Culture
Was the Flatwoods Monster of central West Virginia actually a demon?
FLATWOODS, W.Va. — In the annals of West Virginia lore, the
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Culture
West Virginia culture is a captivating blend of rich Appalachian traditions and vibrant high culture infused with the jazz of surrounding U.S. cities like Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C. The state is renowned for its deep-rooted Appalachian heritage, which is showcased through folk music, storytelling, and traditional crafts such as quilting and woodcarving. Visitors can experience this authentic culture at local festivals and heritage museums throughout the Mountain State. At the same time, West Virginia also embraces high culture, with world-class performances at the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, acclaimed theater productions at the Greenbrier Valley Theatre, and art exhibitions at the Huntington Museum of Art. This unique mix of mountain traditions and refined artistic offerings makes West Virginia a true cultural gem in the heart of Appalachia.
Culture
Haunting near Summersville Lake in W.Va. lives on in local memory
SUMMERSVILLE, W.Va. — The tale of the “Ford Ghost” southwest of Summersville, West Virginia, appears several times in local lore. This telling by J.W. Benjamin, published in the W.Va. Heritage Encyclopedia, couches the story in a manner that captures the essence of a good ghost story with the help of Lonnie E. Legge, who might … Read more
Culture
Hikers, paddlers may visit lost “Island of the Dead” in the New River Gorge
THURMOND, W.Va. — Victims of a smallpox pandemic that swept through the New River Gorge in the late 1800s may have been buried in a remote cemetery on what many now call the ‘Island of the Dead.’ Though remote, the island is accessible during low water in the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. … Read more
Culture
Four true ghostly tales recommended for your next West Virginia campfire
PAX, W.Va. — West Virginia is warm enough to welcome family camping at least six months out of the year, and there’s little more exciting about a night under the stars than campfire tales told over roasted marshmallows. As the embers dim, inexplicable sounds come out of the darkness. The crash of a falling branch! … Read more
Culture
Peculiar rock face is attracting more visitors, thanks to social media
FAIRPLAIN, W.Va. — Carved on a hillside by an eccentric sculptor in the 1950s, a curious rock face near Ripley, West Virginia, is attracting a larger audience than ever, thanks to social media. More travelers than ever are on the hunt for the rock. According to the late historian Mike Ruben, West Virginia’s diminutive Mount … Read more
Culture
New River Gorge region in West Virginia once a bloody “Wild West”
FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. — For millions of tourists, Fayette County and its New River Gorge is a destination for healing and rejuvenation—a wonderland of hiking trails and kayaking streams. But a century ago, newspapers across the U.S. had named it “Bloody Fayette,” and with good reason. Coal had been discovered in the county in vast quantities, … Read more
Culture
Lilacs are associated with this well-known West Virginia ghost story
ELKINS, W.Va. — Lilacs bloom in April and May in West Virginia, which may be a good time to recall one of its best-known ghost stories — that of the tell-tale lilac bush, a story that’s grown into legend, thanks to the late folklorist Ruth Ann Musick. In 1965, Dr. Musick, who taught folklore at … Read more
Culture
Notorious bank robber “Pretty Boy Floyd” hid out in West Virginia
SAINT MARYS, W.Va. — West Virginia has always been reasonably peaceful. Violence erupts occasionally, though one might say it’s sleepy in a home-spun Andy Griffith Show way. It had been remarkably free of violent crime during the Great Depression when most folks were too occupied with the business of surviving to carry out a murder. … Read more
Culture
Historical open house set at Level Tavern near Lewisburg April 27
LEWISBURG, W.Va. — An open house for historians and history buffs will be held from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 27, at the historic Level Tavern on US-219 at Organ Cave near Lewisburg, West Virginia. Being hosted by Foxfire Realty and the Greenbrier Historical Society, the event will provide visitors the opportunity to explore … Read more
Culture
Historians in West Virginia baffled by strange cemetery monuments
OAK HILL, W.Va. — Historians in West Virginia say they’re baffled by a strange arrangement of monuments in a cemetery near the New River Gorge. They hope to discover why the graves are interred under remarkable wedge-shaped concrete forms. “Something very unusual has gone on here,” says David Sibray, the publisher of West Virginia Explorer … Read more