On Oct. 27, 1932, a reenactment was held at the Point at Parkersburg recognizing George Washington’s October and November 1770 reconnaissance trip of lands along the Ohio River. The photo above, featuring local actors, depicts Washington meeting the great Chief Kiashuta at the Point. This reenactment and the placing of memorial stones along his route were part of the National Celebration recalling two hundred years since the birth of George Washington. (Photo Provided)

George Washington’s Tracks Being Retraced by Tourists, In West Virginia This Year

Thousands of Tourists Expected to Visit Places of Interest in State

George Washington, although born two centuries ago, represents the tourist of today who seeks the things of interest to be seen just around the corner. He was always eager to explore the wilderness of western Virginia, now West Virginia, and the tourist who is a student of history is astonished at the number of places in West Virginia which still bear the imprint of Washington or other colorful characters of colonial and Revolutionary days. This year [1932] thousands of tourists who are planning to participate in some phase of the George Washington Bicentennial Celebration expect to include in their itinerary many of the points in West Virginia which were made noted by association with the beloved First Citizen.

Washington is known to have owned some 30,000 acres of land in what is now West Virginia, including choice plots along the Ohio River, at Paw Paw, Morgan County, and on Bull Skin Creek, near Charles Town, Jefferson County. He also had a cottage at “Bath” or “Warm Springs” which was frequently occupied by the Washingtons. The site of Washington’s cottage is already marked at Berkeley Springs and the West Virginia Bicentennial Commission is planning to erect handsome markers on each plot of ground in this state owned by Washington. Perhaps it was because of his land holdings in this state that Washington made his memorable journey to the Ohio Valley in 1770 and to Monongalia and Preston counties in 1784.

In the Fall of 1770, Washington set out with a party of friends from Mount Vernon to Pittsburgh, from which a canoe journey was started down the Ohio River, October 20. Two days after the start from Pittsburgh, Washington and his party were along the boundaries of Brooke and Hancock counties in the northern panhandle of West Virginia. The site of Wheeling was passed October 24. Two days later the party passed Tyler and Pleasants counties. Next day the party reached the mouth of the Little Kanawha River, where Parkersburg now stands. Then on down the Ohio to the mouth of the Great Kanawha River, now the site of Point Pleasant. The journey was pursued south-east on the Kanawha to a point some 14 miles from the Ohio, now Putnam County. From that point the return trip was started, stops being made to look over promising tracts of land at various points and to hunt.

Washington became so enthusiastic over the rich bottom land that he saw on this journey that he took out patents on the tract south of [what is now] Parkersburg now known as Washington’s Bottom. Other tracts along the river, both north and south, and elsewhere were also acquired by Washington, until at one time Washington had title to a dozen tracts of land within the present boundaries of West Virginia.

Concluded next week.

The Parkersburg News

Jan. 17, 1932

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Bob Enoch is president of the Wood County Historical and Preservation Society. If you have comments or questions about Look Back items, please contact him at: roberteenoch@gmail.com, or by mail at WCHPS, PO Box 565, Parkersburg, WV 26102.