Near Davis in Tucker County, West Virginia — The American South (Appalachia)
Porte Crayon
Blackwater Falls State Park
Beginning in 1853, David Hunter Strother, writing under the pen name of "Porte Crayon," wrote a series of articles about his various adventures into the Blackwater region for Harper's New Monthly Magazine. His colorful descriptions and detailed illustrations were widely read and today provide a goode description of this area before settlement of the virgin forest.
For centuries, the pristine wilderness that occurred here stood virtually undisturbed by man. Native American foraging parties most likely confined their use of this area to the summer months due to harsh area winters. Accounts of non-natives being in this area go back as far as 1736. It is not known who the first non-natives were to see Blackwater Falls. However, it was Porte Crayon who introduced the world to the great waterfall of the Blackwater River.
"Surrounded by a tangled thicket of rhododendron, canopied by the loftiest firs, the thunder of the cataract in their ears day and night, and its spray freshening the atmosphere they breathed, our adventures passed the eight days that followed in the fullest enjoyment of the pleasuresof forestlife."
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Excerpt from The Virginian Canaan," Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Volume 8, December 1853.
Erected by West Virginia State Parks.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Communications • Native Americans • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical date for this entry is December 8, 1853.
Location. 39° 6.747′ N, 79° 28.948′ W. Marker is near Davis, West Virginia, in Tucker County. Marker can be reached from Canyon Point Road (County Road 29/2) 0.1 miles east of Blackwater Falls Road (County Road 29) when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2 Canyon Point Rd, Davis WV 26260, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Boardwalk to the Falls (within shouting distance of this marker); Salt Sands (within shouting distance of this marker); Blackwater Falls State Park (approx. 0.9 miles away); a different marker also named Salt Sands (approx. 0.9 miles away); In Memory of All American Veterans (approx. 1˝ miles away); Davis (approx. 1˝ miles away); Black Fork Grade (approx. 2.2 miles away); Reclaiming the Future (approx. 2.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Davis.
Photographed By Bradley Owen, March 27, 2021
3. Blackwater Falls
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), July 17, 2020
4. Hard and Soft Rock sign
This nature marker lies near the Porte Crayon sign.
Credits. This page was last revised on March 29, 2021. It was originally submitted on July 18, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 222 times since then and 35 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 18, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 3. submitted on March 27, 2021, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. 4. submitted on July 18, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
