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Mountwood Park

Once home to a booming 19th-century oil town, the park now houses a World War II submarine memorial complete with a torpedo.

Waverly, West Virginia

Added By
Robert Titus
Mountwood Park   rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
Mountwood Park   rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
Another view of the torpedo.   rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
A dedication plaque to the submarine service.   rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
An aerial view of the torpedo from a hilltop cemetery in the park.   rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
Oil is what built Volcano, West Virginia in the 1870s.   rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
A very impressive exhibit, hundreds of miles from any ocean!   rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
Mountwood Park   rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
This plaque honors the crew of the USS Cisco, sunk in 1943.   rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
The tail of the torpedo showing its propellers.   rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)
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About

In the late 1800s, a small town called Volcano stood at the site of Mountwood Park. It was heralded as the third oil field ever found in the United States. The town's population and notoriety exploded overnight. Soon the boomtown had its own opera house and several other entertainment outlets. In 1879, a massive fire wiped out the city, and as quickly as it gained prominence, it was forgotten. A memorial plaque tells the history of oil development at Volcano.

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Know Before You Go

To find this rarity, travel 12 miles east of the intersection of Interstate 77 (Exit 176) along West Virginia State Route 50 as it leaves Parkersburg. The exit for Mountwood Park is approximately two miles past Deerwalk, WV.  Turn right onto Volcano Road and follow the signs. The park is open year-round during daylight hours. There is no admission charge. 


 

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rbt45769

Published

March 18, 2019

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