Hidden History Weekend Event Schedule Announced

Date: September 17, 2013
Contact: Jodi French-Burr, 304-574-2115

Gravestone at Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State Park.

Jodi French-Burr

Glen Jean, West Virginia, September 10, 2013— Mark your calendars as the 5^thAnnual Hidden History Weekend is almost here. Celebrate the wonders of Appalachian heritage, the rich sites and stories of our area’s diverse history! This event will take placeSeptember 27 - 29at New River Gorge National River, the National Coal Heritage Area, Tamarack, and Babcock, Carnifex Ferry Battlefield, Hawks Nest, Little Beaver, and Pipestem Resort State Parks. All programs are FREE unless otherwise noted. Wear comfortable walking or hiking shoes for all guided hikes. Water, snacks, and camera are other useful tools to bring along. Below is a list of Hidden History Weekend’s featured programs:

Friday, September 27, 2013

Hawks Nest History Quest

1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. Hawks Nest State Park’s lodge lobby, Ansted. Discover Hawks Nest history through a digital scavenger hunt. Bring a camera, plus get a FREE ride on the aerial tram. 

Babcock and the CCC

6:00 pm to 7:30 pm. Babcock State Park’s park office, Clifftop. 1.5 mile walk. Step back to the days of the Civilian Conservation Corps on this walking tour. Learn about the creation of Babcock State Park un this national program.

Under the Hills Presented by Fred Powers

6:30 pm to 7:30 pm. Tamarack’s auditorium, Beckley. Let stories of coal’s boom days bring to light the life of the underground coal miner and challenges faced in Appalachia.

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Bluestone Walk & Farley Loop Bonus

10:00 am to 11:30 am(or extend to1:30 pmon Farley Loop Bonus). Bottom of Pipestem Resort State Park’s tramway, Pipestem. 1.0 mile walk (option to add 3.0 mile strenuous hike on the Farley Loop Trail, which includes a very steep descent). $2 for return tram ride. See signs of the area’s earliest settlers and how they made a life in the Bluestone River gorge. Bonus: Hikers will see the old Farley cabin and overlook at Raven’s Rock. Wear hiking boots.

Historic Thurmond Walking Tour

11:00 am to 12:00 pm. Thurmond Depot Visitor Center, Thurmond. 0.5 mile walk. What was life like in one of the New River Gorge’s most renowned towns? Tour the historic district of the once bustling railroad town of Thurmond.

History Round-about

11:00 am to 3:00 pm. Canyon Rim Visitor Center, Lansing. Open house to explore many aspects of history.

• Dulcimer Magic. Hear Appalachian music played on dulcimer and bowed sultry, plus try playing one.
• Flint Knapping & the Archive Treasure Box. See demonstrations of skills used by the region’s pre-historic native people to create arrowheads, plus see related pieces from the park’s archives collection.
• Letterbox: Coal Heritage Series. Get started on the latest trend of Letterboxing, a scavenger hunt. Follow clues that lead to discoveries at regional historic places.
• Playthings of the Past. See and play with popular toys of yester-year with these classic hands-on activities.

The Nation’s Most Dangerous Woman

1:30 pm to 2:00 pm. Canyon Rim Visitor Center’s auditorium, Lansing. Step into the life of one of the most well-known individuals of the industrial age, Mother Jones – speaker, teacher, labor activist, and organizer.

Cemetery and Stories: Red Ash Island

2:30 pm to 4:30 pm Southside Trailhead at the Brooklyn primitive campground near Cunard River Access. 3.0 mile hike. Explore the tragic past of Red Ash Island. Follow an old railroad line, then cross to an island to discover its mysterious past – tales of mine disasters, an old cemetery, and more.

Families of the Bluestone Gorge Hike

3:00 pm to 5:30 pm. Pipestem Resort State Park’s Canyon Rim Center (top of tram), Pipestem. 3.0 mile hike. Discover the history of family life along the Bluestone River 100 years ago. Hike down moderate trails and wade the Bluestone River, then ride the tram. Bring shoes to wade the river and $2.00 for the tram ride.

Haunted History Hike

Presented by Youth Arts in the Parks

7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. 2.0 miles. Meet at the Rend (Thurmond-Minden) Trailhead parking area on Route 25 near Thurmond. 2.0 mile walk. Appalachia is filled with spooky stories. Join scout youth leaders and a ranger for this haunting forest walk as night approaches. This program is not recommended for children under 9 years old due to content of some stories. Bring a flashlight.

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Country Roads Walk

10:00 am to 11:30 am. Pipestem Resort State Park’s park headquarters, Pipestem. 1.5 mile walk. Explore Pipestem’s pre-park history, including a former school and residential sites.

Coal Mining in New River Gorge

10:00 am to 1:00 pm. Sandstone Visitor Center, Sandstone. Drop by to chat with a ranger, a former coal miner, to discuss the area’s rich coal mining history.

Historic Thurmond Walking Tour

11:00 am to 12:00 pm. Thurmond Depot Visitor Center, Thurmond. 0.5 mile walk. What was life like in one of the New River Gorge’s most renowned towns? Tour the historic district of the once bustling railroad town of Thurmond.

Movie Time: Paddles of the Past

11:00 am & 2:00 pm. Canyon Rim Visitor Center’s auditorium, Lansing. See the history of whitewater boating in the New and Gauley Rivers in this 20-minute documentary.

Little Beaver, Grandview, and the CCC

1:30 pm to 2:30 pmat Little Beaver State Park and3:00 pm to 4:00 pmat Grandview. Little Beaver State Park Headquarters, Beaver and Grandview Visitor Center. 1.0 mile walk at each location. Discover how the Civilian Conservation Corps developed parks, especially Little Beaver State Park and Grandview. Attend one or both parts of this program.

Averell’s Raiders & the 35th Star

2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Sandstone Visitor Center auditorium, Sandstone. Join documentary filmmaker John Averill to see his newest film, an account of local Civil War history and General William Woods Averell’s Union cavalry raids.

Contentious Land, Contested River

2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Patterson House museum at Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State Park, Summersville. 1.5 mile walk. Walk where a Civil War battle took place, an event that changed many lives as the calls for statehood began in war-torn western Virginia.

Milling Around at Glade Creek Grist Mill

3:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Babcock State Park’s Glade Creek Grist Mill, Clifftop. See the inner workings of a grist mill and how this tool helped provide a food staple for people’s daily lives.

For more information about event sites, visit https://www.nps.gov/neri,www.coalheritage.org,www.wvstateparks.com, and www.tamarackwv.com. Check out the National Park Service Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/newrivergorgenps, follow us on Twitter at https://Twitter.com/NewRiverNPS, or stop by any park visitor center.