WORTHINGTON – To Debbie Heflin, the Town of Worthington represents roots.
It’s the town she grew up in, where her husband is from and where they settled down to continue their lives as citizens of the Town of Worthington.
“It’s family, it’s roots, all of my husband’s family is from here,”?Heflin, who now serves as the mayor of the Town of Worthington, said. “It’s basically just rooted to us.”
On Saturday, Heflin joined citizens of Worthington and West Virginia politicians in a celebration of the 125th anniversary of the town’s incorporation at Worthington Park.
“The town was formed in 1893,”?Heflin said. “We just wanted to do something special because of Marion County having the first Father’s Day and everything.”
The idea for the celebration came from former Worthington mayor Tracy Smith, who has been a resident of the Town for more than 50 years.
“Back in 1893 they were grouping in, about to go to organize a town,”?Smith said, in a speech addressing the crowd. “I’ve been here 55 years in this little community, I came here in 1963, and this is the nicest, cleanest, neatest little town I’ve ever seen. I was impressed with it, it grew on me.”
Also speaking at the ceremony were U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Delegate Guy Ward, R-Marion.
“It’s so interesting to me, the history of all our small towns in West Virginia, a lot of times I say West Virginia’s just one big small town,”?Capito said, in her speech to the crowd. “The pastor said that this town of Worthington on the 125th anniversary has always been about neighbors and families and friends.
“As I think about West Virginians and I think about the town of Worthington, and all of the history that we heard, I think about how we always help one another.”
Ward’s speech for the audience took a different direction, as he relayed the history of a West Virginia staple to those in attendance.
“The pepperoni roll used to be a well-kept secret in West Virginia, kind of like Worthington,”?Ward began.
He continued, at times referencing and quoting the book “The West Virginia Pepperoni Roll,” by Candace Nelson,?which he brought with him.
“In the early years of the 20th century, thousands of Italian immigrants met in North-Central West Virginia to mine coal,” Ward said. “The Italians ate a stick of pepperoni or salami and the bread. And that’s how it originated, pepperoni rolls came about by the coal mining wives who would make it for their husbands to go into the mines.”
“If you were born in this area or anywhere around here, you grew up loving pepperoni rolls as I did, and I want to thank you and congratulate you again.”
Once the speeches ended, the audience was invited to the Worthington Fire Hall to read more about the town’s history, and to partake in food and refreshments among the others celebrating the anniversary.