motivated to go to the polls to support a former colleague, whom he did not name, who was running for circuit judge. He expressed some concern for the lack of competition in many local elections.
“A lot of these positions are things that if you’re not really working in that industry, or if that’s not really part of your world, it’s not even something you necessarily think of running for,” Misfeldt said. “You usually see names of people who have been eyeing those jobs for a while, kind of waiting their turn.”
Megan Gandy believes any education funding should go to existing schools.
Megan Gandy, left, and Halle Stewart stand in front of Morgantown High School after voting May 14, 2024.
Photo Credit: Chris Schulz/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
“Seeing that we already have underfunded schools, I want to make sure that all the funds can go to all those students in the schools equally,” she said.
Gandy was more than happy to support levies for parks, fire services and especially libraries. Voters in Monongalia County will vote on five distinct levies.
“We saw over the last legislative session how much people like to try and polarize libraries for some reason,” she said. “I think libraries are a wonderful public service and I think they should be funded more than they are.”
As far as particular races, Gandy said she was energized to vote for Tonya Rachelle Rogers who is running for Magistrate in Division 6.
“I just saw that she is really inclusive of all sorts of types of people, including the LGBTQ+ community,” Gandy said. “I think it’s important that we have magistrates that understand not just the laws, but also the ways that they disproportionately impact minorities. So I was glad to see her on the ballot.”
Adam Komisaruk said he believes civic participation is important to allow individual citizens to exert as much influence as possible. He was another voter wary of the new levy to support the proposed Renaissance Academy.
“If Morgantown is interested in investing in STEM education, which I think is a laudable goal, then I think it should eliminate the middleman and simply increase funding for public schools, rather than sink it into a costly venture where other interested parties are likely to take a cut,” Komisaruk said.
Eastern Panhandle
Eastern Panhandle Voters Focus On Local Elections, Specific Issues
Jay Dick, a lifelong resident of Berkeley Springs, braved intermittent rain to vote in West Virginia’s primary election at the Morgan County Courthouse on Tuesday.
Tuesday’s primary election marked a step toward finalizing nominees for this year’s presidential election. But Jay Dick, a retiree from Berkeley Springs, Morgan County, said national politics aren’t what brought him to the polls this week.
Dick said he voted in the primary election “mostly for the local voting process — for the sheriff and magistrates and the Board of Education.”
“Just to vote for who I think would do the best job for the county,” he said.
For some voters in West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle, local elections had more sway over the decision to participate in this year’s primary election than national politics.
According to the States United Democracy Center, fewer than half of general election voters have turned out for primary elections in the past two decades.
While voters like Dick still participate in the primary election over local issues, Berkeley Springs school teacher Paul Price said increasing political polarization on the national level has made the presidential election more off-putting for voters.
“We’ve got two older guys that are at each other’s throat,” Price said of President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. “That’s not a conducive relationship to have between politicians, but that’s where we are.”
Price said this polarization “divides the country,” but the primary election provides an opportunity for voters to “eliminate candidates that you don’t want to be in the final running.”
“If you’re going to have a say in what goes on, then you’ve got to step up and say something,” Price said.
Other voters came to the polls over specific issues, like Melody Fish, a lifelong Democrat from Martinsburg. Fish said reproductive rights were her top concern this year.
“Women’s reproductive rights are huge for me, even though I’m old,” she said. “It doesn’t matter for me anymore. It matters for everybody else.”
Fish, like many Eastern Panhandle voters, said participating in elections was a habit she formed in early adulthood.
“I voted in every election since I was 18 years old. I feel it’s my civic duty to do that,” she said. “Even though this state has gotten increasingly red, and I kind of feel like my vote might be wasted, I’m still going to come vote.”
Likewise, Price described voting in elections as a civic “obligation” for residents.
“Whether I like a candidate or not, if I’m going to complain about something, I should have a say in why I’m complaining,” he said. “Everybody who has a chance should vote.”
Sustainable Growth Top Of Mind For Eastern Panhandle Voters
The Eastern Panhandle is growing at a faster rate than any other region in West Virginia. Residents say that influences how they are looking at local elections.
