Mountaineer Country
Barbour, Doddridge, Harrison, Marion,
Monongalia, Preston and Taylor
Barbour County
Barbour County was established in 1844 and was named after Philip Barbour who was a US Congressman of Virginia and Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court. The county seat is Philippi which is where the first land battle of the Civil War, known as Philippi Races, took place on June 3, 1861.
Some important people from the area would be Anna Marie Jarvis who was the founder of Mother’s Day and Ted Cassidy who was known for his role as Lurch in the 1960’s Family TV Show The Adam's Family.
Audra State Park sits on 355 acres of land filled with plenty of hiking trails. It is best known for the beautifully built wooden walkway that goes under the rocks. It also has plenty of camping sites, swimming or kayaking in the river and picnic area to enjoy. Funny story while visiting we got to the wood walkway only to be stopped by a foreign couple refusing to allow us to walk on it until they finished making their TikTok video. That was rather annoying but we stood off to the side and waited through several takes before they got what they wanted. The rest of the hike was enjoyable other then the very steep climb up the mountain. Take my advice and do the loop with the bridge at the end to avoid a steep climb up and instead come down it! Your legs will thank you.
The Barbour County Historical Museum is a fun stop to make to see the artifacts as well as the Philippi Mummies. The museum is free however if you would like to see the two mummies there is a requested $1 donation. The mummies are of unclaimed female cadavers that Graham Hamrick, a self-taught embalmer who worked at the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in 1888, used to preform his unknown formulation to mummify the bodies. This is one of the places that only takes cash so if you want to shop the small gift shop, you will need to remember to bring some.
The Philippi Covered Bridge is just steps from the museum and is the oldest and longest covered bridge in West Virginia. It is also one of very few covered “double-barreled” or two-lane bridge that has survived in United States. It was constructed in 1852 by Lemuel Chenoweth, who was a well-known Appalachian bridge builder, for $12,180.68. There is also an old folk tale about a young boy catching US President Abraham Lincoln and Confederate President Jefferson Davis meeting on this bridge in secret to discuss peace terms during the American Civil War.
Doddridge County
Doddridge County was established in 1845 and was named after Philip Doddridge who was a Virginia Statemen and the leading voice during the Constitutional Convention of 1829-1830. The county seat is West Union and this area has a lot of history. Starting with the March 27, 1858 large fire that devastated the town of West Union leaving it a “mass of smoldering ruins”. However, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad has just been completed which helped the town revive economically. In 1892, the Oil and Gas Industry was highly demanding for the residents who would split their time between farming and petroleum operations. Another disaster happened in June 1950 when a flood killed 20 people and a historical 107-year-old covered bridge.
J.H. Diss DeBar, a French-born American artist, was from this area and he is known for designing the Great Seal and Coat of Arms of WV in 1863.
While on my way to attend an event, I found
myself hungry so I stopped at Fairview Diner, a restaurant right off of Route
50, for a great country breakfast. I enjoyed the cowboy breakfast for a low $13
which came with eggs, two meats, potatoes and biscuit with gravy. This is a traditional West Virginia country breakfast and one of the best I have eaten. The biscuits were pretty large and the gravy just the way I like it.
Harrison County
Harrison County was established in 1784 and was named after Benjamin Harrison V who was a Virginia Governor. The county seat is Clarksburg.
This is the home of Harry Powers, the lonely hearts serial killer. He was a Dutch-born American who immigrated to the United States in 1910. He moved to West Virginia in 1926 and after his marriage began taking out lonely hearts advertisements. It was reported he received an average of 20 letters a day. Powers constructed a garage which was later discovered to be the scene of the murders. He was arrested, convicted, and hanged on March 18, 1932. Author David Grubb basis the book The Night of the Hunter on this story.
Plan to visit Fort New Salem during Christmas time for their Sprit of Christmas in the Mountain event. I wrote a full blog just on this event so you can read more about the settlement made up of 17 log houses from 19th century WV which have been donated to create this living museum. It is only open for special events so you need to keep an eye on their website.
Marion County
Marion County was established in January 14, 1842 and was named after General Francis Marion “the Swamp Fox”. The county seat is Fairmont and the 1984 the first US Gymnast to win Gold in Women’s All-Around, Mary Lou Retton is from here.
I drove 2 hours to eat at Colasessano’s, which is said to be the world famous pepperoni roll dating back to 1950. However, they were closed this day for some reason. I did find some of their pepperoni rolls at the local gas station so I grabbed a few to take home with me. They are really good!
