Tuesday evening at the Aull Center, Ostenaco joined a lineup that also includes the likes of Theodore Roosevelt, Edgar Allan Poe, Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson.
These are among the historical figures who have been portrayed at the Garlow House, which houses the Morgantown Public Library’s genealogy, local history and West Virginia collections.
Mike McClung, manger of the Aull Center, said The History Alive! presentations are popular offerings. The West Virginia Humanities Council program features scholars from across the state who portray historical figures at venues such as museums, schools, libraries, community centers and fairs and festivals.
“A little bit of everybody” attends, he said. “A lot of people bring their children. And we have regulars show up for these.”
Ostenaco, McClung added, has been on the center’s list for awhile. And, as November is Native American Heritage Month, and actor and scholar Doug Wood, who portrays the Cherokee leader, was available, the stars aligned to make Tuesday’s presentation happen.
Wood’s portrayal of Ostenaco included a 15-25 minute monologue introducing the historical, social and political issues that influenced the leader’s life, as well as a 10-15 minute discussion with the audience in character, and a 5-10 minute discussion with Wood, out of character, relating to his research on Ostenaco.
According to The West Virginia Humanities Council’s website, “During the French and Indian War, Ostenaco was a leader of Cherokee warriors who allied with Virginia military leaders against northern tribes fighting with the French.
“His leadership provided a vital alliance for the British colonial settlements in much of present West Virginia. Ostenaco’s influence contributed significantly to the expansion of English-speaking people into Western Virginia.”
“We are all about perpetuating local, state and regional history,” McClung said. “We want to educate people about the important persons who played a role in the formation of what would become West Virginia and West Virginia, after it became what it is. … There are very few places you can come and enjoy historical evenings. It’s what we do.”
