This Is Our Town

In this section we will be posting general information, some historical information, and points of interest in and about the various communities in the Mid-Ohio Valley. This list includes communities in Wood, Pleasants, Jackson counties, plus a few in western Ritchie County in West Virginia, and Washington, Athens, Morgan, and Meigs counties in Ohio. If you live in one of these communities (or even if you don’t live there) and you know of any “points of interest” you would like for us to feature on the BobCast, or if there is a named community in the MOV that does not appear on this list, please let us know.

Registered Historic Places in Wood County

On the West Virginia side of the river we have:

Jackson County

Muses Bottom [MAP] is an unincorporated community in Jackson County. Muses Bottom is located on the Ohio River and West Virginia Route 68, 6.5 miles north of Ravenswood. Muses Bottom once had a post office, which is now closed. The community most likely was named after the local Muse family. Wikipedia

Ravenswood [MAP] is a city in Jackson County, along the Ohio River. The population was 3,865 at the 2020 census. Wikipedia
Ripley [MAP] is a city in and the county seat of Jackson County. The population was 3,074 at the 2020 census. Wikipedia
Sherman [MAP] is an unincorporated community in northern Jackson County, along the Ohio River. It lies along West Virginia Route 68 north of the city of Ravenswood. Its elevation is 600 feet. The community was named after the local Sherman family. Wikipedia

Pleasants County

Belmont [MAP] is a town in Pleasants County. It is part of the Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna, WV-OH Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 872 at the 2020 census. Belmont was incorporated on April 19, 1946 by the Circuit Court of Pleasants County. Wikipedia
Saint Marys [MAP] is a city and the county seat of Pleasants County. The population was 1,847 at the 2020 census. St. Marys was established in 1849 by Alexander Creel, who is said to have had a vision of Mary while passing the townsite by boat on the Ohio River. Wikipedia

Ritchie County

Petroleum [MAP] is an unincorporated community in Ritchie County. Its elevation is 699 feet. Its post office closed on November 9, 2002, but the community still has a ZIP code of 26161. The North Bend Rail Trail passes through the community. Petroleum was platted in 1854 when the railroad was extended to that point. The community was named after a nearby creek where oil naturally occurs. Wikipedia

Wood County

Wood County was formed on December 21, 1798, from portions of Harrison County. It was named for the then Governor of Virginia (1796–99), James Wood, formerly a brigadier general in the American Revolutionary War.

In 1861, Virginia seceded from the Union. The delegates of the 40 western counties who opposed secession formed their own government and seceded from the Confederate state of Virginia. West Virginia was granted statehood in 1863.

Later that year, West Virginia's counties were divided into civil townships, with the intention of encouraging local government. This proved impractical in the heavily rural state, and in 1872 the townships were converted into magisterial districts. Wood County was divided into ten districts: Clay, Harris, Lubeck, Parkersburg, Slate, Steele, Tygart, Union, Walker, and Williams.

