Patty Sue Cooper portrays "Mad" Anne Bailey
Patty Sue Cooper of Parkersburg will portray West Virginia frontier scout
"Mad" Anne Bailey (ca. 1742-1825) at the Trillium Arts Guild Spring Exhibit and
Sale at the Doddridge County Park at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 26th.
In the late 1700s Anne Bailey served in the Great Kanawha Valley as a
buckskin-clad frontierswoman who could handle a horse, hatchet, and long rifle as
well as any man.
When her husband was killed in the battle of Point Pleasant
in 1774, she was compelled to avenge his death and embarked on a new life as a
border scout and messenger.
The 1861 poem "Anne Bailey's Ride" commemorates
her heroic 1791 ride alone through over 100 miles of mostly wilderness when
Fort Lee (Charleston) was threatened with attack to Fort Savannah (Lewisburg)
and her return with desperately needed gunpowder.
This program will provide the audience with the opportunity to interact with
Anne Bailey about her life, and then to question Cooper about herself and
her presentations.
Humanities scholars have carefully researched a variety of
sources about the figures they portray such as journals, letters, official
documents, speeches, autobiographies and research of other scholars in
developing their presentation. Several social studies teachers in the area are
offering some form of extra credit to their students who attend the presentation.
This program is free to the public.
In addition to this West Virginia Humanities Council History Alive program,
the Trillium Arts Guild Spring Exhibit and Sale will include 10 demonstrating
artisans, 20 or more artisans selling their products, live music throughout
the weekend, a children's "Create and Take", and Irish road bowling. All of
these are free to the public.
For more information call 304-873-3380.
| 
