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With this enticing realm of diverse historical landmarks comes a story which dates as far back as 9,000 B.C., when Parkersburg's history of human habitation likely originates with Indians. Beginning in the late 1600s, Frenchmen explored the region. English exploration followed, but white settlers did not inhabit the area until the 1760s. Squatters illegally claimed the natives' land, and the U.S. Army eradicated the squatters in 1785. That year, permanent settlers migrated to the region. The appeal of the land may have been its fertile valley, marked by lush, jungle-like forests populated by wild animals including buffalo and multi-colored parrots. The Ohio River was the sustenance of the Parkersburg area, providing the traditional means of transportation and trade. A four-year Indian war in the late 1700s led to an era of gradual expansion and development. The region was sparsely populated, mostly by Southern-style plantations with slaves. In 1811, Parkersburg opened up to the rest of the world when the Ohio River's first steamboat refueled there. The Northwestern Turnpike, connecting Winchester, Virginia and Parkersburg, paralleling present-day US Route 50, was completed in 1838. Nine years later, the Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike (following modern-day US Route 47) was finished. In 1857, a barrier-breaking mode of transportation cut into Parkersburg. A branch of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad gave Parkersburg easy access to the East Coast and Cincinnati. Three years later, the oil boom began. Great wealth and prosperity soon followed. Most of the historic structures that dominate Parkersburg today were built during this time. Blennerhassetts One of the biggest draws to Parkersburg is the legendary Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park. The island carries an intriguing tale of two exiled Irish aristocrats, Harman and Margaret Blennerhassett, who settled there in 1798. The island is also the location where archaeological excavation revealed the habitation of Indians in 9,000 B.C. Harman Blennerhassett built on the 500-acre island a magnificent European-style estate whose centerpiece, a Palladian mansion, contained 7,000 feet of floor space. The Blennerhassetts allowed former Vice President Aaron Burr to build an operation base on the island for a controversial military expedition to the Southwest in 1805 to 1807. The Blennerhassetts and Aaron Burr were accused of conspiracy, and local militia invaded the island in 1806. The Blennerhassetts fled and never returned to the island. The mansion accidentally burned to the ground in 1811 but was rebuilt in the 1980s as part of the state park it is today. Sternwheelers that ferry visitors to the island depart from Point Park, two blocks from the Blennerhassett Museum at 2nd and Juliana streets. The museum is the second-largest in West Virginia, and exhibits prehistoric Indian artifacts, items once owned by the Blennerhassett family, clothing, farm tools, jewelry, furniture, guns, glass and art. A 12-minute video at the museum gives visitors a glimpse of the history of the Ohio River's most famous island and the tragic couple who gave it their name. Also bearing the Blennerhassett name -- even though the Blennerhassetts didn't build it -- is the historic Blennerhassett Hotel, a grand, Victorian, four-story brick building modernized in 1944, with complete renovation in 1986. The Queen Anne-style hotel, listed in the National Register, offers 104 guest rooms and suites, complimentary full breakfast and morning newspaper, and award-winning dining. The hotel was once a resting place for railroaders and traveling salesmen, and housed several banking institutions in its heyday. Historic Districts Parkersburg was incorporated as a town in 1820 and as a city in 1863. Downtown Parkersburg has two historic districts, each the subject of self-guided or specially-guided tours. The Julia-Ann Square Historic District is a section of some of the finest examples in the state of Victorian architecture and includes 126 separate properties. The historic district was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. The area was once the social center of the county and home to Parkersburg's most prominent families, each with their own unique version of how they fit into the area's rich history. The majority of the district's structures are in the Second Empire, 19th-century eclectic and Queen Anne styles dating from 1850 to 1910. The smaller, adjacent historic district is the George Avery Historic District, an area encompassing some of the city's African-American history. The Sumnerite African-American History Museum on Avery Street opened in 1991 as the first black history museum in West Virginia. In January 1862, seven black men established a free public school for their children in Wood County. The existing portion of the school, the gymnasium, (c. 1926) is the museum, which exhibits old photographs, art, printed items and other relics including a "beaten biscuit machine" used by an early caterer. Black Gold The Oil & Gas Museum on 3rd Street is of particular historical significance to the area because of the industry's effect on the country. The museum's many displays depict the origin and development of the American oil and gas industry. Several oil well drillings in the Parkersburg area marked the beginning of the oil and gas industry in the United States. One of the first drillings was in a town near Parkersburg called Petroleum. Museum co-founder David McKain's recently published book, "Where it All Began," details the development of the oil and gas industry and underscores the museum's contents. The wealth of the first oil barons was used politically in bringing about statehood for West Virginia during the Civil War. Many of the founders and early politicians were oilmen -- governor, senator and congressman -- who had made their fortunes at Burning Springs in 1860-1861. The oil and gas industry eventually migrated to Texas and other parts of the country. After 1900, the oil fever abated, and by 1936 the last oil refinery in Parkersburg had closed. However, the manufacture of oil well equipment continues today. The Civil War Of several Civil War sites in the area, Fort Boreman Hill stands out above the rest as it overlooks Parkersburg. The fort was designed to protect the city during the Civil War. Fort Boreman Hill was built during the summer and fall of 1863 and named in honor of Arthur I. Boreman, West Virginia's first governor (1863-1869) and a leading citizen of Parkersburg. Five buildings operated as U.S. Army Civil War hospitals. The only one of the hospitals still standing is now a doctor's office on Avery Street. Prior to the Civil War (1853-1857) the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad constructed a rail corridor that ran through the city. Though no real battles were fought in the area, Union forces primarily controlled the city because of the railroad. The railroad played a key role before, during, and after the war. Today a 72-mile section of the former track is owned and operated by the West Virginia State Park system as the North Bend Rail Trail. The multipurpose trail weaves hikers and bikers through a dozen pre-Civil War era tunnels, miles of rugged scenery and several small communities. Historic Points Other museums and historic points of interest fleck the area, including Parkersburg's Smoot Theatre, Henry Cooper Log Cabin Museum in Parkersburg City Park, Early Americana Museum in Boaz, Mineral Wells Living Heritage One-Room New Era School Museum, and Campus Martius and Ohio River Museums in Marietta -- historical churches, six historic cemeteries and a variety of mansions, homes and landmarks that shaped Wood County's opulent days of yore. Arts & Antiques Historical attractions, glass, and fairs and festivals are the county's top three draws. Craft and antique centers abound. The renowned Fenton Art Glass Museum is located 2 miles from I-77, just off WV 14 in Williamstown, and offers free, guided 45-minute factory tours. Fenton glassware is created under the patient persuasion of master craftsmen using centuries-old tools and techniques. The museum displays products made during the company's first 75 years (1905-1980), along with representative pieces from other Ohio Valley companies and items of historical interest. -- Christine Krantz is a freelance travel writer from Elkins, West Virginia. || Order your FREE West Virginia Magazine | Request FREE regional travel information | Locator Map | Back to the top | Take me home ||
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