The Three Economic Lives of Hancock County

At the very tippy-top of West Virginia’s Northern Panhandle is Hancock County. While many think of West Virginia as the transition area between the cultural north and south in the United States, Hancock County reaches further north than Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Columbus, Ohio. With that in mind, the history of the region has much less to do with coal and much more to do with industrial manufacturing, especially steel. Dedicated to preserving the history and culture of this part of West Virginia is the Weirton Area Museum and Cultural Center, which features an array of exhibits detailing the history of the region and ongoing events that bring visitors closer to the unique history and culture of this region. In support of the museum and cultural center’s mission, Dr. Lou Martin, Associate Professor of History at nearby Chatham University, presented Hancock County: From Pre-Industrial to Post Industrial on February 20, 2022 to an audience of folks invested in the history and future of the Northern Panhandle.

Lou Martin is a steady voice for West Virginia’s industrial and labor history. In addition to his role at Chatham University, he is also a founding board member of the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum in Matewan, which is about as far as you can get from Hancock County without entering Kentucky. Lou is also the author of Smokestacks in the Hills: Rural-Industrial Workers in West Virginia, which highlights the unique combination of industrialization and the preservation of rural habits and culture in areas like Hancock County.

His lecture on February 20 spanned the commercial and industrial history of the region from the late 1700s to the present, detailing the transition from an agriculturally driven economy to one firmly rooted in producing pottery and steel and finally on to the present, post-industrial era brought on by the proliferation of neoliberalism in state and federal government. As emphasized in the talk, neoliberalism has less to do with “liberals” and more to do with market-oriented reform policies like deregulation, incentivizing free trade, and privatization. Indeed, one of the strongest proponents of neoliberal trade policies is Ronald Reagan. That there should very clearly communicate the relationship between neoliberal trade policies to “the liberals.” Indeed, no one person or company is responsible for the shuttering of factories and mills, but rather it comes a consequence of a shift in global economic policy. Of course, it can be frustrating and confusing when major economic shifts occur and there is no one, clear individual or entity to blame.

Lou Martin, Ph.D. discussing the development of the potteries of the East Liverpool region, which includes Hancock County and Weirton.

Both Morgantown, West Virginia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania are examples of thriving communities with knowledge-based economies emerging after the fall of heavy industry. The term “meds and eds” is commonly applied to Pittsburgh, which has doubled-down on world-class institutions of higher education and medical facilities over the past five decades to great success. Within West Virginia, Morgantown is home to the largest institution of higher education in the state, West Virginia University. Each year more and more people flock to Morgantown to start careers at West Virginia University, WVU Medicine, and an increasing number of professional services and tech companies founded or branching out into the state to take advantage of the growing brain trust in the area. I relate strongly to this because, well, I am part of that movement!

The talk revealed that opportunities can spring up anywhere and that there are individuals and organizations interested in helping preserve and develop communities like Weirton. However, it can be difficult to connect communities in need with the resources available. Groups and individuals often do not know what they do not know.

With so much food-for-thought, it seemed like it was time for actual food. On the recommendation of West Virginia food blogger (and Northern Panhandle native), Candace Nelson, I stopped at Drover’s Inn to try out their legendary wings. Not your typical wing joint, Drover’s dates back to 1848 as a tavern and inn on the Washington Pike a few miles east of central Wellsburg, West Virginia. Each dining room (and the tavern) maintains the character of a bygone era and features extensive collections of local artifacts with an emphasis on glass produced in the area. Indeed, staff even urge guests to walk around and take in the accumulated history of hospitality.

The Bituminous Coal Heritage Foundation Museum

Coal was first discovered in Appalachia in what is now Boone County, West Virginia in 1742. Since that time, men have gone deep into (or, in more recent years, blown the tops off) mountains in pursuit of this dark matter. To recognize the legacy of coal in Boone County and West Virginia, the Bituminous Coal Heritage Museum was established and opened to the public in the mid-1990s, chock full of memorabilia, historical information, and interactive exhibits.

The Museum is on Main Street in Madison, the seat of Boone County. The entrance to the museum is unassuming and, at first, especially as this once-bustling main drag through downtown is a bit sleepier than it probably was 50 years ago. However, once you enter, it is not unlike mining itself, as there are treasures that tell the stories of the thousands of men (and a few women) who went underground to power a nation. In some spots, the sheer amount of stuff can feel overwhelming, but to take a few minutes to take it in and the story unfolds before your eyes.

