Parkersburg, WV (October 14, 2010) – Wood and Wirt counties recently joined other sites in West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee and Adams County, Pennsylvania in the Civil War Trails program. The program, a partnership between the West Virginia Division of Tourism and Civil War Trails Inc., identifies, interprets and creates driving tours centered on Civil War sites and stories. Currently, there are over 1,000 sites in the program and more than 3,000 map guides are downloaded weekly from the program’s website, www.civilwartrails.org.

The Greater Parkersburg Convention & Visitors Bureau spearheaded the effort to identify and organize six key Civil War heritage locations in the immediate area of Wood and Wirt counties. The bureau worked with area attractions, city and county entities, as well as the WV Division of Tourism to produce the interpretive markers with maps, illustrations and text.

Six local sites were identified as Civil War heritage locations:

Fort Boreman Historical Park - Off US Rt. 50 at the Marrtown Road exit, Parkersburg

Henderson Hall - River Road, Off WV 14 south of Williamstown

Col. Adam “Stovepipe” Johnson’s Crossing - Belleville Locks, Belleville

Gen. George McClellan’s Invasion into the Confederacy - Point Park, Parkersburg

Oil & Gas Museum - 119 Third Street, Parkersburg

Burning Springs Oil Field - WV 5, Burning Springs

“The majority of the markers were installed earlier this month,” said Steve Nicely, Greater Parkersburg CVB president. “This has been a project that the CVB has worked on for more than a year and we are thrilled to be part of this multi-state effort. We believe this will serve as another area attraction for visitors and residents to enjoy.”

Governor Joe Manchin praised this program and the opportunities it will provide to promote West Virginia’s historical Civil War sites. “The Civil War signage program is an excellent way to draw more visitors to our state by promoting West Virginia’s unique role in that conflict,” the governor said. “I support this initiative and welcome everyone to discover the history behind the birth of West Virginia as an independent state.”

The Civil War Trails program was recognized as one of the most successful and sustainable heritage programs in the country by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The program is administered by a nonprofit corporation and supported by local communities, state tourism offices and state departments of transportation. The Division of Tourism is paying for the purchase and installation of the first 150 qualifying Civil War sites in the state.

For more information on Civil War Trails sites in Wood and Wirt counties, call 304-428-1130. For more information on what types of sites qualify for this program and how to submit a Civil War site in or near your community, contact Justin Gaull at 304-957-9385, or via e-mail justin.m.gaull@wv.gov. For more information about Greater Parkersburg travel and tourism, visit www.greaterparkersburg.com.

Click here to download a PDF of the six local marker locations.

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