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["The town of Helvetia, West Virginia, population 59, was founded by Swiss-German immigrants in 1869. In the late 60s, around Helvetias centennial, town matriarch Eleanor Mailloux worked to revive many of Helvetias Swiss traditions, co-founding the Hutte Swiss restaurant, collecting a cookbook of community recipes, and restoring the Fasnacht celebration as a public event. Helvetia also has a long-standing cheese making tradition, practiced in private homes, and in the semi-public Cheese Haus, which now is located in an old renovated mechanics garage. Documentation of foodways traditions in the community is part of the Helvetia Foodways Oral History Project in partnership with the Southern Foodways Alliance. Learn more: https://www.southernfoodways.org/oral-history/helvetia-west-virginia/Also see Emily Hilliards piece on Helvetias seasonal celebrations via The Bitter Southerner: https://bittersoutherner.com/my-year-in-helvetia-west-virginia Read her piece on the Hutte Restaurant, Something Good from Helvetia, for the Southern Foodways Alliance: https://www.southernfoodways.org/something-good-from-helvetia/ and NPR piece on Fasnachts foodways traditions: https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/02/17/386970143/swiss-village-west-virginia-mardi-gras-feast-fasnachtLearn more about Helvetia via the website maintained by Helvetia resident Dave Whipp: http://www.helvetiawv.com/"]%

1. Helvetia museum display of canning jars

Identifier:
4224.Helvetia.Photo.005.2.6.16
Title:
Helvetia museum display of canning jars
Date:
2016-02-06
Creator:
Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
Swiss Americans, Canning and preserving, Food habits, Helvetia (W. Va.), foodways, Community museums, Cooking, Swiss
Location:
Helvetia (W. Va.)
["The Helvetia Community Fair, located in the Swiss community of Helvetia in Randolph County, is one of the oldest agricultural fairs in West Virginia. Activities include a parade in Swiss costume, alphorn music, Swiss folk dancing and singing, fahnenschwingen (flag twirling), a crafts, food, and canning exhibition, field events, an archery shoot, and more.Learn more in Emily Hilliard's Bitter Southerner piece on Helvetia's seasonal celebrations, including the Community Fair: https://bittersoutherner.com/my-year-in-helvetia-west-virginiaAnd in the Helvetia Foodways Oral History Project conducted by the West Virginia Folklife Program in partnership with the Southern Foodways Alliance: https://www.southernfoodways.org/oral-history/helvetia-west-virginia/"]%

2. Canned goods exhibition at the Helvetia Community Fair

Identifier:
4224.HelvetiaCommunityFair.067.Photo.9.10.16
Title:
Canned goods exhibition at the Helvetia Community Fair
Date:
2016-09-10
Creator:
Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
Helvetia (W. Va.), foodways, Food habits, Festivals, Canning and preserving, Agricultural exhibitions
Location:
Helvetia (W. Va.)
["The Helvetia Community Fair, located in the Swiss community of Helvetia in Randolph County, is one of the oldest agricultural fairs in West Virginia. Activities include a parade in Swiss costume, alphorn music, Swiss folk dancing and singing, fahnenschwingen (flag twirling), a crafts, food, and canning exhibition, field events, an archery shoot, and more.Learn more in Emily Hilliard's Bitter Southerner piece on Helvetia's seasonal celebrations, including the Community Fair: https://bittersoutherner.com/my-year-in-helvetia-west-virginiaAnd in the Helvetia Foodways Oral History Project conducted by the West Virginia Folklife Program in partnership with the Southern Foodways Alliance: https://www.southernfoodways.org/oral-history/helvetia-west-virginia/"]%

3. Canned meat exhibition at the Helvetia Community Fair

Identifier:
4224.HelvetiaCommunityFair.068.Photo.9.10.16
Title:
Canned meat exhibition at the Helvetia Community Fair
Date:
2016-09-10
Creator:
Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
Agricultural exhibitions, Food habits, Cooking (Sausages), Helvetia (W. Va.), foodways, Canning and preserving, Cooking (Venison), Swiss Americans, Festivals
Location:
Helvetia (W. Va.)
["The Helvetia Community Fair, located in the Swiss community of Helvetia in Randolph County, is one of the oldest agricultural fairs in West Virginia. Activities include a parade in Swiss costume, alphorn music, Swiss folk dancing and singing, fahnenschwingen (flag twirling), a crafts, food, and canning exhibition, field events, an archery shoot, and more.Learn more in Emily Hilliard's Bitter Southerner piece on Helvetia's seasonal celebrations, including the Community Fair: https://bittersoutherner.com/my-year-in-helvetia-west-virginiaAnd in the Helvetia Foodways Oral History Project conducted by the West Virginia Folklife Program in partnership with the Southern Foodways Alliance: https://www.southernfoodways.org/oral-history/helvetia-west-virginia/"]%

4. Canned corn exhibition at the Helvetia Community Fair

Identifier:
4224.HelvetiaCommunityFair.069.Photo.9.10.16
Title:
Canned corn exhibition at the Helvetia Community Fair
Date:
2016-09-10
Creator:
Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
Food habits, Canning and preserving, Swiss Americans, Helvetia (W. Va.), Festivals, foodways, Agricultural exhibitions
Location:
Helvetia (W. Va.)
["The Helvetia Community Fair, located in the Swiss community of Helvetia in Randolph County, is one of the oldest agricultural fairs in West Virginia. Activities include a parade in Swiss costume, alphorn music, Swiss folk dancing and singing, fahnenschwingen (flag twirling), a crafts, food, and canning exhibition, field events, an archery shoot, and more.Learn more in Emily Hilliard's Bitter Southerner piece on Helvetia's seasonal celebrations, including the Community Fair: https://bittersoutherner.com/my-year-in-helvetia-west-virginiaAnd in the Helvetia Foodways Oral History Project conducted by the West Virginia Folklife Program in partnership with the Southern Foodways Alliance: https://www.southernfoodways.org/oral-history/helvetia-west-virginia/"]%

5. Sauerkraut exhibition at the Helvetia Community Fair

Identifier:
4224.HelvetiaCommunityFair.070.Photo.9.10.16
Title:
Sauerkraut exhibition at the Helvetia Community Fair
Date:
2016-09-10
Creator:
Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
Canning and preserving, Festivals, Agricultural exhibitions, Swiss Americans, Food habits, Cooking (Sauerkraut), Cooking, Swiss, foodways, Helvetia (W. Va.)
Location:
Helvetia (W. Va.)
["Documentation of folklore and material culture on display at the 2016 West Virginia State Fair in Lewisburg."]%

6. 4-H pickle entries in the 2016 West Virginia State Fair

Identifier:
4224.WVStateFair.Photo.004.8.17.16
Title:
4-H pickle entries in the 2016 West Virginia State Fair
Date:
2016-08-17
Creator:
Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
Agricultural exhibitions, 4-H clubs, foodways, Food habits, Canning and preserving, Pickling
Location:
Lewisburg (W. Va.)