Rally the Troops and Come to Marion County

Rally the Troops and Come to Marion County

As we commemorate the 150^th anniversary of the Civil War, our past is more important today than ever before, and Marion County offers a perfect place to explore history.

Because it represented a critical East-West link for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, Marion County was at the center of several key Civil War actions.   For example, the Fairmont suspension bridge, where Confederate General William E. Jones and his troops battled the Union for control of the span, still bears the bullet pocks on the piers.  The bridge withstood the attack and carried traffic for another 45 years before being taken out of service.  Key figures from the Civil War – which led to the creation of West Virginia – are buried in Marion County.  Frances H. Pierpont, considered the “Father of West Virginia”, is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery on Maple Avenue in Fairmont.

Jones Imboden Raid – In April 1863, Confederate forces invaded Fairmont, Virginia (now West Virginia) in an attempt to gain control of the strategic B&O Railroad and capture Francis Pierpont, Governor of the Re-Organized Virginia.  Prickett’s Fort State Park, commemorates this event through various re-enactments and demonstrations during their Civil War Weekend.  Visit www.prickettsfort.org for dates and times.

Julia Pierpont Day - The day has been established by the state of West Virginia, Marion County and the city of Fairmont to honor Julia Pierpont, the wife of Fairmont's Francis H. Pierpont, the Governor of Restored Virginia (1861-68) and "The Father of West Virginia." Pierpont Community & Technical College was named in honor of Francis H. Pierpont. Many historians credit Julia Pierpont with inspiring Memorial Day in May 1866. At first the holiday was called Decoration Day and was a day to repair and decorate the graves of the Civil War soldiers who had given their lives for their country. In 1882, the holiday's name was changed to Memorial Day, which became a day to honor all who have given their lives in service to their country. In recent years, remembrances include all those who have died. Julia Pierpont Day is a day to prepare for Memorial Day by giving attention to all graves, but with special attention to the graves of military veterans, especially those having served in the Civil War (1861-65).  For dates and event activities visit www.marionhistorical.org.

History Happened Here

National and global events all happened some­where, and historical markers commemorate the place where many occurred. But the richness of history is in its local details, details that can be insignificant on the global stage: the home of an in­di­vi­dual who made a dif­fe­rence; a natural feature, building, byway; or just some­thing in­te­res­ting that happened nearby. We welcome you to take a self-guided tour of six Marion County Civil War markers that are listed on the Civil War Trail www.civilwartrails.com : The Battle of Fairmont; the home of A B Fleming, 8th Governor of WV captured by the Confederates; the Railroad; The Beverly Turnpike; the site of  the home of Francis H. Pierpont, Governor of restored Virginia & the Father of West Virginia;  Woodlawn Cemetery (National Registry of Historic Sites -43 Acres) where historic Civil War figures are buried such as Francis H. Pierpont, Julia Pierpont and Waitman T. Wiley.