Exploring West Virginia County by County

Pendleton County

2011-01-23T10:29:00.005-05:00

Welcome to

Pendleton County, WV

Pendleton County, located in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia, has a population of approximately 8,000. The county was created in 1788 and named for Edmund Pendleton, a Virginia statesmen and jurist. The county spans 698 square miles. The county is best known for it's tourist attractions, including several caverns, national forests, and having the highest point in West Virginia. The per capita income for the county is $15,805, with 11% of the population below the poverty line.

In Pendleton County, we visited Franklin, Circleville, Dahmer, Harper, Judy Gap, Kline, Mozer, Onego, Riverton, Ruddle, Seneca Rocks, and Upper Tract.

Here the Eastern Continental Divide passes through Pendleton County.

Our first stop of the morning was at Harpers Old Country Store, near Seneca Rocks. The store has been around since 1902 and offers just about everything, ranging from food to clothing, hardware and souvenirs too.

Harper's Old Country Store had very friendly staff, and even offers a front porch restaurant with a great view of Seneca Rocks.

Sitting adjacent to Harper's Store, is Yokum's Store and Motel. The store is large and well suited for travelers. Souvenirs can also be purchased here. The motel is located above the store, and reservations can also be made here for the Princess Snowbird Campground. The campground is unique in that it has teepee tents that are 12' across and can be rented nightly for $25. http://www.yokum.com/village.htm

Within Yokum's Store is a small area that serves hot food. Bev and I had breakfast sandwiches here the morning of our trip.

Across from Harpers and Yokums is The Mountaineer Wall, a rock climbing wall that is open to all ages. A certified instructor is on hand to supervise children who just need to burn off energy, or adults who want to test their skill. The cost is $10, and they're open all summer and on weekends during the fall. There are also other rock climbing schools located nearby, including Seneca Rocks Climbing School.

This is Seneca Rocks! It's a natural formation, made of Tuscarora Sandstone, and it rises over 900 feet!
It's one of West Virginia's best known landmarks. In 1943-1944, the US Army used the rocks to train for assault climbing. In 1969, the rocks were purchased by the government. Soon after, a visitor center was built. The center was damaged by the flood of 1985, and later destroyed in 1992 by arson. The current visitors center was completed in 1998.

Seneca Rocks also has a unique story. Local legend says that Princess Snowbird, who was very beautiful and sought after by many suitors from various tribes, devised a plan to choose her perfect mate. On her wedding day, those men who were seeking her were brought to the base of the rocks, and told that the first to reach the top of the rocks would have the Princess's hand in marriage. Of the seven men to attempt, only one survived and made it to the top to marry the Princess and become the successor to the Chief of the Senecas.

Here's our funny sign of the trip. With Pendleton County boasting the highest point in West Virginia, you can imagine the slopes that we were driving on! Now imagine your brake light coming on as you're driving down these mountains. Makes for a very interesting drive..

Although there are some gigantic mountains and steep inclines, there does seem to be a fair amount of flat, usable farm land. I typically like to take at least one picture of a farm throughout each county. This farm was located just outside of Riverton.

Pictured here is Raines Store in Riverton. The store appears to have closed, or at least does not sell gas anymore, as the signs still advertised gas at $1.50

This building was once a barborshop, and then became the post office of Riverton for several years until a new building was built.

We found this memorial in Riverton that marks The "Battle" of Riverton, which was the first union raid into Pendleton County. The battle occurred on March 2, 1862. Union forces rallied and were able to push the Confederates from the field. Perry Bland and Thomas Powers were killed in the battle.

Riverton is home to the well known Seneca Caverns. The caverns were created some 460 million years ago, and were thought to have been first discovered by the Seneca Indians in the 1400's. They were opened to the public in 1930. The caverns have a continuous temperature of 54 degrees. It is located on Germany Valley Road (Co. Rd. 9). This is a bit tricky to find, so pay close attention to the signs! Especially large billboard like signs!

Seneca Caverns also offers the Stratosphere Cavern, a cave that is used for adventure style caving. It was opened to the public for a brief time before natural fungus destroyed the stairs and made it too dangerous. The cave has since reopened in 2005 and can still be explored today.

An important note about Seneca Caverns - they are only opened Wednesday through Sunday, April - October. We unfortunately visited on a Tuesday and were unable to explore the caverns. Thanks to whoever left the gate wide open for us to come in and explore and take these pictures!! And I would recommend calling first, because different websites list different hours! I believe cost is $13.

This was taken on the drive back from Seneca Caverns. I thought it was a neat picture - an old log cabin that has slowly succumbed to gravity

Pictured here is one of the saw mills that we passed while driving through Pendleton County. The saw mill began in the 50's and changed hands several times before John Crites took it over in the 70's. This is one of Allegheny Woods first saw mills.

Although located in a neighboring county, I did want to mention a little bit about Smoke Hole Caverns here on the Pendleton County page. Smoke Hole Caverns is just 13 miles North of Seneca Rocks, and it is often compared to Seneca Caverns, and coincidently, confused with it. We were mislead to believe that one of the caverns was closed due to a fire.

Smoke Hole Restaurant and Gift Shop did suffer a fire in November of 2009, but the caverns ARE NOT CLOSED. They have a makeshift gift shop that is open for business, and the tour guides recommended a great restaurant down the road for us to eat at. The difference though - Smoke Hole Caverns are open every day, 9 -5 pm, and remember, Seneca Caverns are only open Wed-Sun. I think this is the cause of the confusion! Tours run every half hour, and cost is $13.

This picture illustrates the beautiful drive up Spruce Mountain,the tallest mountain in the Alleghenies, as we make our way to Spruce Knob, the highest point in West Virginia!

At 4,863 feet high, Spruce Knob definitely has a more "northern" feel than most of West Virginia. As you can see here, and in other pictures below, the top of the mountain is covered in a dense forest of spruce.

At the top of the knob, and easily accessible by trail from the parking lot, is the look out tower. The road to access Spruce Knob is paved and very well maintained. This is a beautiful place to explore and so easy to access! I did read though, that the mountain receives roughly 160 inches of snow annually, and is nearly impassible between October and April. Keep that in mind!