Paul Price, a school teacher from Berkeley Springs, Morgan County, said it is important that candidates running for local office have a vision for scaling up the region.
“You gotta be careful how you grow, and who’s leading you while you grow,” he said. “I think that’s the important issue right now. Growth is happening.”
Ken Hunter, a retiree from Charles Town, Jefferson County, expressed concern over the scale of local development, and said he is looking for candidates who can ensure growth is sustainable for the community and environment alike.
“I’d rather look across solar panels at the mountains behind than have the view blocked by new apartment buildings, such as we have going out of town here to the east,” Hunter said.
Morgan, Jefferson and Berkeley counties experienced a net gain of 4,061 residents from 2022 to 2023, with the vast majority of newcomers moving to Berkeley County.
Residents expect that trend — and its impact on local politics — will persist in the years ahead.
Many voters heading to polling places in today’s West Virginia Primary said they see casting a primary ballot, any ballot for that matter, as a civic obligation.
Every voter, among the dozen polled at Kanawha City’s Horace Mann Middle School precinct said casting theirballot Tuesday was something mandatory, not optional. Voters like Legal secretary Belinda Mundy.
“Every vote is important and you need to fulfill your civic duty and come out and let your opinion be heard,” Mundy said. “I can remember from, as a child, my mom and dad always going to vote on Election Day. And it was a pretty big deal.”
Every voter polled said they were raised in a family that has voted for generations. Retiree Jimmy Thaxton said he feels an obligation to vote.
“I usually vote in every election and make a choice in what’s going on,” Thanxton said. “I’m not sure whether I vote for the right people or not, but at least I get my two cents in.”
With less than a third of registered voters showing up for primaries, retiree Carol Ball said if you don’t vote, don’t complain.
“This country is in such a mess, such a mess,” Ball said. “If you don’t voice your opinions, you’re not letting the politicians know that we don’t like what’s going on.”
Every voter polled was asked if there was a specific issue that helped motivate them to vote. All said no, they were simply fulfilling a civic duty.
Voters across West Virginia are heading to the polls for the 2024 primary election.
Photo Credit: Eric Douglas/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Besides statewide seats like governor and congress, small towns across West Virginia have local mayor and city council seats to fill.
In Saint Albans, Kanawha County, voters had a choice of five candidates for mayor. Voters like Margaret York of Saint Albans said they are happy with the work of current Saint Albans Mayor Scott James.
“Mostly the mayor election,” York said. “I think Scott James was doing a good job and I’d like to keep him in office.”
John Sikora of Saint Albans agreed and said he feels his right to vote is his right to have a say in what’s happening in his city.
“The city St. Albans was, is, running pretty well right now,” Sikora said. “And I voted for Scott James again, because he’s doing a really good job.”
Dawn Scheick, an advanced practice psych nurse, recently moved to Saint Albans from Phillipi. She said her late husband and mother instilled into her the importance of voting.
“Well, I wanted to vote Democrat of course, but also since I’m relatively new here, I got my friend at church, Riverlawn Presbyterian to help me know who to vote for for mayor and for council at large,” Scheick said. “So I’m learning, and I’m 75, almost, and you keep on learning.”
Scheick said she votes left-leaning because she believes that is a way to show others there is hope.
“Everybody needs to vote in this election, to show the world that we are still a country of honor, and voting,” Scheick said. “That’s why I vote Democrat. I want to let others know that there is hope. And we will do the right thing. For me, I’m a nurse for the poor, for the psychiatrically impaired, for children, for old people, for women. So that’s why I do what I do.”
Voters like Faith Miller, a program manager for Workforce, West Virginia, also from Saint Albans, said she votes in every election, primary or general.
“I think it’s important because it affects our community,” Miller said. “And so I like to get people that I feel represent us well into office.”
Miller said her primary voting concern is abortion.
“I’m primarily concerned about the sanctity of life,” Miller said. “So, pro-life issues are very important to me. So that’s why voting in things like primaries are important.”
This election will determine the representatives for the mayor, council at-large, and city council positions across various wards, with the term of office set from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2028.
For Sue and Stan Jennings, woodworking isn’t just a way to make a living, it’s a way of life. What started out as a passion for the craft was born out of necessity. Over the last 30 years, the Jennings have developed a thriving business making wood objects called treenware — small wooden kitchen utensils.