Belleville [MAP] is an unincorporated community in Wood County. Its elevation is 594 feet. Wikipedia
Blennerhassett [MAP] is a census-designated place in Wood County. It is part of the Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna, WV-OH Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,089 at the 2010 census. Wikipedia
Boaz [MAP] is a census-designated place (CDP) in Wood County. It is part of the Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna, WV-OH Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, the CDP population was 1,321. Wikipedia
Dallison [MAP] is an unincorporated community in Wood County. Wikipedia
Davisville [MAP] is an unincorporated community in Wood County. Its elevation is 620 feet. It has a post office with the ZIP code 26142. The North Bend Rail Trail passes through the community. Wikipedia
Deerwalk [MAP] is an unincorporated community in Wood County. Deerwalk is located on West Virginia Route 31 north of its junction with U.S. Route 50, 12.5 miles east of Parkersburg. The community was named for a deer trail near the original town site. Wikipedia
Flinn [MAP] is an unincorporated community in Wood County, situated along Pond Creek. It was originally settled by Rick’s maternal ancestors, after whom the community is named. They migrated down the Ohio River from Fort Pitt (now Pittsburgh), disembarked at the mouth of Lee Creek, and then move west into what would become Wood County. Wikipedia
Lubeck [MAP] is a census-designated place (CDP) in Wood County. It is part of the Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna, WV-OH Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,311 at the 2010 census. Wikipedia
Mineral Wells, [MAP]also known as Mineralwells, is a census-designated place (CDP) in Wood County. It is part of the Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna, WV-OH Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,950 at the 2010 census. Wikipedia
Murphytown [MAP] is an unincorporated community in Wood County and home of The BobCast MOV’s co-host, producer, and web-maven, Rick Sawyer. Wikipedia
New England [MAP] is an unincorporated community in Wood County. New England is located on County Route 11 near the Ohio River, 8.9 miles west-southwest of Parkersburg. Wikipedia
North Hills [MAP] is a town in Wood County. It is a suburb of Parkersburg. The population was 837 at the 2020 census. North Hills was incorporated on February 15, 1979. Wikipedia
Parkersburg [MAP] is a city in and the county seat of Wood County. Located at the confluence of the Ohio and Little Kanawha rivers, it is the state's fourth-largest city and the largest city in the Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna metropolitan area. The population was 29,749 at the 2020 census. Wikipedia
Rockport [MAP] is an unincorporated community in Wood County. It lies at an elevation of 705 feet, along Tygart Creek. It is the last exit in southern Wood County along I-77 and is unincorporated, with the ZIP code of 26169. Wikipedia
Vienna [MAP] is a city in Wood County, situated along the Ohio River. It borders Parkersburg. The population was 10,676 at the 2020 census. It is the third-largest city by population in the Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna metropolitan area. Wikipedia
Volcano [MAP] is a ghost town in Wood County. It burned to the ground in 1879 and was never rebuilt. It was a petroleum town. Gas flares at night made the skyline appear like a volcano, hence the name. Its Post Office no longer exists. The Volcano oil field was discovered in 1860, according to the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey (WVGES), “and from 1865 to 1870, drilling was very active, producing from the Salt sand at a depth of about 360 feet. The heavy lubricants produced led to the development of West Virginia's first oil pipeline, from Volcano to Parkersburg, in 1879.” In 1874, W.C. Stiles, Jr. [MAP: Stiles Mansion Ruins], employed the endless-wire method of pumping many wells from a central engine, “a technique he invented,” according to the WVGES. “Using wheels, belts, and cables, perhaps as many as 40 wells could be pumped by one engine. One of the systems operated until 1974.” The Volcano town-site is located south of the US-50 expressway at the junction of Wood County Routes 5 and 28.
Wadeville [MAP] is an unincorporated community in Wood County, West Virginia, United States. The community most likely was named after one Mr. Wade, who was known to have lived near the town site. Wikipedia
Walker [MAP] is an unincorporated community in Wood County, located on County Route 7 in eastern Wood County, 4 miles east of West Virginia Route 47, along Walker Creek and the North Bend Rail Trail. Walker has a post office with ZIP code 26180. Wikipedia
Washington [MAP] is a census-designated place in Wood County, situated along the Ohio River. It is part of the Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna metropolitan area. The population was 1,175 at the 2010 census. The community was named after George Washington, who acquired 2,314 acres of this land in Washington Bottom by a grant, dated December 15, 1772. Wikipedia
Waverly [MAP] is a census-designated place in northeastern Wood County. As of the 2010 census, its population was 395. It lies along the Ohio River on West Virginia Route 2, northeast of the city of Parkersburg, the county seat of Wood County. Its elevation is 620 feet. Wikipedia
Wesley [MAP] was an unincorporated community located in Wood County. Wikipedia
Williamstown [MAP] is a city in Wood County, along the Ohio River. It is part of the Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna metropolitan area. The population was 2,997 at the 2020 census. The now closed Fenton Art Glass Company was located in the city. Wikipedia

