David Sibray
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Glance at a road map of West Virginia, and you’ll spot a striking blank space just east of the state’s capital. Although the valley around Charleston ranks among the most densely populated regions in West Virginia, the land to the east tells a different story. Few roads cut through its thick forests—a … Read more
PAX, W.Va. — Of the many spirits said to haunt the hills of West Virginia, few stir as much unease as those believed to foretell death. Among them, one of the most chilling is the Horse Creek Hollow Ghost, a phantom whose legend has been whispered around campfires in the state’s southern mountains for generations. … Read more
CLIFFTOP, W.Va. — At first glance, the Glade Creek Grist Mill at Babcock State Park in West Virginia looks as though it has stood for centuries, its wooden frame weathered to the color of old hickory, its water wheel turning with the steady rhythm of the creek. Featured on postcards, calendars, and guidebooks that promote … Read more
STANAFORD, W.Va. — A quiet residential community outside the city of Beckley, perhaps best known for its scenic views of the Piney Creek Gorge, Stanaford today gives little hint of the labor-related violence that once stained its soil. More than a century ago, on February 25, 1903, this village was the site of one of … Read more
PARKERSBURG, W.Va. — For more than a century, Camp Kootaga stood as a summer sanctuary for generations of scouts, a place where leadership, outdoor skills, and camaraderie were passed down along the wooded bluffs of the Hughes River. Now, thanks to a determined group of alumni and community leaders, the camp’s future is secure — … Read more
FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. — On a soft summer morning in the New River Gorge, the forest comes to life with quiet mystery. Rhododendron branches arch into shadowed tunnels, salamanders dart across mossy rocks, and the distant rush of waterfalls blends with birdsong that echoes through the canyon. For most hikers, the best-known trails in the gorge—such … Read more
SUMMERSVILLE, W.Va. — In a ravine beside the U.S. 19 expressway near Summersville Lake, 48 graves lie beneath the trees, marked by small stones. Paddlers and kayakers by the hundreds walk past on their way to the water, rarely pausing at the modest memorial. Few may realize that beneath this quiet ground are the remains … Read more
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — An early bear firearms season will open August 30, 2025, in Logan, McDowell, Mingo, and Wyoming counties in south-western West Virginia, according to the director of the W.Va. Division of Natural Resources. Early bear firearms season benefits busy hunters Division Director Brett McMillion is reminding hunters that the early bear firearms season … Read more
MOUNTAIN COVE, W.Va. — In a remote wilderness near the New River Gorge in what’s now West Virginia, a mysterious experiment in religion and community emerged in the early 1850s. Known as “Mountain Cove,” the short-lived settlement sought to bridge the earthly and the divine through Christian Spiritualism. Two ministers from New York—James L. Scott … Read more
SARAH ANN, W.Va. — A new entrance to a historic Hatfield Cemetery in southern West Virginia is making it easier for visitors to pay respects at the graves of William Anderson “Devil Anse” Hatfield and his family, a key site for Appalachian history enthusiasts. Once a difficult climb, the cemetery—long a pilgrimage destination for thousands … Read more
