Eight panels mounted to the inside of the town gazebo depict some historical and notable features of the town.
Panel 1 - Town of Ansted
The town of Ansted, West Virginia chartered in 1891, was created because of coal. The town's . . . — — Map (db m173340) HM
Unlike nearby Kilsyth, most of the housing within Mount Hope was constructed without formal company planning. One Exception, however, was a cluster of 14 identical houses developed by the Mount Hope Coal Company on the outskirts of the community . . . — — Map (db m179365) HM
Like many other areas of West Virginia, coal mining has played an important role in the history of Ansted and the surrounding area. Soon after the 1873 completion of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, coal mines began springing up in the New River . . . — — Map (db m173339) HM
As the community of Mount Hope developed with the coal interests during the early 20th century, it emerged as one of the premier commercial and industrial centers of the New River coalfields, serving a steady customer base of both workers and . . . — — Map (db m179359) HM
William Nelson Page became one of the leading managers and developers of West Virginia's coalfields in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with much of his time being spent here in Ansted. While president of the Gauley Mountain Coal Company, . . . — — Map (db m173338) HM
Sheepskin Trail
History & Detail
The original rail line that defines much of the Sheepskin Trail was built in the 1890's as the Fairmont, Morgantown, and Pittsburgh branch of the B&O Railroad. It was to meet the needs of a booming coal . . . — — Map (db m203191) HM
After the Civil War, George W. Imboden lived here with his wife, Mary Tyree, the daughter of William Tyree of Tyree Tavern. When the war began, Imboden enlisted in the Staunton Artillery in Augusta County, Virginia, where he then resided. He . . . — — Map (db m34371) HM
During his and Gen. Henry Alexander Wise’s unsuccessful Kanawha Valley campaign, Confederate Gen. John B. Floyd made his headquarters here, August 17-18, 1861, while Wise camped on the top of Big Sewell Mountain. In 1862, according to an inscription . . . — — Map (db m59937) HM
Founder of Raleigh County and the City of Beckley. Born in Washington, D.C., he was a West Point graduate, class of 1823, U.S. Artillery officer, and a brigadier general in the Virginia militia 1849-1861. He came to Fayette County (now Raleigh) in . . . — — Map (db m165062) HM
On January 2, 1862, Starlin Marion Newberry Marrs was born in Gauley Bridge, Fayette County, Virginia (now West Virginia). At 16, he began teaching in rural schools, working in coal mines to make ends meet. He moved to Texas in 1881, teaching in . . . — — Map (db m97361) HM
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
As Mt. Hope emerged, there occurred one of the most important events in the state's history: the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad, routed through the New River Gorge, was completed in 1873. The C&O was the first railroad to enter southern West Virginia . . . — — Map (db m242622) HM
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
The Birdman of West Virginia
When thinking of the early aviation history of the United States, many times we think of Dayton or Kitty Hawk. However, the town of Ansted also holds a very special place in the story, as it was the birthplace of . . . — — Map (db m173335) HM
“Lens Creek Valley is electric and bustling…”
writes one journalist. "The men … are mountaineers, in blue overalls or parts of khaki uniform, carrying rifles as casually as picks or sticks … They mention the towns they come from, . . . — — Map (db m206836) HM
Edward Mine to Emerald Mine
When the mine first opened in 1921, it was known as the Edward Mine and was located near Clarksville and operated by the Chartiers Southern Coal Company. In 1923, the company constructed the initial 70 houses . . . — — Map (db m181680) HM
Welcome to the Mount Hope Historic Walking Trail. Walk along the sidewalks of Mount Hope and take a step back in time as you make your way through the heart of downtown. Hear stories of how the New River Company not only shaped the town but the . . . — — Map (db m242620) HM
Mary Price Ratrie Greenspace
Biography
Mary Price Ratrie was born in the Dickinson family, which through its manufacture of salt, coal mining, banking activities and philanthropic contributions, helped develop and shape Charleston and the . . . — — Map (db m178536) HM
Points of Interest ~
Ansted* – Visit the Ansted Heritage Museum, Hawks Nest State Park, or take a hike on the Ansted Rail Trail.
Ashland – Locally made crafts may be purchased at the restored Ashland Company . . . — — Map (db m304941) HM
Shortly after European explorers arrived, permanent settlers began to use the "Indian Path" to enter southern West Virginia. The first permanent settlers arrived at Paint Creek in the early 19th century. Agriculture was the dominant way of life for . . . — — Map (db m75144) HM
(Side A)
I have taken an oath
To serve and protect my fellow man
Guide me safely in my duties
To do the very best I can
Give me the ability
To stop those things that are wrong
To bring comfort and safety by restoring it to . . . — — Map (db m262710)
To the Glory of Patriotism
In memory of
Abraham Davenport
and his wife
Mary Simms.
Their seven sons were
soldiers of the
American Revolution
———————
Stephen, Abraham, John,
Marmaduke, . . . — — Map (db m103512) WM
While the description of Bramwell as a town of millionaires can be
viewed as an exaggeration, it did have a significant number of wealthy
families. Their wealth was built largely upon the rapid growth of the
Pocahontas coalfield and Bramwell’s . . . — — Map (db m179168) HM
On July 26, 1942 the first African American 4-H camp in the United States was opened here in Fayette County. A 1929 report showed that 44 of the state’s 55 counties had 4-H camps for white children, hut none for black children. Fleming Adolphus . . . — — Map (db m138104) HM
Southwest is the Old Stone
House, built, 1824, by Richard
Tyree on the James River and
Kanawha Turnpike. It was visited by Jackson, Clay, Webster,
Benton, and other notables.
Here Matthew Fontaine Maury
wrote his book on navigation. — — Map (db m138108) HM
Thin black lines indicate changes in relevance. Between each pair of lines entries are ordered geographically but all have the same relevance.
* Inflectional forms of words are their plurals, singulars, and possessives as well as gramatical tenses and similar variations.