This story originally aired in the April 21, 2024 episode of Inside Appalachia.
For Sue and Stan Jennings, woodworking isn’t just a way to make a living, it’s a way of life. What started out as a passion for the craft was born out of necessity. Over the last 30 years, the Jennings have developed a thriving business making wood objects called treenware — small wooden kitchen utensils.
The Jennings learned to make spoons through a lot of trial and error. But both of them can trace their passion for woodworking back to their childhoods.
Sue grew up helping out her father who was a contractor. Stan’s father had a sawmill and his grandfather was a carpenter. “I had a little bit of woodworking in my DNA,” Stan says.
Their mutual love of woodworking ended up being the foundation for their own relationship as a couple.
“When I met my husband, we were both working in the coal mines underground. And when we first started getting to know each other, the question we would ask is, ‘If you had anything in the world you wanted to do, what would be first on your list?’” Sue says. “And I said I wanted to be a woodworker. And he had the same dream. So right off the bat we knew there was something pretty special there.”
The chance to chase their dreams came sooner than expected. Not long after the couple met, Sue and Stan were laid off from the mines.
“We all walked in and got our pink slips and that was the end of our coal mining business,” Sue says. “And that’s how this evolved, because we needed a way to make a living.”
To make ends meet, the couple started selling odds and ends at craft shows. During that time, both experimented with making spoons.
Stan says the first set of spoons he made were less than impressive, but were created from the heart. And because he needed a cheap present for Sue.
“I suppose I was too tight to buy a Christmas gift,” Stan says. “I made her a set of dogwood spoons. And that was actually the first set of spoons we made. I’m ashamed to even show people, it turned out so bad, but Sue hung on to them.”
Sue also caught the spoon-making bug and tried to make a set herself. “The first spoon I made was a set of measuring spoons, and I made it out of rhododendron [wood],” Sue says. “And that’s because we had gone to a show and we met a spoon maker, and we talked and talked about him. I was fascinated from the very beginning.”
The Jennings discovered there was a whole culture around wooden utensils when they stumbled upon the book Treen and other wooden bygones. This book ended up changing the direction of their business. But they almost didn’t buy it.
“At the time it was like a $50 book and we stood there and agonized over spending $50 on this book because we couldn’t afford a book for $50,” Sue says. “So there was our first exposure to the word ‘treen.’”
Sue Jennings holding her copy of Treen and other wooden bygones, a book by Edward H. Pinto.
Photo Credit: Capri Cafaro/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Treen is a Saxon word that refers to wooden items made from the tree for use in the kitchen or dairy. After buying the book, Allegheny Treenware was born. Much of the inspiration for their product design — and the name of their business — has come from the book.
Over 30 years later, the book is still on their shelves. It’s thick and well-worn, filled with photos of wooden kitchen items. There is a clear design connection between what is in the book and what the Jennings make today. The items are both functional and beautiful.
Over the years, the couple has grown as craftspeople thanks to a combination of grit and learning from other woodworkers. Now, times are not as tight and their process is much more sophisticated. They have several employees and a workshop full of high-end equipment. Their treenware is sold online all around the world, and the spoons are coveted collector’s items.
There’s a lot of action on the shop floor to fulfill these orders. Staff shift between workstations dedicated to a specific purpose. Each spoon starts with a pattern that is traced onto a board of wood and cut, just like a clothing pattern for fabric.
“When we make the spoon or whatever, there’s no duplicating machines, there’s no computerized equipment. Everything is truly made by hand here at this shop,” Sue says.
While there is now a team behind Allegheny Treenware, the Jennings reserve the most difficult part of the process for themselves: the shaping finish of the spoon. This requires very coarse sandpaper on a spinning disc which can cut your hands if you’re not careful.
Sue says her approach to shaping is different from Stan’s. She pre-shapes the spoon first, while Stan starts by planning things out before he sits down at a machine. “We’re different sides of the brain and we go about things differently,” Sue says. “[Stan’s] very methodical and I’m not, but we end up in the same place.”
Patterns used to make wooden utensils at Allegheny Treenware.
