The history and prehistory of West Virginia reveal a fascinating journey from ancient Native American cultures to its role in America’s story. Prehistoric sites, such as the Grave Creek Mound, showcase the region’s mound-building cultures that left behind impressive burial mounds and earthworks. Later, European settlers ventured into the rugged Appalachian Mountains, forging frontier communities and thriving amidst challenging terrain. During the American Civil War, West Virginia famously seceded from Virginia to remain loyal to the Union, becoming the 35th state in 1863. Coal mining played a vital role in shaping West Virginia’s economy and identity, fueling America’s industrial growth and leaving a lasting legacy in the state’s communities and culture. Today, visitors can explore historic towns, Civil War battlefields, and preserved pioneer homesteads that tell the rich, enduring story of West Virginia’s resilient spirit and deep mountain roots.
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 the most influential Native Americans in history was born in what’s now West Virginia, where a statue, now missing, was once raised in his honor. “There’s evidence he was born here … Read more
HURRICANE, W.Va. — Early research on a Civil War engagement in West Virginia at Hurricane Bridge underestimated the number of soldiers involved. This led historians to mislabel the “battle” as a “skirmish,” according to historian Philip Hatfield, Ph.D. “A skirmish implies this small, sort of insignificant affair, but there were many more troops involved,” says … Read more
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Think there’s too much government? As complex as politics get in West Virginia, there was a time in the late 1800s when the Mountain State had four governors at one time. As baffling as that might seem, the matter is a remarkable demonstration of conflicting state laws and legal opinions. During that … Read more
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Kanawha Valley in western West Virginia once had the highest concentration of burial mounds in North America, though most were destroyed. According to the late archaeologist Darla Spencer, author of Woodland Mounds of West Virginia, more than 400 mounds have been recorded in West Virginia, and their presence was once … Read more
PINE GROVE, W.Va. — Short-line railroads in West Virginia were built to serve communities and industries not reached by significant railroad companies. While the Baltimore & Ohio and Chesapeake & Ohio built robust rail networks where they benefited most, other areas relied on smaller rail enterprises. One of the best-known in the Mountain State was … Read more
WEBSTER SPRINGS, W.Va. — Perhaps no county in West Virginia is as isolated as Webster County. Entirely mountainous, no expressway or U.S. highway ventures into it, and many densely forested sections haven’t been explored in years except by enterprising hunters and foresters. Only three percent of its 356,000 acres are in farmland—a remarkably small amount—and … Read more
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Historian and journalist Jim Comstock battled ceaselessly to keep alive the memory of the West Virginia “mountaineer”— the independent, Union-loyal resident of the state’s mountain regions. Comstock pointed out that misconceptions about them have developed over the years. They didn’t wear beards. They opposed slavery. And they were no friends to the … Read more
HARPERS FERRY, W.Va. — The National Park Service is hosting special events in West Virginia’s eastern panhandle to commemorate abolitionist John Brown’s attempt to launch a nationwide anti-slavery uprising. In October 1859, Brown and 21 co-conspirators attacked the armory in Harpers Ferry, then part of Virginia, which was then the largest slaveholding state in the … Read more
ARTHURDALE, W.Va. — The Kingwood Pike climbs slowly from the valley of the Monongahela River at Morgantown into the Allegheny highlands atop the Chestnut Ridge. There, travelers are provided with eastward vantage points across the open farmlands of Preston County, long renowned as the heart of West Virginia’s Buckwheat Belt. To the southeast of the … Read more
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. — At the corner of Logan and Wayne streets on the north side of town sit two nondescript buildings, one brick and one concrete. They are not much to look at. Some might call them neighborhood eyesores. But these two properties are linked to a fascinating story of perseverance and prosperity during the … Read more
