On West Virginia Route 68 near Lee Creek Road (Local Road 1/7), on the right when traveling south.
Just north of here, Joseph Wood built a fort in 1785 on land first patented by Dr. James Craik, friend of George Washington. Garrisoned by Virginia troops in 1791, it was the most important outpost between the Kanawha and Little Kanawha rivers. — — Map (db m124349) HM
Strolling through the island’s “pleasure-ground” (pleasure garden) was made even more restful by its beautiful bowers and arbors of grapevine, honeysuckle, eglantine (sweetbriar), roses, and columbine. Underneath these blooming green roofs stood . . . — — Map (db m178092) HM
This plantation of trees was set out in 1935 by Amos K. Gordon, a wealthy Louisiana oil executive who owned and operated a park on the upper half of the island from 1935 until his death in 1955. — — Map (db m177631) HM
Blennerhassett Island, the most famous of the Ohio River
islands, was for countless generations the home of Native
Americans. It first appeared in written records in 1766
and became immortal in American history as the 1805-1807
base of . . . — — Map (db m177279) HM
The one acre kitchen garden was located on this
site. Here was grown produce for the kitchen and
also herbs. Included in this garden were long glass-covered hothouses where grew orange, lemon, fig,
and citron trees whose foreign, exotic . . . — — Map (db m177632) HM
The wash house was the last estate outbuilding
known to survive. It was still standing after the Civil
War, but shortly thereafter either fell in or was
destroyed. Dairy products were stored in its cellar
to keep them cool and unspoiled. — — Map (db m177573) HM
After settling on this island in spring 1798, the
Blennerhassetts had this inlet dug to serve their estate. It
provided safe docking for the boats of visitors to their mansion
and convenient anchorage for those who came to trade at the
general . . . — — Map (db m177350) HM
The Blennerhassett Well, dug in June 1798,
had an ornate covering probably English in style.
It disappeared early in the 19th Century without
its design having been preserved. — — Map (db m177572) HM
1749 — Pierre J. Celoron de Blainville, French explorer
1750 — Christopher Gist, Explorer, soldier
1765 — George Croghan, Indian trader, agent
*1766 — Nemacolin, Delaware Indian Chief
1770 — George Washington, President, United . . . — — Map (db m177634) HM
Not everything in the Blennerhassett estate's “pleasure-garden” was placed there for pleasure or style. Somewhere within its high wall lay a pond of unknown size, dug out, lined with clay, and maintained for the fish it would provide for the . . . — — Map (db m178091) HM
Even though the estate’s pleasure garden was laid out in the fashionable, late 18th-Century back-to-nature style, it exhibited some features that harkened back to the geometric formality that had ruled previous old style gardens. This fact is . . . — — Map (db m177584) HM
One of the garden’s most exotic features was its long, large hothouses, which sheltered orange, lemon, olive and citron trees from the rigors of an American winter. Such foreign plantings lent the island such an air of otherworldliness that one . . . — — Map (db m178089) HM
Perhaps the most startling aspects of the flower garden to modern imaginations was its English-style maze, also called a labyrinth. It consisted of a section of clipped high hedges, possibly boxwood, filled with twisting, interconnecting graveled . . . — — Map (db m178088) HM
Each of the Blennerhassett estate’s gardens was surrounded by a high paling fence. Made of a durable wood, such as locust (a favorite frontier Ohio Valley fence wood), the fences stood some 10-12 feet tall and were used to keep out predators such as . . . — — Map (db m178093) HM
From 1798 to 1806, the Blennerhassetts created two different
gardens on their island estate: a one-acre kitchen garden that
lay southwest of the mansion growing fruits and vegetables
and. to the northwest, a 2⅓ acre pleasure garden . . . — — Map (db m177575) HM
Covering approximately ten acres and in operation from 1886 to 1912, the first Blennerhassett Island Park was one of the most popular outdoor amusement spots in the Ohio Valley boasting a dance pavilion, a shooting gallery, a bowling alley, and . . . — — Map (db m178094) HM
One of the farmhouses stood on this site (torn
down in 1979). Around the 1880s it was used as a
broom factory. The broomcorn straw, which went
into the making of these brooms, was grown on the
island. — — Map (db m177633) HM
Not everything in the Blennerhassett estate’s “pleasure-garden” was placed there for pleasure or style. Somewhere within its high wall lay a pond of unknown size, dug out, lined with clay, and maintained for the fish it would provide for the . . . — — Map (db m178090) HM
On Volcano Road (County Route 5) 0.8 miles south of Northwestern Turnpike (U.S. 50), on the right when traveling east.
