Lore and Legend
Giant skeletons and buried copper plates—a strange Marion County folktale
FAIRMONT, W.Va. — In the hills and river bottoms of Marion County in north-central West Virginia, stories have long circulated that blur the line between frontier memory and myth. Few are as strange or as enduring as a tale recorded by the late historian Glenn D....
Professors at WVU trace Halloween through ancient, cross-cultural traditions
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — From cauldrons to candy corn, favorite Halloween traditions in the U.S. have...
Account claims lost Swift silver mine delved near Big Sandy River in West Virginia
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — One of the most appealing of all Appalachian legends is that of the tale of...
Shenandoah folk song: tracing the origins and meaning of a beloved American ballad
HARPERS FERRY, W.Va. — It’s fair to say that almost anyone who has listened to or read the history...
Stay Connected
The forgotten grave of the Pickens leper: isolation in the West Virginia mountains
Mysterious Horse Creek ghost in West Virginia said to foretell the demise of presidents
McKinley Rock: The eerie stone face watching over Thurmond, West Virginia
The captivating West Virginia legend of Kanawha Falls and her daughters
Polemic Run, West Virginia: A roadside journey hidden off the expressway
BIRCH RIVER, W.Va. — Each day, more than 10,000 motorists speed past the turn-offs onto Polemic Run Road in central West Virginia, but few leave the expressway and wander into the wooded hills to the west. Those who do gain access to a world few others see. The...
Investigator: West Virginia ground-zero for UFO research, ET encounters
GREEN BANK, W.Va. — A renowned paranormal investigator says West Virginia has a remarkable association with UFO activity because of its role in the search for extraterrestrial life and because it was the location of many early alleged UFO encounters. Dave Spinks,...
The five most haunted towns in West Virginia, wild and wonderful?
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Which are the five most haunted towns in West Virginia? That’s hard to say, such things being difficult to pin down. (We encourage readers to add their favorite haunted towns in the comments at the end of the article.) By and large, West Virginians...
The tale of West Virginia’s Shades-of-Death Creek may have biblical origin
MAPLEWOOD, W.Va. — How did “Shades-of-Death Creek” in southern West Virginia gain such a strange name? The mystery has long been a subject of speculation in the highlands east of the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. Such a clear and beautiful stream, the...