Wildflower event April 12 explores history of St. Albans, West Virginia

SAINT ALBANS, W.Va. — Four prehistoric trails once converged where the Coal River joins the Kanawha River, and this lesser-known fact helps set the stage for the 11th annual wildflower walk at Saint Albans City Park.

Long ago, Native American warriors and, later, Virginian pioneers passed through the valley at a natural crossroads. Moundbuilders raised hills to their chieftains, and frontier heroine Mary Draper Ingles travelled through during her captivity with the Shawnee.

Doug Wood, a historian and biologist who will interpret at the event, spoke energetically about the significance of the location.

“This was an important place,” Wood said. “Several vital Native American trails intersected here. One led north down the Kanawha River, another up and east, another followed the Coal River south, and another followed the Teays Valley west.

Wood said natives travelling westward would leave their canoes at the mouth of the Coal River and what’s now Saint Albans and follow the Teays Valley west to the Guyandotte River, where other canoes would be waiting to travel down the Ohio River.

Wood will be on hand at the 9 a.m.- noon “Nature’s Pioneers” event, where he’ll perform the role of his great-great-grandfather, one of the region’s early settlers. Wood will join others to interpret the region’s cultural history and the park’s natural history, which includes abundant wildflowers.

The free, family-friendly event features guided nature hikes, engaging historical presentations, and hands-on activities, according to Debbie Keener, event coordinator, and park superintendent Kevin Pennington.

Live demonstrations will showcase pioneer skills such as wild food gathering, natural remedies, timbering, salt making, and maple syrup production.

Additional highlights include a Civil War encampment by Chapman’s Battery, a moonshining exhibit by Bullock Distillery, salt making by J.Q. Dickinson Salt-Works, and a glass-blowing demonstration by Blenko Glass.

Debbie Keener, event coordinator, and park superintendent Kevin Pennington emphasized the event’s growth and popularity, which has made it one of the best-known wildflower walks in the Mountain State.

“Each year, we aim to provide new and exciting experiences for visitors of all ages,” Keener said.

Pennington said participants wait patiently through winter for the walk, which leads through the woodlands that overlook the city.

“This is one of our most anticipated events of the year,” he said.

Attendees can participate in make-it-and-take-it craft activities, such as making cornhusk dolls and crafting medallion necklaces. The event will also feature displays from local organizations, including the St. Albans Historical Society, Nitro Historic Society, the South Charleston Interpretive Center, the West Virginia DEP, and the Coal River Group.

Keener said old-time music performances will add to the historical ambiance.

For more information, visit the park website.