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The Amazing Chamber Chase looks for downtown Parkersburg landmarks

Photo by Jeffrey Saulton Twenty-six teams registered for the first Amazing Chamber Chase which began at Bicentennial Park in downtown Parkersburg.

PARKERSBURG — With clues ranging from Roman numerals to museums and fountains, 26 teams participated in the Amazing Chamber Chase, a scavenger hunt of downtown landmarks sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce of the Mid-Ohio Valley.

Jill Parsons, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce, said the chase, which the chamber hopes to make an annual event, is a team scavenger hunt.

“This is designed as a an activity to promote comradery within an organization, so you will see lots or employee teams and civic organizations,” she said. “It will also celebrate downtown Parkersburg.”

Parsons said their were10 places, but each team received the clues in different order so they wouldn’t all be at the same place at the same time. She said each team had at least four members.

Places on the list included the James M. Jackson water fountain memorial in front of the courthouse, the Oil and Gas Museum, the former location of Vision Care Associates which was the site of one of five hospitals during the Civil War and the Noe Office Equipment building which was once known as the Spaghetti Warehouse.

Photo by Jeffrey Saulton Kiauntee Akers, left, and Jana Green, of the Treasured Chests Team, sign in their team and receive their clue packet.

Parsons said the north and south boundaries were Second and Ninth streets and the east and west boundaries were Juliana and Green streets.

Parsons said winners will be based on how many of the places each team finds. If two or more teams are tied for the most places correctly identified, there will be a drawing for the winner.

At each place the teams were required to take a selfie and, at some places they had to do an activity before moving to the next landmark.

“I saw this event in Wheeling,” she said. “There was this group called Youth Services that has coordinated the Challenge Wheeling for the past four years. I saw and thought I’d like to try something like that in Parkersburg.”

Parsons said she watched the event in June and decided it was a good idea for downtown Parkersburg.

Photo by Jeffrey Saulton Torie Jackson signs in her team, the Quad Squad, with Jill Parsons, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce of the Mid-Ohio Valley and Mike Fleak of Huntington Bank.

Parsons said most of the places would be well-known to someone who has lived in the city for a short time.

“If somebody is a little more seasoned, I bet they’ll know everyone of them,” she said.

Parsons said she thought it would work as a fall weeknight event so it wouldn’t have to compete with area fairs or festivals or college football and the weather would be somewhat more tolerable.

Photo by Jeffrey Saulton From Wesbanco in the Gihon Village were, the Gihon Mystery Hunters, from left, Amy Lowers, Sydney Bailey, Amber Schultz and Lori Scott.

Photo by Jeffrey Saulton Parkersburg City Councilmen Eric Barber, John Reed, Sharon Kuhl and Bob Mercer as team Tax and Spend look over their clue sheet at the start of the Amazing Chamber Chase.

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