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David Sibray

David Sibray is the founder, publisher and editor-in-chief of West Virginia Explorer, a news and travel magazine devoted to the state’s history, tourism, outdoor recreation and economic development. For more information, he may be reached at 304-575-7390 or at editor@wvexplorer.com
Mountaineer Statue Detail in West Virginia
Culture

Heroic statue recalls role of Union-loyal “mountaineers” in Civil War

by David Sibray

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Historian and journalist Jim Comstock battled ceaselessly to keep alive the memory of the West Virginia “mountaineer”— the independent, Union-loyal resident of the state’s mountain regions. Comstock pointed out that misconceptions about them have developed over the years. They didn’t wear beards. They opposed slavery. And they were no friends to the … Read more

2024 First Snowfall At Snowshoe Mountain
Recreation

Snowshoe Mountain ski resort to open 50th season Nov. 27, 2024

by David Sibray

SLATYFORK, W.Va. — Snowshoe Mountain ski resort in West Virginia will open for its 50th anniversary on Nov. 27, weather permitting. The announcement follows the region’s first snowfall, which descended on the mountain, one of the highest peaks in the Allegheny Mountains, in mid-October. Resort spokesman Shawn Cassell said planning for ski season, a year-round … Read more

Attack At Harpers Ferry
Culture

Park to commemorate the 165th anniversary of John Brown’s Raid

by David Sibray

HARPERS FERRY, W.Va. — The National Park Service is hosting special events in West Virginia’s eastern panhandle to commemorate abolitionist John Brown’s attempt to launch a nationwide anti-slavery uprising. In October 1859, Brown and 21 co-conspirators attacked the armory in Harpers Ferry, then part of Virginia, which was then the largest slaveholding state in the … Read more