Very unexpected from a small museum like this was all of the interactive exhibits. One interactive exhibit takes guests into the darkness of a mine and guests can actually handle the same type of equipment that used to mine coal before the era of the continuous miner (though they have one of those, too!). Another interactive exhibit allows guests to step into the locker rooms where miners would put their clothes in a basket and raise it up to the ceiling to keep their street clothes relatively clean as they donned their overalls.

Also somewhat unexpected is that, despite how quiet Madison feels today, in the United States, West Virginia is only second to Wyoming in terms of production of coal. Side note, I think that is interesting (or coincidental?) because there is a Wyoming County, West Virginia, also in the Southern Coalfields region. Automation in the coalmines means that production is up but employment in the mines is down. Therefore, while these areas are still quite productive in terms of coal output, they do not require the manpower of mines 100 or even only 50 years ago. Mountaintop removal mining requires even fewer men (at the expense of West Virginia’s stunning mountains).

What I think I liked most is that the Bituminous Coal Heritage Foundation Museum tells the human story of mining. The exhibits do not exalt Frances Peabody, Don Blankenship, or Robert E. Murray. Comparatively, it is easy to run the company, but underground danger and even death are omnipresent. It takes a special kind of person (or, some would argue, desperation) to spend your days in a mountain. Now, excuse me, I think I need to watch Harlan County, U.S.A. again.

The Museum is located at 347 Main Street in Madison, WV. The Museum is open from 12:00pm to 5:00pm on Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. And, while you’re there, stroll around Main Street a bit and check out some of the small businesses.

 

Flatwoods Monster Museum

West Virginia seems to attract cryptids (a.k.a. mythical creatures whose existence or survival is disputed, unsubstantiated, and/or controversial). It is famous for a number of them, including the Mothman, Mamie Thurman, and the Flatwoods Monster (a.k.a. Braxxie or the Green Monster). The Flatwoods Monster is celebrated in its Braxton County home at the Flatwoods Monster Museum on Main Street in Sutton.

The most recent reported sighting was on September 12, 1952 and, while it just seems like an interesting piece of trivia now, History.com explains how this mythical creature terrified the residents of Flatwoods and the surrounding Braxton County communities for over six decades.

The Flatwoods Monster Museum presents a collection of artifacts and pop-culture interpretations of the monster’s likeness. They have also amassed all kinds of media that has focused on the Monster, including a How it’s Made segment about making novelty ceramic lanterns (yes, I bought one at the museum).

The museum is about a five-minute drive off I-79 (WV Exit 62) and worth a brief stop to learn more about this unique bit of West Virginia folklore in an adorable small-town setting.

Wheeling: The Transportation City

The history of Wheeling, West Virginia is rooted in transportation. For a time it was the terminus and then a major destination or way station along National Road, the historic (and oldest standing) suspension bridge served as a gateway to the west, for better or worse as the National Road carried on to Vandalia, Illinois (which was the state capitol at the time of construction). But, tucked up in the hills above Wheeling is another transportation gem: the Wheeling – Ohio County Airport. The Wheeling – Ohio County Airport no longer sees commercial aviation, likely due to the proximity to the much larger and central Pittsburgh International Airport, but general and military aviation thrive. The terminal’s art deco interior is pristinely preserved to give guests (and all are welcome) to get a feel for what aviation was in it’s heyday—before flights became glorified Greyhound buses crisscrossing the world.

The airport welcomed its first commercial passenger flights in 1947, served by TWA and Capital DC-3s. Cities serving Wheeling included Pittsburgh (from its original location off of Lebanon Road, much closer to the city center), Clarksburg, WV, and Washington, PA. In 1980 commercial aviation was permanently terminated, likely due to the fact that the Pittsburgh International Airport is a mere 45 minute drive from Wheeling. Since 1980, the terminal has been restored and maintained in peak 1940s style. Guests, non-aviators, are welcome to tour the terminal and take in the unique architecture of a small but grand shrine to flight.

Parade of Steam 2021

Cass Scenic Railroad State Park in remote Pocahontas County, West Virginia has some secrets. At least five of those secrets are powerful, geared, steam locomotives that worked hard time on logging railroads all over North America. In fact, several of the steam engines at Cass spent much of their service life in my home province of British Columbia, Canada! As odd as it sounds, I feel closer to home when visiting Cass and being near machines that helped tame the West.

The Parade of Steam is a relatively new tradition at Cass Scenic Railroad, launching after the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad assumed operations of the rolling stock. There were initial concerns about turning over these operations to a for-profit business enterprise, especially with rates for rail excursions increasing substantially, but their care and attention to these historical machines and dedication to their operation has proven their honest intentions.