Both of these pictures were taken from the tower, and the left picture shows the path that winds through the forest back to the parking lot. It is very, very windy on Spruce Knob, and many of the trees have more limbs and needles on one side of the tree versus the other, due to the winds.

The photo on the right is the view from on top the lookout tower. This picture does not do the view justice! There are mountains as far as the eye can see, but instead of looking up to the mountains as usual, you definitely get the feel that you are on the tallest mountain.

This was the first store we encountered upon entering the small town of Circleville, sometimes called Rock Gable. Circleville was apparently name for a Mr.Zirkle who once owned a store in the town.

The Circleville post office, 26804. I always find the post offices of various towns interesting. For instance, I'm from Augusta, WV (26704). I havent quite figured out how zip codes were assigned. I could look it up and read about it, but it makes it a bit more of a game to try and figure it out as we visit each town. I noticed in the last county that we visited, that Hambleton and Hendricks WV only had one zip code missing between them, so my best guess at this point is that it was maybe assigned alphabetically by county?

The Circleville High School built in the 1930's and now on the National Register of Historic Places. We were told that the building is no longer used as a school.

This picture of a pay phone shows you two things about Circleville. One - this is a quiet, little town with minimal trouble, as this payphone booth is very old and doesnt appear to have ever been tampered with. Two - they lack cell phone service of any kind! This wasn't located at a store or any other typical place of business, this was literally along the road. You dont see that much these days. Bev says that these round, blue, payphones were once common, although I've never seen one of these in my life, and spent ten minutes searching the internet and was still not able to find any that look like this? Any comments? I wish now that we had stopped to see how much a call costs. I wonder if it's still a quarter like it was in the 80-90's.

We passed a green sign saying "Judy Gap" (I have a picture of it), but there seems to be no information about Judy Gap on the internet at all, as if it doesnt even exist. I swear we visited Judy Gap though, and this is a farm in Judy Gap!

A view of Germany Valley, a valley that was named after the German families that first settled here, most notably the Hinkles. The valley sits at an elevation of approximately 2100 feet, with the overlook 500 to 1200 feet higher. The valley is comprised of limestone, which has a tendency to erode and form fissures and caves.

Germany Valley has many, many caves, including one called Hellhole, that stretches 28 miles long and is the 11th longest cave in the nation. All this limestone though, equals money, and Greer Limestone, which I think I've mentioned in past blogs, has quarries nearby that endanger not only the cave, but the endangered species of bat that live inside. (Greer Limestone is owned by John Raese, who was running against Joe Manchin in the Senate race of 2010.

Another roadside payphone that made me giggle. Again, absolutely no cell phone service here.

Pictured here is the small town of Franklin, the county seat of Pendleton. Franklin hosts the annual Treasure Mountain Festival and the Spring Fest.

One of my scenic shots on the trip, a photo taken of the water in Franklin. (August 2010 - a dry summer).

While driving around Franklin, we found an awesome community park with this giant playground and a public swimming pool.

The Pendleton County Middle/High School located in Franklin. Kudos to this school for being ranked a top ten high school in West Virginia. (My high school happened to be ranked a bottom ten).

A mural in Franklin that I thought was neat.

We had dinner at Fireside Cafe in Franklin, which was formerly Thompson's Cafe Bella. The atmosphere was charming, and the staff was awesome. Definitely a place we would recommend.

Our food at Fireside. We both were fascinated that they served sweet potato fries. I was feeling daring and ordered fish. Both orders were ready super quick and absolutely delicious.

West Virginia once had 76 drive in movie theaters, and is now down to only ten remaining. Pictured here is Warner's Drive-In in Franklin, WV. Admission is $5 and children 12 and under get in free.

The theater has quite a unique design. It appears to have been built on the back of a building. It has been open since 1953 and is a seasonal theater (open Memorial Day to Labor Day).

Pendleton County's website claims that the county is "dotted with parks, ball fields, and picnic grounds" and I'd have to agree with that statement. Pictured here is a very nicely maintained public park on the outskirts of Franklin.

A scenic picture representing the farmland of Pendleton County, taken just outside of Franklin.

Pictured here is The Upper Tract United Methodist Church. Upper Tract was once home to a fort. Washington ordered the fort erected to guard the nearby settlements. It was captured and burned in 1758.

Pictured here is the Upper Tract Post Office (26866).

An old Arcady feeds building located in Upper Tract.

A church in Upper Tract, with "1904" written on the steeple.

Kile's Service Station/Grocery, in Upper Tract, sells gasoline, deli sandwiches, ice cream, hunting and fishing licenses, and is also a game checking station.

While driving through Kline, WV, Bev and I noticed several homes had flat roofs. Pictured here is one of those homes.

I believe this is Reeds Creek, taken in Upper Tract. (Please correct me if I'm wrong). The picture was taken in August 2010, during a dry spell.

And that folks, was Pendleton County. Spruce Knob was one of the most spectacular scenic places Bev and I have toured, along with Seneca Rocks and Seneca Caverns This is definitely a county you want to explore!

Tucker County

2010-09-28T12:41:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Tucker County, WV

Tucker County is a county in WV, with a population of approximately 7,500. It was created in 1856 and named after Henry St. George Tucker, Sr, a judge and congressman from Virginia. The county spans 411 miles and is most popular for it's tourist attractions. The per capita income for the county is $16,349, with 18% of the population below the poverty line.

In Tucker County, we visited Parsons,Thomas, Davis, Hambleton, Hendricks, Coketon, Cortland, Hovatter, Lead Mine, Mackeyville, Red Creek and St.George.

We passed this little gas station right as we crossed over into Tucker County, on our way into Davis. Unfortunately, this scene sets the mood for much of Tucker County.

Our first stop in Tucker County was at the Canaan Valley Resort. Canaan Valley was the first site of commercial ski development in West Virginia, and now has 39 ski trails, and also offers airboarding and snowtubing.

The Canaan Valley Lodge opened in 1977 and has 250 guest rooms. The lodge offers activities such as miniature golf, access to indoor and outdoor pool, whirlpool, skate park, volleyball, and tennis courts.

