River Towns: Point Pleasant, West Virginia

Point Pleasant, West Virginia is one of my favorite West Virginia towns. It's not far from where I live, and its location, slow pace, and friendly people make it a great place to visit. There is plenty to see and do in Point Pleasant: the mural painted floodwall and bordering walking path, the haunted Lowe Hotel, the Mason Jar Antique Mall, the Mothman Museum and the River Museum, Fort Randolph, Tu-Endi-Wei State Park, lovely old homes, and of course the Ohio River. The town has a long history: Indian wars, floods, and a tragic bridge collapse intertwine with folklore and legends to create a unique and fascinating story.

The area was first claimed in 1749 by the French explorer Pierre Joseph Celeron de Blainville, who set a plaque on the riverbank declaring all the territory in the region for the King of France:

"In the year 1749, in the reign of King Louis XV, we, Celeron, commander of a detachment sent by Commander de La Galissonière, Commander General of New France, for the restoration of peace in various untamed villages in the region, have buried this plaque at the confluence of the Ohio and Tchadakoin [Rivers] (Kanawha River) this 29th day of July near the fine river bank, to commemorate the retaking into possession of the afore-mentioned river bank and all the surrounding lands on both river shores back to the river sources, as secured by previous kings of France, and maintained by force of arms and by treaties, specifically the Treaties of Rijswick, of Utrecht and of Aix la Chapelle."

A grand and sweeping statement, is it not? But the French lost their claim when the British defeated the French in the French and Indian War.  In 1770 George Washington explored the Ohio Valley for the British, and noted the abundance of game and the wide, fertile bottomland in his reports. He later received over 10,000 acres in the region for his war-time service.

One section of the mural wall

Fort Randolph was established at Point Pleasant as a safeguard against Indian attacks, which were numerous in the area. Ongoing and escalating hostilities between settlers and Indians led to Lord Dunmore's War in 1774 which was a successful effort to drive the Shawnee and Mingo back across the Ohio River. The deciding battle in this conflict occurred at Point Pleasant. (Both my family history and that of my husband say we had ancestors in the fighting.) The Indians were soundly defeated; afterward, one of the most powerful Shawnee leaders, Cornstalk, became an advocate for peace between whites and Indians. On a peace-keeping mission to Fort Randolph in 1777 Cornstalk was taken hostage by the commander of the fort. Cornstalk, his son and two other Indians were later murdered by soldiers seeking revenge for the death of a militiaman at the hands of the Shawnee. Cornstalk was buried at the Fort. His body has been moved at least three times, and is now in its hopefully permanent home at Tu-Endi-Wei State Park. The murder of Cornstalk and the other Indians enraged the Shawnee who began a series of murderous attacks against settlers along the river that last over 20 years.

Local legend claims that before his death, Cornstalk laid this curse on the area:

“I was the border man’s friend. Many times I have saved him and his people from harm. I never warred with you, but only to protect our wigwams and lands. I refused to join your paleface enemies with the red coats. I came to the fort as your friend and you murdered me. You have murdered by my side, my young son. For this, may the curse of the Great Spirit rest upon this land. May it be blighted by nature. May it even be blighted by its hopes. May the strength of its peoples be paralyzed by the stain of our blood.”

Historians question the veracity of this story, doubting that Cornstalk ever said these words, and I have to say it does seem unlikely. However it is true that Point Pleasant has seen its share of disasters over the years, from raging Ohio River floods, to fires, the terrible collapse of the Silver Bridge in 1967,

and the strange sightings of a creature dubbed "Mothman". Click the link to read more about paranormal activity in the area, and click here to read my other blog posts  on this topic.

Stories of hauntings abound in this town; many people report seeing and hearing strange things at the historic Lowe Hotel, and the places where Mothman was sighted attract many visitors. Others believe that the spirit of Cornstalk also haunts the area because of the repeated disturbance of his remains.

