Story by Chris Lawrence
HURRICANE, W.Va. — Those who live in the Putnam County town of Hurricane will now be able to get a little better perspective on the historical significance of the city. Mayor Scott Edwards and several other local leaders were on hand Friday to unveil a new marker commemorating the site of the Battle of Hurricane Bridge.
“The Battle of Hurricane Bridge was fought on March 28, 1863. They used to call it a ‘skirmish’ but it was actually a battle. It was very significant to Hurricane and Putnam County with what went on in the Civil War and it helped shape everything throughout West Virginia with the Civil War, so it’s a pretty big deal,” said the Mayor.
Although the conflict has long been known about, very few knew the full details of what happened. The new marker is located a few hundred yards south of Hurricane Bridge Park on the left side of the road. The location is significant since that is where the actually battle played out and the hill above Route 34 was part of the significance. The actual Hurricane Bridge for which the battle gets it’s name was over Hurricane Creek on what is today Harbor Lane and Chicken Farm Road.
“I believe that’s what was referenced as ‘Hurricane Bridge’ but of course Hurricane used to be called Hurricane Bridge and that’s why we named the new park ‘Hurricane Bridge Park.'” Edwards explained.
Edwards said it’s a draw to the area for those interested in historical facts, particularly about the Civil War, but added a lot of local people have heard about the Battle of Hurricane Bridge, but never knew much about it. These markers will help remedy that.
“We always heard about the skirmish and we knew about it and heard about it growing up a little bit, but I never knew the spot. Now I know the exact location and people can stop by here and read about it and learn about it. Really, we want to preserve history,” he added.