Race and my Community of Capon Springs, West Virginia

I live in the small community of Capon Springs, West Virginia. This is not my hometown; however, over the last four years of my residence here, it has become a community that I call home. Capon Springs is barely a map dot on the state of West Virginia. It is located in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. This is a town by the state, simply because there is a post office here in the community. In having a post office, that area is entitled to receive a zip code, thus making it a town. There is very little in this hamlet. There is a post office, a volunteer fire and rescue department, and the resort that is open from May until November each year. I live next door to the new post office and I live in the building that used to serve as a post office.

English: Mountain House (c. 1887) at Capon Springs...

English:

English: Octagon House (c. 1890) on Capon Springs ...

The newer post office opened December 12, 1963 and Sue Smith currently serves as the Post Mistress. Before the new post office was built, where I live served as not only the post office, but also the Bland family home as well. This building started out as only two rooms when it was built over 50 years ago. When it was decided that there would be a post office here in Capon Springs, Dorothy Ruth Bland, or Ruth as she is known around the community was elected as Post Mistress. She served that post for 50 years before retiring. In the hallway in my house, one can see where the service window for the post office used to be as the counter is still partially there. This is a community where everyone knows everyone else and no one is a stranger. All the adults watch everyone else's children and...