Family Association

The United States McCraw

REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED!!

McCraws and McGraws from across the nation will meet June 21-23, 2024, for the biennial United States McCraw Family Reunion slated for Beckley, West Virginia. Reunion host Scott McGraw has booked the Mountaineer Conference Center, adjacent to the Country Inn and Suites, located at 2120 Harper Road, in Beckley, for the event. Our meeting sessions and Saturday-night banquet will take place at the Mountaineer Conference Center. Check out our Accommodations page for all the hotel details. NOTE: Registrations are closed as of after June 7, 2024

 YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE A MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATION TO ATTEND!

Scheduled Events...

We have already confirmed a presentation by the Sons of the American Revolution to speak about that organization and how you can be a member. We also have scheduled two sessions with guest speakers. We will hear from Lloyd Tomlinson from the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum about a unique part of West Virginia's history. We will also have a session with Jorea Marple to present her book “McGraw Brothers” about 2 of our family members who were pivotal in the political scene in WV over the last 50 years. Based on feedback from the members in attendance at our last meeting, on friday afternoon we also plan a presentation called “William 101” where we walk through all the confirmed facts about our first known American ancestor and his children. We will also get updates about our DNA program, an discussion of the Irish and Scottish Clans we are associated with and much, much more!

For those arriving early, we plan an optional Thursday night gathering for 6:00 PM dinner at a local restaurant, The Char. While we also plan to have an optional Friday night dinner at Fujiyama Japanese Steakhouse, we are also planning, we are also planning an optional Friday night activity for those interested. We are planning a trip to Theatre West Virginia’s Cliffside Amphitheater in the New River Gorge National Park to catch a performance of The Hatfields & McCoys. et in the rugged Appalachian landscape, the production explores the deep-rooted conflict between the Hatfields and McCoys, portraying their struggles, loyalties, and tragic consequences.

If you are a registrant interested in attending any of the optional activities, please fill out the Optional Activities Signup Form.

We also have a few suggestions for some ‘on your own’ activities! For Friday’s ‘on your own’ lunch, we suggest going to Tamarack Marketplace, which is just down the road from our event site. Tamarack is West Virginia’s premier artisan market. The cultural hub of southern West Virginia features all things to Shop Local, Eat Local and Art Local. The restaurant at Tamarack (also open for breakfast and dinner) serves delicious Appalachian inspired dishes in a fast-casual style experience prepared by an expert culinary team. They offer a menu filled with favorites like chicken pot pie and fried green tomato sandwiches.

On Saturday afternoon after our formal programming has ended, we suggest you go just down the road to Beckley’s New River Park to visit the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine. In 2022, USA Today named Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine among the Top 10 Best History Museums in the United States. It is one of the smallest museums named to the list, and Beckley is the smallest town to make the Top 10! The tour travels 1500 feet into the hillsides of New River Park in what once was an operating coal mine. Veteran miners are your guides as you ride through the mine in an actual mining car. Tours last 35 minutes and be sure to wear a jacket, the mine temperature is 58 degrees year-round. In addition to the mine tour, you can also visit the Coal Camp, which includes a restored coal camp house, miner’s shanty, church, school and more.

Just footsteps from the Exhibition Coal Mine, you will find the Youth Museum of Southern West Virginia.  The Youth Museum’s main gallery is made up of four railroad boxcars. The central exhibit area features an average of three different exhibits yearly.  Designed to entertain as well as educate, the exhibits range from “T-Rex”, “Bats”, and “Artist in the Studio” to “Page after Page”, an award winning children's authors presentation.

Behind the Museum’s main building, stands the Mountain Homestead. Developed to enrich history studies, the Museum has recreated a typical settlement on the Appalachian frontier. Trained interpreters explain the importance of each reconstructed historical building. Visit the weaver’s shed – complete with loom and spinning wheels. In the two-story log house, groups listen as the guide explains the many interesting artifacts and antiques made and used by the rugged individuals that settled this region. Step back in time as you enter the one room school and experience “readin’, writin’, and ‘rithmetic” as it used to be. The barn, blacksmith shop, and general store all help to complete this rich historical journey of the late 19th century.

This, and much, much more await you at our 2024 McCraw Reunion! Plan your vacation around our event! The Greenbrier, a National Historic Landmark and world-class resort near Beckley has been welcoming guests from around the world since 1778. Featuring three picturesque resort courses, a private course (rated among America's best) and a nine-hole par-3 walking course, there's no better golf destination than “America’s Resort.” Also nearby, Glade Springs Resort features another golf course rated among West Virginia’s 5 best. The New River Gorge National Park, the nation's newest national park, guarantees scenic mountains and breathtaking gorge views. A rugged, whitewater river flowing northward through deep canyons, the New River is one of the oldest rivers in the world, some claim is to be the second oldest, aging between 10 and 360 million years old. More tourism information as well as visitor guides are available fromWest Virginia’s Official Tourism Site, or fromVisit Southern West Virginia.

Questions about anything Reunion related? Suggestions for our 2024 Reunion? Reach out to us at 2024USMFAReunion@gmail.com