History
Greenbrier followed the tradition of many southern West Virginia counties in the late 19th century and shifted its economic base from agriculture to industry. Lumber, coal, and limestone industries were the largest, but agriculture remained a vital source of income throughout the industrial boom. The Great Depression affected all sectors of the economy and all Greenbrier residents differently. Some residents were barely affected and others seriously struggled throughout the 1930s. The stock market crash of 1929 was a blip on the radar in Greenbrier County. It was a severe drought and falling crop prices in 1930 that devastated the county's farmers. Some saw their income cut in half and would not see relief until the late 1930s, when prices and weather stabilized. Lewisburg locals encouraged residents to plant gardens to supplement the family's diet, jobs were scarce (even for college graduates), and crime increased. Greenbrier County received some relief from organizations and legislation such as the Red Cross, the Emergency Relief Building Act, and the Civilian Conservation Corps, who established a camp at Neola in the Monongahela National Forest.
After World War II, industry again slowed and towns in Greenbrier County faced hard choices about their economic futures. City leaders in Lewisburg decided to promote the town and county's recreation potential, setting groundwork for the area to become the tourist destination it is today.
Robert Gates' commission for the Lewisburg post office depicts a religious camp meeting atop a wooded ridge. Camp meetings and outdoor tent revivals gained popularity in the early 19th century, as new denominations of Christianity spread from the northeast to rural territories in Pennsylvania, Ohio, western Virginia (now West Virginia), Kentucky, Tennessee, and further south. Ministers or preachers traveled circuits, spreading news of a meeting through local congregations. Camp meetings and other outdoor revivals usually lasted multiple days. Families often camped at the revival campground for the duration of the meeting. Preachers held passionate sermons under some kind of covering, usually a wooden structure that covered the pulpit and sometimes, the pews. Meetings were a time for not only spiritual revival, but social connectedness. Whole extended families and communities gathered, sharing news and traditions.
In Greenbrier County, near present-day Alta, the Brushy Ridge campground was notable for its yearly camp meeting. Meeting organizers advertised in the Greenbrier Independent in August 1875 instructions for families to reserve tents for camping and to bring glass laterns to be used for lighting the altar. Although there is no record to say definitively, Gates was probably familiar with the campmeeting tradition throughout the region. If he did local research and visited Lewisburg, he may have been told about the Brushy Ridge campground.