American Revolution Traveling Exhibit hosted at Point Park Welcome Center
Caegan, left, and Catriel Frasier fill out scavenger hunt worksheets at the American Revolution Traveling Exhibition at the Point Park Welcome Center on Monday afternoon. (Photo by Sophie Wheeler) (Photo by Sophie Wheeler)
The American Revolution Traveling Exhibition features 12 banners and three digital kiosks walking through the experience of some men and women during the Revolutionary War. It is set up at the Point Park Welcome Center this week, with no charge for admission. (Photo by Sophie Wheeler) (Photo by Sophie Wheeler)
Guests engage with the American Revolution Traveling Exhibition at the Point Park Welcome Center on Monday afternoon. (Photo by Sophie Wheeler)
Caegan, left, and Catriel Frasier fill out scavenger hunt worksheets at the American Revolution Traveling Exhibition at the Point Park Welcome Center on Monday afternoon. (Photo by Sophie Wheeler) (Photo by Sophie Wheeler)
The American Revolution Traveling Exhibition features 12 banners and three digital kiosks walking through the experience of some men and women during the Revolutionary War. It is set up at the Point Park Welcome Center this week, with no charge for admission. (Photo by Sophie Wheeler) (Photo by Sophie Wheeler)
Guests engage with the American Revolution Traveling Exhibition at the Point Park Welcome Center on Monday afternoon. (Photo by Sophie Wheeler)
Trending
PARKERSBURG -- The Blennerhassett Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution is hosting The American Revolution Traveling Exhibit, presented by the American Battlefield Trust, at the Point Park Welcome Center this week, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, with free admission.
"The engaging and educational exhibit offers visitors the opportunity to explore the people, events and sacrifices that shaped the founding of our nation. Through interactive displays and historical content, guests of all ages can gain a deeper understanding of the American Revolution and its lasting impact on American History," DAR member Catherine Sams said in a news release.
The exhibit features 12 banners and three digital kiosks "that use storytelling, illustration, technology and unique artifacts and primary accounts to connect modern audiences with the people and places that shaped the birth of our nation," according to the American Battlefield website.
The experience also features a scavenger hunt for kids 18 and under, with the chance to win a $25 gift card to a local bookstore. The scavenger hunt draws on information from the exhibit and can be entered when the worksheet is completed at the display.
The exhibit began as a digital experience, launched in the summer of 2022, which through demand has grown to a pop-up exhibition available across the county. It examines the lives of some of the men and women who witnessed the start of a new nation, and how their choices shaped their experiences.
In light of the exhibit’s visit to the region, Elizabeth Bradley, history adjunct at West Virginia University at Parkersburg, spoke on the historical significance of the area along the Ohio River leading to the Revolutionary War.
Bradley said Lord Dunmore's War in 1774 predates the Revolution by approximately two years but helped solidify the border between Ohio and the Virginia frontier, largely in the Kanawha Valley.
She also spoke on the Battle of Point Pleasant, between the Shawnee and the settlers, which is arguably considered to be the first battle of the Revolution. The battle was fought in October 1774 after tensions had risen between the two groups.
"Some people, in common tradition, consider this the first battle of the Revolution, but historians don’t always agree with that. They consider the years between Point Pleasant and the start of the Revolution too great to connect the two," she said.
Regardless of the label used for the period, the American Revolution Traveling Exhibit includes an opportunity to learn more about the war years and shed light on the many Revolutionary War-era military figures who subsequently settled here.
A scavenger hunt winner will be chosen Nov. 21, and the winner does not have to be present to win.
The Blennerhassett Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution will also host a Veterans Day reception from noon to 2 p.m. Wednesday at the welcome center.
Sophie Wheeler can be reached at swheeler@newsandsentinel.com.