The Other New Cumberlands

The last blog entry was pretty heavy.  I appreciate everyone's support and taking the time to read what I wrote.   It is my understanding that there is a police investigation into the matter of the PTO funds.  I hope we all hear the outcome of this soon.  I was going to donate funds from the advertising on this blog to Hillside's PTO, but Google, the company that provides the advertising, decided that my blog was no longer worthy of their advertising and removed the ads.  They will not pay me for the ad clicks.  So, thanks to those of you who took the time to visit the ads while they lasted. 

That being said, this week wanted to write about something totally different and light weight.  Several years ago, I had a job where I had to drive all throughout Pennsylvania, West Virginia and eastern Ohio.   My travels took me through several small towns.  One of those small towns was our town's name sake, New Cumberland, West Virginia.

Historical Marker in New Cumberland, West Virginia.

New Cumberland, West Virginia is located 245 miles from here and about an hour west of Pittsburgh.  It is a quaint little town located in West Virginia's northern panhandle, which is a thin slice of land located between Pennsylvania and Ohio.  Like our New Cumberland, that New Cumberland is situated along a river, the Ohio River.  They have about 1,100 residents as compared to our 7,300.

Considerably smaller than us, they have a lot going for them.  They have a state park nearby called Tomlinson Run State Park.  They have docks for boat access along the Ohio River.  They also have what they call the 'C House.'  It's a community center that hosts dances, skating, basketball and more.  And, like our town, they have several ball fields.  They have 2 golf courses nearby.  About 5 miles away they have the Mountaineer Racing and Gaming Resort.  Apparently, that's a big employer for their town's residents.

Even though it seems small as compared to our New Cumberland, it's a big town out in the panhandle of West Virginia.  New Cumberland is the county seat for Hancock county.  It is  home to many county offices and the county courthouse.  The Hancock County Historical Museum is located in New Cumberland.  There is also the New Cumberland Locks and Dam.  It is named for the town but it is not actually located there.  It is situated about 2 miles down the river closer to Stratton, Ohio.

New Cumberland Locks and Dam

Residents of the West Virginia New Cumberland are proud of their town.  In the past decade they have won several awards recognizing the appearance of their town including; 2003 All Star Community, 2005 & 2007 Recognized for beautifying the city and 2007-2007 West Virginia Make It Shine award.

There is also another "New Cumberland" in Ohio, but this New Cumberland is not an incorporated town and doesn't even have a post office.  It is located about an hour west of New Cumberland, WV.

If you ever find yourself in the panhandle of West Virginia or eastern Ohio, take a drive through one of the other New Cumberlands and see how the other "New Cumberland" lives.