Photo Credit: Capri Cafaro/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
The Jennings also have complimentary skills as business partners, especially when they were selling at craft shows.
Sue reflects on how she and Stan would interact with customers. “I’m always at the booth selling and his job was to entertain,” she says. “He’d be hand-carving a spoon and he’d be telling stories, entertaining the men while the women went shopping. It worked perfectly.”
Before a spoon is complete, there are some finishing touches put on it. They burn their initials “SJ” into the spoon and then soak it in food grade oil to bring out the color of the wood.
Back of a classic wooden “granny spoon” made by Allegheny Treenware.
Photo Credit: Capri Cafaro/West Virginia Public BroadcastingDetail of engraving on the back of a wooden spoon made by Allegheny Treenware to indicate it is made of cherry wood. Initials “SJ” indicate the product was made by Sue and Stan Jennings.
Photo Credit: Capri Cafaro/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
These spoons are much more than wooden utensils. They represent the sweat equity of one couple who has stayed true to their dreams, and each other, for over three decades.
The Folkways Reporting Project is made possible in part with support from Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies to the West Virginia Public Broadcasting Foundation. Subscribe to the podcast to hear more stories of Appalachian folklife, arts and culture.
This week on Inside Appalachia, a pair of former miners found love shoveling coal and shaped a life making wooden spoons. We learn about treenware. Also, NASCAR Hall of Famer Leonard Wood shares stories, and a bit of advice. And, group bike rides are a way to socialize and get outside. But here in Appalachia, newcomers are met with steep hills.
This week, a pair of former miners found love shoveling coal and shaped a life making wooden spoons. We learn about treenware.
Also, NASCAR Hall of Famer Leonard Wood shares stories, and a bit of advice.
And, group bike rides are a way to socialize and get outside. But here in Appalachia, newcomers are met with steep hills.
Stan and Sue Jennings turned a conversation about a passion into a business.
Photo Credit: Zack Gray/Allegheny Treenware
For 30 years, Sue and Stan Jennings have run Allegheny Treenware, a West Virginia company that makes wooden kitchen utensils. But they started off as a couple of coal miners. And when they weren’t underground, they talked about what else they could be doing.
Folkways Reporter Capri Cafaro visited the Jennings.
Hanging Out With NASCAR Legend Leonard Wood
Straight from the source at The Wood Brothers Racing Museum.
Photo Credit: Mason Adams/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Stock car racing’s roots run deep in Appalachia. Some of NASCAR’s early stars came straight from the lawless moonshine runners of the 1920s and 1930s, but NASCAR’s oldest continuous racing team had nothing to do with moonshine.
Mason Adams visited with Leonard Wood at The Wood Brothers Racing Museum in Virginia for stories and wisdom.
Exploring Morgantown On The Back Of A Bicycle
The ad-hoc Morgantown Social Rides aim to get cyclists onto the streets to explore the city in a new way.
Photo Credit: Chris Schulz/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
With spring, lots of folks are heading out to the woods or the rivers, but one group in Morgantown, West Virginia is taking to the streets – on their bicycles.
WVPB’s Chris Schulz grabbed his helmet and tagged along to explore his city in a new way.
Sovereignty At The Museum Of The Cherokee People
BPR’s Lilly Knoepp (left) spoke with Museum of the Cherokee People Director of Education Dakota Brown and Director of Collections Evan Mathis at the Appalachian Studies Conference on Friday March 8, 2024 at Western Carolina University.
BPR Senior Regional Reporter Lilly Knoepp spoke with Brown as part of a panel at the Appalachian Studies Association conference in March and sent us an excerpt.
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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by The Dirty River Boys, Charlie McCoy, John Blissard, Sierra Ferrell, and John Inghram.
Bill Lynch is our producer. Zander Aloi is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. We had help this week from folkways editors Nicole Musgrave and Mallory Noe Payne.
You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.
Elliott Stewart has been making zines since he was 13 years old. His ongoing zine “Porch Beers” is an incisive look at Appalachian culture, through the eyes of a queer trans man.
This conversation originally aired in the March 3, 2024 episode of Inside Appalachia.
Elliott Stewart has been making zines since he was 13 years old.