Another intriguing story says that Samuel B. Clemens, grandfather of Samuel L. Clemens (better known as Mark Twain)  was a settler in Point Pleasant, and was killed in 1805 when a log fell from a cabin he was helping to build. I have not been able to verify this, and have found another claim that repeats the story of the falling log but says the elder Clemens was killed in Madison, Boone County, WV.

on the banks of the Ohio at Point Pleasant, WV

With its location at the junction of two powerful rivers and its faascinating history, it would seem that Point Pleasant would be a thriving city, but development never took off here, and it remains today a picturesque small town hugging the banks of the mighty Ohio.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Traveling West Virginia: Tu-Endi-Wei, The Place Between Two Waters

 This small park--possibly the smallest of West Virginia's state parks--encompasses only four acres, but packs a lot of history into its square footage.

I've visited here before, once as a storyteller, and once with some of my granddaughters. I supposed I've stopped in here and there in between, but all of my visits seemed to be short and packed with other things to do. So this time, I took my time.

Because I had some things I wanted to see. I had explored most of the sites and stories surrounding Mothman, the area's strange phenomenon that appeared, according to the stories, in 1962 and led to many more sightings and the appearance of "Men in Black" (this was the first time the term was used). But I wanted time to see things like the Merci Train French Oaks. I wrote about the trees in a post about five years ago .

The West Virginia boxcar from the Merci train is on display
in Welch, WV. For information, call  (304) 436-3803
or (540) 297-4946

The trees were grown from acorns sent in the Merci Train from France--a gift from the grateful French people to the people of the United States for their aid during World War II. Just standing near the trees gave me such a sense of...what? History? Of a time when the world was unified? When the US was unified? I felt sad and at the same time hopeful. The park's superintendent, Doug, happened to be there while we were at Tu-Endi-Wei and he told me he'd set out a few young trees from the seed of the old trees so that the French oaks will continue to be a reminder of history.

Tu-Endi-Wei park (the name means "place between two waters") is also the home of the oldest hewn-log structure in Mason county, WV. The house is in good repair considering it was built in the late 1700's. It is referred to as the "Mansion House" because at the time of its construction it was considered huge for a home on the frontier.

Another monument on the grounds commemorates the gravesite of men who were killed at the site during a battle of Lord Dunmore's War, a conflict between the British and Native American tribes in the area. These men were buried in the magazine, a structure used to store ammunition. The most tragic aspect of this battle was that soon afterwards, Chief Cornstalk came in peace to the fort at the site, and was murdered. Legend has it that he placed a curse on the area which has prevented Point Pleasant from thriving as it seems like it should, with its prime location at the juncture of the mighty Kanawha and Ohio rivers. Both Larry and I had ancestors who were present at the Battle of Point Pleasant: Stephen Holstein on my husband's side, and a doctor in my family line who lived in Rowlesburg, VA (now WV) at the time of his service. (It is interesting to find that there are descendants of my maternal great-grand-mother in West Virginia, none of whom I have yet met).

A petroglyph, found in Mason county, stands behind protective fencing.

A barge passes by the monument to Chief Cornstalk. You can read his "curse" here.

Tu-Endi-Wei is a fine place to view passing river traffic, and even the passing barges call history to mind. Imagine the dugout canoes, the flatboats, keelboats, steamboats and other watercraft that have passed by this lovely site. Imagine the natives, cooking their fish on the riverbanks, the settlers poling their way to a new life, the smoke and excitement of the steam era, the horrendous noise of the tragic collapse of the Silver Bridge just a few hundred feet north. So many lives have been touched, both by good and by bad, at this place.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna.

Traveling West Virginia: Mason County and the River Museum

Since we may not be able to take an overseas trip this year (still recovering budge-wise from last year's!), we've decided that we will take a few road trips this year to explore places we've been wanting to see. Some will be close to home, others further afield. We took our first trip yesterday as we took a break from furniture repair, tax preparation and all the usual activities that keep us hopping.

We've been to and through Point Pleasant, WV many, many times. We were there last week, actually, driving through on the way to Larry's VA appointment in Huntington.But there was no time to stop--again. I have particularly wanted to visit two places in the town, and then to drive along a road we'd traveled probably 20 years ago.

 Our first stop was the River Museum in town. I've done a lot of storytelling for the Ohio River Museum in Marietta, OH but had never visited this one that is closer to home. So this was the day. The Fout sisters were working at the museum and made us very welcome. The sisters co-wrote a book about the Silver Bridge disaster that struck the small town in December 15, 1967 and pointed out various artifacts from the bridge. I've been to the site of the old bridge, read the signs and the memorial with the names, and I knew some of the story.

