What's so great about West Virginia? Find out the top ten sites to see or things to do in the Mountain State! We'll explore West Virginia's popular parks, spooky ghost tours, scenic mountains, and fascinating history. The West Virginia by Map feature shows where you'll find all the places covered in the book. A special section provides quick state facts such as the state motto, capital, population, animals, foods, and more. Take a fun-filled tour of all there is to discover in West Virginia.

Once thought of as Indian hunting grounds with no permanent inhabitants, West Virginia is teeming with evidence of a thriving early native population. Today's farmers can hardly plow their fields without uncovering ancient artifacts, evidence of at least ten thousand years of occupation. Members of the Fort Ancient culture resided along the rich bottomlands of southern West Virginia during the Late Prehistoric and Protohistoric periods. Lost to time and rediscovered in the 1880s, Fort Ancient sites dot the West Virginia landscape. This volume explores sixteen of these sites, including Buffalo, Logan and Orchard. Archaeologist Darla Spencer excavates the fascinating lives of some of the Mountain State's earliest inhabitants in search of who these people were, what languages they spoke and who their descendants may be.

"The West Virginia University Mountaineer isn't just a mascot: it's a symbol of West Virginia history and identity that's embraced throughout the state. Folklorist Rosemary Hathaway explores the figure's early history as a backwoods trickster, its deployment in emerging mass media, and finally its long and sometimes conflicted career-beginning officially in 1937-as the symbol of West Virginia University"--

Presents information about the state of West Virginia, its nickname, motto, and emblems.

What's so great about West Virginia? Find out the top ten sites to see or things to do in the Mountain State! We'll explore West Virginia's popular parks, spooky ghost tours, scenic mountains, and fascinating history. The West Virginia by Map feature shows where you'll find all the places covered in the book. A special section provides quick state facts such as the state motto, capital, population, animals, foods, and more. Take a fun-filled tour of all there is to discover in West Virginia.

"West Virginia is famous for its mountains, nature, and scenery, but it's also a treasure trove for tourists who prefer to visit history's darker and stranger side. Hitch along with the author as he visits over 60 West Virginia strange and spooky landmarks, including the Trans Allegheny Lunatic Asylum and haunted Moundsville State Prison. Learn about Charles Manson's childhood hometown, the "Hillbilly Black Dahlia," and serial killer Harry Powers, whose story inspired Night of the Hunter. Haunted houses, colleges, and cemeteries, otherwordly alien encounters, cursed amusement parks, and more are explored in detail. You'll even discover Bat Boy's cave, Sasquatch's hideouts, werewolf country, and read about the time Teddy Roosevelt went monster hunting. Each location is complete with visitor information and a bounty of odd history."--Page 4 of cover.

The Encyclopedia of West Virginia contains detailed information on States: Symbols and Designations, Geography, Archaeology, State History, Local History on individual cities, towns and counties, Chronology of Historic Events in the State, Profiles of Governors, Political Directory, State Constitution, Bibliography of books about the state and an Index.

Information and coloring pages about 'Wild & Wonderful' West Virginia. This includes maps, state symbols, landmarks and tourist attractions, & famous people. It makes for a good gift or souvenir for anyone of any age that enjoys coloring and learning about West Virginia, the United States, or just geography and culture in general.