Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park

If you had visited Blennerhassett Island in the early 19th century, you may have run into American politician Aaron Burr. After killing longtime rival Alexander Hamilton in a duel in 1804, Burr came through the Ohio River Valley to raise a militia with plans to take the Louisiana and Texas territories.

Harmon Blennerhassett joined Burr’s cause and offered up his island on the Ohio River as a recruiting base. Blennerhassett, an Irish aristocrat who moved to America in 1798, settled in New York before sailing down the Ohio River on a flatboat to what was then called Backus Island. Blennerhassett built a planation on the 500-acre island and farmed hemp, which was sold upriver in Marietta, Ohio, to make rope for ships. Today, the park spans the upper one-third of the island.

A visit to Blennerhassett Island starts with a 20-minute stern-wheeler ride from Point Park, West Virginia. After disembarking, visitors can explore the re-created plantation manor (the original building burned down in 1811). The home is fully furnished with period furniture and artifacts from the Blennerhassett family’s time on the island. Docents dressed in period attire share history about the Blennerhassett family while showcasing different parts of the home during guided tours. 

Conestoga wagon tours take visitors through the park and convey other aspects of island history aside from the time the Blennerhassetts resided there. Bike rentals are also available to travel the island’s 1.5-mile bike loop.

Be sure to visit the Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park and Regional Museum in Parkersburg, which houses one of the largest collections of Native American artifacts in the region and exhibits covering local history.  Museum: 137 Juliana St., Parkersburg, West Virginia 26101, 304/420-4800, wvstateparks.com