Sunday, September 6

We had 4 PM reservations for a ride on the Island Belle in Parkersburg, WV, so enjoyed the scenery as we traveled 136 miles to our motel. Cerwin was happy to be on an interstate for most of the drive. 🙂

We arrived at our motel in Parkersburg about 3 PM – just about the time we wanted to be there. We stayed in a Holiday Inn Express last summer on our way home from Utah, so knew that we would have a large, modern room.

After getting things settled in our room (that looked just like these internet photos), we headed toward the river to wait for our boat ride.

After picking up our reserved tickets at the museum, we went to the dock to wait for the boat and watch activity on the river.

From a distance, we thought this might be The Island Belle, but soon realized it was a tugboat pushing a barge up the Ohio River.

Look at that long barge. That is Ohio on the other side of the river.

I zoomed in on the load, but still have no idea what was on the barge.

Here comes our sternwheeler ride to Blennerhassett Island.

We were encouraged to wear masks on the boat, especially in the cabin. It was voluntary on the outside.

This sign was one of the first things we saw (on the West Virginia side of the river) after boarding the boat.

There were many boats on the river – enjoying the nice Sunday afternoon. This guy was boogie boarding in the wake of the boat.

Approaching the island after a 20-minute ride.

We had reservations for a wagon ride around the island.

I found some information on the internet – lots of it – about the history of the island and the story of Harman and Margaret Blennerhassett.

I reduced the story to about a quarter of what is written, but found it very interesting, so included it in this post. If you enjoy history there is much, much more on the internet.

The history of Blennerhassett Island has made it Ohio River’s most famous islands.

In 1789, the island was settled by Harman and Margaret Blennerhassett, wealthy Irish aristocrats fleeing political persecution and personal scandal.

It is a tale of illicit love worthy of a soap opera or television mini-series. Harmon Blennerhassett, a direct descendant of King Edward III, was born to wealth and aristocracy in Hampshire, England (circa 1767).

Harmon joined the Society of United Irishmen in 1794. This group, inspired by French Revolution, were dedicated to ending British control of Ireland. The Reign of Terror was at its height and the Blennerhassett family feared for a young relative, Margaret Agnew, who had been studying abroad.

Twenty-seven year old Harmon fell in love with his eighteen-year old niece, and to the shock of their family, they married. The marriage was considered incestuous and immoral by the laws of the Churches of England and Ireland.

Margaret was disowned by the family and the couple was ostracized.

Mrs. Blennerhassett was tall, intelligent, and commanding with graceful manners. She was also an accomplished Italian and French scholar. She especially excelled in the plays of Shakespeare. Few women ever lived who combined so many accomplishments and personal attractions. (Abbott, John S.C., 1875)

Harmon’s father died in 1796, leaving him a title and a fortune in excess of 100,000 dollars. His earlier revolutionary activities came back to haunt him when an Irish uprising failed in 1797.

Hurt, and angered by his family and society’s view of his marriage and fearing arrest by British authorities, Blennerhassett and his young bride decided to start life anew in America.

They arrived in New York City, where their wealth and attractive qualities drew them into the city’s elite circle. They spent several months making inquiries as to where they might settle. On advice from friends they decided to explore the Ohio River Valley.

Traveling down the Ohio on a keelboat, they saw and fell in love with Backus Island. After settling briefly in Marietta, Ohio, they purchased the upper end of the island and named their wilderness Eden “Isle de Beau Pre.”

Blennerhassett wished to make his New World haven an enlightened utopia for himself and his family. He began construction, which would take 2 ½ years, on what was to become the grandest building west of the Appalachians.

While building was going on the family lived in an abandoned blockhouse on the island left over from the Indian Wars. The house and grounds cost an amazing forty to fifty thousand dollars to construct.

A sketch of the original mansion.

The Blennerhassetts filled the mansion with the finest furniture money could buy from the eastern United States and England. These all had to be hauled over the mountains and floated down the Ohio. Fine paintings, sculptures, oriental rugs, alabaster lamps, and marble clocks adorned the rooms. One room was paneled in solid black walnut.

The gardens and greenhouse grew a variety of exotic crops.

Blennerhassett was constantly making experiments and eliciting new facts in these wonderful branches of natural science. It was said he could repeat the whole of Homer’s Iliad in the original Greek.

Besides his books and scientific interests, both Blennerhassetts enjoyed hunting. Quail and other small game abounded on the island. The couple also enjoyed giving lavish parties for the local gentry. Blennerhassett and his wife, accomplished musicians, would play at these soirees.

In manners, Mr. Blennerhassett was very courteous, mild and yielding. His virtues were of the amiable character rather than of the more stubborn. His benevolence was unbounded, and his sympathy for the sick and suffering very intense.