Canaan Valley also has an 18 hole, par 72, four star golf course nestled in the mountains.

One thing is for sure, there seems to be abundant wildlife at Canaan. I shot this picture out the window of the car, and this deer was literally standing right next to me. The deer are very tame and not easily spooked. Be warned though, there is a hefty fine for feeding the wildlife!

The Canaan Valley Store, pictured here, had closed it's doors to business just three days before we visited. It's closing came as a shock to locals. We spoke to a woman who worked at a lodge nearby, and she said the area has experienced some rough times with the recent recession and decline in vacationers.

Timberline Resort is right down the road from Canaan Valley. Along with being an attractive ski resort during the winters months, Timberline offers
summer chair lift rides. For a round trip scenic ride, it's $7, and for a one way ride (with your bike) it's $9. This is an inexpensive activity to do with your family! (We plan to return to do this!)

We had dinner at Big John's Family Fixins in Davis. This is certainly a popular family eatery, and has a wonderfully large menu offering everything from pizza, to pasta, chicken to steak. I hate to give any business a bad review, but I'm afraid this would have to be our first. The food was good, but the employees were unfriendly, and quite frankly rude. Help come and go though, so this is still a place I would recommend and would love to hear comments of those who have visited. Please let us know if you have had a better experience.

Certainly what makes Big John's a popular place for the family, is the arcade located next to the dining area. Again, we faced broken games and machines that were out of tickets. After four dollars in quarters, we were not able to even get enough tickets from any of the machines to buy a tootsie roll with, and believe me, we aren't that bad at video games! Again, this could be attributed to the poor help mentioned above, and hopefully will be resolved in the future.

The Canaan Village Inn, offers additional lodging for the area. Located on ten acres, it offers a motel, apartments, chalet, and cabin. Although we did not stay at this Inn, we did stop and play a game of miniature golf and had a nice chat with the friendly staff.

I'll admit, sometimes we dont get to spend as much time as we'd like exploring towns because there are sooo many places to visit. We passed this minature golf course several times before we decided that we deserved some slow paced fun in our day.

The atmosphere was great, the course wasn't maintained to it's fullest, but it was still tricky and fun. (Renee won).

Pictured here is the town of Davis. According to Davis's homepage, it is the highest incorporated town in WV, at 3200 ft.Along this main street in Davis, there is a location available for tourist information, with hundreds of free brochures and knowledgeable staff that can lead you to whatever it is you what to site-see in the county.

Davis was named after Senator Henry Gassaway Davis. It began as a lumber town in the late 1800's, and over the next several decades, the town was very prosperous. Pictured here is the National Bank of Davis, probably dating to the early 1900's.

Davis is probably best known for it's popular tourist location, Blackwater Falls. The falls are called "Blackwater" because of the blackish tint that the water has, a result from tannic acid from needles of hemlock and red spruce.

Here is our funny sign/picture of the trip. This sign is located on the side of the road as you drive to Blackwater Falls. Upon seeing it, Bev and I both exclaimed, Oh NOW we can start viewing the wildlife. NOW... right this very minute, as if we hadnt already seen deer and various others before this sign. While we were mocking and making fun of the sign, a large deer ran out in front of us and we had to break hard and swerve a bit. These signs are for real. Take them very seriously..

I was very, very impressed with Blackwater Falls. The park is easily accessible, and the stairs (nearly 200!) and deck leading down to the falls are very safe, and clean from debri. There is also a considerable amount of thought that goes into making the area accessible to tourists, yet maintaining the utmost natural appeal.

Here, Bev and I stand, blocking your view of the magnificent falls! We visited Blackwater Falls in early August, when rain was scarce and the falls weren't at their fullest potential. The scenery was still breathtaking, and the other tourists visiting with us that day were so polite and friendly, everyone offering to take each others pictures, and staying a respectable distance behind so that everyone had time to enjoy their visit.

Finally, a picture of the falls! What else can I say, it's beautiful. Blackwater Falls also offers a whole list of other activities that one could enjoy while visiting the state park, including swimming, fishing, biking, hiking, camping, and "viewing wildlife" among other things.

Just past the entrance that leads to the falls, there are several scenic overlook spots. This particular overlook had a small deck that was built looking out over rocks down into the valley below.

As you can see, the overlook provides a beautiful view of the valley and the stream below.

We passed by Blackwater Falls late one evening and decided to take the opportunity to watch the sunset from the overlook. What an experience.

Although this picture is similar to the one above, I just couldnt bare to chose between the two.

This was a stream (sorry I don't know the name) that we passed as we were exiting the Blackwater Falls State Park Area. I took it solely for my own aesthetic purposes, but I wanted to show that the water in the area is certainly clean looking.

A pile of construction material. Where is Renee going with this one? This was located on the drive from the Overlook to the Falls. I just found it kind of sad that the land here was being developed. I like there being campsites available for tourists, I'm just not sure how I feel about building cabins/homes this close to such a beautiful state treasure.

We had lunch at this adorable little place, called the Thomas Cafe.

As you can see, it was a quaint little cafe that the locals like to hang out at. Our waitress was extremly nice and polite, and very willing to make recommendations on what two out of towner's should try at her cafe.

I decided to take a ride on the wild side, and eat what the waitress recommended. In case you couldn't tell, it's a chili cheeseburger! I'd never heard of it! But obviously, I thought it was pretty darn good. (There is a burger under that pile of chili~!)

Bev ordered a steak salad? She was pretty happy when it came out with steak, french fries, and cheese piled on top. Who wouldn't be? We were both very satisfied with the meals and service provided at this roadside restaurant.

After eating, we drove into downtown Thomas. The town of Thomas named after Thomas Beall Davis, brother of the Senator for which Davis was named.

Along the river in Thomas, there is a row of stores that look like they belong somewhere in a timeline of a few decades ago. The stores were very popular though, with many people carousing and walking up and down the sidewalks.

At the end of the row of stores, sits the Purple Fiddle Cafe, Brews, and Stage. This deli style restaurant has a diverse lineup of music, which is displayed on a chalkboard outside. It is non-smoking and family friendly.