The virgin forests of the White Oak region in the early 1860's would be replaced by a forest of derricks when oil was discovered and drilling commenced.
There was no standard size for a derrick but most were 72 feet tall. Our replica is 28 . . . — — Map (db m302408) HM
On Volcano Road (County Route 5) 0.8 miles south of Northwestern Turnpike (U.S. 50), on the right when traveling east.
The Laurel Fork & Sand Hill Railroad was started in 1866 and completed in 1869 at a cost of $16,000. It ran from Volcano to Volcano Junction (5 miles). There were four daily trains carrying some passengers and freight, but mostly oil. . . . — — Map (db m306168) HM
On Volcano Road (County Route 5) 0.8 miles south of Northwestern Turnpike (U.S. 50), on the right when traveling south.
Welcome
Mountwood Park's 2,600 acres of public land in Wood County, West Virginia, offer visitors many ways to explore, learn about, and enjoy this park's natural resources and history. Mountwood sits on much of the . . . — — Map (db m302379) HM
Near Volcano Road (County Route 5) 0.8 miles south of Northwestern Turnpike (U.S. 50), on the right when traveling west.
This oil pump was used in Volcano, WV at Myers Fork Run circa 1910. It was manufactured by Parmaco, the Parkersburg Machine Company.
Donated by James Hardigg Wood County Petroleum Co. On display of the courtesy Oil & Gas Museum, . . . — — Map (db m302484) HM
Near Volcano Road (County Route 5) 0.8 miles south of Northwestern Turnpike (U.S. 50), on the right when traveling east.
This engine was manufactured by the Joseph Reid Company and used in Volcano, WV circa 1920's.
Donated by Hope Gas Company. On display of the courtesy Oil & Gas Museum, Parkersburg. — — Map (db m302486) HM
Near Volcano Road (County Route 2/8) 0.9 miles west of Petroleum Road (County Route 2/8), on the right when traveling west.
In 1875, it is probable that this hillside had been cleared of brush and all but a few select trees. Thus W. C. Stiles, Jr. could have stood here surveying many of his business interests and the oil boom town he "fathered."
This panoramic . . . — — Map (db m302358) HM
Near Volcano Road (County Route 5) 0.8 miles south of Northwestern Turnpike (U.S. 50), on the right when traveling east.
Engine House Schematic
This schematic is of George West's endless cable system. It was the last system to operate in the Volcano oil fields. It operated through 1972.
The red arrows show the endless cable entering and leaving the . . . — — Map (db m302471) HM
Near Volcano Road (County Route 2/8) 0.9 miles west of Petroleum Road (County Route 2/8), on the right when traveling west.
W. C. Stiles, Jr., the "Father of Volcano," built Thornhill for his family in 1874 at a cost of $60,000. It was built in the form of a Maltese cross with three floors of 25 rooms. Thornhill possessed a commanding view of Volcano and the . . . — — Map (db m302329) HM
Near Volcano Road (County Route 2/8) 0.9 miles west of Petroleum Road (County Route 2/8), on the right when traveling west.
The ladies above Effie (left) and Olga (right) Wade posed for this picture in 1922. The step in front of Effie is the bottom step for the front porch. The estate buildings are behind the girls. Note how well the land was cleared. — — Map (db m302328) HM
On Volcano Road (County Route 5) 0.8 miles south of Northwestern Turnpike (U.S. 50), on the right when traveling east.
An act to provide Free Schools for the town of Volcano was passed by the West Virginia Legislature on February 18th, 1871. The first students were taught in the old Volcano Hotel. By August, a two-story school accommodating 150 students was . . . — — Map (db m306376) HM
On Volcano Road (County Route 5) 0.8 miles south of Northwestern Turnpike (U.S. 50), on the right when traveling east.
