West Virginia
My hometown is
Sistersville.
http://keyboardsforchrist.com/275px-WV_State_Seal_svg.png
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/willow/geography-of-west-virginia4.gif

Located on the Ohio River
It is south of Wheeling and North of Parkersburg
Sistersville is a
small town with
less than 2000
people.
http://web03.bestplaces.net/city/Sistersville_WV.gif

Once was a boom town
This town once had over 26,000 people on its banks in the
early 1900’s.
http://webzoom.freewebs.com/indianawaterways/Panoramic/Sistersville%20WV-Ohio%20Riv.jpg

Black Gold, Texas Tea, Oil
This was the reason for the population explosion!
The markers explain the story.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3119/2637274200_3351f91b4f.jpg?v=0
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3132/2636436373_948e86af0a.jpg?v=0

Oil wells use to dot the landscape
http://www.appaltree.net/aba/images/oilderrick.jpg
http://little-mountain.com/oilwell/Media/album/Jennings_Oil_1_a.jpg

Bustling Train Station in town
Trains helped to keep jobs for the population. The photo was
taken in 1917.
http://www.lostbutnotforgottengenealogy.com/war.jpg

Coal was and is
mined in the area
Mining is not a stable industry for the area. Mines have shut down and
reopened again, with this repeated pattern. Most miners look for other
work until the mine opens once more.
http://www.wvtraditions.com/coal/index.aspx
http://www.otherpower.co.uk/Energytypes/conventionalsources/Coal.jpg

The town is fading quickly
There is a steady decline with population, jobs and anything else related
to the economy.
2000 Census Information http://www.localcensus.com/city/Sistersville/West_Virginia
Population: 1588 Median Income: $ 26,799
The population trend shows a decrease.
Recent information can be found at the following web address.
http://www.city-data.com/city/Sistersville-West-Virginia.html
http://mirrorcracked.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/ghost_town.jpg

Local Business closing/closed
Slowly the area and town began to lose businesses and its
population. Some factories are still laying off workers.
http://www.pentaengr.com/images/logos/ppg.gif
http://www.mybayerjob.com/images/Bayer_Logo_neu2.jpg
http://www.belgianbowl.be/images/coca-cola.jpg http://www.ocsbbs.com/images/logos/wiseroil_logo.gif
http://www.secat.net/images/logos/ormet.gif http://www.geography.ndo.co.uk/images/unioncarbide.gif

Becoming a Ghost Town
As the oil barons left, the town began to fade.
Most of the
buildings
pictured are
not in use.
The buildings
are for sale or
looking for
renters
http://pics4.city-data.com/cpicc/cfiles28763.jpg

Schools can make a town’s identity
but not anymore
One school remains in Sistersville. It is Sistersville Elementary.
The school is a feeder
school for Tyler
Consolidated Middle.
More information on
the school can be
found at the following
web address.
http://www.city-data.com/school/sistersvil
http://www.tylerstarnews.com/photos/news/md/500063_1.jpg

Small Town Schools
Schools were the main stay but could not last.
The population is just to few.
The Main
Street (1896 -
1995) was torn
down to create
a parking lot.
http://www.wvculture.org/HISTORY/education/images/tyler/tyler037.jpg

Sistersville High School Closes
The school was
built in 1906 and
in 1993 was no
more as a school.
The building still
stands but used
by a local
company.
http://images.classmates.com/imgsvc/i/d/138578072.jpg

Tigers Roar No More
Sistersville High School
Championships
Football - 1953, 1964,
1980, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1986,
Golf – 1958, 1959,
http://sistersvilleclassof84.com/tiger.jpg

Attractions and Mainstays
can still be found
Sistersville has a rich history dating back to the early 1800’s.
 There are many historical buildings
 Brick Streets
 Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge
 One of four ferry boats that cross the Ohio River
 A public golf course: Sistersville County Club
 Oil and Gas Festival
 Marble Festival
 The Wells Inn
 Even a local hospital: Sistersville General Hospital

OIL AND GAS Festival
Held in Sistersville in September, it starts on the the second full
week on a Thursday and runs through Sunday. The festival
celebrates the oil and gas industry. People bring old engines and
talk about their designs.
http://gasengine.farmcollector.com/uploadedimages/GEM/articles/issues/1998-08-01/GEM_V33_I8_Aug_1998_19-1.jpg

Marble Festival
The Marble Festival is held in
September, the last full week of
the month beginning on Friday.
Sistersville is located in glass and
marble-making country which
makes this festival possible.
Marble King is a local business in
Paden City the sponsors the
event.
http://media.photobucket.com/image/Sistersville%20west%20virginia/modularforms/Jabo/001.jpg

Sistersville Ferry Landing
The ferry has been in continuous operation for almost 200 years.
Gregory S. Hamilton has a website with great pictures of the ferry.
A blog by Kristen Rapin has some very nice information about the
Sistersville Ferry Boat.
http://www.sumoflam.biz/OhioPennWeb/sistersvilleferry1.jpg

The Wells Inn
The hotel is a special place for me. My grandmother worked as the head
cook for many years and made wonderful meals.
The Wells Inn is a
luxurious, quaint
Historic Hotel with all
modern amenities. Each
of its 32 rooms are
uniquely furnished to
recreate the Victorian
era. (information provided from
the link above.)
http://www.hotelwells.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/C17_Img.jpg

Journey Through the State
Please journey to other small towns located in Wild Wonderful West
Virginia. These towns have rich histories just waiting to be explored.
http://www.minersday.org/WV_Capitol_Dome_Seal.jpg
http://www.westvirginiasouvenirs.com/Product/images/WVU_Product/WV%20logo.jpg
http://www.ohiobarns.com/othersites/mills/wv/wvmills.jpeg