I've seen locks along the Upper Mississippi and this is the first one I've ever seen on the Ohio…read moreRiver. Originally named the Gallipolis Locks and Dam, it was constructed in 1937 by the US Army Corps of Engineers. An update was completed in 1993 to replace the lock chambers with larger ones capable of handling more modern river traffic. Renamed in 1994 in honor of Senator Robert C. Byrd, the Locks & Dam have eight roller gates spanning 1132 feet with a lift of 23 feet between pools. It impounds the river for nearly 42 miles extending to the Racine Dam and 45 miles to the Winfield Locks on the Kanawha. There is a fishing pier here that was getting some good use this morning on the West Virginia side. Unfortunately, no river traffic was passing through, so we didn't get to see the locks in action. [Review 603 of 2025 - 180 in West Virginia - 24164 overall]

This marker is by the street in front of the Putnam County Courthouse and points out not only the…read morehistory of this town but of the Civil War battle that took place here. Winfield remained one of West Virginia's smallest and most isolated county seats well into the 20th century, relying almost entirely on the Kanawha River for travel and commerce because it had neither a railroad nor a paved road until 1926. The town's early growth centered on river navigation at Red House Shoal, where steamboats were forced into a narrow channel that made Winfield a natural checkpoint for traffic. A windstorm destroyed the original 1849 courthouse in 1898, leading to the construction of the 1900 building that still stands as the historic annex. A major 1928 fire wiped out a block of businesses, and the Depression soon shuttered the replacement bank. Construction of the Winfield Locks and Dam in 1936 and the bridge in 1957 finally shifted the town from a river hamlet into a connected suburban center poised for modern growth. On the front, "Winfield. Sited on land owned by Charles Brown, who started a ferry here in 1818, the town was named for Gen. Winfield Scott, Mexican-American War hero. Putnam County's seat, it was incorporated in 1868. Its location along the Kanawha made it an important hub for trade and commerce and of strategic value during the Civil War. Use of ferry ended with bridge opening in 1957." On the reverse, "Lt. Col. Vincent Witcher and Capt. Phillip Thurmond led two columns of Confederates on October 26, 1864, against Federal troops that were protecting Winfield and local river traffic. Though outnumbered, Company D of the 7th West Virginia Cavalry under Capt. John Reynolds repulsed the attack, killing Thurmond and taking several prisoners without suffering any major casualties." The marker was erected in 2017 by the West Virginia Archive and History. [Review 924 of 2026 - 234 in West Virginia - 26105 overall]

Located in Ravenswood WV on the corner of Main & Walnut Streets. This is a beautiful art piece…read morepainted on the wall. George Washington is on the mural in reference to President George Washington owning land here when he surveyed the area. The different boats refer to life along the Ohio River. The train refers to travel in the area for people and goods and the oil Derek is referring to oil, gas & coal in the area. The mural is absolutely beautiful and colorful Free to enjoy, easy to locate and on street parking

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]

Alternatively the Mill Creek Bridge, Cedar Lakes Drive Bridge or the Harry Ripley Memorial Bridge,…read morethis is a classic rivet-connected Pratt Through Truss built in 1922. It has a main span of 98 feet with only 14 feet of clearance at the center and 12 feet at the edges. It is a only 18 feet wide so it's a single lane of Cedar Lakes Drive (CR-25) Over Mill Creek. Obey the signage and yield appropriately. The bridge is named for Brother Harry Ripley, a Methodist circuit-riding preacher who lived in the early 1800s. Born in 1799 in Massachusetts, Harry Ripley moved to western Virginia in the 1820s to spread the gospel across the rugged Little Kanawha Circuit. The city of Ripley is named for him. I thought it was pretty darned cool to cross over a bridge that is over 100 years old. [Review 572 of 2025 - 157 in West Virginia - 24133 overall]

On a warm weekday afternoon in Point Pleasant, I found myself not riding a train across the Ohio…read moreRiver but instead walking and driving beneath the massive Point Pleasant - Kanauga Railroad Bridge, a 3925-foot Pennsylvania through truss who sheer scale is impossible to appreciate until you're directly under it. Built originally in 1885 and then replaced with new truss spans in 1908 while reusing the original piers, the bridge's engineering feels astonishingly advanced for something conceived in the late nineteenth century, especially given that it was completed without a single construction fatality, which is a rarity for Ohio River crossings of that era. Standing beneath its towering steel and hoping to hear the hum of the modern Kanawha River Railroad trains overhead, I was struck by how this structure has carried more than a century of rail traffic while remaining one of the most impressive pieces of infrastructure in the region. [Review 925 of 2026 - 235 in West Virginia - 26106 overall]

Point Pleasant has a lot going on with bridges, Mothman and the Tu-Endie-Wei State Park, so it's…read moreunderstandable that folks might miss this historical marker at 7th Street. The marker reads, "Born 1803 in Palatine, Polsley was a noted lawyer and publisher of the Western Transcript in Wellsburg until he moved to Mason County in 1845. A delegate to the Wheeling conventions, Polsley served in the Restored Government of Virginia as lieutenant governor; Circuit judge, 1863-1866; he served one term in the U.S. House, 1867-1869. Polsley died at home on October 14, 1877." It was erected in 2017 by the West Virginia Archives and History. Daniel Haymond Polsley became one of Mason County's most respected legal thinkers, known for handling complex river-boundary and land disputes that shaped early regional development. He spent much of his later life mentoring young attorneys and wring long, opinionated essays on constitutional interpretation, transportation, and public education. Even after leaving Congress, he remained an active civic voice, advising local officials and contributing to community debates until his health declined. [Review 926 of 2026 - 236 in West Virginia - 26107 overall]

This marker is located near the center of the city of Ripley and points out some of the earliest…read moresettlement history. It has the same text on both sides, reading "Established in 1832 on land which was settled by William John and Lewis Rogers in 1768 and later acquired by Jacob and Ann (Staats) Starcher. Near here lived Capt. William Parsons who was active in the early life of Jackson County." There is no number or erection date on the marker, but it was erected by the West Virginia Archives & History. Ripley grew from a quiet Mill Creek settlement into a true county hub once the Starchers laid out the town and donated land for the courthouse, which helped secure its selection as the county seat despite fierce competition from Ravenswood. The town's name honors Harry Ripley, a young Methodist minister who drowned on the eve of his wedding, a story that lingered in local memory long after the town was chartered. By the late 1800s Ripley had become a lively commercial center with hotels, mills, tailors, blacksmiths, and one of the region's earliest newspapers, the Jackson Democrat. Ripley also hosted West Virginia's last public execution in 1897, an event so notorious that it pushed the legislature to end public hangings statewide. Today the town is known for its long‑running county fair and its claim to the biggest small‑town Fourth of July celebration in America. There is street parking nearby. [Review 21 of 2026 - 201 in West Virginia - 25212 overall]