Mr. Raymond Raynell was born in 1913 in Grimms Landing-on-the Poca.  At an early age, Raynell showed an aptitude for the biological sciences, especially the breeding of animals.  Before he had completed high school Raynell had developed a new breed of chicken that came to be called Raynell's Fowl.

In time, Raynell begin to study and experiment in genetics.  He was never formally schooled in the science, and this allowed him great freedom of thought.  While others were working with fruit flies, Raynell was working with the animals in his family's barnyard.

There were many dead-ends.  He failed in his attempt to create a cross species conjugation of a rabbit and a cat.  His attempts with goats and cows were also unsuccessful.  After many years Raymond Raynell was successful in the first cross species conjugation between a pig and a duck, which he call a "puck."

This creature was taken to the county fair in Ripley, West Virginia in the fall of 1950, and displayed it under a sign that read, "When Pigs Fly."  While many wondered in amazement at the creature, there were some who thought that Mr. Raynell had engaged in works that were an abomination to God.  This sentiment quickly became the overwhelming feeling along the Poca River, and one night in late October a group of fervent, God-fearing men torched the shed on the Raynell farm that contained the workshop of Raymond Raynell.  All of Raynell's work, notes, and equipment were lost in the fire.  Raynell never recovered from the shock of this loss, and spent the rest of his years as a simple and often incoherent  farmer  He died on June 13th, 1984.  Raymond Raynell was the first to create an entirely new creature by cross species conjugation, and the Poca Post is pleased to honor him with this commemorative stamp.

The stamp was issued on December 29th, 2002 in a plate (8.5" x 11") of 18 stamps in the denomination of 49 PU.