Milton West Virginia Heritage Trail

Entries on This Tour

1. Morris Memorial Hospital for Crippled Children (1936-1960)

Morris Memorial Hospital was made possible by a donation from a local farmer who made good on a promise to donate his entire estate if his great-nephew recovered from paralysis. The hospital was devoted to children’s health and became one of the premiere hospitals for treatment of polio. Constructed in 1936, the hospital was also a self-sufficient farm and produced food in surplus. Patients were treated with innovative methods such as hydrotherapy in outdoor, indoor, and whirlpools. The facility also had its own blood bank, x-ray machine, operating room, and iron lungs. When it closed in 1960, the Morris Memorial Hospital had treated nearly 10,000 patients. The hospital included a library and several classrooms, with teachers from the Cabell County schools offering a complete curriculum from kindergarten to high school.

2. Union Baptist Church and the Jorden Cemetery of Cabell County, Virginia/West Virginia

The Union Baptist Church in eastern Cabell County stands beside Mud River and the Old James River and Kanawha Turnpike which connected Tidewater Virginia on the Atlantic Ocean to the Ohio River Valley. About 1810 Ministers John Lee and John Alderson helped early members such as Revolutionary War veteran, James Jorden and family organize the Church. The Church was situated near a covered bridge across Mud River, and during the Civil War the church building served as a barrack for soldiers. The poor soldiers suffered from an out break of measles as well as numerous attacks. Bullet marks showed in the brick walls for many years. (The church is a mile south and east of Milton, West Virginia on the south side of James River Road.)

3. Mud River Covered Bridge

The Mud River Covered Bridge in Milton is one of seventeen surviving covered bridges in West Virginia. It is also the last Howe truss style covered bridge in the state. The fourteen-foot wide, 112-foot long structure was built over the Mud River around 1876 to accommodate increased traffic and commerce in the community. The bridge underwent few changes until a restoration project by the West Virginia Department of Transportation in 1971. In 2001, the bridge was moved to its current location on a pond in Pumpkin Park, the annual host of both the West Virginia Pumpkin Festival and the Cabell County Fair. The covered bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

4. Blenko Glass Company

The Blenko Glass Company is one of a handful of glass factories remaining from what was once one of the largest industries in West Virginia. The company was founded in 1921 by British-born glass maker William Blenko, who had several previous unsuccessful glass ventures across the country. Blenko Glass survived the Great Depression by diversifying to make decorative pieces, which remain a staple of the company. It has survived the decline of the glass industry and today is a popular regional attraction. Blenko offers daily tours of the factory and features a glass museum and gift shop.

5. Harshbarger Corner

The survey of the township of Milton began here in 1872. The township's founder, David Harshbarger, later built his residence on this lot of land. Named for Milton Reese, a large landowner as well as the town's first postmaster, Milton became an incorporated town in 1876 with Captain J.R. Burke as its first mayor.

6. Mountaineer Opry House (1972-2018)

The Mountaineer Opry House was a local bluegrass music venue in Milton, West Virginia. The Opry House was founded by Paul King in 1972 and modeled off the famous Grande Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. Almost every weekend for over forty years it provided a stage for both local and nationally recognized bands. In 2016 the Mountaineer Opry House closed after the building it operated in was sold to a local medical provider.

7. Milton Public Library

Milton Public Library is a warm and cozy environment, and a gathering place that is inviting to those who have a passion and love for reading. This library is accessible to everyone within the community. The Milton Public Library is a part of the Cabell County library system which is comprised of seven branches. Milton Library was the third to join the network. This network of libraries serves about 97,000 residents in Huntington, Barboursville, and Milton.

8. Milton Blue Star Highway Marker and Military History Park

This static display of historic military equipment includes a F-86 D Interceptor that was donated to the town of Milton by the Air Force for the purpose of a static display. The F-86 was used by 36 different countries and was used heavily during the Korean and Vietnam wars. Next to the F-86 is a 5"/25 MK 40 wet mount gun designed by The Bureau of Ordnance in 1942 and used by naval ships in World War II. W. The gun has a range of a little over 14,000 yards when fully elevated at 40 degrees and was able to be depressed to a minimum of -10 degrees. When completed assembled the gun weighed a total of 14,000 pounds.

9. 1849-Sampson Sanders Frees all 51 of his Slaves

In the 1840s, Sampson Sanders decided that he wanted to manumit every one of his 51 slaves and also provide money, equipment, and land in Cass County, Michigan so that they might truly become free. The decision required years of planning and cost Sanders most of his substantial fortune. This gravestone marks the final resting place of Sampson Sanders.

This Tour is a Thematic Tour or Heritage Trail.

Milton West Virginia Heritage Trail

Created by Clio Admin on January 13th 2019, 11:01:21 pm.

Get a QR Code for this tour

Description

This short driving tour begins at the location of Morris Memorial Hospital which provided medical care for hundreds of children between 1936 and 1960. The trail continues to Milton's historic Mud River Covered Bridge in the city's famous Pumpkin Park followed by a stop at Blenko Glass. The tour also includes the public library, the former home of Mountaineer Opry House, several historic buildings and markers, and static displays of historic military equipment. The tour concludes with the grave of Sampson Sanders who freed each of his slaves and provided funds for them to acquire both land and freedom. Please note that the Sanders grave is located on private property that requires permission before anyone can visit the site. The landowners are happy to allow visitors with advance notice.

Entries on This Tour

Milton West Virginia Heritage Trail

Description

Share