HARPERS FERRY, W.Va. — The tense energy suspected throughout Harpers Ferry on Friday didn’t exist; instead, it was an energy of solidarity between county and DMV residents, as well as those passing by, that any attempt to cover up history at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park by President Donald Trump or his administration would be fought with First Amendment action.
And, though laughter, light-hearted banter and honks of encouragement — as well as one, less-agreeable passerby who couldn’t keep his middle finger inside his car — could be heard between the groups chants, some within the group of 150-200 people were more somber.
“As I look at this group here, I don’t see a bunch of left-wing lunatics. What I see are a bunch of people who I have no idea what their political persuasion is, just concerned about the history and people going into denial,” Harpers Ferry Mayor Greg Vaughn said. “That’s an unfortunate situation we’re in, and I’m sorry we’ve got to this point.
“I’m a little disappointed that, with this issue of history, that this hillside we’re standing on is not full of people. I’m a little disappointed that we don’t have nine individuals from Washington, D.C. that wear the black robes out here. I’m a little disappointed that this tries to be politicized; this is not a Republican or Democrat issue, this is an issue of people concerned about protecting and preserving the history of this country, including all of its warts. It pays us nothing to try and sweep those things that occurred 100-200 years ago or recently during World War 2. It’s just an unfortunate situation. I’m saddened by that. But I also appreciate these people here expressing their concern about maintaining the history of this country.”
A few days prior, Harpers Ferry Town Councilman Storm DiCostanzo spoke to the Spirit regarding the Trump Administration’s order to remove or cover any exhibit or item at National Parks that did not align with an executive order signed in March titled, “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” which highlighted actions over the previous decade that the President and his administration believes were part of a “concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history, replacing objective facts with a distorted narrative driven by ideology rather than truth.” The EO continues that the nation’s “unparalleled legacy of advancing liberty, individual rights and human happiness” has been reconstituted as “racist, sexist, oppressive, or otherwise irredeemably flawed,” as part of “corrosive ideology.”
National Parks were specifically targeted in the White House’s order regarding this EO, spurring outrage in Jefferson County and around the country with those opposed saying it’s an attempt to “whitewash” history and overlook important moments in American history, such as the practice of slavery from the colonial era until it was abolished nationwide with the addition of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.
When DiCostanzo spoke to The Spirit, around 30 items were flagged for possible removal. As of the writing of this article, no information was provided whether those items had been removed, covered or unflagged. When asked for a statement during the protest, Interpretation and Education Program Manager Kristen Maxfield was unable to give details, later sending a statement via email, which reads, “The Department is implementing Secretary’s Order 3431, which carries out the President’s Executive Order on “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.” The President has directed federal agencies to review interpretive materials to ensure accuracy, honesty, and alignment with shared national values.
Regarding the impact on the town, Tenfold Fair Trade Collection owner and Indivisible Jefferson County leader Martha Ehlman said that it would be “a sin” to cover up history and that it could have some impacts on the path the country takes in the future.
“If you cover up history or push it aside, it’s guaranteed to repeat itself,” she said. “…it’s really heartbreaking. I just came back from the Fair Trade Federation Conference, where I was honored to speak to that whole body and share the John Brown story with them. Two days later, I read the article about them coming after us. I guess I should have known, but I guess I had my fingers in my ears. There are so many good people working in this park and they’re silenced; I understand that, but I can [speak] as an independent business owner.”
As the owner of a Fair Trade Federation store, Ehlman has experienced pushback for the prices of what she sells, as well as what those products are. But to her, it’s a modern form of supporting and upholding human rights and fair wages around the world. The movement, which has roots with the Quakers in the early 1800s, also seeks to abolish modern-day slavery where it still exists.
“I’ve had people push back in the past, only once in the early years in my business when Obama was in his first term,” she said. “But this last summer and spring, I had several men ask me … because I require my employees to share with people when they walk in that … it’s not just a gift store. I want them to know what Fair Trade is.”
For Vaughn, there’s a natural separation that exists between his town and the national park. Without any say in Federal matters, his action is severely limited. Still, when looking at it from what he can control, he said he’s trying to maintain a healthy relationship between the town and the park.
“I don’t view it as being targeted,” he said. “As you and I are standing here, I’m watching tourists walk by and, I’ve got to tell you, probably the majority of tourists that visit Harpers Ferry have no clue that what we’re standing on it federal land and that street belongs to the town; that hillside over there belongs to the government, the other side belongs to the town. So a lot of this stuff, from my perspective, is transparent. The people don’t understand that and as the mayor of Harpers Ferry I’m very conscious of that.
“I work very closely with the superintendent, trying to bring the town and park closer together when we have issues like this.”
He was also very pointed in what covering history up is.
“I don’t mean to offend anyone on the right or left, but that was attempted and successfully untaken by North Korea, China, Russia, the Nazi regime; they did exactly that,” he said. “They told you what they wanted you to know, what they wanted you to see, to hear, and I don’t believe we’ll ever get to that point, but that could be a bottom line if we don’t come to our senses in this country on a lot of issues.”