The smaller bull wheels were donated to the museum by Paul Reese. Paul's family has deep roots in Volcano and he was also a driving force in the birth of Volcano Days. The large band wheel was donated by Haessly Hardwood Lumber Co. of Marietta, . . . — — Map (db m302409) HM
Near Volcano Road (County Route 2/8) 0.9 miles west of Petroleum Road (County Route 2/8), on the right when traveling west.
William Cooper Stiles, Jr., born in Philadelphia on July 27, 1839, was one of the earliest operators in the West Virginia and Ohio oil fields.
In 1863 Mr. Stiles invested a considerable sum of money to drill test wells near Fifteen Mile . . . — — Map (db m302352) HM
On Volcano Road (County Route 5) 0.8 miles south of Northwestern Turnpike (U.S. 50), on the right when traveling east.
Women in the early 1900's enjoyed few rights and were seen as weak, unintelligent, and inferior to men. Women were expected to marry, clean the house, and raise children. Married women were considered their husband's property; prior to marriage . . . — — Map (db m302388) HM
On Volcano Road (County Route 5) 0.8 miles south of Northwestern Turnpike (U.S. 50), on the right when traveling east.
This wooden oil storage tank was rescued from a former Volcano oil field. In the 1860's, oil storage tanks were made of wood and by the 1870's steel riveted tanks were being introduced.
Abraham Burghoff was the principal barrel maker in . . . — — Map (db m302469) HM
This monument and section of a World Trade Center Beam
from the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks
are dedicated to the courage, bravery, and sacrifice of all victims of that horrific day
and to Parkersburg, West Virginia native Mary Lou . . . — — Map (db m189808) HM WM
On Little Kanawha Connector (2nd Street) near Ann Street, on the right when traveling north.
This park is dedicated to the memory of Albert Johnson Woofter, who for 42 years heralded Parkersburg and the Little Kanawha area through his popular Town and Country column and other writings in the Parkersburg News.
Al was one of the . . . — — Map (db m124245) HM
Situated just 1.8 miles below Parkersburg in the Ohio River is historic Blennerhassett Island. This 3.8 mile long island was once the home of the wealthy Irish immigrants Harman and Margaret Blennerhassett. After moving to the Island in 1798, they . . . — — Map (db m73569) HM
On Little Kanawha Connector (2nd Street) near Ann Street.
Harman Blennerhassett purchased island in 1797, and built for his bride a mansion which became the showplace of the Ohio Valley. Aaron Burr was his guest in 1805. Here they planned a military expedition with the intention to conquer the Southwest. — — Map (db m124220) HM
On Market Street at 10th Street, on the right when traveling north on Market Street.
National Register of Historic Places
Calvary Temple Evangelical Church
(First Presbyterian Church)
Presented by Wood County Historic Landmarks Commission — — Map (db m189832) HM
On Juliana Street, on the right when traveling north.
Casto-Douglas-Longacre-Harris House
Circa 1913 Has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior — — Map (db m189838) HM
Wood County formally organized, August 12, 1799, at the home of Colonel Hugh Phelps, who came here, 1787. Phelps made the first effort to arrest Burr and Blennerhassett. About 1800, he built this house, later the home of Thomas Tavernner. — — Map (db m73625) HM
On 3rd Street at Juliana Street ( Route 68), on the right when traveling north on 3rd Street.
During the Civil War, several Parkersburg residents played a role in carving the new state of West Virginia from the Old Dominion of Virginia and in representing it at the national level.
Much of the political life of the city took place in . . . — — Map (db m73520) HM
In 1773, Robert Thornton claimed 1400 acres encompassing today's downtown Parkersburg, but sold it ten years later to Captain Alexander Parker, for whom the town was later named. The first permanent settler was Captain James Neal who erected a . . . — — Map (db m73570) HM
Escape to Freedom. The Ohio R. was a major gateway to freedom for enslaved Africans via the Underground Railroad, a clandestine network of people, places, routes, and modes of transportation used in their flight from bondage. Network's peak . . . — — Map (db m73565) HM
On Fort Boreman Drive 1 mile south of Robert Byrd Highway (U.S. 50).
The men of Co. A, 11th West Virginia Infantry (US), constructed Fort Boreman in 1863 to protect the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad here. The B&O, the most important east-west rail line that linked the Atlantic coast with the American interior, was . . . — — Map (db m73585) HM
On Fort Boreman Drive 1 mile south of Robert Byrd Highway (U.S. 50), on the right when traveling north.