Next to the restaurant is the Purple Fiddle Hostel. This is an inexpensive place for travelers to stay overnight, with a charge of only $20 per person and no pets or children under 18 allowed.

Here, Bev stands over the Fairfax Stone, a large stone that currently marks the boundaries of Preston, Grant, and Tucker Counties. Behind Bev is the headspring of the North Branch of the Potomac River. The site is easily accessible by a paved road and is maintained as a state park.

The Fairfax Stone was originally placed in 1746 to mark the boundaries of the land given to Lord Fairfax by King Charles II. Some believe that the marker was placed by George Washington. The original stone was stolen, and has since been replaced with this much larger stone. The stone also marks the boundary between WV and MD.

A view of the beautiful mountains, taken while driving a back road in Tucker county.

Pictured here is the small, unincorporated town of Lead Mine.

Tucker County shares a portion of the Monongahela National Forest, as does ten other counties. The forest was originally started in 1915 to act as a long term natural resource management project after much of the eastern portion of West Virginia experienced massive cutting in the late 19th century.

Farmland in Tucker County, between Lead Mine and St. George. Flat farmland in Tucker County did not appear to be the norm on our visit there.

Pictured here is the old St. George Academy, incorporated in 1885. It operated for only a few years, and schooling ceased in 1893. It was relocated to its current location in 1985 by the Tucker County Historical Society.

We found this small graveyard right off the road, actually in someone's side yard. The massive gravestone pictured here is for David Minear, who died in 1814 and was a Soldier of the Revolutionary War. Other stones were for Jonothan Minear, killed in 1781 by Indians. I think the other smaller stones were for wives and children.

In 1856, when Tucker County was first created, the first courthouse was built on this site in the town of St. George.

The courthouse and county seat has now moved to the city of Parsons. Shown here, is the original courthouse spire that now resides on this hillside in Parsons.

In the background of this picture and the picture above, is an old school building that Parsons has transformed into various offices. One of those offices is the Tucker County Historical Society, which has a museum of county history open on Sundays at this location. Every county we visit has very interesting uses for their old school buildings.

The city of Parsons, which is now the county seat of Tucker County.

The Cheat River is formed in Parsons by various forks. In 1985, the Cheat flooded like many other rivers in WV. A normal flow rate is between 1000-5000 cubic feet per second, and during the flood was estimated at 190,000 cubic feet per second! A memorial for the 1985 flood, pictured here, sits along the main street in Parsons.

This picture, courtesy of John Warner and the West Virginia State Archives, shows a bit of the devastation caused by the 1985 flood. Here, a cow carcass is lodged under the bridge crossing the Cheat River. Debris lodging underneath the bridges is thought to have played a part. Debris would essentially create a dam underneath the bridges, causing the water to rise very quickly and devastate certain towns, such as Parsons.

The courthouse was orginally in St. George, until Ward Parsons and the citizens of Parsons marched to St. George, stole the records and the courthouse bell, and relocated them to Parsons in 1893. http://www.polsci.wvu.edu/wv/Tucker/tuchistory.html

Hambleton and Hendricks were the last two incorporated towns that we visited in Tucker County. The picture shows our drive out of Hambleton as we entered Hendricks.

And that folks, was Tucker County, which I believe is the fourth smallest county in West Virginia. Known for it's multitude of tourist attractions, Tucker is a county that you MUST visit.

To see our video for this county, you'll need to click on this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9KI9zRvrW4

Harrison County

2010-09-07T09:43:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Harrison County, WV

Harrison County was created in 1784 and named for Benjamin Harrison, father of the 9th President and grandfather of the 23rd President. The county spans 417 miles and has a population of approximately 68,600. The per capita income is $16,810, with approximately 17% of the population below the poverty line.

Within Harrison County, we visited the cities of Bridgeport, Clarksburg, Salem, Shinnston, and Stonewood, towns including Anmoore, Lumberport, Nutter Fort, and West Milford. We also drove through unincorporated towns including Despard and Enterprise.

Our first stop in Harrison County was the city of Shinnston. Shinnston was settled in 1778. Levi Shinn, for whom the town is named for, built the log cabin pictured here, now over 230 years old.

One thing that I did gather from my short visit to Shinnston, this is certainly a very community oriented place!

A unique note about Shinnston - in June of 1944, the city was nearly completely destroyed by a violent tornado. This tornado still remains one of the worst to ever hit the state of West Virginia. Fifty eight people were killed in Shinnston alone, with a total of 103 killed in WV, and 846 seriously injured.

We decided to make this our "funny sign" of the day. Your guess is as good as any. From what I can gather from some vague forums, some tires were slashed, at least one vehicle was burnt, and there appears to be a cover-up of some sort. The hush-hush has, in return, made some in the community try to bring attention to the ordeal.

Yet again, another drive-in theater in West Virginia. The Sunset Theater is located just outside of Shinnston. Admission is $6.00, and movies play Friday -Monday.

Clarksburg, the county seat of Harrison County, has a population just below 17,000. Although one side of the town is riddled with abandoned factories, new technology has begun to make it's way to the city. In 1995, the FBI's Criminal Justice Information Services Division moved to Clarksburg.

Pictured here is the Harrison County Courthouse in Clarksburg. Clarksburg was named after General George Rogers Clark, who is well known for his "Lewis and Clark" expeditions.

Clarksburg is very proud to be the birthplace of Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson. A statue in Jackson's honor sits in front of the courthouse, and there are numerous street lamp banners throughout the city.

Clarksburg is well known for the events and festivals that occur annually, including the WV Italian Heritage Festival, WV Black Heritage Festival, Glen Elk Wine, Music, and Arts Festival, and the Cecil Jarvis Greater Clarksburg 10K race.

I think this is our random photo of the county. I caught a glimpse of this as we were driving through Clarksburg. We turned around and came back just to get a better picture. It's a statue of Marilyn Monroe, in her classic pose, and it sits on the 3rd floor balcony of an apartment building. If it's the real deal, Ebay has one listed for over $1000 dollars. Quite an odd porch decoration dont you think?