We watched two videos while we were there about the bridge's collapse, one of which included an extensive interview with a man who was one of only five people who survived that terrible collapse.

Larry looks at a model of the bridge and photos showing the aftermath.

While I suppose almost everyone living in west Virginia has heard about the Silver Bridge, most probably know about what I did--that it fell near Christmas into the ice-cold Ohio, and that 46 people lost their lives. Knowing these facts, though, doesn't compare to actually hearing the story from someone who experienced it.

Photos of crushed cars and twisted pieces of the bridge.

a piece of the bridge with more information about its collapse.

What horror that day had to have been for Paul Scott, who jumped from the back seat of the car he was riding in with some of his buddies from work. Scott was thrown from the bridge far out into the water; his friends stayed in their car and died.

The museum houses many river artifacts and models of steamboats.

A miniature steam calliope allows you to play tunes. I tried my hand at "Oh Susanna."

I never expected to play one of these in my lifetime. This one, of course, doesn't run on a coal-fired boiler, but with a small air compressor.

It also has a 2500-gallon aquarium with examples of some of the kinds of fish to be found in the Ohio.

And surprise of surprises, there is a simulator that allows visitors to pilot various kinds of boats!

One can choose the type of craft--motorboat, barge, several others--, day or night, and location along the river. I opted for the barge, even though Ms. Fout cautioned me that it would be very slow moving and urged me to try the motorboat instead. I also chose to pilot it at night, and along the Ohio near Cairo, Illinois.

I love barges, and have taken probably hundreds of photos of them over the years. This poster shows how to identify the barges of various companies by their stacks. Who knew that was possible?

Another room housed another surprise: the museum has a training room for potential pilots for learning river radar. This wasn't in use the day  was there.

It was a fun tour, and well worth the $5.00 admission fee. If you decide to go, be sure to check their webpage or their Facebook page for  hours of operation and upcoming events. For example, a couple years ago we took the Cincinnati Belle downriver for an evening cruise sponsored by the museum, and event they sponsor every year. Tickets for this year's cruise are already for sale, and usually sell out.

Tomorrow: The Merci boxcar, the Mansion House and more from Tu-Endi-Wei.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Traveling West Virginia: The Belle of Cincinnati

It was windy on board! My hair flew around so much
I probably looked like a wild woman. But who cared?

We've been doing a lot of sight-seeing in the past few weeks, and intentionally so. We have a lot of places on our bucket lists and it's time to start marking some of them off the list.

I have always wanted to take a trip on a riverboat. Not one of the smaller steamers but one of those big boats from the heyday of river travel when theaters, bands and other entertainment floated from town to town, bringing new shows and experiences to the rural population. Most such trips, like those offered on the American Queen or the Delta Queen, are out of our financial reach, but then I read about a dinner cruise being offered by the River Museum of Point Pleasant (WV) aboard the Belle of Cincinnati. Now this was something we could do! So I called, bought tickets, and we waited for the big day.

We drove down to Point Pleasant Monday evening, and had no trouble finding where the boat was loading. Those tall stacks gave away the location pretty easily, as did the droves of people heading toward the levee. (The Point Pleasant levee, by the way, is worth a visit all by itself with its stunning, long mural that depicts the history of the area. You can see a bit of it here, in an earlier post.)

We ran into friends as soon as we arrived. Poet Kirk Judd and his wife were taking the trip too, as was old-time musician, author and square dance caller Mack Samples and his wife. West Virginia really is just one small town--we almost always see someone we know wherever we go. There were hundreds of people boarding, a good sign, I thought, for the River Museum since they put on the cruise as a fundraiser.

Boarding was relaxed and casual, and dinner was served buffet-style on two levels of the boat, so we had choices of places to sit. Every table had a view of the river. Dinner was leisurely and as the wait staff began to clear the boat left the dock, heading downriver.

The Ohio deserves her name, "beautiful river." This night she was in showcase form, with light clouds scudding in the sky, the water rippling gently and the sun's last rays sending gentle gold across the scene.