Built in 1863 on Mount Logan by Company A of the 11th WV Infantry to protect the B&O Railroad line between Wheeling and Parkersburg. The defensive structure was named in honor of the new state's first governor, Arthur I. Boreman, who lived in Wood . . . — — Map (db m189780) HM
On Fort Boreman Drive 1 mile south of Robert Byrd Highway (Route 50). Reported permanently removed.
Fort Boreman was a military fortification constructed by the United States Army during the Civil War. The protection of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, the two turnpikes, the Northwestern and the Staunton-Parkersburg, and river port facilities was . . . — — Map (db m73607) HM
On Fort Boreman Drive 1 mile south of Robert Byrd Highway (U.S. 50), on the right when traveling north.
Fort Boreman was a military fortification constructed by the United States Army during the Civil War. The protection of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, the two turnpikes, the Northwestern and the Staunton-Parkersburg, and river port facilities was . . . — — Map (db m189772) HM
On Fort Boreman Drive 1 mile south of Robert Byrd Highway (U.S. 50). Reported permanently removed.
The prominent known locally as Fort Boreman Hill encompasses almost 250 acres. However, the actual site of Fort Boreman, its gun stations, powder magazine, and winter quarters, utilized only a small portion of the hill.
The same natural . . . — — Map (db m73618) HM
On Fort Boreman Drive 1 mile south of Robert Byrd Highway (U.S. 50), on the right when traveling north.
The prominence known locally as Fort Boreman Hill encompasses almost 250 acres. However, the actual site of Fort Boreman, its gun stations, powder magazine, and winter quarters, utilized only a small portion of the hill.
The same natural . . . — — Map (db m189928) HM
On 2nd Street west of Ann Street, on the left when traveling west.
Julia Neale Jackson, visiting her father's home on this site Jan. 21, 1824, bore a son who became the Confederate hero "Stonewall" Jackson. At the first Battle of Bull Run, Gen. Bee cried, "there stands Jackson like a stone wall". The rally behind . . . — — Map (db m189789) HM
On Little Kanawha Connector (2nd Street) north of Ann Street.
At the Little Kanawha, 1774, George Rogers Clark and 90 companions, largely recruited in what is now West Virginia, assembled on their way into Kentucky. Their plans, halted by Indian Wars, later resulted in conquest of the Northwest. — — Map (db m124219) HM
On Little Kanawha Connector (2nd Street) near Ann Street.
To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the historic Blennerhassett Hotel, we dedicate this monument to the city of Parkersburg and the Blennerhassett Historical Park Commission on the day, Saturday, May 6, 1989.
On Fort Boreman Drive 1 mile south of Robert Byrd Highway (U.S. 50). Reported permanently removed.
One and one-half miles below the confluence of the Ohio and Little Kanawha rivers lies historic Blennerhassett Island, home of the Irish aristocrat Harman Blennerhassett and his wife Margaret from 1798 to 1806. Blennerhassett is known for his . . . — — Map (db m73602) HM
On Fort Boreman Drive 1 mile south of Robert Byrd Highway, on the right when traveling north.
One and one-half miles below the confluence of the Ohio and Little Kanawha rivers lies historic Blennerhassett Island, home of the Irish aristocrat Harnman Blennerhassett and his wife Margaret from 1798 to 1806. Blennerhassett is known for his . . . — — Map (db m189783) HM
On Fort Boreman Drive 1 mile south of Robert Byrd Highway (U.S. 50).
Parkersburg was permanently settled in 1785 by Capt. James Neal, a veteran of Lord Dunmore’s War and the Revolutionary War. It was first surveyed in 1796 as Springville, chartered in 1800 as Newport, and resurveyed and renamed Parkersburg in 1810 in . . . — — Map (db m73590) HM
On Fort Boreman Drive south of Robert Byrd Highway (U.S. 50), on the right when traveling north.
In 1773 Robert Thornton claimed 400 acres on the north bank of the Little Kanawha River where he built a cabin and cultivated land in the area that is now downtown Parkersburg. Thornton sold his claim to Capt. Alexander Parker for $50 in 1785. The . . . — — Map (db m189775) HM
On Juliana Street (West Virginia Route 68) at 3rd Street on Juliana Street.