My husband and I arrived to Cass early on June 19, 2021, not knowing exactly what the turnout would look like for the Parade. Initially it seemed like the turnout would be modest, but within 30 minutes of the beginning of the event the parking lot was packed with cars and folks sitting in lawn chairs with their cameras and cell phones fixed on the track between the old mill and the station. The Parade of Steam featured five of the engines at Cass, the Climax #9 and Shay’s #2, #4, #5, and #11 in an array of configurations that lasted the better part of an hour!

While happy to share some stills from the event, others took some magnificent video, such as this one shared on the KensTrains YouTube channel.

My favorite, Shay #2, “Pacific Coast”

A pair of Shay’s taking off in formation

The icing on the cake was a nice excursion to Bald Knob after the Parade. The excursion was sold out and filled with guests from all around the mid-Atlantic, including a busload of elderly tourists from New Jersey who had a lot of questions about West Virginia. To them, and everyone from out of state, we welcome you and your tourism dollars. There is a lot of great stuff to see and do in West Virginia!

 

Where in the World is Watoga?

In the ultra-rural hills of Pocahontas County, West Virginia are many unexpected gems, including the Green Bank Observatory, Buckeye Bend Books, the Highland Scenic Highway, and the Edray State Trout Hatchery. Among these hills, one may also find Watoga State Park. Originally conceived as a state forest, it was developed into a full-fledged state park by the Civilian Conservation Corps, with many of those amenities maintained and celebrated to this day. The park is an all-inclusive rustic wonderland, featuring a swimming pool, small lake (with kayak, canoe, and SUP rentals!), and miles of meandering trails.

The lake is stocked with fish and perfect for folks wanting to try their hand and some type of paddling without committing to making an intense day of it. Following the lakeshore is a rustic trail with a smattering of benches, so those who prefer to stay on land can still get much of the benefit of the lake while staying dry.

The amenities at the park include a lodge with a well-stocked gift shop (all the non-alcoholic cold drinks you will ever need) and a moving tribute to the CCC workers that left this gem in these hills. Come, get away from it all.

 

The Bodice Project

Stereotypes about West Virginia are often frustrating to those of us who live here. Stereotypes about lower than average intelligence, increased impulsivity, laziness, lack of education, and poor oral health make us all cringe. Furthermore, if folks are so concerned about the poor dental health in West Virginia, perhaps they should donate some money to local dentists or the West Virginia University School of Dentistry to reach more people. West Virginia has a number of vibrant communities with cultural gems, including Huntington’s Huntington Museum of Art.

Tucked in the picturesque hills south of town and surrounded by beautiful (though steep in many places) walking and hiking trails, the Huntington Museum of Art punches above its weight. The museum brings artistic traditions spanning time and cultures to this pocket of Appalachia. Permanent exhibitions include antique firearms, Middle Eastern artifacts, and a small conservatory punctuated by a breathtaking Dale Chihuly glass sculpture.

Admission to the museum is free for all, though memberships are for sale for those who want to have a greater involvement in and express gratitude for this resource, helping ensure admission remains free and the museum accessible to those of all socioeconomic means.

The Huntington Museum of Art usually has two or three temporary exhibits to punctuate their permanent collection. Currently, these temporary exhibitions include the Bodice Project. The Bodice Project is a traveling sculpture exhibition that asks breast cancer survives to answer the question, “who am I now?”

On one hand, I am glad that breast cancer is something so many people are aware of in the mainstream. It is a devastating condition. However, I also worry that many of the campaigns that companies and aggressive non-profits run, effectively “pink washing” everything they touch, might diminish the stories of those living with breast cancer. The Bodice Project is none of this. The Bodice Project is survivors expressing their experience, their hopes, and their realities on their own terms.

The Bodice Project remains at the Huntington Museum of Art until July 25, 2021. Many of the bodices included in the exhibit are included on the Bodice Project’s main website, here. The project has already made stops in Winchester, Virginia, Frederick, Maryland, and Morgantown, West Virginia. If it visits your town, I recommend a visit to immerse yourself in what breast cancer really means to those living with the condition. Pink optional.

Fun for All!

Camden Park is a Huntington, West Virginia establishment and West Virginia’s only operational amusement park. The park opened in 1903 as a trolley park along the Camden Interstate Railway Company (one of only a dozen or so left in the United States). Trolley parks opened along or at the end of streetcar lines, which provided essential regional transportation most medium- and large-sized cities. Operated by the streetcar companies, the parks were a way to maintain business on weekends. Camden Park is located approximately halfway between downtown Huntington, West Virginia and Ashland, Kentucky, the termini of the Camden Interstate Railway. However, as personal autos become more and more popular, trolley began a slow decline as new ones were not opening and old ones were gradually closing up shop.

