The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1928-01-19
MOVEMENT TO PRESERVE
HISTORIC SPOTS is BEGUN

West Virginia, the Panhandle state,
is so full of historic and scenic spots
that many movements are on hand to
preserve these to the state and to the
thousands of motorists expected there.
For West Virginia hopes to become
one of the countryls greatest motor
ing meccas. 1t offers its hills and val
leys of beauty few other states can
surpass. 1t recalls the history events
that took plAce there. 1t is preserv-
ing the remains of pioneer days for
the education and entertainment of
future generations.
In order to make all these attrac-
tons accessible to motoring visitors,
the state is. speeding up its road
building program and already has pro-
duced some of the finest roads in the
country. Wide, well-paved highways
take the mountain sides in easy
grades, so that any car can cover the
state without trouble.
The Midland Trail, U. S. 81, at
Parkersburg and Charleston, U. S.
10 at Morgantown, and U. S. II over
the Virginia border. This, and the
Huntingdon Bluefield road, cross not
only historic and natural sights for
which West Virginia is noted, but take
the motorist through the heart of a
billion dollar coal district.
National Routes Enter.
In the eastern panhandle, the Lee
highway, the Northwestern turnpike
and the National pike bring the tour
list army from the north and scatter
it through districts that are rich in
historic lore. The colonial atmos-
phere pervades the air while, from
utilitarian viewpoint, there are vast
peach and apple orchards, great grain
fields and some of the greatest lime
tone quarries in the country to in
trigue the newcomer.
At Harper's Ferry, where the Poto-
mac and Shenandoah unite, is the low
est spot in the state, and one of the
loveliest. Here John Brown and his
fellow abolitionists made their i'll
fated effort to arm and free the slaves.
The Northwestern turnpike, U. S.
so, from Parkersburg to Winchester,
is typical of the early roads that fol-
lowed the tracks of white trapper and
pioneer hunter or the trail of Indians
and buffalo. This road appeals to the
traveller today as the best route from
Washington to Cincinnati and St..
Louis because of it's easy grades and
a saving of rs miles in distance.
To Preserve Landmarks.
Throughout the state efforts are be-
ing made to preserve the historic and
scenic spots for the future. A COM
mission is to report on the needs of
the battlefield at Phillippi, where the
first land battle of the Civil War
was fought. Another group wants to
preserve the site of the home of
Nancy Hanks in Mineral county.
Other organizations want to locate
the site of Daniel Boone's cabin in
Kanawha county and to preserve Ash
by's fort in Mineral county, one of the
few remaining log block houses of
pioneer days.
Monuments have been placed
throughout the state in memory of
the men who did great things for
West Virginia as well as the rest of
the country. Besides these historic
shrines number of parks and for
est areas are being urged for state
use, and camps for motorists are be-
ing dedicated.
Altogether, therefore, West Virgin
ia offers splendid attraction to tour
lists passing through the east.