The Odd Tale of the Philippi Mummies in West Virginia

The Odd Tale of the Philippi Mummies in West Virginia

In the quiet hills of Barbour County, West Virginia, lies the small yet bustling town of Philippi on the banks of the Tygart River. Philippi is best known for its covered bridge. The Philippi covered bridge was first built in 1852 and the wooden structure stills serves the transportation needs of US Route 119/250. The first land battle of the Civil War was fought here and the bridge also stood www.vehicule-occasion-toulouse.fr through many devastating floods. However the bridge did suffer substantial damage from a truck's back fire and needed serious repairs. Sitting alongside the Phillip covered bridge is the Barbour County Historical www.mgsecretariat.fr Museum. For a very small charge visitors can be given a glimpse into this area's past. But by far the museum's biggest draw is in the former railroad station's restroom. Lying in the old restrooms are two caskets holding the mummified remains of two female bodies. The women died at the West Virginia Hospital for the Insane in Weston. They were acquired by a Graham Hamrick who embalmed them with his own embalming fluid www.immopolisparis.fr thus beginning the saga of the Philippi mummies.

While we can only imagine the institutional life these ladies may have endured in life, in death they have had quite a time. Barnum's circus and have even been displayed in Europe. It is believed that the Philippi mummies were offered to the paying public as Egyptian when the western world began to have great interest in the mummified remains of the Pharaohs. After these exploits the ladies passed through the hands of numerous individuals before finally making their way back home to Philippi.

The Barbour County Historical Museum is open most days from 11 am to 4 pm, and 1 4 pm on Sundays in the summer. Philippi is most easily reached by taking Route 50 East from Clarksburg, WV, Route 76 to Route 119, then 119 on into Phillip. Once on Route 50 you will have signs to follow into Philippi. While in the area don't forget to visit some of the other nearby attractions including Audra State Park, Tygart Lake State Park, the Grafton National Cemetery (final resting place of Bailey Brown, believed to be the first Union soldier killed in the Civil War and over 1200 other Union and Confederate soldiers), and the French Creek Game Preserve (a state operated facility where you can walk through outdoor exhibits of many animals native to this region).

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Published by J. Motes

Motes has been published in a variety of national and regional publications on subjects ranging from frugal living to rabbit hunting. View profile

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