On the Ohio side of the river we have

Athens County

Athens [MAP] Athens is a city and the county seat of Athens County, Ohio. The population was 23,849 at the 2020 census. Located along the Hocking River within Appalachian Ohio about 65 miles (105 km) southeast of Columbus, Athens is best known as the home of Ohio University, a large public research university. Wikipedia
Beebe [MAP] is an unincorporated community in Athens County, in the U.S. state of Ohio. A post office called Beebe was established in 1875, and remained in operation until 1931. Beebe was the name of a local family in Rome Township. Wikipedia
Big Run [MAP] is an unincorporated community in Athens County, in the U.S. state of Ohio. A post office called Big Run was established in 1856, and remained in operation until 1907. The community took its name from nearby Big Run creek. Besides the post office, Big Run had a railroad station (on the Marietta and Cincinnati Railroad) and a country store.
Coolville [MAP] is a village located in Troy Township, Athens County. It is located on the right bank (west bank) of the Hocking River, a few miles upstream from its confluence with the Ohio River. US 50/SR 32/SR 7, Appalachian Corridor D, bypasses the town on the north side, just outside the built-up area, and provides highway access to the community. OH-144, located on the near bank of the Hocking River, also provides access. The population was 496 at the 2010 census. Wikipedia
Guysville [MAP] is an unincorporated community in southern Rome Township, Athens County. It has a post office with the ZIP code 45735. The town is located on the Hocking River at the junction of U.S. Route 50 and State Route 329. Guysville was laid out in 1836. Wikipedia
Sharpsburg [MAP] is an unincorporated community in northwestern Bern Township, Athens County. It has a post office with the ZIP code 45777. Sharpsburg is located on Sharps Run, a tributary of Federal Creek, which in turn is a tributary of the Hocking River. Wikipedia
Stewart [MAP] is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in central Rome Township, Athens County. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 247. It has a post office with the ZIP code 45778. Wikipedia
Torch [MAP] is an unincorporated community in Athens County, in the U.S. state of Ohio. Torch had its start when the railroad was extended to that point. According to tradition, the community was named for the fact local churchgoers carried torches. A post office called Torch was established in 1851, and remained in operation until 2002.

Meigs County

Long Bottom [MAP] is an unincorporated community in southern Olive Township, Meigs County. It has a post office with the ZIP code 45743. It lies on the Ohio River, located below Reedsville and above Portland. The community was named for a river bottom near the original town site. Wikipedia
Portland [MAP] is an unincorporated community in eastern Lebanon Township, Meigs County. It has a post office with the ZIP code 45770. It lies on the Ohio River, located below Long Bottom and above Racine. Wikipedia
Reedsville [MAP] is an unincorporated community in eastern Olive Township, Meigs County. It has a post office with the ZIP code 45772. It lies along the Ohio River, below Hockingport and above Long Bottom. Wikipedia
Tuppers Plains [MAP] is an unincorporated community and census-designated place on the boundary of the Olive and Orange townships of Meigs County. It has a post office with the ZIP code 45783. It is located at the intersection of State Routes 7 and 681. Wikipedia

Morgan County

Chesterhill [MAP] is a village in Morgan County. The population was 289 at the 2010 census. Chesterhill was laid out in 1834, and named after Chester County, Pennsylvania, the native home of a large share of the first settlers. Wikipedia
Plantsville [MAP] is an unincorporated community in Morgan County, in the U.S. state of Ohio. A post office called Plantsville was established in 1888, and remained in operation until 1908.

