Join us for the ninth annual Hidden History Weekend: September 22-24, 2017
Celebrate the wonders of Appalachian heritage and the rich sites and stories of our region's diverse history! Free programs will take place at New River Gorge National River, the National Coal Heritage Area, Tamarack, the town of Hinton, and Babcock, Carnifex Ferry Battlefield, Pipestem Resort, and Twin Falls Resort State Parks.
2017 Hidden History Weekend Schedule:
Friday, September 22, 2017
Artists in Action: Spinning Through Time
9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Hawks Nest State Park Lodge, Ansted.
See artisans demonstrate the art of making yarn on a traditional spinning wheel, then use these fibers to create works of art.
Helping Hands for History: Nuttallburg
9:00 am to 2:30 pm. Meet at Canyon Rim Visitor Center in Lansing, then car caravan to the site. RSVP required, call 304-465-2634.
Celebrate local history and National Public Lands Day at historic Nuttallburg. Team with park staff and volunteers to spruce up this site, now reopened after completion of a summer road repair closure. Help with trail clearing, exhibit cleaning, and more, bringing the site's story back into focus. Wear long sleeves, long pants, sturdy walking shoes, and work gloves; bring water and lunch.
Haunted History Hike
7:00 to 9:00 pm. 2 miles. Meet at the Rend Trail parking area on Route 25 near Thurmond. 2 miles walk.
Hear legendary stories Appalachia on this hike into the dark of night. Program not recommended for children under 9 years old. Bring a flashlight.
Saturday, September 23, 2017
Artists in Action: Spinning Through Time
9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Hawks Nest State Park Lodge, Ansted.
See program description on September 22.
Bluestone Walk with History Bonus
10:00 am to 12:00 pm (plus extend option to 1:30 pm on Farley Loop Bonus). Bottom of Pipestem Resort State Park’s tramway, Pipestem. 2 mile walk (optional History Bonus adds a 0.5 mile). $3 for return tram ride.
Explore the area where the region’s earliest settlers called home in the Bluestone River Gorge. History Bonus: hikers will walk to an old farmstead site along the Bluestone River. Wear hiking boots.
Country Roads Walk
10:00 to 11:30 am. Pipestem Resort State Park’s park headquarters, Pipestem. 1.5 mile walk.
Explore Pipestem’s pre-park history, including former farm and home sites.
Life of the Pioneers
Canyon Rim Visitor Center, Lansing.
- 10:00 to 11:00 am. History Alive: Mary Draper Ingles. Step back in time and meet a woman who completed an amazing journey during the early days of the frontier, Mary Draper Ingles. Karen Vuranch will bring this remarkable woman to life in this living history performance.
- 11:30 am to 12:30 pm. Wild Edibles: Then and Now. Learn how the early pioneers of the region used local plants. See how species of the past compare to today's wild edibles with native plant specialist Mitchell Dech.
Historic Hinton District Walking Tour
10:00 to 11:00 am AND 2:00 to 3:00 pm. Meet at Summers County Visitor Center on the corner of Temple St. and 2nd Ave., Hinton.
Explore the Hinton Historic District on this walk about town. Tour may include a few stops inside some historic buildings in Hinton, one of the largest railroad towns in the New River Gorge during the area's industrial boom.
Lumberjackin' Bluegrassin' Jamboree
10:00 am to 7:00 pm. Twin Falls Resort State Park, Mullens.
Explore history through a variety of traditions, including: lumberjack events, art/crafts exhibits, bluegrass band, food, and hayrides. www.twinfallsresort.com
Country Roads Festival
11:00 am to 6:00 pm. Hawks Nest State Park, Ansted.
Celebrate the traditions of the past and present, including homemade arts and crafts, live music, a car show, climbing wall, and more. www.anstedwv.com/country-roads-festival.html
Music in the Mountains
Canyon Rim Visitor Center, Lansing.
- 2:00 to 3:00 pm. Stories Through Music: a Performance. Sit back and enjoy music from across Appalachian with musicians Tim Mainland and Maggie Jusiel, plus hear stories of how such traditions have influenced lives and history throughout Appalachia.
- 3:30 to 4:30 pm. Hands-on Historic Music and Games. Try your hand at some traditional music instruments and toys, American favorites from the early 1900s. Come and go as you please in this hands-on experience of fun!