Born in Parkersburg on April 11,
1821, Blair was an attorney before
the Civil War. Elected in 1861 to
fill a vacancy in the US House of
Representatives, he served until
1865 and was a staunch supporter
of the Union and WV statehood. On
New . . . — — Map (db m124280) HM
On 2nd Street at Avery Street, on the right when traveling south on 2nd Street.
Born 1824 to a prominent family,
he was an eminent legal figure in
WV history. A member of the prewar
VA Assembly, he was named a U.S.
district judge by President Lincoln
in 1861. The staunch Unionist ruled
in 1870 that ex-Confederates . . . — — Map (db m206026) HM
On Ann Street just north of 13th Street, on the left when traveling north.
With the end of the Civil War, the opening of West Virginia’s oil and gas industry, the quickened pace of roads, railroads and rivers, and the influx of industry, the city’s population grew. The area just north of town which included Juliana and . . . — — Map (db m124212) HM
On Ann Street at 13th Street, on the right when traveling north on Ann Street.
With the end of the Civil War, the opening of West Virginia’s oil and gas industry, the quickened pace of roads, railroads and rivers, and the influx of industry, the city’s population grew. The area just north of town which included Juliana and . . . — — Map (db m189844) HM
On Ann Street at 10th Street, on the right when traveling south on Ann Street.
With the end of the Civil War, the opening of West Virginia’s oil and gas industry, the quickened pace of roads, railroads and rivers, and the influx of industry, the city’s population grew. The area just north of town which included Juliana and . . . — — Map (db m189847) HM
On Ann Street at 9th Street, on the left when traveling west on Ann Street.
With the end of the Civil War, the opening of West Virginia’s oil and gas industry, the quickened pace of roads, railroads and rivers, and the influx of industry, the city’s population grew. The area just north of town which included Juliana and . . . — — Map (db m190711) HM
On Juliana Street just north of 11th Street, on the right when traveling north.
Date: 6/23/2012 10:06:56 AM
Description: Johann George Lamp married Elizabeth in 1786, Elizabeth was a very beautiful American Indian maiden, who came from the Powhatan tribe which is a sub tribe of the Shawnee, this information is . . . — — Map (db m190758) HM
National Register of Historic Places
Logan Memorial Methodist Church 1891
Presented by Wood County Historic Landmarks Commission — — Map (db m189854) HM
Neal's Station or Fort Neal was built in 1785 by Capt. James Neal, Revolutionary War veteran, who led a party of settlers to the mouth of the Little Kanawha. Neal first came here in 1783 surveying present site of Parkersburg. — — Map (db m73623) HM WM
On Memorial Bridge Road just east of the toll booths.
Ohio Named for the river, called by the Iroquois the "Beautiful River." Visited by LaSalle in 1769-1770. Once part of the Northwest Territory. Settled at Marietta, 1788. Admitted to the Union, 1803. Home of 8 United States Presidents. West . . . — — Map (db m73515) HM
On Old US 50 (SR 618) at Staunton Avenue (SR 47) on Old US 50 (SR 618).
Here is the site of the Old Tollgate House where the Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike and the Northwestern Turnpike met. Surveyed by Col. Claudius Crozet, both roads were completed to the Ohio River by 1850. — — Map (db m73619) HM
On Old US 50 (SR 618) at Staunton Avenue (SR 47) on Old US 50 (SR 618).
Washington, who had favored the Braddock Road, proposed the Northwestern Turnpike to the Ohio through Virginia in 1784. It was completed to Parkersburg in 1838. The road from Staunton to Parkersburg was opened in 1847. — — Map (db m73620) HM
On Juliana Street at 5th Street on Juliana Street.
Blockhouse at "Point" built by Virginia for border defense during the Indian hostilities. Garrisoned by troops under Bogard, Coburn, and others. Still standing in 1803. County seat established in 1800 on land given by John Stokley. — — Map (db m73517) HM
On Fort Boreman Drive 1 mile south of Robert Byrd Highway (U.S. 50), on the right when traveling north.
