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Friday, February 7, 2025

Culture

Welcome to the Culture news directory at West Virginia Explorer. Follow along as we explore the diverse cultures that have come to define the West Virginia experience.

Kanawha Valley in W.Va. had highest concentration of burial mounds

SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Kanawha Valley in western West Virginia once had the highest concentration of burial mounds in North America, though most...

"Graveyard of the Ohio" now a favorite water recreation hub

A kayaker plies the gentle Ohio River near Parkersburg, West Virginia, once the site of the infamous Graveyard of the Ohio.
To see it now, a visitor might hardly guess the Ohio River at Parkersburg was a stretch of river that many boat captains feared....

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...

Revisiting the tale of West Virginia's lost Branch Mountain Treasure

Helmick Rock on South Branch Mountain
MOOREFIELD, W.Va. — Tales of hidden treasure appear throughout the annals of West Virginia history. The legends of hoards buried by prehistoric peoples, retreating...

The full tale of West Virginia's remarkable Greenbrier Ghost

The home of the unfortunate Mary Heaster Shue still stands in the Allegheny foothills near Rainelle, West Virginia.
LEWISBURG, W.Va. — Whether you believe in ghosts, it's a fact that a ghost enters the lawbooks in West Virginia. The account of the...

Legend of beast resurfaces in the mountains near Fireco, West Virginia

Fireco, West Virginia, in Raleigh County, as it appeared in the 1960s.
BECKLEY, W.Va. — In almost every respect, the coal camp at Fireco was the end of the line. It was as far up the...

Prehistoric relic on display in West Virginia 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...

Hidden waterfall near W.Va. capitol linked to remarkable manuscript

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Tucked away in a wooded gorge near the West Virginia Capitol, one of the highest waterfalls in the region also powered...

Hanging out of 'copter, photographer captures World Scout Jamboree

Basecamps Charlie (blue tents) and Delta (orange) extend across the James C. Justice National Scout Camp at the Bechtel Summit Reserve. (Photo Gary Hartley)
The full extent of the record-breaking 2019 World Scout Jamboree in West Virginia might be difficult to imagine, but photographer Gary Hartley was willing...

Three little-known facts about West Virginia's moundbuilders

The largest of the two Oak Mounds rises overlooks the West Fork River.
The term “moundbuilder” is often used to describe two ancient cultures that archaeologists now know as the Adena and the Hopewell. These peoples lived...

Famous West Virginia goat has likely passed

The Powell Mountain goat grazes on cliffs near Summersville, West Virginia.
Her white coat gleaming against the grey cliffs atop Powell Mountain, a lonely she-goat that became the darling of motorists traveling U.S. 19 has...

Historians seek origin of "The Little Graves" on a West Virginia...

BASIN, W.Va. — Sharp-eyed motorists traveling Barkers Ridge in southern West Virginia may have noticed a faded sign that commemorates the burial of what...

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