Just outside of Clarksburg we found a historical sign about the Oak Mounds, built by Indians between 1 and 1000 AD. After driving for some time, we never quite found the mounds. But we did come across this odd little lump of Earth that we thought might possibly be a mound?? For those of you familiar with this area, we'd greatly appreciate a comment at the bottom of this page as to whether this is indeed a mound or not.

Pictured here is the Nathan Goff Armory in Clarksburg. Nathan Goff, born and raised in Clarksburg, was a member of the United States Congress, served as Secretary of the Navy, and was also elected to the United States Senate.

This farm picture represents the rural area of Harrison County. This particular photo was taken between Clarksburg and Lost Creek, WV.

A very neat place that Bev and I stumbled upon, was Watters Smith Memorial State Park in Lost Creek, WV. The Smith family settled the land in 1796 and established a farm. The farm was handed down over the generations, and in 1949 Burr Smith, great-great grandson of the original settlers, willed the farm to the state to be used as a park.

The park maintains the various buildings on the property, including an old barn, blacksmith and carpenter shop, outhouse, log cabin, corn crib, and a family house that was built in 1876 and is now used as one of the two museums on the property.

Here Bev peers into the replica outhouse at Watters Smith Park as we explored the grounds. The museum at the park is open on Sundays and has many of the original tools that were used on the farm, along with brochures and other information about frontier life.

The park is very, very well maintained. Along with providing your family with a great history lesson, the other side of the also offers a public swimming pool, bike and hiking trails, fishing, and a picnic area. Check it out for yourself! http://www.watterssmithstatepark.com/

Check this out. Pictured here is Harrison County's Recreation Complex and 4-H Center. This three million dollar facility houses the county's park and recreation office, a satellite office of the WVU Extension Service, and has several rooms that can be used for meetings, reunions, weddings, and other large gatherings.

Next, Bev and I drove to Salem, a small little town just off of Route 50.

An interesting note about the town of Salem, is that it is prone to fires. In 1901, fire swept through the town destroying 10 acres of businesses and homes and displacing over 200 people. (Photo credit: http://www.salemwv.com/)

The aftermath of the 1901 fire is shown here. No one knows for sure what started the fire. Most of the buildings were made from wood, which accounts for why the fire was able to spread so quickly. (Photo credit: http://www.salemwv.com/)

In 2006, a fire broke out on the same city block as the original 1901 disaster. Five businesses were destroyed before the fire was extinguished. (Photo credit: Darren Queen Wboy-TV)

Salem is also home to Salem International University, a 300 acre campus that was established in 1888.

Right above Salem University, is the Fort New Salem. This log house settlement was built by the university to represent the 19th century frontier and to act as an outdoor history museum, from relocated structures.

The fort is currently closed, but, well, there weren't exactly any signs posting that. Bev and I visited during lunch hour, and found the gates opened and just wandered through. We wondered why there seemed to be construction everywhere and nothing was opened!

There doesn't seem to be a known re-open date. Lots of construction, including tearing down some cabins and rebuilding/restructuring others is occurring. It is a neat place to visit though, so if interested please keep checking their website!! http://www.fortnewsalemfoundation.org/

We ate lunch in Clarksburg, WV at Minards Spaghetti Inn, where we had..drumroll.... spaghetti!! It was a very tasty lunch, and unfortunately we were so hungry that we completely forgot to photograph our meal. We shared a large portion of spaghetti, meatballs, and ravioli.

Next we drove through the town of Stonewood. Pictured here is the fire department and their neat yellow trucks.

Although this isn't the greatest picture, I wanted to mention the Meadowbrook Mall in Bridgeport, which has over 100 stores. To check it out, visit their website at : www.meadowbrookmall.com

Next, we drove through the town of Lost Creek, WV. Lost Creek used to be the largest shipping point for cattle in West Virginia and along the entire B&O Railroad system during the 1920's.

Here, the Lost Creek Train Depot is shown. A sign out front says that it is currently undergoing a rehabilitation.

The Simpson Creek Covered Bridge in Bridgeport is 75' long and 14 ' wide. It was originally built in 1881 at the cost of $1483. In 1899, a flood washed the bridge 1/2 mile upstream from it's original location where it now resides. The bridge was just recently renovated in 2001, costing nearly $400,000. A picnic table inside makes this a nice little stop on a road trip!

Smoke stacks in Haywood are visible from nearby towns. We took this picture as we were driving to nearby Lumberport.

Driving through Lumberport, the "cloudmakers", as named by Bev's nephew, are still very visible on the horizon.

Next, we paid a visit to a coal mine, Consul Energy's Robinson Run Mine #95. To the left of the picture you can see a large pile of coal. This was the first mine I've ever seen up close!

Directly down from the large pile of coal, was this stream of water that was being filtered before it flowed off of the property. You can see how orange the water looks here (it had not previously rained).

This was really neat to see. Running adjacent to the roadway is a coal conveyor, carrying coal from the mine in the picture above, up over the mountains to the power plant several towns away (with the pictures of the smoke stacks!).

And that folks, was Harrison County in a nutshell! Lots of history and neat places to visit!

The short video above shows a few of the towns that we drove through while exploring Harrison County. Please take a moment to watch!

If you experience an error while trying to watch the video above, try clicking on this link to watch the video on Youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_EffA78PX0

Please leave a comment. It's easy to do so. Just look for "comment" at the end of this blog, click on it, and type! You do not need to have an account, you can comment as an anonymous guest. Please let us know what you think, and as always, correct us if you find anything that isn't factual!!

Marion County

2010-07-13T19:38:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Marion County, WV

Marion County was created in 1842 and named for Revolutionary War General Francis Marion. The county spans 311 miles with a population of approximately 56,600. The per capita income for the county is $16,246, with approximately 16% of the population below the poverty line.

In Marion County, we visited Fairmont, Mannington, Fairview, Barrackville, Farmington, Grant Town, Monongah, Rivesville, Worthington, Joetown, Baxter.