I was hungry so while at the gas station picking up the pepperoni rolls in Pleasant Valley, I grabbed
a bite to eat at A&W Sweets & Treats which was attached. I really wasn’t expecting much
because it was attached to the gas station but I was really surprised. What can I say but look at that bacon cheeseburger! It was delicious. I haven't had had that much fresh veggies on a burger in a while. The onion rings was perfect. I couldn't even put a dent in the amount given. And of course I went with homemade root beer that had its own tap you can pour from with free refills. I meal was around $11 so if you see this place in your travels, don't pass it up.
Monongalia County
Monongalia County was
established in 1776 and was named after the Monongahela River. The county seat is Morgantown and it
has an average of 105,800 residents today.
Morgantown is best known as a college
town. I however wanted to visit
something different in the area because I'm a big fan of The Andy Griffith Show.
Jesse Don Knotts, an actor best known as Barney Fife on the 1960s sitcom
The Andy Griffith Show, was born in this town on July 21, 1924. He won five Emmy Awards for this role over
his career. The life-sized statue,
designed by artist Jamie Lester, was installed by locals in 2016. In his right
hand he is holding his service cap he wore in his role as Sheriff Barney
Fife. In his left hand he is holding the
script for The Ghost and Mr. Chicken, a film from 1966 in which he played the
leading role. He was ranked 27 on TV
Guides 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time in 2004. Knotts served in the United
States Army and in World War II in which he learned ventriloquist and became a
comedian as part of a G.I. Variety Show called Stars and Gripes. Knots earned a
bachelor’s degree in education from West Virginia University in 1948 and was a
member of Phi Sigma Kappa.
Preston County
Preston County was
established in 1818 and was named after James Patton Preston a Virginia
Governor. The county seat is
Kingwood. The area is known for the Buckwheat Festival and their buckwheat pancakes.
Coopers Rock State Park is 12,747 acres, developed between 1936-1942 and named after a fugitive who hid from the law under the overlook. The park has over 50 miles of hiking trails to enjoy and most are usable for cross-country skiing during the winter months. It is popular for bouldering with problems ranging from V0-V11. There is also 25 non-electric tent/hammock camping areas available with a central bathhouse to use. The main overlook is pretty easy to get to with just a short walk from the parking lot. It gives you scenic views of the Cheat River in Cheat Canyon. One of the WV swings is also located here. There is a nice souvenir shop to grab those gifts while you are there.
Taylor County
Taylor County was
established in 1844 and was named after Senator John Taylor of Caroline. The county seat is Grafton.
On November 29, 1895, the West Virginia Equal Suffrage Association was founded in this area after a meeting by the National American Woman Suffrage Association to give woman the right to vote. This group helped push for ratifying the federal amendment in the spring of 1920 that led to West Virginia becoming the 34th of the 36 states needed and that following fall, WV woman voted for the first time. This group later became knowing as the League of Woman Voters of West Virginia.
Taylor is most known as the founding place of Mother’s Day. The first Mother’s Day service of worship was held by Anna Jarvis as a memorial ceremony to honor her mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis on May 10, 1908 at Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton, WV. This church is now home to the International Mother’s Day Shrine.
Ann was known for her work caring for wounded soldiers and creating the Mother’s Day Work Clubs to address public health issues. After the memorial, Anna worked to make this day an official holiday but Congress rejected the idea at first. However, WV declared Mother’s Day an official holiday in 1910. On May 10, 1913, the US House of Representatives passed a resolution and on May 8, 1914, the US Congress passed the holiday into law.
The white carnation was the flower of choice as Anna believed it symbolized the truth, purity and broad-charity of a mother’s love. By the 1920s the true meaning of Mother’s Day was forgotten and companies just used it as a way to make a profit. As cards replaced written letters and white carnation prices started to raise as well as the color from white to red, Anna was not happy. “A printed card means nothing except that you are too lazy to write to the woman who has done more for you than anyone in the world. And candy! You take a box to Mother – and then eat most of it yourself. A pretty sentiment.”
In 1943, Anna then
attempted to have the holiday rescinded.
It did not work and finally her friends and associates had to have her
placed in the Marshall Square Sanitarium in West Chester, Pennsylvania, where
she died on November 24, 1948. Today you
can visit the Anna Jarvis Birthplace Museum and the shrine.
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