Sunset on Nuttallburg Headhouse Hike
4:00 to 7:30 pm. Meet at Canyon Rim Visitor Center then car caravan to the site, Lansing. RSVP required, call 304-574-2115. 2 miles.
Explore the historic coal mine site at Nuttallburg. See remains of the headhouse, hoist house, and other remains at this 1920s-era coal mine complex.
History Alive: Sacagawea
4:00 to 5:00 pm. Meet at Hawks Nest Lodge, Ansted.
Step back in time and meet a Native American woman, Sacagawea, who was an integral part of Lewis and Clark's expedition of the Louisiana Territory. Mary Daily will bring this remarkable woman to life in this living history performance.
Sunday, September 24, 2017
Jordan’s Chapel Tour
10:00 to 11:00 am. Meet in the lobby of McKeever Lodge at Pipestem Resort State Park then car caravan to the site, Pipestem.
See this historic Methodist church built in 1852, one of the first frame churches in present-day Summers County. Great photo opportunity, so bring a camera!
Lumberjackin' Bluegrassin' Jamboree
11:00 am to 5:00 pm. Twin Falls Resort State Park, Mullens.
See program description on September 23.
Walking Tour of Historic Bramwell
1:00 to 3:00 pm. Coal Heritage Interpretive Center (Depot), Bramwell. 4 block walk.
Join Mayor Lou Stoker and hear stories of early coal barons and their families on this sidewalk tour of historic downtown Bramwell.
Country Roads Festival
1:00 to 5:00 pm. Hawks Nest State Park, Ansted.
See program description on September 23.
Extended Historic Thurmond Walking Tour
3:00 to 4:30 pm. Thurmond Depot Visitor Center, Thurmond. 1.5 mile walk. T
our the historic district of this once bustling railroad town from top to bottom.
Liberty World Percussion Live!
3:30 to 4:30 pm. Grandview Amphitheatre, Grandview.
Join the Liberty High School World Percussion Ensemble for this unique musical adventure for all ages. Experience this multi-cultural, musical tour of the world through use of authentic percussion instruments, showing first-hand how music can bring people together and inspire community connections.
Post Event Bonus - September 25
History Alive: Mary Draper Ingles
Canyon Rim Visitor Center, Lansing. 1:30 - 2:30 pm
Step back in time and meet a woman who completed an amazing journey on the
frontier in the mid-1700s, Mary Draper Ingles. Living history performance by Karen Vuranch.
2017 Hidden History Photo Contest Exhibit
September 1 through 29, art exhibit at Tamarack in two of the center courtyard vestibules, Beckley
See heritage images taken by WV photographers. Tamarack open daily from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm
Park museums that feature area history during this event:
- Babcock State Park: Glade Creek Grist Mill, Clifftop. Open Saturday and Sunday 10:00 am - 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm - 5:50 pm
- Campbell-Flannagan-Murrell House Museum, Hinton. Open Saturday 11:00 am - 4:00 pm
- Coal Heritage Museum, Madison. Open Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday 12:00 - 5:00 pm
- Coal Heritage Interpretive Center at the Depot, Bramwell. Open Monday through Saturday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm, Sunday 11:00 am - 3:00 pm
- Hinton Railroad Museum, Hinton.Open Saturday 2:00 - 4:00 pm
- John Henry Historical Park Museum, Talcott. Open Friday and Saturday 11:00 am - 4:00 pm
- New River Gorge CVB Visitor Center, Hinton. Open Saturday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
- New River Gorge National River: Canyon Rim Visitor Center, Lansing. Open daily 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
- New River Gorge National River: Sandstone Visitor Center, Sandstone. Open daily 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
- New River Gorge National River: Thurmond Depot Visitor Center, Thurmond. Open Thursdays through Sundays in September, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
- Pipestem Resort State Park: Nature Center (historic buildings on site), Pipestem. Open Wednesday through Sunday 12:30 pm - 4:30 pm
- Princeton Railroad Museum, Princeton. Open Wednesday through Saturday 11:00 am - 5:00 pm, Sunday 2:00 - 5:00 pm
- Veterans Memorial Museum, Hinton. Open Saturday 12:00 - 3:00 pm
