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Dorothy Copus Brush The caller was Marlin Wightman Last June a native of Pleasant Hill returned
to attend a homecoming at that lovely small community that has
had such an important influence on this area. He called because
some of these columns had brought back memories of his first
17 years here on the Plateau. The caller was Marlin Wightman.
Wightman graduated from Pleasant Hill Academy
in 1951 and then went to Cincinnati to live with his sister while
he worked there at a summer job. He fully intended to return
and attend Tennessee Tech in the fall, but lack of finances changed
those plans and he stayed in the Queen City. In 1962, he married Linda. The couple still
live in the house they bought at that time. Marlin worked as
a boiler operator for a local company for 40 years until his
retirement in 1995. The Wightmans are parents of four children
and twice that number of grandchildren. Though miles separated
him physically from the Plateau, the spirit of Pleasant Hill
had left deep, enduring roots in his heart. The first of the Wightman family came to America
in 1654. Marlin's grandparents, Amos and Helen, moved from New
York to Illinois and then to Pleasant Hill in 1868 when there
were only three log houses in the small settlement. Amos built
a house and also had a large primitive sawmill. By 1873, the
first free school had been established in the growing village. The Wightmans were deeply spiritual and strong
advocates of good education. In 1883 they sought missionary aid
for the children of the community. They corresponded with the
American Missionary Association in Boston, and then Grandmother
Wightman traveled to Boston to plead their case. The following
spring a field superintendent of the association visited the
county. Shortly thereafter, academies were started
at both Pleasant Hill and Grandview. "Father Dodge"
was sent to head the Pleasant Hill Academy. In Emma F. Dodge's
history of the village and the school she writes of Deacon Amos
and Mrs. Wightman. "It was to these two that the beginning
of Pleasant Hill Academy was due. They were the ones who made
the application to the American Missionary Association for a
teacher." During Marlin's time at the academy, there
was no money for an art department. His creative needs were satisfied
by whittling and it instilled in him a lifelong love of woodcarving.
He had a deep respect for Appalachian culture, and in Ohio he
combined that appreciation with his skill at carving to create
Appalachian folk art. He became associated with the Urban Appalachian
Council, and in 1997 was the recipient of the Stuart Faber Award.
It is given "to honor a person whose life and work have
shown a dedication to whittling away at the problems facing urban
Appalachians." He visited area schools in Ohio and Kentucky,
as well as festivals, to share the rich Appalachian culture.
His wide variety of creations have been shown at many exhibitions. In recent years his failing eyesight prohibits
driving, but he continues creating folk art because of his love
for the work. He says, "It's important because it's all
I've got. It's the way I grew up and I suppose it's the way my
intelligence was oriented by Appalachian culture." Marlin Wightman continues to spread a message of understanding through his artistry. · · · |