The Roane County Historical Society is excited to announce the dedication of the plaque commemorating the Congressional service of Harry Chapman Woodyard. The bronze plaque with Woodyard's likeness now hangs in the Roane County Courthouse.

With pomp and celebration the Woodyard plaque was dedicated on Thursday, October 13th, opening day of the 57th W.Va. Black Walnut Fesitval. The Noon unveiling was attended by festival goers, historical society members and some Woodyard descendants.

The inscription on the plaque reads:
A TRIBUTE TO HARRY CHAPMAN WOODYARD
Roane County's Only Representative in the United States Congress
Born in Spencer, Roane County, WV, the son of William C. Woodyard and Isabelle C. Chapmen, he was elected to a seat in the State Senate in 1898 at age 31. A Republican, he was first elected as the Fourth Congressional District (Roane, Wirt, Wood, Tyler, Putnam, Pleasants, Mason, Jackson and Cabell counties) representative in 1902. He then served four terms prior to 1910, and was returned to office in 1916 for three more terms. He then served one more term in the 69th Congress from March 1925 to march 1927.
Mr. Woodyard united in marriage with Emma J. Douglass, of Harrison County, in 1893, and they had three sons, William Jr., Edward Douglass and Henry Chapman.
In 1919 Mr. Woodyard entered the publishing field through purchase of the Spencer Times-Record, a weekly newspaper. His three sons assisted in the expansion of this business, establishing the first chain of weekly newspapers in West Virginia, known as Woodyard Publications, Inc.
Mr. Woodyard died on June 21, 1929, and is buried in the Spencer Mausoleum at Spencer Memorial Cemetery. Roane County Historical Society - 2011

We are indebted to Mrs. Carol Board-Westfall for spearheading this project and seeing it to its completion. We encourage you to stop by the courthouse in Spencer and see the plaque if you have not already done so.