Happy Clown Enticing and Welcoming Guests Driving on U.S. Route 60

The park opened with little more than a carousel and a picnic grove, but over the years has hosted a variety of attractions. Indeed, listening to stories from Huntington-area locals, you are bound to hear about rides and attractions of years past and, after visiting the park, I discovered many classic rides in states of disrepair and even parted out. Excited to ride the Scrambler, I was disappointed to find it among the rides overgrown and parted out. Though with very little attention or fanfare to acknowledge it, the Scrambler was right next to a Native American burial mound. I could not help but think the exploitation of a holy place to the Native Americans of the region could be an ongoing problem for the park.

The Scrambler in shambles

Camden Park is also home to the Big Dipper, a historical wooden rollercoaster built in 1958. The coaster is a historical example of the type and recognized by several roller coaster enthusiast groups for the history and uniqueness of the coaster. Of course, it, too, was closed and in desperate need to have quite a bit of the wood replaced or repainted.

The Big Dipper needs a bit of work

The news is not all bad. Camden Park does have about 25 attractions that are open and in good repair. The odd thing was that ride operators were commonly covering multiple rides. The park did not have enough ride operators when I visited in late May 2021! I hope that the local high school students decide they need some spending money over the summer and help fill the void. Regardless, I could have ridden the Tilt-a-Whirl until I threw up in my husband’s lap.

Visiting Camden Park was both nostalgic and sad. The park could be so much more, especially when I think about some of the other remaining trolley parks, like Kennywood Park near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Even simple things like maps and wayfinding signage was missing or in disrepair.

Not sure what I’m looking at here…

The final surprise is another relic from the past. Pay toilets are extremely uncommon today. Prior to visiting Camden Park I had only ever seen a pay toilet mechanism at a Hardee’s in a rougher part of Los Angeles. That one was operational and I had to pony up a quarter. Camden Park is no longer using the pay toilet mechanism on each of the stall doors, but the mechanisms are still all there!

Pay Toilet Mechanism in Women’s Restrooms at Camden Park

Visit Camden Park, eat some funnel cake (don’t forget the strawberry topping!), and get yourself sick on the Tilt-a-Whirl. It could be better and it could have more operational attractions, but it is still a blast for 3-4 hours, and it is an honor to say that you have visited one of the very last trolley parks in America.

 

The Highland Scenic Highway

The Highland Scenic Highway travels from U.S. Route 219 just north of Marlinton, West Virginia to Richwood, West Virginia in the southern part of the Monongahela National Forest. Along the 43-mile route are an array of scenic overlooks, trails, and natural wonders. The route represents one of the highest in West Virginia, ranging in altitude from 2,325 feet to over 4,500 feet. The altitude changes the entire climate and environment, yielding views and experiences unique from anything else in West Virginia and the entire region. In fact, if I did not know better, I would think I was back home in the Pacific Northwest.

It is widely believed that during the most recent ice age, while much of the continent was covered with ice, this part of the Appalachian Mountains was not. Consequently, it is also believed that the area the Highland Scenic Highway curves through reseeded North America as the ice receded. While I am not an expert in geology, it seems plausible given the diversity of flora in the area. Something simply feels special about being in this forest. Three of my favorite places along the Highland Scenic Highway are Honeycomb Rocks, Cranberry Glades Botanical Area, and Falls of Hills Creek.

Honeycomb Rocks

Honeycomb Rocks Trail is a short out-and-back trail that leads walkers past rocks with an incredible boxwork, or honeycomb, pattern caused by rock bending and folding. This folding and bending caused rocks to fracture, then water rich in iron made its way into the fractured rock, causing the rock along the fractures to harden into another type of stone, hematite.

Just one of many examples of the “honeycomb rocks”

Cranberry Glades Botanical Area

The Cranberry Glades Botanical Area protects the largest area of bogs in West Virginia. Bogs are more commonly found further north, not so much this far south. The spongy ground of a bog is largely made up of decaying plant matter and this foundation inspires a unique array of plants to grow, only starting with cranberries but also including carnivorous plants, like the pitcher plant. Navigation of this area is on a wooden boardwalk with interpretive signs to help guests identify the most unique parts of the bog. The wooden boardwalk can be uneven in areas and is quite slippery when wet, which was confirmed when a member of our group fell while taking in the sights.

The larger of the two primary bogs at the Cranberry Glades Botanical Area.