We identified landmarks we recognized,

and I particularly enjoyed seeing bridges from a new perspective--the underside. It was surprisingly rusty under there. Hmmm. I wondered if this was cause for alarm, particularly since this bridge is the replacement for the doomed Silver Bridge that collapsed into the icy river in December 1967.

It surprised me how loud the bridges were. The smokestacks were lowered as we passed under. Pretty cool.

There was even royalty on board--Miss Tourism, I believe her banner said. I was delighted to see a red-haired queen; it seems to me that redheads get short shrift in beauty contests, something that really puzzles me. This young lady was stunning and gracious.

It was almost full dark by the time we returned. I'd explored pretty much every inch of the boat during the trip.

We did not partake of the offered dancing--the singer was the typical lounge singer, doing 60's and 70's numbers but I was more interested in the water, the scenery and the boat.

All in all, it was a fine trip, and I'd like to go again. I hope the museum continues to offer this opportunity to travel the river in the old-time way. It was a real treat.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Seeing in the New Year

We started our New Year's celebration with Jaime and Aaron coming to visit. We stayed up late visiting Thursday evening, then next morning, off to the Downtowner for breakfast with Derek and Amy, a browse around Reta's antique shop, and a trip to the grocery store. I ran from bank to library to post office, getting the final report for my grant mailed in--I wanted that off my plate before the new year arrived.

Friday was such a pretty day that we sat out on the deck when we got home, and I watched Jaime's needles fly as she knitted and we visited.The phone rang, and it was Susan--she was free for the weekend and could she come down? Of course she could, and did.

We went to Derek and Amy's for the bonfire and New Year's Eve party. the night was perfect: not too cold, not too muddy, plenty of food and happy people.

Cassie and Jordan sang and we watched the flames burn all the troubles that had been mailed in as we waited for midnight.

The kids were getting tired (and so was I!) so we headed home about 1:30, but sat up until well after 3:00 am, just talking. We haven't seen Susan and her children since August so we had plenty to catch up on. 

We started earlier than I expected the next morning, because someone called at 9:00am on New Year's morning to wish us happy new year. It felt like the middle of the night, but of course the phone woke everyone so we made coffee and started on breakfast: pancakes with pear or raspberry syrup, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage and cider, along with lots of coffee. Over breakfast Susan mentioned that she had not yet seen Mothman or Point Pleasant, and neither had Aaron or Jaime. Since we had no real plans other than to eat cabbage, and it was a gray and misty day anyway, we took off on a road trip. (My camera had to stay home because I couldn't find it--it was still buried in the stuff we'd brought home from the bonfire.)

We had a great time, looking at the statue, walking along the mural painted floodwall, poking around in Tu-Endi-Wei Park, and then eating at a Mexican restaurant (the only place open, apparently, except McDonald's). The rain hit in earnest as we arrived at the restaurant, so the warm food was welcome.

After dinner we headed home to cook ham and cabbage and eat dinner with the golfers (Derek, Amy and Jared) and Haley. Dinner wasn't quite as elaborate as I'd planned, but it was mighty good. I scored 65 cents out of my serving of cabbage, so I am expecting big money this year! Bedtime came a little earlier on this night, and everyone was soundly sleeping by midnight--except Larry, who started a part-time job last week, working from 10pm-4am. I know, what hours! But he likes it and he's the one that matters.

By early afternoon on Sunday all our company was gone and the house was still and orderly once again--well, sort of.

Since the boys grew up Larry and I have been home alone on New Year's Day, seeing the year in quietly after the evening bonfire. This year we started off on a different foot--road trip, the house full, lots of activity and children around--and it was a blast. Who knows what this year will bring? With my coming retirement, we may indeed be traveling a lot more, seeing our grandchildren, having more company and seeing more places. If New Year's Day is any indication, it should be a year to remember.

When the Grandkids Get the Camera

(I wanted to post these yesterday but our internet access was having problems. So here is my "Wordless Wednesday, slightly late. These photos were taken by one of my granddaughters when we visited the small town of Point Pleasant, West Virginia last Saturday. The murals are on a floodwall that protects the town. The statue is of General Lewis, I believe, who fought at the Battle of Point Pleasant. Click on the photos to make them larger.)