West Virginia is a powerful depiction of the socio-political lives of people across decades. The hard-working West Virginians value the many things they were blessed and not blessed with and through their monuments we grasp the essence of their past. If you are one of those admirers, say no more, as we take you through several monuments that capture the culture quite effectively for the tourists.
Here are 5 mesmerising monuments in West Virginia
1. Madonna of the Trail
The statue is a sublime tribute to the many lives of glorious strong-willed women of unmatchable integrity and compassion who flourished in American homes in the new land. It is, in fact, one of the 12 statues across the continental U.S. signifying pioneering women in establishing initial settlements for new immigrants through their sheer hard work. The statue is moving in its demeanor and subsequent effect and recites the long history through rhythmic lore of struggles.
2. John Brown Monument
The grey pillar standing astoundingly marks the place of John Brown’s monument some 150 feet away which served as a federal fire engine and guard house primarily. It can be visited during the day. The fort is a call for nurturing brotherhood, valuing peace, recognition of people’s rights and unified spirit by the authorities, respect for one’s freedom, and respecting the various identities through different counties that formed West Virginia. Amidst the chaos of the Civil War, various camps were built nearby.
3. Iron Horse Statue
It is a statue of Henry Gassaway Davis who was a U.S. senator from West Virginia known for railroad work and founding the Potomac and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company. The statue reminds people of his industrious attempts at transforming the economic lives of people and his political drive through its homage to the late Mr. Davis. The people of West Virginia pay their humble tribute to the man. The iron statue brings out vivid realism. It looks green now due to corrosion over the years.
4. Polish-American War Memorial
Polish people migrated to American lands around the beginning of World War I and later too. The Polish-American World War heroes are given peaceful tribute here in a pointed arch open edifice supplemented with a garden. It is a reminder of the nationalist spirit of many immigrants to America who formed the base of the populace and immersed themselves in service of the land leaving behind the traumas of vacillating and excruciating shifts in European polity that cared less for its people but the power structure.
5. West Virginia Veterans’ Memorial
War Veterans’ memorials are all located on top of the Capital Complex. The stone slab structures are in encircled fashion and each signifies different wars – World War I, Vietnam War, World War II, and the Korean war, hence covering all the major wars America has witnessed throughout the modern era. It portrays the painful backdrop of America’s present and that everything came at a cost. It is a heart-wrenching experience to see the thousands and thousands of names of the lives lost in a particular war, engraved on the inside. The statues on the outside of the slab appear life-like, in-action, determined spirits of valiant heroes.
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Bottom Line
In addition to the above five, many things may lure you into more wandering, for instance, the burial grounds of the native American population which is the most extensive in the area. The landscape offers many activities of interest like biking in the mountains, hiking, etc. The greenery and simple lives are added merits of West Virginia that are slowly building the legacy for the times to come.