History / Prehistory

Praise the Lord, and pass the rattlesnakes! West Virginia’s fading snake handling tradition

History / Prehistory David Sibray - August 18, 2025

JOLO, W.Va. — On a warm Sunday in late May 2012, a locally well-known Pentecostal pastor named Mack Wolford invited friends and family to...

The Bustle Flag: How Martinsburg’s Unionist women defied the Confederacy

History / Prehistory William Kerrigan - August 13, 2025

MARTINSBURG, W.Va — The prosperous manufacturing town of Martinsburg in Berkeley County, West Virginia, was thrust into turmoil at the outset of the Civil...

Monument to coal baron in W.Va. hidden deep within New River Gorge

History / Prehistory Cody Straley - August 12, 2025

QUNNIMONT, W.Va. — The New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in West Virginia is a treasure trove of...

The eastern panhandle of West Virginia: how it came to be

History / Prehistory Amanda Larch Hinchman - August 3, 2025

SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. — The eastern panhandle of West Virginia reaches more than 100 miles across the eastern U.S. from...

Unique northern panhandle of West Virginia created by historic dispute

History / Prehistory Amanda Larch Hinchman - August 1, 2025

WEIRTON, W.Va — West Virginia's remarkable shape is partly defined by its odd northern panhandle, a finger of land...

Historic West Virginia heat waves and how the state can recover its coolness

History / Prehistory Bianca Bosworth - July 30, 2025

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — While known for its forests and cool mountain air, West Virginia has nonetheless endured its share...

From Jerry West to Best Virginia, basketball in West Virginia is a unifying force

History / Prehistory Clyde Craig - July 28, 2025

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The Mountain State is a land stitched together by rugged mountains, close-knit towns, and a complicated...

The five worst floods in West Virginia history: A Chronicle of Disaster

History / Prehistory David Sibray - July 27, 2025

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Shaped by rugged mountains and winding rivers, West Virginia has endured some of the most catastrophic...

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