April 3, 2017
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Division of Culture and History will open a special exhibit to mark 65 years of Mister Bee Potato Chips with a reception on Thursday, April 6, from 5 – 7 p.m. at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex in Charleston. The exhibit will be on display in the Culture Center’s Great Hall. The reception is free and open to the public.
Mister Bee is the only potato chip made in West Virginia. The potato chip company was founded in 1951 by Leo and Sara Klein, and its first offices were located on Mary Street in Parkersburg. At that time, the chips were made in the morning and then distributed fresh the same afternoon. In November 1962, the company moved to West Virginia Avenue, where the chips are still made today. After Mr. Klein passed away in 1979, the company remained with the Klein family until 2010. New owners purchased Mister Bee in 2015 and now continue its operation as West Virginia Potato Chip Company.
For more information about the opening, contact Caryn Gresham, deputy commissioner of the division, at 304-558-0220 or Caryn.S.Gresham@wv.gov.
The West Virginia Division of Culture and History is an agency within the Office of Secretary of Education and the Arts with Gayle Manchin, cabinet secretary. The division, led by Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith, brings together the past, present and future through programs and services focusing on archives and history, arts, historic preservation and museums. For more information about the division’s programs, events and sites, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
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