This beautiful red bridge was completed in 1887 and it originally spanned the Tug Fork of Big Mill…read moreCreek. It was named after Enoch Staats, whose water-powered mill and store anchored the surrounding community. The Staats family were early settlers, arriving around 1780. Enoch's father, Isaac Staats, built the first mill on the site. H.T. Hartley built it using the Long Truss system, patented by Stephen Long in 1830, featuring distinctive "X"-braced diagonals across 11 panels. In 1971, the bridge was modified with steel girders inside the original trusses to support modern loads and in 1983, it was relocated about three miles to here and converted to pedestrian only use. The park can get quite busy on beautiful summer days so be prepared to be challenged finding a parking space. [Review 571 of 2025 - 156 in West Virginia - 24132 overall]

This lovely piece of history has been a constant in my life growing up. We have many outings at…read moreCedar Lakes Park in Ripley, and this lovely red wooden historical covered bridge has been in the scenery backdrop all those many years. The bridge is well built since 1887. Built in 1887, the Staats Mill Covered Bridge originally crossed the Tug Fork of Big Mill Creek and was named for Enoch Staats' water-powered mill.. The Staats family were early settlers to the area, arriving around 1780. The bridge is a 97-foot-long "long truss" built by Henry Hartley This location is not the original location it was moved here for safe keeping and easy public access. My people use this lovely old bridge as a back drop in photo ops for weddings, prom, graduation, birthday pics, various different ideas. This is a lovely bridge and FREE to enjoy

This marker is at the convergence of this small creek where t flows into the Ohio. It points out…read morethe historic bridge nearby. The marker reads, "The bridge carrying State Route 7 over Teens Run in Eureka, Ohio was constructed in 1938. The Teens Run Bridge was determined eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 2012. The bridge is eligible for its technical distinction specifically, as an example of a state highway department bridge featuring the early adaptation of integral technology to a continuous concrete slab bridge prior to standardization. The primary attribute of an integral bridge is the lack of movable joints in or between the deck and the flexible end supports. "With the goal to eliminate the intermediate deck expansion joints for all multiple span structures, the Ohio Department of Highways Bureau of Bridges had to adapt to the complex analysis and design of these structures as well as employ some technical innovations. The use of more secure foundations to minimize settlement of supports and the employment of flexible integral abutments, has given the Teens Run Bridge the distinction of being the longest and the primary prototype for thousands of similar bridges that were to follow. "This design innovation has its beginning with the appointment of Joseph R. Burkey. He was appointed the Engineer of Bridges for the Ohio Department of Highways in 1925. Mr. Burkey joined the Bureau of Bridges in 1911, and had a long and distinguished career, culminating with his term as chief of the bureau from 1925 to 1939. Under his direction, Ohio became the first state to adopt the routine use of continuous construction for all multiple span bridges. "The Teens Run Bridge was designed and checked respectively by Virgil A. Eberly and Josephine E. Powers, a pioneering female architect. Plans for the bridge were reviewed by both William S. Hindman, the primary reviewer, and William H. Rebe, the bureau's chief design engineer." The marker does not have a date it was installed or the sponsor. [Round number 300 in Ohio - 602 of 2025 - 24163 overall]

Located in downtown Point Pleasant and close to where the Silver Bridge used to land in West…read moreVirginia, this marker points out some brief history of the two states. Ohio and West Virginia history around Point Pleasant centers on the long contest for control of the Ohio Valley, from the Shawnee presence and the 1749 French claim to the region through the 1774 Battle of Point Pleasant, where Andrew Lewis's militia fought Chief Cornstalk's forces at the confluence of the Kanawha and Ohio Rivers. The area later developed into paired river communities on both banks, with Point Pleasant and Gallipolis shaped by frontier forts, early American settlement, and the evolving river economy that linked the two states. The front reads, "West Virginia (Mason County). 'The Mountain State' - western part of the Commonwealth of Virginia until June 20, 1863. Settled by the Germans and Scotch-Irish. It became a line of defense between the English and French during the French and Indian War, 1754-1763." And the reverse, "Ohio. Named for the river, called by the Iroquois the 'Beautiful River.' visited by LaSalle in 1769-1770. Once part of the Northwest Territory. Settled at Marietta, 1788. Admitted to the Union, 1803. Home of 8 United States Presidents." There is no number on the marker. It was erected in 1964 by the West Virginia Historic Commission. [Review 38 of 2026 - 208 in West Virginia - 25229 overall]

Located in Riverfront Park and with a view across the Ohio River, this marker points out some…read moreColonial and Civil War history. The park stretches a good length of the river here and there is plenty of parking. The front of the marker reads, "Ravenswood. These lands were surveyed, 1771, for George Washington by Colonel William Crawford, who later was taken captive by the Indians and burned at the stake. Washington camped here in 1770. Here is grave of Jesse Hughes, noted scout." The reverse reads, "Ohio River Ford. Sand Creek Riffle, where the Indians and pioneers crossed the Ohio, was used by General Jenkins when he carried the Confederate flag into Ohio in 1862, and also by the Union Army under General Lightburn in its retreat the same year." Ravenswood grew from early nineteenth‑century homesteads into a formally platted river town shaped by descendants of George Washington, giving its center a deliberate grid that still reads clearly today. The community sat close to the 1863 Battle of Buffington Island, and the surrounding countryside carried the tension of divided loyalties and bushwhacker activity during the Civil War. Its most dramatic transformation arrived in the 1950s when the Kaiser Aluminum complex triggered a population boom and later left a lasting social imprint through strikes and the eventual loss of smelting operations. The Great Bend Museum and the photography of Clara Weisheit preserve a quieter record of Ravenswood's everyday life, offering a counterbalance to the frontier stories on the marker. It was erected in by the West Virginia Archives & History. There is no number noted. [Review 32 of 2026 - 204 in West Virginia - 25223 overall]

