Photo Courtesy of Pat Jarrett, Virginia Humanities
Appalachian Baskets & Heritage Apples
Page County, VA
Clyde Jenkins grew up in an old homestead in the Shenandoah Mountains in Page County that his family has inhabited for generations. Working the land, he has derived many skills from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries including basket making and heirloom apple growing. For Riverlore, Clyde will be sharing examples of historical Appalachian fish straps, creel baskets, as baskets used to carry oysters. He’ll also be showing his heritage apples.
Clyde is a brilliant basket maker, relying mainly on white oaks he harvests on his or his friend’s land. He works carefully chosen trees down into thin, malleable strips he weaves into both historical and original shapes. Each white oak tree behaves differently, so basket makers must work with hundreds of trees to gain an intimate understanding of the nuances of the wood.
Before the last half of the twentieth century, a wide variety of apples were grown regionally, with apple types grown according to the varying soil, weather, and habitat conditions across the United States. The old regional varieties have become difficult, if not impossible, to find—and some have disappeared entirely. Clyde is an expert apple grower, dedicated to finding the most richly flavored fruits available that will grow well in central and western Virginia.
In 2025, Virginia Humanities commissioned Clyde to weave three baskets for the inaugural Commonwealth Humanities Awards. He is a longtime friend of Virginia Folklife, first meeting previous state folklorist Jon Lohman in the early 2000s and joining the Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program in 2004 to mentor Sam Cave in basketmaking. His fine baskets are exquisite and part of museum collections, including the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum.