Ancient stone walls on Armstrong Mountain no old-timer's tale
If you grew up listening to the lore of old-timers in southern West Virginia, chances are you've heard of mysterious stone walls atop Armstrong...
How the West Virginia town of "Hundred" got its name
HUNDRED, W.Va.—There was a time in the 1850s, soon after completion of the B&O Railroad, when passengers would clamber to the car windows to...
Some mysterious W.Va. rock features may have sacred origins
Editor's Note: If you're familiar with the outdoors in West Virginia, you've likely seen rocks piled in what might seem "the middle of nowhere."...
Civil War-era mystery of Burning Springs remains unsolved
BURNING SPRINGS, W.Va. — Curious motorists traveling the valley of the Little Kanawha River southwest of Parkersburg may or may not stop at historic...
Three little-known facts about West Virginia's moundbuilders
The term “moundbuilder” is often used to describe two ancient cultures that archaeologists now know as the Adena and the Hopewell. These peoples lived...
Hikers, paddlers can visit New River's lost "Island of the Dead"
THURMOND, W.Va. — Victims of a smallpox pandemic that swept through the New River Gorge in the late 1800s may have been buried in...
Scholars debunk myth of prehistoric giants in West Virginia
This month, I had the opportunity to talk with the lead curator at Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex about a prevailing myth in West Virginia...
Thanksgiving Day anniversary was first celebrated in West Virginia
WHEELING, W.Va. — Thanksgiving Day was first celebrated in West Virginia before being celebrated nationally, thanks to a politician who hoped to provide some...
Scientists say mysterious carvings in W.Va. are native, not Irish
LYNCO, W.Va. — Scientists who are studying ancient carvings in West Virginia say stories that propose a non-native origin for prehistoric landmarks ignore evidence...
Lost W.Va. saltworks known to only a few locals, adventurers
The legend of the lost Mercer Saltworks near the New River in southern West Virginia may be remembered now by only a few locals...
Prehistoric relic on display in Ceredo was discovered by accident
CEREDO, W.Va. — On the south side of Main Street in the town of Ceredo, West Virginia, a small community along the Ohio River...
Word "hillbilly" once a term of endearment in Appalachia
According to some authorities, the word "hillbilly" was a term of endearment in the Appalachian Mountains in the early 1800s, though it later developed...