Harmon Blennerhassett had, so it seemed, the perfect life of a country squire. But, into this Eden would soon come a serpent. In the spring of 1805 the Blennerhassetts received a visit from the former Vice-President Aaron Burr who was in need of an investor for his plans of forming a western empire.

Most have heard of the Burr conspiracy and the resultant trial for treason. But few know of his co-defendant: Harmon Blennerhassett. A man who lost even more than Burr in following the former Vice President’s scheme to establish a western empire.

The easily duped Blennerhassett was convinced by the witty and persuasive Burr to take part in the scheme. Margaret was completely captivated by Burr and his plan.

Blennerhassett’ s island would be the base camp and his money would outfit the expedition. Blennerhassett’ s money was also used to purchase arms, ammunition, provisions and whisky for a force of five hundred men.

Burr was only able to recruit one hundred men, for rumors were flying throughout the country concerning his motives. Burr was betrayed by co-conspiritor, James Wilkerson, to President Thomas Jefferson.

Jefferson issued a Presidential proclamation calling for “all residents of the United States to bring to punishment all persons engaged in such treasonable enterprises as Burr’s expedition”. Following the Proclamation, the United States government sent the Virginia militia to seize Blennerhassett and his island.

Harmon escaped to Kentucky. Margaret was away in Marietta. When she returned home, she found the house had been ransacked and greatly damaged by the militia.

Burr and Blennerhassett were imprisoned in the Virginia State Penitentiary. Blennerhassett was released but his reputation and fortune were gone.

Blennerhassett briefly returned to his island Eden, but could not afford to repair the damage. The mansion burned in 1811. Harmon and Margaret tried to recoup their fortune in Mississippi on a cotton plantation. But, the Embargo, and crop failures doomed this venture.

Destitute, this once proud couple, was forced to return to Ireland and live off the charity of relatives.

Harmon Blennerhassett died a broken man in 1831. After her husband’s death Margaret returned to the United States. She petitioned the government for compensation for the destruction of her house. She asked for her rights, not charity. Robert Emmet, of Ireland, and Henry Clay supported her cause, but Congress decided to redress the grievance, but it was too late.

Margaret Blennerhassett died at a home for the poor, in New York City in 1842.

This is what we saw on our horse-drawn ride.

Archaeologists uncovered the foundation of the mansion in 1973. The state of West Virginia undertook an 18-year restoration of the mansion, which took almost one million dollars.

The body of Margaret Blennerhassett was exhumed in 1996 and returned to her home. Harmon’s body lies in an unknown, unmarked grave on the Isle of Guernsey on the English Channel.

Margaret and Harman had six children: Dominic, Harman, Jr., Margaret (did not survive infancy), another girl also named Margaret, and Joseph.

Their home on the island remained empty for many years before finally burning to the ground. Between 1984 and 1991, the State of West Virginia reconstructed the Blennerhassett Mansion on its original foundations.

The building was opened to the public in 1991 and about 50,000 people visit the island each year.

Margaret and Harman Jr. were reburied on the island in an historical Episcopal ceremony.

This historical park is accessed by a sternwheeler riverboat called the Island Belle from Parkersburg.

Some more picture from our carriage ride.

There is a herd of horses for the summer – for use on the rides.

Our driver knew ever horse and donkey’s name. They are taken to the mainland at the end of summer and brought back in spring. He said the horses love it here and get all excited when the barge approaches the island in spring.

As we traveled around the island on this beautiful Sunday afternoon, I understood why Harman and Margaret fell in love with this place.

At the end of our ride, the occupants of the wagon could talk to the horses. The only rule was that you had to be directly in front of them because of their blinders.

I forget their names – but both have female names.

The Island Belle returning to the island to take us back to Parkersburg.

We were on the last return ride for the day – 5:30 PM – so some of the workers were with us.

There was a sobering experience as we waited for the last people and workers.

A lady in period uniform came running toward the boat, calling someone’s name. It was the sheriff who had been on duty for the day.

A man who was supposed to be on the boat was having a grand mall seizure.

Our captain explained that we would be waiting until medics could come to assist him. Before long a motorboat and ambulance appeared across the river. The medics came across the river and placed him on a medical board and took him back to the ambulance.

All we could do was wait and pray for him and his family. It appeared that he had a wife and young family.

We were only about half-an-hour late so our life was not interrupted as much as theirs was. One of the workers told me they expected that he would be okay.

Our only meal of the day was the large, bagged, breakfast (from the motel) that we took with us – so by the time we got back to the car, we were ready for supper.

The restaurants we found in Parkersburg were either closed (due to the virus) or had long waiting lines, so we went through the Burger King drive-through just before our motel and enjoyed it in our room. I am a Whopper Jr fan and Cerwin likes the regular Whopper.

So ended Day 3 of our “Discover West Virginia Trip.”

Our afternoon drive took us from New River Gorge (bottom-center) to Parkersburg and the island (upper left).