Our first stop in Marion County was at the memorial for Captain James Booth, along Booth's Creek near Fairmont, WV. Captain Booth is credited with founding the first settlement in the valley in 1772. In 1778, Captain Booth was shot and killed by Indians. While visiting this memorial, we had the pleasure of meeting Joann Chipps, who shared with us other memorials and sites to see in the county.

If you've read my past blog about Preston County, you know how shocked I was to see the orange that tints the streams throughout the county. As you can see in this picture, Marion County appears to have clean looking streams.

This picture shows one of the many oil wells throughout Marion County. Although I wasn't able to obtain a picture, smaller natural gas wells are also abundant in the county, virtually on every road we ventured. Natural gas occurs in great quantities below the Appalachian Mountains. Many years ago, most of our ancestors of WV were either tricked into selling the mineral rights of their land, or sold them out of desperation. One farm in particular really stood out to me. I noticed a well sitting very close in proximity to a house, less than 100 yards away. I thought this was odd. As I looked closer, I could see that a cattle fence sat between the house and the well, and surround the well on three sides. It became apparent that this was once a farm, but the placement of this well destroyed that.

Next we came to the small community called Joetown. Just to express how small it is, Wikipedia has no recollection that this town exists! There is one small store, "Hardesty's Joetown Grocery", that accomodates all needs, including a tanning bed, game checking, gas, lottery, hot food, and cold beer.

Pictured here is a Marion County portion of the "rail trail". The rail trail includes over 375 miles of railroad tracks that have been converted into hiking and biking trails throughout WV.

Mannington is a city in Marion County that was originally known as Koon Town, named after a couple that owned the first tavern there. Later, the town was renamed Mannington after Charles Manning, a civil engineer with the B&O railroad.

We enjoyed lunch at Dave's Famous T & L Hot Dogs, a very popular hot dog chain in the area. While on our travels, we have passed seven of these eateries. The first restaurant was created in 1984 and has enjoyed continued success.

The T & L that we ate at during our trip was in Mannington, WV. Other T& L locations have been remodeled with a "50's theme", complete with old jukebox's that play oldies for only 5 cents. T&L Hot Dogs are known for having West Virginia's #1 selling hot dog, complete with homemade chili sauce and hand cut fries. http://www.tandlhotdogs.com/

Our next visit in town was the Mannington Elementary, built in 1902. I'm jealous, I wish my elementary looked like this! Bev attended this elementary school, and I asked her to step into the picture to give some size comparison.

As the sign says, the first oil well in Mannington was drilled in 1889. Following the strike of oil, Mannington's economy sky rocketed. Real estate prices soared 100% in two days. The oil field became one of the largest in the state, producing 1,600 barrels a day. By 1900's, the discovery of natural gas caused an even greater economic boom for the town.

The natural gas boom brought the town electricity, theaters, a trolley system, and the school building pictured above. But, the stock market crash and depression had a huge effect on this once booming town. There is no longer a trolley, and population has reduced to half of what it was in 1900. Pictured here is the town as it stands today.

This round dairy barn was built in 1912, at the cost of $1,800 dollars. It was used until 1955, and was purchased in 1983 by the West Augusta Historical Society which restored the structure and currently houses a museum there.

The museum at the round barn is open on Sunday's only. We visited on a Saturday, and so I snapped this picture through a window.

Next, we visited the town of Farmington. Farmington has a population of only 387, but is well known for the mine disaster of 1968, "Coal Mine #9". We were not able to locate any mine disaster memorial, but I did find a neat news video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j16nXFwkVvk

Farmington is also the hometown of current WV governor Joe Machin. In the bottom left corner, this sign also reads that Farmington is also the hometown of Sam Huff and Frank Gatski, both football Hall of Famers. Apparently Farmington is more proud of the Manchins though, either that or they paid for the sign.

The town of Fairview, in my opinion, has the best school I think I've ever seen. Pictured here is Fairview Middle School, proudly displaying a banner proclaiming they have been a WV Exemplary School for three years in a row. Double-wow. Is it just me or does this school resemble a castle?? This stone wall surrounds much of the property!!

Grant Town was once home to the "Federal No.1 Mine", which was formed in 1901 and remained operational until 1985. It was once the largest underground coal mine in the world! Now, after the closing of the mine, the town is home to an electrical generation facility.

Pictured here is the Grant Town General Store. Grant Town also has a local legend called the "Grant Town Goon", which presumably lives in the woods and coal waste areas. Also, Grant Town is the hometown of Coach Rich Rodriguez, but we didn't see any large signs announcing that... Maybe one goon is enough for Grant Town?
Funny - http://www.herald-dispatch.com/homepage/x476762846

The Rivesville Power Plant has been in existence since 1919 and employs 33 people. Coal is delivered to the Rivesville plant by barge. Rivesville is also another coal mining town, with nearly every area around Rivesville having been mined except for directly below the oldest portion of town and the riverbed.

Fairmont, nicknamed "The Friendly City" is the largest city and county seat of Marion County. Pictured is the High Level/ Million Dollar Bridge, built in 1921 and restored in 2000.

Central United Methodist Church, which used to be Williams Memorial Methodist Episcopal church, is the home of the first Father's Day observance held on July 5th, 1908. Story has it that Mrs. Charles Clayton asked the Reverend if he would conduct a Father's Day service. This occurred just two months after Anna Jarvis organized the first Mother's Day observance in Taylor County, WV. Father's Day was not nationally recognized until 1972.

Fairmont is fairly large (by WV standards) and quite hard to "capture" by pictures. The city is approximately 8 square miles and has a population close to 20,000.

Fairmont was is also the home of Mary Lou Retton, Olympic Gold Medal winner of 1984.

While in Fairmont, we had dinner at the "Poky Dot", a very popular restaurant to say the least! The Poky Dot's "He-Man Breakfast" was just chosen by the Food Network magazine as the best breakfast in WV. The dish includes four eggs, ham, bacon, sausage links, four pancakes, potatoes, sausage gravy and biscuits, and toast, all served on a new trash can lid. The owner's claim that the breakfast was WVU football player Owen Schmitt's favorite breakfast.

