Full of history, culture, and recreational opportunities, Marion County really is the Middle of Everywhere! From the rolling rapids of Valley Falls State Park to the Italian influence of local bakeries, there's so much to do while visiting the area. While you're visiting West Virginia, we invite you to join us for the Middle of Everywhere GeoTour! This officially registered tour highlights 20 of our favorite locations in the area, categorized by shops, history, murals, and parks! Find 16/20 caches to qualify for a limited-edition GeoTour coin. Find all 20 to get a unique souvenir added to your Geocaching profile.
For information regarding the GeoTour and a full list of caches, please visit our website.
MOE-GT #19: Titans of Industry
Category: Marion's Murals
First settled in the late 1700s/early 1800s, Mannington saw its first tavern open in 1850. Originally known as simply the Forks of Buffalo, the settlement began being referred to as Koon Town after the last name of the tavern proprietor. Then in 1856, the village officially became known as Mannington, named after Charles Manning, a civil engineer with the Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) Railroad. Logging and coal were the industries that kept the town going once the railroad arrived, and an oil boom in 1889 led to more growth. This development lasted until the Great Depression. The economic collapse greatly impacted the town. The mining industry was active well into the 20th century, but sadly there was a nearby mine explosion at the Consol No. 9 coal mine, north of Farmington and Mannington, which resulted in the death of 78 miners.
TO FIND THIS CACHE, you will first need to locate the two murals at the posted coordinates and answer the following questions. Answers for A, C, and D can found on the large oil-field mural. The answer for B can be found on the smaller mural of the West Virginia State Flag to the left.
REFERENCE BOOK CODE
A = Locate the Cardinal Energy Oil tank on the mural. What is the single-digit number written in red directly following "ELLIOT"?
B = Look at the mural of the West Virginia state flag on the train station to your left. How many letters are in the artist's name (first and last)?
C = On the left side of the oil mural you'll see an arrow pointing to Hundred with a two-digit number indicating the mileage. Use the sum of these digits.
D = Look at the white historical plaque on the right side of the oil mural. What is the last digit in the year the mural was donated (202D)?
You are searching for a book with the reference number of ABC.D
The second stage is just a short walk away at the Mannington Library; please see the included waypoints to help navigate there. This cache is only available while the library is open. Hours vary, but currently, they are:
Sunday: CLOSED
Monday - 9 am - 7 pm
Tuesday - Friday: 9 am - 5 pm
Saturday: 9 am - 1 pm
For more information on the library hours, you can view their website here: mcpls.org/mannington/
Using your code from the mural, you'll need to locate a book within the library. From here, use a 9V battery to solve for the lock combination of the final container hidden somewhere within the library. The final shouldn't be hard to spot, but it's labeled with the same reference number if you have any doubts. As with all geocaches on this tour. PLEASE PLEASE BE GENTLE with the electronics that make this cache possible. The librarians here are very helpful, so if you need help (or a 9V battery), don't hesitate to ask! I hope you enjoy this cache!
THANKS FOR VISITING!
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