The history and prehistory of West Virginia reveal a fascinating journey from ancient Native American cultures to its role in America’s story. Prehistoric sites, such as the Grave Creek Mound, showcase the region’s mound-building cultures that left behind impressive burial mounds and earthworks. Later, European settlers ventured into the rugged Appalachian Mountains, forging frontier communities and thriving amidst challenging terrain. During the American Civil War, West Virginia famously seceded from Virginia to remain loyal to the Union, becoming the 35th state in 1863. Coal mining played a vital role in shaping West Virginia’s economy and identity, fueling America’s industrial growth and leaving a lasting legacy in the state’s communities and culture. Today, visitors can explore historic towns, Civil War battlefields, and preserved pioneer homesteads that tell the rich, enduring story of West Virginia’s resilient spirit and deep mountain roots.
CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. — On December 1, 1859, abolitionist John Brown, having been convicted and sentenced to death for planning and executing an uprising in Harpers Ferry, Virginia, delivered a final statement to his jailer that he wished to be shared with the public: The final hours of abolitionist John Brown “I, John Brown, am … Read more
LOGAN, W.Va. — By the time the world would come to know him as “Devil Anse,” Anderson Hatfield had already left a significant mark on West Virginia—not for bloodshed or bullets, but for business. Long before the famous Hatfield-McCoy feud erupted into violence, Hatfield was a man caught between two worlds—the self-reliant, traditionalist Appalachia of … Read more
BUFFALO, W.Va. — Samantha Jane Atkeson was a teenager when she had to face down Union soldiers searching her home in Buffalo, West Virginia, on the Kanawha River in Putnam County. A few torn and stained pages of her journal are preserved in the Clements Library in Ann Arbor, Michigan. They recount the story of … Read more
UNION, W.Va. — While slavery had only a minor impact in most of what’s now West Virginia before the Civil War, slaves represented about 10 percent of the people residing in Monroe County at the beginning of the conflict. The importance of slave labor to the local economy certainly influenced the political opinions of that … Read more
POINT PLEASANT, W.Va. — While parts of the mountainous interior of West Virginia weren’t settled until the early 1900s, two of its present incorporated communities were established before the American Revolution, and 10 were bustling before the 1800s. Particularly along the Ohio and Potomac rivers, settlement began early, often before indigenous residents had wholly retreated … Read more
KENOVA, W.Va. — Every summer for nearly a century, people have flocked to Dreamland Pool in the small city of Kenova, West Virginia. On US-60 in Wayne County, it’s the first landmark drivers encounter when entering West Virginia from Kentucky. It’s also the region’s largest surviving public swimming pool and has long been a source … Read more
BEVERLY, W.Va. — Most Civil War enthusiasts are familiar with the name Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, the iconic Confederate hero who died in the middle of the war from wounds received during the Battle of Chancellorsville. But few are aware of the story of Jackson’s Unionist sister, Laura Jackson Arnold. The siblings grew up in challenging … Read more
WASHBURN, W.Va. — From Otter Slide Creek to Hell-for-Certain Branch, many streams in West Virginia boast interesting placenames, but the name of this scenic brook in Ritchie County is remarkable. Locals call it “shiver-dee-freeze” or something similar, though its origin is undeniably French and hard for the typical English speaker to pronounce — Chevaux de … Read more
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — John James Davis was shocked to learn that the Virginia Convention had endorsed secession on April 17, 1861. A Clarksburg lawyer, he was devoted to the Union and believed the decision was wrong. A few days later, he sent off a letter to his fiancée, Anna Kennedy, who lived in Baltimore with … Read more
BURLINGTON, W.Va. — Railroads in West Virginia are most often associated with the export of coal and timber, but at least one small railway in the state’s eastern panhandle was built for fruit. The Twin Mountains and Potomac Railroad, otherwise known as the “TM&P,” was built to carry fruit from orchards near Burlington, West Virginia, … Read more
