Ambrose Bierce visited Pocahontas County on at least two occasions--the first on December 13, 1861, when he was among the Union troops engaged in the Battle of the Top of the Allegheny, and the second time years later, before he published this piece, A Bivouac of the Dead in 1903.

W.E. Blackhurst, a Pocahontas County native, devoted much of his life to documenting local history and observing natural history. He was an English and Latin teacher at Greenbank High School for over 30 years, and was active in the movement to create the Cass Scenic Railroad. This excerpt from the Preface for the posthumously published Afterglow: A Collection of Short Stories and Poems gives a quick rundown of his work:

Originally from Buckhannon, West Virginia, Stephen Coonts owns a home in Pocahontas County. He has written the occasional letter to the editor of the Pocahontas Times. He is, however, much better known for his aviation thrillers. He has an interesting Web site where fans can read about his latest work, buy books, and even read his advice on becoming a writer. I've included the Amazon links because they sometimes have some nice bargains on his books.

Identified in the Pocahontas Times as a "recently deceased Pocahontas County author," (March 31, 2005; page 9) John O'Brien's book At Home in the Heart of Appalachia details his relationship with West Virginia, including Pocahontas County. His publisher, Random House, has an informative Web site about the book, including author interviews and an excerpt.

Louise McNeill was born near Buckeye in 1911, and grew up on the family farm by the Greenbrier River above Swago Creek. She began teaching in Pocahontas County's one-room schools in 1930. In her 1988 memoir, The Milkweed Ladies, she says she began writing poetry as a teenager. She was rewarded with early success, and her best-known book of poetry is Gauley Mountain, published in 1939, with a foreword by Stephen Vincent Benet. McNeill received the Bread Loaf Publication Award for Time is Our House and the West Virginia Library Association Annual Book Award for Paradox Hill, both collections of poetry.

Gauley Mountain is McNeill's most popular book in Pocahontas County. Most of the people you meet here are familiar with some of the memorable characterizations of early settlers to this region, and some latecomers as well. It's not clear whether McNeill perfectly captured the tone and content of many local family histories, or whether her book has shaped how the people here see themselves and their ancestors. It is most likely a combination of the two.

The Pearl S. Buck Birthplace is an imposing white house just outside of Hillsboro. The gray landmark sign in front reads, in part: "Pearl Sydenstricker Buck....was born here at the Stulting Place June 26, 1892. In 1938, she achieved further distinction when she became the first American woman to receive the Nobel Prize for literature...." Evidently we are to understand that birth in such a place would be distinction enough for most people. The "Stulting Place" is indeed distinctive. It was intended to recreate the Stulting home in Utrecht, where Pearl Buck's great-grandfather had owned a large furniture factory.

For such a sparsely populated place, Pocahontas County has a rich literary identity. Here are a few members of the county literati.