The Story of West Virginia In 100 Landmarks

America turns 250.

Let's go find the candles.

Looking for a history lesson that doesn't feel like homework? You've found it. At 250history.com, the Semiquincentennial Series brings each state's distinctive landmarks to center stage to tell their fast and fun story.

We've wandered through big cities, tiny towns, muddy trails, and neon-lit highways-uncovering 5,000 historic gems along the way.

The Semiquincentennial isn't just a mouthful-it's a reminder that history is alive, sometimes weird, and always waiting to be rediscovered.

Whether you're traveling by road, by printed page, or by imagination; whether you are a lifelong native or visiting for a week, we invite you to explore 100 West Virginia landmarks that illuminate the one-of-a-kind story of the Mountain State.

The Panhandle... blood feuds... forting up... "taking the waters"...

bloomeries... extreme sports... "black snakes"... mimetic architec-

ture... company towns... the CCC... Kanawha salt... Meskers... the

golden age of motoring... iron horses... Sam Snead... Coal Wars...

cow sanctuaries... Dunsmore's War... beehive ovens... Mothers Day...

Restoration Movement... "Billion Dollar Coalfield"... kissing bridges...

The Big Dipper... Rathbone Well... round barns... theaters of nature...

Emergency Relocation Center... This book will have you telling stories

like a native in no time.

The photos and stories collected here are a fast and fun way to learn

the explanations behind the quirks, the traditions and the secrets that

make West Virginia uniquely West Virginia. Why was the National Road

routed through Wheeling Solved. Where did Americans get their

first mud baths? A mystery no more. Where was the first land battle

of the Civil War? Identified. Where is America's oldest golf course?

Revealed. What were the "big, blue grapes" that started the Kanawha

County wine industry? No one knows. Where was Nancy Hanks born?

No one knows that either.

It is a story only West Virginia can call its own. A story told in 100 landmarks. Almost all the selections within are open to the public, or at least visible from public spaces. So, fire up the GPS and see the story of the Mountain State standing in plain sight on West Virginia streets!