Falls of Hills Creek

The Falls of Hills Creek proves that the only thing better than one waterfall is, not one, but two more waterfalls! This trail requires hikers to navigate over 400 steps in about three-quarters of a mile. I was initially skeptical but by the time I made it to the lower falls, I was sold. The falls are progressively higher the further one hikes. The first falls is a modest 25 feet, the second is 45 feet, and the third is the second-highest in West Virginia at 63 feet high, with a stunning amphitheater behind it, covered in lichen in all shades from white to dark green. As Hills Creek continues down Droop Mountain it eventually travels underground into Sharps Cave where it has additional falls, one over 100 feet in height, making it higher than the official highest waterfall in West Virginia, which is Blackwater Falls, at 65 feet—only two feet higher than the Lower Falls at Falls of Hills Creek.

The Lower Falls of Hills Creek, West Virginia’s second highest waterfall at 63’.

I hope you have the opportunity to explore some of these amazing places in the Mountain State. The Highland Scenic Highway has plenty more to offer depending on your interests, but these three locations are fairly approachable for even fairly inexperienced Mountaineers. Plus, due to the higher elevations, it can be quite cold in the winter but the elevation makes these special places perfect to visit during the summer to escape the sweltering heat and humidity in the lower cities and towns in the region.

Christmas Eve Adventure

One of my favorite things to do is hop in my car and explore. About once a week, or at least two or three times each month, my husband hop in the car for an adventure. Weather was looking good here in West Virginia during the day of December 24, so we took the opportunity to visit some of the more remote areas within an hour or two of Morgantown.

Traveling from Morgantown, WV our first stop was Cool Spring Park (description from Roadside America). Cool Springs is a general store with a lunch counter, though during CoVID-19 they are not allowing indoor dining, and a graveyard of industrial objects from bygone days to explore (during the warmer months). The variety of products is impressive and sometimes entertaining. The hot chocolate on a cool day is was perfect. Cool Springs is also a helpful gas stop, gas stations are fewer and further between on U.S. Route 50.

From Cool Springs Park, we took toward the town of Eglon to find a geocache in the cemetery. The geocache, My Little Black Bird, was placed in celebration of Maison Sharp, a child who brought joy to his family but could not stay with us on earth for very long.

Eglon Community Cemetery

From Eglon we made our way to the towns of Thomas and Davis, along the way we stopped to admire the windmills along U.S. Route 219. Another interesting place in this area is Fairfax Stone State Park, a surveyor’s marker and boundary stone used in the 1700s to settle a dispute over land, it marks the boundary between Maryland and West Virginia and it is the origin of the North Branch of the Potomac River.

Windmills lining the ridge U.S. Route 219 follows through the Potomac Highlands

About 6 miles down the road we arrived in Thomas. The Gal-ivanter has a great blog post on what to see and do on a perfect trip to Thomas. Thomas is jam packed with cute little shops and cafes. My favorites are the Bloom gallery and Thomasyard. We were hoping to find a geocache on part of the Blackwater Canyon Trail, but the snow had other plans.

Onward to Davis! Like Thomas, Davis has an adorable downtown area filled with cute shops and cafes, though I am devastated that Hellbender Burritos closed, so many folks will never know some of the best burritos I’ve ever eaten (and I know a thing or two about good burritos after living in California). After our experience trying to find the geocache on the trail in Thomas, we should have known better. However, we were enticed to the Heart of the Highlands Trail, which was also too snowy for searching. No problem, I would love an excuse to come back, even better if I can come back with my bike!

Our next stop was Mt. Storm Lake. This lake is interesting because the water tends to stay warmer than it would naturally because it cools a power plant. It is enormously popular for scuba diving, though you would not know that on a gusty December 24. On the bright side, we found the geocache and the cleanest portajohn I have ever seen.

The Tacocat is prepared for anything, including a very slushy lakeshore

At this point, my shoes were completely soaked through. It was quite wet and slushy and I cursed at myself for skipping the rubber boots, but the truck was warm and we only had one more planned stop. We headed to the intersection of U.S. Route 50 and Table Rock Rd in Garrett County, Maryland. Maryland has one of the most comprehensive networks of traffic cameras in the country, including one at this remote outpost (to explore more of Maryland’s traffic cameras and other metrics, check out CHART).

Being Christmas Eve, and feeling a little bummed about not being able to see either of our families, Chris sent the link to the cam to his mom and I did the same with my dad. My dad captured the following picture from the video feed:

It was as close as we could get to our loved ones. Facetime might be easier, but this was a lot more fun and capped off our adventure on a high note. Avoiding others can be difficult, but there are ways to make it a lot more fun.