Goldenseal Magazine Gets New Life Online
Goldenseal Magazines are a Favorite of The Clarksburg History Museum - Covers courtesy of West Virginia Tourism
Goldenseal Magzine Online for Everyone
We love Goldenseal magazines, especially at the Clarksburg History Museum.
Countless hours of research have been spent within those pages, uncovering stories about Greek immigration to Clarksburg [Vol. 8, No. 3, 1982, pp. 59-76] our county’s beloved Freddie Layman [Vol. 26, No. 3, 2000, pp. 36-49] (this issue also includes a detailed account of the Harrison County Poor Farm). Our resident podcast host Martha often relies on the research behind topics for her oral history project (listen now!).
Now, the stories are going online for everyone to enjoy.
You can read Goldenseal for free at goldenseal.wvculture.org, explore every issue ever printed, and even search by county or topic. It is the ultimate archive of West Virginia culture, now just a click away.
A Perfect Resource for Clarksburg Research
We began collecting the magazines for our museum library mainly for their research value. The topics they cover are hard to come by, and for years, many of these stories existed only in print.
Thanks to generous donations, the museum now has a complete set of Goldenseal magazines available for visitors to browse and enjoy. These pages hold an incredible range of West Virginia history, from mountain folklore to forgotten industries, written by some of the state’s most respected authors and historians.
West Virginia’s Story Keeps Growing
Earlier this year, the West Virginia Department of Tourism became the parent division for Arts, Culture, and History. This change reflects how deeply our heritage and tourism are connected. West Virginia is special to those of us who live here, to those who once called it home, and to the many visitors discovering its magic for the first time.
We are thrilled that Goldenseal’s valuable content will now be available online for the world to see and read. This shift ensures that West Virginia’s stories, gathered, written, and preserved over decades, will continue to educate and inspire new generations.
A Treasure Trove of Local Stories
Harrison County has been well represented in Goldenseal over the years. You will find features on
The West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival and Clarksburg’s deep immigrant roots - the story of Bocce [Vol. 18, No. 3, 1992, pp. 51-57]
Local musicians, storytellers, and craftspeople who kept Appalachian traditions alive -
(Read more about Mack Samples’ magic music!) [Vol. 18, No. 3, 2004, pp. 51-57]The story of West Virginia author Julia Davis, daughter of Clarksburg’s own John W. Davis
These pieces have lent amazing support to the documentation of Clarksburg stories.
Mack Samples visits the Clarksburg History Museum and shows off the copy of Goldenseal where he was featured on the cover
Visit the Clarksburg History Museum to See the Complete Collection
The Clarksburg History Museum proudly holds a complete set of printed Goldenseal magazines, dating all the way back to the first issue in 1975. Visitors are welcome to flip through decades of storytelling and discover how local lives have shaped West Virginia’s shared story.
If you love history, folklore, and that unmistakable “West Virginia voice,” Goldenseal is a gem worth rediscovering.
📖 Read online: goldenseal.wvculture.org
🏛️ Visit the Museum: 445 W. Main Street, Clarksburg, WV 26301