Prehistoric mystery underlies "Egypt" in southern W.Va.
Settlers along Dunloup Creek in what's now southern West Virginia called the valley they farmed "Egypt" due to its remarkable fertility. But they discovered...
Ghostly rumble in W.Va. tied to subterranean source
This story begins with the legend of "Old Thump." As the tale goes, folks in the neighborhood of Codger Town were haunted by a...
Mysterious worm invasion wreaked havoc in Wetzel County in 1918
In the summer of 1918, a procession of billions of ravenous "worms" passed through the hills of eastern Wetzel County, wreaking havoc wherever it...
Lost silver lode in Jackson County, W.Va., may be more than...
Legends of a lost silver lode in Jackson County, in western West Virginia, may be more than a rumor, according to a former resident...
Horrific origin of the W.Va. city name "Wheeling" explained
To the average motorist hurtling through the City of Wheeling on Interstate 70, nothing about the place might seem particularly nefarious. However, the story...
Could this pirate's treasure on the Ohio River be lost for...
Until just after the Civil War, large parts of the valley of the Ohio River in what's now West Virginia were controlled by pirates....
"Graveyard of the Ohio" now a favorite water recreation hub
To see it now, a visitor might hardly guess the Ohio River at Parkersburg was a stretch of river that many boat captains feared....
Ominous "McKinley Rock" attracts sightseers in New River Gorge
High above the ghost town of Thurmond, West Virginia, the frowning stone profile of a man silently watches over the New River Gorge, as...
Revisiting the tale of West Virginia's lost Branch Mountain Treasure
Tales of hidden treasure appear throughout the annals of West Virginia history. Legends of hoards buried by prehistoric peoples, retreating soldiers, and reclusive misers...
Old legend of Strange Creek might never be confirmed
Too much time may have passed to confirm anything of the indomitable legend of Strange Creek—long among the most haunting tales in West Virginia...
Legendary valley of Skull Run, W.Va., steeped in pioneer lore
A traveler wandering the pastures along Skull Run in Jackson County might have little idea of the dark tales that have arisen in that...
Meet the top five monsters from the West Virginia hills
In the late 1990s, I was asked to pen a book of West Virginia folklore. I opted instead to create my own tales based...