Clyde Craig

Clyde Craig is a writer for West Virginia Explorer. Born in Parkersburg, West Virginia, he traveled with his family across the globe with the U.S. Army before returning to the Mountain State in 2011.
Crowds wander Word Park during the Oddities and Curiosities Fair

Downtown Beckley getting even odder, say fair organizers

BECKLEY, W.Va.—Organizers of a third annual oddities fair being celebrated September 24 in historic downtown Beckley say things are about to get even odder.Sponsored by the Beckley Arts and Entertainment Exhibition, otherwise known as BEX, the Oddities and Curiosities Fair, will host the expanded open-air market with more than 40 artists and vendors, including mystics, … Read more

Community members gather to plan a Mine Wars monument installation at Marmet.

Museum installing monuments to commemorate Mine Wars

MATEWAN, W.Va. — The first of two monuments commemorating the Battle of Blair Mountain in West Virginia will be installed this weekend in Logan and Kanawha counties, acknowledging a history that state schools long worked to suppress, say organizers. Commissioned by the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum, located on the Kentucky border at Matewan, the … Read more

State Fair of West Virginia in August

Despite rain, state fair 2022 among most successful ever

FAIRLEA, W.Va. — The State Fair of West Virginia reported more than 170,000 people attending, an exceptional attendance despite rains that fell across the Mountain State in August.State Fair CEO Kelly Collins said that the economic impact of the annual event was high. Fairgoer spending on food grossed more than $3.5 million, and Reithoffer Shows, … Read more

Main Overlook at Grandview, New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, New River Gorge Region

Road closures and delays at Grandview area of New River Gorge

GRANDVIEW, W.Va. — Visitors to the Grandview area of the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in southern West Virginia should expect temporary closures and delays beginning on or around Wednesday, August 17, according to acting superintendent Jay Newman. Grandview is among the most popular attraction in the national park and features multiple trails … Read more

Preservation funding workshop set for W.Va. tourism projects

CHARLESTON, W.Va.—In search of funding for a historical tourism project? Two West Virginia agencies are working together to help tourism initiatives fund historic preservation projects.The West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office and the West Virginia Department of Tourism will host a webinar on August 18 for owners and administrators of privately and publicly-owned historic buildings … Read more

The landmark Raleigh Coal and Coke Co. powerhouse has been found eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.

Powerhouse near Beckley found eligible for national register

RALEIGH, W.Va.—A landmark industrial building near Beckley, West Virginia, has been determined to be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. The former powerhouse for the Raleigh Coal & Coke Company—perhaps best known for the swastika motif that decorates its trim—was found eligible based on its architectural and industrial importance, according to Cody Straley … Read more

John Denver performs "Take Me Home, Country Roads."

“Take Me Home, Country Roads” reaching new audiences

If you’re a West Virginian who came of age after 1971, chances are you can hardly remember a time when John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” wasn’t the state’s unofficial anthem.Though not officially adopted as a “state song” until 2014, it was, seemingly, performed at every event everywhere in the state. It became West … Read more

The park will re-seed the half-acre pad where the well currently stands.

Park service to plug and clean orphaned well near Gauley River

The National Park Service has received approximately $9.8 million in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to plug, remediate, and reclaim abandoned oil and gas well sites in national parks, including the Gauley River National Recreation Area.Overall, bureaus within the U.S. departments of the interior and agriculture will address 277 high-priority wells that pose threats … Read more