Tu-Endie-Wei is a teensy, tiny state park in Point Pleasant — in fact, at just 4 acres, it's so small that it is tied with Fairfax Stone State Park as the tiniest state park in West Virginia. But what it lacks in size, it makes up for in historical significance!
Two mighty West Virginia rivers — the Kanawha and the Ohio — meet at the town of Point Pleasant.
And if you visit Point Pleasant, you'll find a tiny state park tucked away right in the middle of the town's downtown area.
That 4-acre state park, which is tied with Fairfax Stone State Park as the state's smallest, is known as Tu-Endie-Wei State Park, a name which means "the point between two waters" in the Wyandot Indian language.
It's an appropriate homage, as this site marks a significant interaction between the Indians (led by Shawnee Indian Chief Cornstalk) and the early European frontiersmen that comprised the Virginia militia (led by Colonel Andrew Lewis): the Battle of Point Pleasant.
The militia won, and now, this battle has been identified as the first battle of the Revolutionary War by the Daughters of the American Revolution.
After losing this battle, Chief Cornstalk surrendered all the Shawnee holdings south of the Ohio River, including what is today West Virginia and Kentucky, to Virginia.
The park also hides a historic house museum, the 1796 Mansion House, operated by the Daughters of the American Revolution.
So come, enjoy the between-two-waters views at Tu-Endie-Wei, and discover some of our country's earliest history: the complicated mix of triumph and tragedy that has always characterized the history of the state of West Virginia.
Have you been to Tu-Endie-Wei before? What other historical parks to you recommend to folks wanting to learn more about the days-gone-by of our state? Another good one on our list is Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State Park.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Get the latest updates and news
Thank you for subscribing!