Tag: Highway Historical Markers

New Book Details W.Va. Historical Markers

If you’ve ever wondered what some of those historical road markers say, and what the story behind the marker is, there is a new book available that will fill in those details.

It is called “Signs of the Times: West Virginia’s Highway Historical Marker Program.”

“This book absolutely provides all kinds of wonderful information all through the book about all the historical markers all across our highway system,” Gov. Jim Justice said.

The first roadside marker in the state was in downtown Charleston designating the original location of the state capitol on Capitol Street. It was placed in 1937.

This book updates a version that was originally published in 2002. The 2021 version includes approximately 300 new markers that were added since the original book was published.

It is currently available at the Archives and History Library in Charleston.

April 26, 1937: West Virginia's First Historical Marker Placed

On April 26, 1937, West Virginia’s first highway historical marker was installed in Charleston, detailing the history of our state capitol.

In that first year, 440 sites were marked by these white aluminum signs, which feature a circular state seal at the top. Initial funding was provided by one of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal programs.

After the early flurry of activity, the highway marker program waned until the centennial of the Civil War and West Virginia statehood in the 1960s. Existing markers were inventoried, damaged and missing markers were replaced, and nearly 300 additional sites were selected. Since that time, new markers have been added yearly, as funds permit, to commemorate more recent events or topics that may have been missed in the past.

Today, the roadside markers program is operated by the Archives and History Section of the West Virginia Division of Culture and History, with the cooperation of the Division of Highways. New markers are approved by the Archives and History Commission.

Some 1,000 markers are scattered along roadsides across West Virginia, marking significant historical events, prehistoric sites, and geological and natural features.

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