Washington County

Alden [MAP] is located in Washington County in the State of Ohio. Nearby cities include Adams, Moss Run, Macksburg, Aurelius, Lawrence.
Barlow [MAP] is an unincorporated community in western Barlow Township, Washington County. Although it is unincorporated, it has a ZIP code 45712. It lies at the intersection of State Routes 339 and 550 near the South Fork of Wolf Creek, which meets the Muskingum River at Waterford to the north. Wikipedia
Bartlett [MAP] is an unincorporated community in southwestern Wesley Township, Washington County. It has a post office with the ZIP code 45713. It sits at the intersection of State Routes 550 and 555 near Coal Run, a subsidiary of Wolf Creek, which meets the Muskingum River at Waterford to the north. Wikipedia
Belpre [MAP] is a city in Washington County, along the Ohio River near Parkersburg. Its name derives from “Belle Prairie”, the name given to the valley by French trappers prior to the first American settlement at the site. Wikipedia
Cutler [MAP] is an unincorporated community in southwestern Fairfield Township, Washington County. It has a post office with the ZIP code 45724. Wikipedia
Devola [MAP] is a census-designated place in Washington County, along the Muskingum River. It is part of the Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna metropolitan area. The population was 2,771 at the 2000 census. Wikipedia
Dunham Township [MAP] is one of the twenty-two townships of Washington County. The 2000 census found 2,505 people in the township. Wikipedia
Filmore [MAP] is an unincorporated community in Washington County. Wikipedia
Fleming [MAP] is a small unincorporated community in rural eastern Barlow Township, Washington County. Located along State Route 550 between Barlow and Marietta, it is surrounded by farmland dotted with occasional trees. It lies near, but not in, the Wayne National Forest. Wikipedia
Little Hocking [MAP] is a census-designated place in southern Belpre Township, Washington County. It has a post office with the ZIP code 45742. Little Hocking lies along the Ohio River a few miles below the county seat of Marietta. Wikipedia
Lowell [MAP] is a village in Washington County, along the Muskingum River. The population was 549 at the 2010 census. Wikipedia
Lower Salem [MAP] is a village in Washington County. The population was 86 at the 2010 census. The village is home to a number of local businesses as well as a bank attached to the post office and a volunteer fire department next to the Salem Township Cemetery. Wikipedia
Marietta [MAP] is a city in, and the county seat of, Washington County. It is located in southeastern Ohio at the confluence of the Muskingum and Ohio Rivers, 11 miles northeast of Parkersburg. As of the 2020 census, Marietta has a population of 13,385 people and is the principal city of the Marietta Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Washington County, and is the second-largest city in the Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna metropolitan area. Wikipedia
Newport Township [MAP] is one of the twenty-two townships of Washington County. The 2000 census found 2,176 people in the township. Wikipedia
Rainbow [MAP] is an unincorporated community in Washington County, in the U.S. state of Ohio. The first settlement at Rainbow was made in the spring of 1795. The community most likely took its name from Rainbow Creek. A post office called Rainbow was established in 1888, and remained in operation until 1903.
Reno [MAP] is a census-designated place in southern Marietta Township, Washington County. It has a post office with the ZIP code 45773. It is located on the Ohio River a short distance above the county seat of Marietta. State Route 7 forms its main street. Wikipedia
Stanleyville [MAP] is an unincorporated community in Washington County. Wikipedia
Vincent [MAP] is a census-designated place in southern Barlow Township, Washington County. It has a post office with the ZIP code 45784. It lies along State Route 339 near Tupper Creek, a subsidiary of the Little Hocking River, which in turn meets the Ohio River at Little Hocking to the south. Wikipedia
Wade [MAP] is an unincorporated community in Washington County, in the U.S. state of Ohio. A former variant name was Ostend. A post office called Ostend was established in 1842, the name was changed to Wade in 1864, the post office closed in 1956. The present name is for Benjamin Wade, a United States Senator from Ohio (1851-1869).
Watertown [MAP] is an unincorporated community in southwestern Watertown Township, Washington County. It has a post office with the ZIP code 45787. It lies near the intersection of State Routes 339 and 676 near Wolf Creek, which meets the Muskingum River at Waterford to the north. Wikipedia
Wolf Creek [MAP] is an unincorporated community in Washington County. An old variant name was Wolf Creek Mills. The namesake Wolf Creek mill was a gristmill built in 1789 on Wolf Creek. A post office called Wolf Creek was established in 1888, and remained in operation until 1903. Wikipedia