The atmosphere of the Poky Dot is truly unique. The outside is brightly painted with flashing signs and a yellow polka dotted guardrail. The inside is equally as flashy, with a neon sign reading "Good Food, Old Friends". The restaurant is very kid friendly, and the food was tasty.

The booths are also brightly colored, and there are always oldies tunes playing in the background. We were intrigued by the silverware-washcloth combination.

Just one more picture. We forgot to photograph our actual Poky Dot dinner, we were just too hungry and the thought slipped our mind. But, pictured here is the slice of Reese's pieces cheesecake that we ordered for desert. Quite a presentation! The cheesecake was amazing. Other flavor's available that day were Heath,white chocolate, banana split, and cookie dough cheesecake.

This covered bridge is located in Barrackville, WV. It was originally built in 1853 and is still in very much of it's original condition. The bridge has been closed to vehicles but is still open for pedestrians and picnics.

I took this "nature shot" outside of the restrooms at Valley Falls.

Another nature shot taken at a pond across from Rock Lake (a private lake outside of Fairmont).

Valley Falls State Park is a 1,145 acre park just outside of Fairmont, WV.

The park has a half mile long set of waterfalls that provide a spectacular view to visitors.

The large rocks are also popular spots for sunbathers to lay out. Between the waterfalls and entrance, there is a large playground and several pavilions. This is a very neat place to visit.

We didn't come across any funny business signs this trip, so we agreed that this odd fish mailbox would have to do.

Outside of Fairmont, and visible from Interstate 79, is the Coal Country Miniature Golf Course.

The miniature golf course has a unique design that is all about WV coal mines. In the middle of the golf course is a large rotating statue of a coal miner.

Okay - so this doesn't exactly represent Marion County, but this grasshopper tried his best to take the trip with us. It was very entertaining watching him try to hold onto our windshield for dear life.

We visited Prickett's Fort State Park, outside of Fairmont and only two miles from Interstate 79. The park has a reconstructed fort and represents life during the 1700's.

The original Prickett's Fort was built between 1774-1780. In 1973, the Marion County Historical Society reconstructed the structure. Also on site, is a log cabin and nineteenth century farmhouse with original furnishings. There is a visitors center, 400 seat amphitheater, and if there during visiting hours, there are often tents set up displaying blacksmithing, carpentry, and spinning.

We came across an old cemetery not too far from Prickett's Fort. We were intrigued by the old gravestones, many dating back to the 1700's. Pictured here is the largest gravestone in the cemetery, in honor of Zackquill Morgan, founder of Morgantown, WV.

Pictured here is one of my favorite places - Gabriel Brothers. Did you know that the first "Gabe's" was opened in Morgantown in 1961? That store has since closed, but I believe the second oldest location is this one, outside of Fairmont, WV.

I really enjoy shopping at this particular store. As you can see in the photo, this isn't your typical Gabriel's. Pictured here is one half of the store. Believe me, it's not very big.

Fairmont is also home to Fairmont State University. FSU has an enrollment of approximately 7,700 students. The school was founded in 1865.

County Club Bakery, also in Fairmont, is the home of the pepperoni roll! The first pepperoni roll was created here in 1927 as a lunch option for coal miners. I have to admit, I was quite shocked to learn that outside of WV, people do not eat pepperoni rolls. Seriously?

Our next stop was in Monongah, WV. Monongah is well known for it's mine disaster that occurred on December 6, 1907. 362-500 (exact number unknown) miners were killed, and it has been called the "worst mining disaster in American history". Pictured here is a statue in honor of the "Monongah Heriones", built to honor the wives and mothers of the miners who were lost.

Sitting adjacent to the Herione statue, is a bell in honor of the coal miners who were killed in the disaster of 1907. The bell has several different inscriptions written around it in different languages. Many of the miners killed were immigrants from Italy.

Pictured here is downtown Monongah, which used to be the heart of the coal mining camp. Most of the old buildings appear to be abandoned.

The last stop of our trip was the town of Worthington. The brick building on the right of the picture is Demus Market. Demus Market was one of the best known stores in the area for peppers and sausage. It recently closed in 2009, but peppers and sausage are still available in surrounding stores.

Worthington is a very small town, with a population less than 200. Pictured here is the "Worthington Beach", a small park with a bit of sand where locals can sit along the West Fork River.

One place that we were unable to visit in Marion County, but do have hopes of returning to see, is the Sagebrush Round-up on Bunner's Ridge outside of Fairmont. The 17,000 sq foot structure hosts weekly country and bluegrass music concerts.

In conclusion, Marion County was an awesome county to visit. I was intrigued by the history and look forward to learning more in the future and hopefully making a return trip.

Please take a moment to watch this short video that we put together while visiting Marion County, and if you have any questions, or if you have any corrections or stories you'd like to share, feel free to email us at enjoywv@gmail.com

Preston County

2010-06-17T19:30:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Preston County, WV

Preston County was formed in 1818 and named for James Patton Preston, former Governor of Virginia. The population is approximately 29,300. It is a rather large county, covering 651 miles. During our exploration, Bev and I drove 300 miles. The per capita income for the county is 13,596, with approximately 18% of the population beneath the poverty line.

We visited all towns of Preston, including Albright, Brandonville, Bruceton Mills, Masontown, Newburg, Reedsville, Rowlesburg, Terra Alta, and Tunnelton, and also the county seat and only city, Kingwood. Other unincorporated towns that we visited include Arthurdale, Aurora, Clifton Mills, Corinth, Denver, Eglon, Fellowsville, Hazelton, Hopemont/Hopewell, Independence, Macomber. Yes, we were exhausted after this trip!

The first town we came to on this journey was Masontown. It’s a small town, less than 700 people, and over the years, the town hasn’t changed much. I’ve included an undated photo (black and white though) to show how similar the town looked long ago compared to my snapshot this past weekend. Although I haven’t been able to find any history on the town, my guess would be the name comes from the abundance of brick buildings in the town, and there is possibly a brickyard there? More importantly, Masontown is home to the All Good Music Festival, which will be held July 8-11 this year.

Next we arrived in Reedsville. The actual "town" Reedsville is not very big and has a total area of about half a mile. The most important feature of Reedsville seems to be it's four way stop. From here, you can go just about anywhere.

