Travels of the Cat In Black

Medics, Mounds and Marx

So today I found myself in Moundsville, West Virginia. I was there to attend a FRN Meeting as Vice President of Vandalia-Con. (https://www.facebook.com/vandaliacon.org) It was a very nice meeting and visit, and a good bit was accomplished. What was especially nice however was that I was able to use the rest of the afternoon to visit some of the more popular sites in the area. The day was overcast and it continually threatened to rain on our visits. There were a few small cloudbursts, but the only rain we were caught in as we strolled was a soft summer rain, which accented the day quite well.

It did pound rain a fair bit on the drive home however, but we made the trip safe and sound.

           

Gives one a sense of the scale of this sacred place.

Naturally the first visit had to be the location the town is named for, the Grave Creek Burial Mound of Moundsville. Almost 70 Feet high and roughly 240 feet in diameter, it is the largest conical burial mound in the United States. Built prior to 100 B.C. by the ‘Adena’ Peoples during the Woodlands period, the mound is believed to have built up in successive stages over a burial, with each layer spanning a previous period of time.  In 1830, Jesse Tomlinson and his partner Thomas Briggs dug into the center of the mound, discovering and looting the bodies they found there. Afterward Mr. Tomlinson opened a museum inside the Mound where spectators could pay to see the treasures the two men discovered for themselves. Sadly the profit minded actions of these two men polluted the site, making any further study problematic at the very least.

The Grave Creek Burial Mound was nearly destroyed in 1908, when development threatened the Mound’s destruction. However it was saved at the last minute by a local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. After that time it was designated as a historic spot, and was finally declared a National Historic Landmark in 1964. Today it still strikes one as a sacred space, solemn and peaceful with a commanding view of the entire river valley. The Delf Norona Museum located onsite is educational without seeming pandering. The history displays are respectful and the displays that feature the work of local artists were a great deal of fun to view. Quite inspiring. It is a remarkable place to visit.

When one literally turns one’s back to the Grave Creek Mound they are greeted with an imposing site.

A very LARGE building..

It’s pretty big..

Seriously… Big..

This is the West Virginia State Penitentiary. A gothic architecture style prison of massive proportions, it was in operation from the 1870’s till the early to mid 1990’s. At its peak it hosted about 2000 inmates and was known as one of the most violent prisons in America. It was the scene of several historic riots, and hosted a number of notable criminals. Unfortunately we did not have the time to take the tour today. But I do hope to return and do an entry specifically about that location sometime in the future.

Right nearby these two landmarks we did discover a remarkable little location. Much like the Penitentiary, this building is very hard to miss

That elephant is -really- excited to see you!

Who, me? Just visiting.

This is Johnny Shar’s Big Dipper Ice Cream Parlor, and it is where we stopped to have a quick bite to eat. The Captain got a scoop of red velvet ice cream, and I had a coca-cola and pepperoni roll. The Captain gave the ice cream a thumbs up, and I will say the same for my meal. The pepperoni roll was offered with a marinara sauce, which I declined, and was made in the ‘folded slices’ style as opposed to the ‘cheese and sticks’ style. It was served very warm, and the bread was nice and soft without being overly greasy. I am fond of the West Virginia Pepperoni Roll and I will say this place serves a very enjoyable one.  Classical Television theme songs played in the background and we were surrounded by Carnival memorabilia as we enjoyed our food. It was a really fun atmosphere and a very nice place to grab a bite to eat.

Finally as we headed out of town the Captain allowed me to divert us long enough to enjoy a brief visit to the Kruger Street Toy & Train Museum. At first I was a bit surprised, as it seemed that most of the Toys displayed were more recent varieties than vintage ones, but then I looked closer. The museum has a remarkable collection of Marx produced toys, as I had hoped. A great deal of my childhood was spent playing with Marx toys, everything from army men and other plastic figures to the larger Johnny West Style dolls. The company had a factory in West Virginia and so I remember Marx toys being everywhere when I was growing up. My favorites were the Gold and Silver Knights, and the Vikings that they had made. While they did not have one of the Vikings on display, they did have the two Knights with all their gear on & they also had the same Geronimo doll that I had in my younger days, so those were fun and nostalgic to see. The upstairs of the museum featured model train displays, which were all very impressive and fun to witness as they wound around their little model towns. Each display featured little electronic elements spectators could trigger at the push of a button adding a level of interactivity, which accented the enjoyment of seeing all the fine details of the models. I would recommend the Museum to any Toy or Train fan and most certainly to anyone fond of Marx toys growing up.  To learn more about the museum visit www.ToyandTrain.com

 All in all, it was a good day.