Parkersburg, West Virginia: A Blend of History, Modern and Football
While you might think of Parkersburg as the home for the U.S. Department of the Treasury, there is more to this city than the government installation. This historic area of West Virginia brings the beauty of its natural landscape with the modern attitudes of today. This is a city of history, beauty and the pride in their Wood County Ravens football team. The people of Parkersburg love sports and the football scoreboards that show their team’s victories.
Originally named Newport, there were conflicts of opinion regarding confusion with other local towns of similar names. Parkersburg became a center hub during the Civil War days with its location as part of the railway service. The town prospered with added interests of both gas and oil companies. Post war days continued to bring growth to the area.
The citizens are very proud of their historic roots and ensured that the monuments and museums of the locale represented the best that Parkersburg had to display. This attitude was also shared when it came to the natural beauty of their community. Lands were set aside for parks and recreation that are available to the general public today.
As their city grew, so did the need for a better infrastructure. Schools, universities and colleges became a focus for the residents along with attention to their equestrian roots. West Virginia is home to vast horse ranches and some of the most beautiful breeds in the world.
In the Twentieth Century, Parkersburg has been the center for a variety of films, books and music. The area’s changing demographics earned a title from CNN as the Number 7 Shrinking City in the United States.
Encouragement of both education and their love of sports have brought the Parkersburg area some of the best local teams around. The semi-professional football team as well as their baseball teams is the pride of the area. In the 1980’s the three local high schools as well as the city itself was added to the ESPN list of Title Town competition, placing second. With so much media focus, football sports scoreboards and all scoreboards alike are a key element in this town.
The Parkersburg of today is in the middle of a renaissance. The projects that are lined up for revitalization include not only the downtown and river port areas, but also include new monuments for those that have served in the military. The refurbishment of their town for both residents and visitors alike has become a focal point of the community. Attention has been given to the topic of the ecology and there are vast programs for recycling and creating a greener Parkersburg.
The Convention Center and shopping areas that have been added offer any visitor the excellence of cuisine in the many restaurants as well as the touch of West Virginia hospitality. The encouragement of recreations including biking, hiking and a pet friendly locale has drawn many to the area. The people of the area are redesigning their community as an open door to those that want to visit and live there. The city council has a goal to encourage Parkersburg to be one of the most innovative areas of the country and many of today’s industries are taking notice of the positive directions.
If you have an opportunity to go to Parkersburg, you will experience the beauty of the past and the progress of the future.