Between Reedsville and Kingwood, a point of interest is Hovatter's Wildlife Zoo, which has bears, monkeys, lions, tigers, you name it!

Kingwood, the county seat and largest city of Preston County, was named for "a grove of big trees." Kingwood is unlike other parts of the county, in that it has numerous stores and fast food restaurants. It is also home to the popular Buckwheat Festival. Bev and I attended the festival last year and enjoyed buckwheat pancakes and great entertainment. Definitely worth checking into. I've added pictures of the main street of Kingwood, along with a side street that shows the architecture of the old bank on the corner, and a small gas station that has been restored.

We took a wrong turn somewhere near Kingwood, and came across a country club that we didnt know existed. I thought the old oaks were especially beautiful. The country club sits adjacent to Camp Dawson, a training facility for the Army National Guard. I was especially interested in visiting the camp since I had attended a one week program at the facility when I was 13, where I learned to repel, jump from a helicopter lift, and various other things. I was at the camp shortly after September 11th, when security was HIGH and the facility was not a fun place to be..

Terra Alta has got to be the best place to take scenic photographs. Bev and I balanced on top of guardrails to capture these beautiful shots. My favorite is the tall grass with the wooden fence. The scenic picture with the barn was taken in the actual town of Terra Alta. Most of Preston County is made up of "railroad towns".

An unexpected find came on the outskirts of Terra Alta - the Hopemont State Hospital for the chronically ill, aged, and infirm. It was originally built in 1911 and used as the State Tuberculosis Sanitarium until 1965. This land was apparently chosen for the facility because high altitude and low temperature were thought to be beneficial to TB patients.

Bev's favorite funny sign of the day, "The Butt Shop".

I have to say, I have been pretty impressed with all the restaurants that we have tried while on our trip, but I'm crazy about this place. Donna Jean's Family Restaurant in Aurora, WV is the cutest diner I've ever been in. Bev warned me as we pulled up that it would probably be smoky, she thought it had a bar, etc etc. We were both surprised! The waitress and the cook/owner were the only two inside, the restaurant was very clean, and the food was divine. Bev had a mushroom swiss burger that she wants me to tell everyone, "tasted even better than the one Wendy's used to have back in the day". I had a grilled turkey sandwich with lots of fixings. Ammmazzzing.

Next, we happened to come to Eglon, the 26716. The zipcode stuck in my mind because the post office is practically the only building there!

Driving down Cheat Mountain though is probably one of my best memories of the day. The mountain has an elevation of 2746 feet and the road down seems to wind forever. Bev and I sang "she'll be coming round the mountain" all the way through..and I caught it on tape!

Another diamond in the rough was the town of Rowlesburg, a cute little town with some very rich history. At the entrance to the town, we found a sign that told a story of how the Confederates were determined to burn the railroad bridge in Rowlesburg. The Union troops, along with the townspeople, dug in and protected "Lincoln's Lifeline" at all costs. There was a caboose on display in the center of town, and a replica of a cannon thought to have been used during the battle. Also, I was impressed that this town has a "Main Street Garden". Although not the best picture, I included it because I got a good laugh when I zoomed in on the gazebo (hint hint, you should too).

We had dinner in Bruceton Mills, and I wish we could have visited longer. What a cute little town! A mix of old and new businesses and breathtaking scenery. We ate at the near famous Little Sandy's truck stop. Good home cooking, breakfast served all day, and it even offers ostrich burgers! Bev had a buckwheat pancake and I ordered country fried steak. Yummmm good.

We spent the night at Cheat Canyon Campground in Albright, WV. The campground was beautiful, all level ground, and was only 5 dollars per person. We arrived near dark, so we had to wait until morning to take pictures. Our site was right along the Cheat River. Oh yeah, we both sorta slipped in the mud ;)

We toured the rest of Albright that morning. Albright consists of a power plant, pictured to the right, and several churches. I was told that my grandparents met in Albright. My grandmother was attending church there and wrote a letter to a soldier, who is now my grandfather.

Arthurdale, commonly referred to as Eleanor’s Little Village, was created in 1934 as a homestead community. Over a period of four years, 165 homes were built. Each homestead had indoor plumbing and was electrified, and also came with four acres of land for farming. Pictured are one of the original homestead houses, a historic photo of the community center (Library of Congress, FSA-OWI Collection), and what the building looks like today.

Chuck’s Store seems to be the only business left in Newburg. Another small railroad town, Newburg has a neat memorial for the first big mine shaft explosion in West Virginia. In January of 1886, the mine exploded killing 39 men. With a population of only 360, it’s hard to imagine that Newburg was once the largest town in Preston County. Also, according to the 2000 census records, the per capita income for individuals in the town is $9,952. The town was presumably named Newburg because it was a “new” town being established on the B&O railroad. It is also referred to as “Stop 88” because it is 88 miles from Cumberland, MD.

The water pollution caused by acid mine drainage is very apparent in streams throughout Preston County. This photo was taken in Fellowsville. The stream is actually much more orange than it appears in the photos.

Tunnelton, yet again another railroad town, was so named for the railroad tunnel that passes through the town. At one time, the tunnel was the longest in the world. I'm curious as to just how BIG the tunnel is because Bev and I failed to find it! We did find the train stations, and some smaller "tunnels". The train station offers a tour, but we were unable to fit it into our schedule.

We drove through Independence, and somehow found ourselves back in Newburg! Pictured here is a church located in Independence. Looks really good for having been built in 1856!

Bev and I managed to tour Preston County in one weekend, though I think we drove for over 8 hours. In conclusion, Preston is quite a neat place. Beautiful scenery, lots of history, and numerous festivals that make it worth visiting.

The last eight pictures are just some more scenic ones that I wanted to share. I've really struggled with (blogspot) and the formatting that they use. In the past week, they've made a lot of changes, but there are still glitches. For instance, it's very hard to position pictures currently, so thats why it may seem like I've randomly stuck one here or there, or that my text wrapping doesn't quite look right. Im still learning the program, and it appears that the site is still working glitches of their own out. Hopefully, with each new county we'll improve!