There's so many things that we lose when we don't understand where we came from, understanding where we came from in our history, and the struggles that we went through make us stronge for our struggles in the future.

My name is Craig Hesson.

I work for the Mason County Board of Education, where I'm a coordinator, and in my spare time, I enjoy doing living history events.

For me, reenacting living history a little bit different, living history.

We're actually taking events and trying to portray them as accurately as we can, living as what they did.

I like putting away all modern stuff and actually living in it, sleeping in the tents.

I've slept in a tent where it was so cold that the water frozen my canteen, and I've been there when it's hot.

That's living history.

You're actually experiencing what they experienced.

You read something in a book and it's just words in a book.

One of the best experience I had in the classroom when I was teaching in the classroom.

I came in and my period of clothing and we had zero problems that day.

Every student was engaged and wanting to lear what the different things were.

People just they don't realize, you know, what it was like to live it and to be there.

And if we can portray what it was actually like, it makes it well.

I like to say come alive.

That's that's what it's about is making our history come alive.

I've always had an interes I could go back to when I was in junior high, and For Randolph was built here in 1974.

They had did a drama here.

Everything for the bicentennial.

That's probably what got me started in 19, probably 1990.

Early.

There was an event out here.

It was an encampment.

Came back a couple of years later, and I was down at battle days in Point Pleasant.

And there were guy sitting around the campfire, and I just walked up and I said, you know, what do I need to do to get started?

They said, pull up a chair, sit down this talk.

And they began to to teach me at that point not to jump into anything.

Take your time.

Research the time period that you want to do, because little things like the type of pants that you have on fly or drop front, it makes a difference in the time period.

Take a year research.

We'll be back next year.

Come and join us.

I started the following year as a part of the Allegheny Rangers a group from Roanoke, Virginia, and I've been reenacting ever since then.

Probably couldn't count the number, the number of events.

The siege of Fort Randolph, July and the fall.

We have events and Christmas.

You can multiply that by four, but I volunteered down in Roanoke, Virginia.

Many events.

Presentations.

Cricket, sport, cricket.

Sport.

And been up there for weddings in colonial style.

Up at the highest level.

Different events to many to count.

I look forward to battle days because it's a time when we have a lot of kids come through and we get a chance to share our history.

I look forward to the Siege of Fort Randolph because most people don't know what happened here in Point Pleasant.

The Fort Randolph Committe is an all volunteer committee.

It's made up of re-enactors from all over, not necessarily from Point Pleasant.

Matter of fact, most of the people on the committee are not from the media area.

They all come together because they have a love for the history, and they want to see it grow and develop and to be able to continue to share and make the fort come alive.

As part of the Fort Randolph Committee for many years, chairman for many years now, just volunteer and have fun.

We're always asking for volunteers.

Come to one of the events and talk to any of the re-enactors, and we would love to welcome you in.

The new Fort Randolph was was built in 1974.

It was for the American Bicentennial.

It was all designed really to be able to have a drama.

They had a hidden wall that went across the back where they could put the horses and different things, and a stage over against one wall.

Back in the 90s, we got a grant.

There was a tavern built, a large two story structure, and the two blockhouses that now sit on the corners were built at that time.

Slowly over the years, I went from just plain stockade walls to begin to add different huts, cabins around the side walls.

Each of our cabins are named for different people or things that took place here at the fort.

They all house different displays.

They're also set u to where different re-enactors take them on and try to fix them up.

We have a carpenter shop.

That's set up against the wall as well.

Once you get inside the walls, we have a blacksmith shop.

We also have a powder magazine.

The two corner cabins that we have now.

One houses the gift store.

The other is a kitchen, mainly for re-enactors a kitchen and restrooms for them for those who stay, and just a few amenities tha they can't bring in with them.

Crews responded to Fort Randolph and Poin Pleasant for a structure fire.

Dispatchers say the call came in just before midnight.

A historic fort in flames overnight, leaving people in the area heartbroken.

The chairman of the committee gave me a call.

It was about 2:00, I think, in the morning, and he told me that it was on fire.

I didn't see it, but I saw the videos of it and it was it was unbelievable.

I'll just say it was like a gut punch because it took the air out of everyone.

Hours of time that people put in building and constructing, fixing things inside, item that have been donated, hides.

It was devastating.

Everybody would gather inside and we'd play music and sing and have our meals.

So there were a lot of good memories that that went up in flames.

I haven't been in on the committee meetings.

I have been trying just t volunteer and come and help out.

I do know that the plan is to rebuild.

It'll have basically the same footing.

I have to see how tall it goes this time.

It may not be quite as tall.

And the way I understand it, it's not going to prevent us from having our events.

We will have to have the are roped off until it's taken down.

Many folks, they don't realize what we have here and the reenactors and the reenacting community, those who help participate and help share that history.

We play a vital role in trying to educate, trying to show a love of the history of our country, of our founding, of where we come from because we came from all over.

Most of the people who settled our area were either German or Scotch-Irish immigrants.

Today, we all come from different places, but we're here for one purpose and that, and that's sharing our love fo for our history and where we've come from.