His ongoing zine “Porch Beers” is an incisive look at Appalachian culture, through the eyes of a queer trans man. “Porch Beers” dives into pop culture fandom, West Virginia food and the life of a 20-something navigating moves from Huntington, West Virginia, to Chattanooga, Tennessee and back again.
Inside Appalachia Host Mason Adams contacted Stewart to talk about the newest issues of his zine, and what Appalachia in 2022 looked like through the eyes of a zine writer.
Adams: So I first found “Porch Beers” kind of randomly online using a different search engine than I tried before. I ordered a couple of copies on Etsy and was just blown away. I’ve read zines for a long time, and I’ve read Appalachian zines. These grabbed my attention as a reader.
The writing is fun and short and funny, but also serious and thoughtful. And the stuff you write about is all stuff that I’m interested in. So tell us a little bit about yourself. Who is this person that makes “Porch Beers?”
Stewart: I guess born-and-bred West Virginian, moved around a lot as a kid. We lived with my grandparents, who are ministers and moved out every three to four years to different parts of the state. So I feel like that wanderlust has always kind of been in me. One of my ways getting in and out and recording memories is writing. My grandma has little booklets I made when I was five or six that were maybe my first zines. It’s a good way to be front and center about a lot of intersecting identities that I have. I feel a lot of people come up to me and say that I’m the first person from X group that they’ve ever met. And I don’t know, that’s kind of cool. It has a lot of responsibility to it, but it’s kind of cool.
Adams: Everybody that comes in my house, when they see these zines, they always wonder about the name. Tell us about the name “Porch Beers.”
Stewart: Sure. That was a tradition in Huntington and I’m sure elsewhere where you have a porch. Huntington is a small knit community, to where everybody knows everybody pretty much. You can go by somebody’s house or on their porch, [and they ask,] “Hey, do you want a porch beer?” “Yeah.” So you sit down, you have a talk that could be about nothing. It could be about very important heart-to-heart stuff. But that’s just a hallmark of Huntington summers, and I wanted to reflect that.
Adams: The first issue was about fandom, and you have a few different essays about different arenas of fandom per se. The second issue is about West Virginia and its food. Three was about music. And then you came back to food in issues four and four-and-a-half. What pulled you back to food after you had already written about the different kinds of foods unique to West Virginia?
Stewart: When I go to make an issue of “Porch Beers,” sometimes I will set out and it will be, “I want X theme,” and write around that theme. But more often than not, it’s just, I write a couple of articles as to what I feel, and a theme loosely takes shape. That’s what was happening with this one, to the point where I had a couple of other runner-up themes that I was going with, and my partner was like, “You might as well write about food, because that seems like where this one is drawing you to.” I was like, yeah, he’s right. That was what was on my mind. I don’t know if there was any particular reason for it. But that’s just where the writing led me.
Adams: So I read through these five issues there on specific topics — whether it’s pro wrestling, or the Ben Folds Five or West Virginia Food. But there’s a larger story arc here, too. I mean, I can read growth in these zines. You moved from Huntington to Chattanooga, and back. When you read back the zines, what is the story of “Porch Beers” so far?
Stewart: I do go back and read them at times. It is a little painful to read some of the early stuff, just because I have changed so much as a person. But I’m glad I have a record of it, that these things happened. And honestly, it’s valuable to get stories of growth out there because not a lot of people record the minutiae of life in Appalachia or in the various sub-communities I’m in
Adams: “Porch Beers” tracks this geographic shift, but it also documents a different kind of transition. Can you share a little bit more about that?
Stewart: I am an out transgender man, I have been out in one form or another as trans since about 2018. Just slowly began socially transitioning and then medically transitioning, and considered myself queer as my orientation. It’s been an interesting experience with that, a lot of learning curves. Sometimes people, when they find out, will have … I like to assume that most people are in good faith when they ask questions, but sometimes they can be very awkward or a little hurtful. But I try to take it in stride. Like specific medical questions or things, and if I don’t feel comfortable, I’m at least to the point now, where I’m like, “Hey, that’s kind of a weird thing to be asking me.” A lot of times I’m the first trans person that someone has knowingly met. And that is wild to me.
