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Monday, October 2, 2023

History

Welcome to the History news directory at West Virginia Explorer, where you’ll find an archive of the most recent West Virginia history news published at West Virginia Explorer.

Lost W.Va. saltworks known to only a few locals, adventurers

David Sibray inspects stonework in a thicket near the old saltworks.
The legend of the lost Mercer Saltworks near the New River in southern West Virginia may be remembered now by only a few locals...

Historian says Tecumseh may have been born in West Virginia, not...

Tecumseh confronts William Henry Harrison
JANE LEW, W.Va. — It's widely accepted that Tecumseh was born in what's now Ohio, but a handful of historians contend that one of...

"Mudwall" Jackson led failed attack on fort in central W.Va.

A line of trees follows a breastwork at the Bulltown Battlefield at Bulltown, West Virginia, in Braxton County.
During the first years of the U.S. Civil War, marauding bands of guerillas roamed the hills in what's now central West Virginia. Most were...

Did the first U.S. serial killer live in a quiet corner...

Harry Powers, of Clarksburg, West Virginia, appears calm in this police photo.
On the morning of March 18, 1932, Harry Powers plummeted through the gallows at the West Virginia Penitentiary and dangled for 11 minutes before...

Mystery surrounds lost Washington graves on Hurricane Creek

David Sibray examines a Washington family headstone near the mouth of Hurricane Creek in Putnam County, West Virginia.
How did a great-nephew of George Washington come to be buried in a virtually forgotten graveyard in the Kanawha Valley near Winfield, West Virginia—more...

Some mysterious W.Va. rock features may have sacred origins

Cairn on a West Virginia ridge. Photo courtesy Charity Moore.
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."...

Many early almanacs printed out of Wheeling, West Virginia

Farmers converse near old Fort Henry at Wheeling, c. 1777.
Thanks to the Internet, almanacs aren't printed as they once were, but in West Virginia, where communications were hampered by the mountains, these useful...

Ancient stone walls on Armstrong Mountain no old-timer's tale

A historic marker along U.S. 60 promotes the location of the Mount Carbon Walls.
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...

Legend of ancient warpath along the W.Va. Turnpike is fact

The West Virginia Turnpike follows part of an ancient warpath through the West Virginia hills.
Older folks who live in the valley of Paint Creek may recall legends about how the stream was named: an ancient warpath followed it...

How a circus clown helped relocate W.Va. capital to Charleston

Lolo, the clown, helped establish Charleston as the capital of West Virginia.
It might sound like a joke, but it's true that a circus clown helped relocate the West Virginia capital from Wheeling to Charleston, its...

Struggle for religious freedom in U.S. unfolds in tale of Eckerlins

A historic marker along the Cheat River recalls the settlement of Dunkards in the mid-1700s.
DUNKARD BOTTOM, W.Va. — The history of West Virginia is filled with stories of religious diversity — of hermits and prophets who escaped the...

Civil War-era mystery of Burning Springs remains unsolved

Visitors gather at Burning Springs Park.
BURNING SPRINGS, W.Va. — Curious motorists traveling the valley of the Little Kanawha River southwest of Parkersburg may or may not stop at historic...

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