Pennsboro, WV

Pennsboro is a Ritchie County city at the junction of U.S. Highway 50 and West Virginia Route 74. Charles Penn platted the town around 1820 and gave it the Pennsboro name; the first settler, John Bunnell, built a cabin here in 1800. The 2020 census counted 1,050 residents. The city sits in the North Bend region, where road, rail, and oil-and-gas history overlap.

The North Bend Rail Trail passes through Pennsboro, and the Pennsboro B&O Railroad Depot trailhead pairs the old depot with the Old Stone House, a landmark built on the site of Bunnell's early settlement. The trailhead has parking, picnic tables, benches, and information for people using the rail corridor, while the Ritchie County Historical Society maintains the nearby museums and records. Pennsboro Speedway, along Bunnell Run, adds another local tradition. The city is a small transportation town whose current recreation and history both follow the railroad corridor through Ritchie County. The depot and trail make that history usable today.