West Virginia, Mineral County

Elk Garden. Here is the entirety of a reminiscence published in a Cumberland newspaper in 1946. 

During the fall of 1915 John “Jonah” Nash came down to Keyser, W.Va., from his home at Switchback, near Elk Garden, to complain to the Mineral County authorities that threatening notes were being left at his door and that a bunch of switches was the latest intimidation. “Jonah” was a ginseng “broker” who began wearing a white robe and going barefoot after reaching the belief that he was a reincarnation of the Prophet Jonah. He permitted his hair and beard to grow long, carried a staff and began itinerant preaching. He often visited Cumberland and died only a year or so ago. 

See Hunt, J. William. Across the Desk, Vol. 1: 4-8-45 to 10-31-48. Cumberland, Maryland: Allegany County Historical Society, c. 1968. Columns originally published weekly in the Cumberland Sunday Times. Accessed via Ort Library. Unpaginated. 6-9-46.