Community News

Wood County Commission discusses Fort Boreman artifacts, Rail Trail money

PARKERSBURG -- Wood County commissioners on Monday expressed their support for local historians' search for artifacts at Fort Boreman Park and for the North Bend Rails to Trails Foundation to shift the focus of funds awarded to them.

Wood County Historical and Preservation Society President Bob Enoch noted the recent removal of playground equipment at the park and said members of the 35th State Relic Hunters wanted to look for items there.

"They would like permission to metal detect that, giving you guys anything that they find," he said.

Metal detecting is usually prohibited at the park, but the commissioners agreed to allow it to be done at the playground site by Brian Kesterson, a member of the 35th State Relic Hunters and a local historian who worked on the establishment of the park on the site of the former Civil War Union encampment.

"There are artifacts up there yet," Kesterson said. "We've found stuff from New York units, Pennsylvania units, Ohio units … everything from belt buckles to state seal buttons."

Artifacts recovered previously have been placed on display in the lobby of the Judge Black Annex, with some also going to the Blennerhassett Museum.

"We want to try to preserve and save as much of that stuff as possible," Kesterson said.

Commission President Blair Couch said the playground equipment had become dilapidated.

"So we had it removed, and we have new equipment ordered," he said.

Steve Simonton, a member of the North Bend Rails to Trails Foundation, spoke to commissioners about $5,000 they awarded to the organization as part of a local match to acquire a rail spur from CSX to connect the North bend Rail Trail to Parkersburg's Corning Park. The company decided not to sell, and while the foundation continues to look at ways to make that connection, they will not be using the money from the commission for that purpose, Simonton said.

Simonton said the foundation is willing to return the funds but asked if the commission would consider letting them put it toward the local match for a $100,000 West Virginia Division of Highways grant to improve ditching along the trail.

Couch and Commissioner Jimmy Colombo both indicated they would support that. However, no vote could be taken Monday because the item was not on that day's agenda.

"We gave you five grand to help the rail trail," Couch said. "I think we still want you to help."

After the meeting, Simonton said the work would likely start in Wood County but beyond that would be up to engineers' recommendations. The trail starts in Wood County and crosses into Ritchie, Doddridge and Harrison counties.

"The ditches are all filled up, and they need to be cleared" to keep surface water off the trail, he said.

Evan Bevins can be reached at ebevins@newsandsentinel.com.