At the beginning of the Civil War, Parkersburg had a population of 2,500, having doubled in size during the 1850s. The completion of the southern branch of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad in 1857 increased the size and importance of Parkersburg, then . . . — — Map (db m189786) HM
Founded in 1867, Parkersburg High’s
current Tudor structure is a Frank
Packard design built in 1917. PHS
was the state’s largest high school
until 1940 and served all of the
city until 1967, when a second high
school opened on the South Side . . . — — Map (db m124211) HM
On Fort Boreman Drive 1 mile south of Robert Byrd Highway (U.S. 5).
Parkersburg, (West) Virginia, was first settled permanently in 1785 by Capt. James Neal and other kinfolk and neighbors from Springhill Township, Fayette County, Pa. First chartered by the Virginia Assembly in 1800 as Newport, the town was . . . — — Map (db m73605) HM
On Ann Street at 12th Street, on the left when traveling north on Ann Street.
Born in New York, 1808, he moved to Wood County in 1835 and practiced law. Was officer of Northwestern Virginia Railroad and delegate to Virginia constitutional convention, 1850-51. Delegate to Wheeling and constitutional conventions during war, he . . . — — Map (db m124215) HM
Railroads played an important role in the development of Parkersburg. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad reached Parkersburg in 1857, and the railroad bridge over the Ohio River was completed in 1871. It measures 7140 feet in length and at the time of . . . — — Map (db m73568) HM
On Market Street at 11th Street, on the right when traveling north on Market Street.
Politician, journalist, barber, and civic leader
Founder of the first public school for African Americans
south of the Mason-Dixon Line, riding horseback to Washington, D.C., to ask President Abraham Lincoln for a government building in . . . — — Map (db m189833) HM
On Market Street at 7th Street, on the right when traveling west on Market Street.
At this site, on February 8, 1919, a group of twenty seven leading
citizens of Parkersburg met at the Chancellor Hotel to organize the
Rotary Club of Parkersburg while petitioning the International
Association of Rotary Clubs for a charter. . . . — — Map (db m174320) HM
On Market Street, on the right when traveling north.
National Register of Historic Places
Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church - 1869
Presented by Wood County Historic Landmarks Commission — — Map (db m189828) HM
Sumner School. Established in January 1862 thru the leadership of Robert Simmons. First free school south of Mason-Dixon Line. Later named for abolitionist senator Charles Sumner. First high school class graduated, 1887. Closed in 1955 as . . . — — Map (db m73516) HM
On Camden Avenue (West Virginia Route 95) east of Hamilton Street, on the right when traveling east.
To the east of this cemetery, on the banks of
the Little Kanawha River, in 1785, Captain James
Neal formed the first permanent settlement in
Wood County, Virginia. The vast acreage owned
by Captain Neal and his son-in-law, Colonel Hugh . . . — — Map (db m124281) HM
On Fort Boreman Drive 1 mile south of Robert Byrd Highway (U.S. 50). Reported permanently removed.
The Ohio River, called La Belle Riviere (the beautiful river) by the French, derives its name from an Iroquois word meaning “good river” or “large river.” The Ohio flows generally along a southwesterly 981-mile course from Pittsburgh, PA, to Cairo, . . . — — Map (db m73592) HM WM
On Fort Boreman Drive 1 mile south of Robert Byrd Highway (U.S. 50), on the right when traveling north.
The Ohio River, called La Belle Riviere (the beautiful river) by the French, derives its name from an Iroquois word meaning "good river” or "large river”. The Ohio flows generally along a southwesterly 981-mile course from Pittsburgh, PA, to Cairo, . . . — — Map (db m189921) HM
The confluence of the Ohio and Little Kanawha Rivers is known as “the Point.” It was the site of downtown Parkersburg’s earliest settlement and the stopping place for several famous people. George Washington paused here in his trip down . . . — — Map (db m73580) HM
The piece of hand cut or "chiseled” stone
before you is an original piece from the
City of Parkersburg's first city building.
The Burea, or Ohio Valley Sandstone
was chosen for it's great strength and
workability. Construction at 5th . . . — — Map (db m189814) HM
On Old US 50 (SR 618) at Staunton Avenue (SR 47) on Old US 50 (SR 618).
This marks the site of The Toll House at the meeting of the Staunton and Northwestern Pikes over which came the sturdy pioneers to settle Wood County. — — Map (db m73621) HM