Close to the main intersection in the center of Ripley and near the county courthouse, this marker…read morepoints out some Civil War history that took place. West Virginia was a border state so this is just one of many such incidents that took place. The marker has the same text on both sides. It reads, "At around 9 p.m. on December 19, 1861, a party of armed Confederate guerillas known as the Moccasin Rangers captured Ripley and broke into the post office, seizing its contents. The Rangers also robbed a store, stole private possessions, and took guns and ammunition that the local militia had stored in the jail. Several of the raiders were later arrested and imprisoned." The marker was erected in 2019 by the West Virginia Archives & History department. It does not have a number. There is street parking nearby. [Review 31 of 2026 - 203 in West Virginia - 25222 overall]

This marker stands on the grounds of the Gallia County Courthouse and points out what many consider…read morethe first battle of the American Revolution. The front reads, "The Shawnee and Delaware Indians grew restless as numbers of Virginians encroached on their lands by settling along the Ohio River. On October 10, 1774, Lord Dunmore, of the Virginia Colony, ordered Colonel Andrew Lewis and his 1100 Virginia militiamen to attack the Shawnee Indians near Chillicothe, Ohio. While Lewis's army camped across the Ohio River at Point Pleasant, West Virginia, Shawnee Chief Cornstalk, with 1000 warriors, crossed the river upstream for a surprise attack on the Virginia militia. After a five hour battle, the Shawnee retreated west across the Ohio. Some refer to this as the last battle fought by the Colonists while subject to British rule, and really, the first battle of the American Revolution. On November 5, 1774, Lord Dunmore at Camp Charlotte on the Pickaway Plains, Dunmore's officers met at Fort Gower, Hockingport, Ohio (48 miles upstream) and passed this resolution of "liberty":" And the reverse, ""Resolved, that we will bear the most faithful allegiance to His Majesty, King George the Third, whilst His Majesty delights to reign over a brave and free people; that we will, at the expense of life, and everything dear and valuable, exert ourselves in support of his crown, and the dignity of the British Empire. But as the love of liberty, and attachment to the real interests and just rights of America outweigh every other consideration, we resolve that we will exert every power within us for the defense of American liberty, and for the support of her just rights and privileges; not on any precipitate, riotous or tumultuous voice of our countrymen. Signed by order and in behalf of the whole corps. Benjamin Ashby, Clerk"" The decisive Battle of Point Pleasant in October ended with a Virginian victory that forced Shawnee leaders to cede hunting rights south of the Ohio River. The resulting Treaty of Camp Charlotte temporarily quieted the frontier but deepened tensions that soon fed into the wider upheavals of the Revolutionary era. [Review 61 of 2026 - 303 in Ohio - 25251 overall]

This is a great place for picnic and quick history lesson for folks of all ages. American Civil War…read morebuff? Follow the "Morgan's Raid" road signs for an adventure. Love Native American history? Check out the mound!

I had long heard about Buffington Island, but don't get down this way much. When I was driving to…read moreNorth Carolina I noticed it was only a few miles off my route, so I had to swing by. The only Civil War battlefield in Ohio- how could I pass that up? It is small, and probably not of much interest unless you are a real history buff, in which case it is fascinating. There is a small park with plenty of parking, an Indian mound, and a small outbuilding with bathrooms. A few historical markers and a small pavilion with display panels round out the amenities. The story is fascinating: John Morgan, later imprisoned in the old State Pen in Columbus, was a Confederate raider who attacked all along the Ohio River. This was the only major battle, and it eventually led to his capture. The displays explain the background, battle, and aftermath. It's quiet and isolated, and pretty cool. Maybe not worth a special trip unless you are a Civil War buff, but if you live in the area or are traveling nearby, definitely worth a visit.

This marker is located in a strip of land called Gunn Park and shares the space with the Mothman…read moremonument. It is close to Tu-Endie-Wei State Park. The marker reads, "Organized at Barboursville Sept. 18, 1862, with Captain William Gunn as commander. Served with the Guyandotte Battalion until Jan. 1863, then was assigned as Company D 8th Virginia Cavalry, CSA under Col. Albert G. Jenkins." It was erected in 1965 by the West Virginia Division, United Daughters of Confederacy and the West Virginia Historic Commission. In January 1863 the company was folded into the 8th Virginia Cavalry as Company D, placing them under Colonel Albert G. Jenkins, one of the Confederacy's most active mounted commanders in the region. Jenkins's regiment operated in a fluid landscape of raids, counter‑raids, and small engagements, often moving rapidly between the Kanawha Valley, the Tygart Valley, and the approaches to the Ohio River. Under his command, the Border Grays shifted from local defense to a more mobile cavalry role, participating in the broader Confederate effort to contest Union control of the new state of West Virginia. [Review 59 of 2026 - 210 in West Virginia - 25249 overall]