Tu-Endie-Wei State Park Overview & History

Park Overview

At the junction of the Kanawha and Ohio Rivers in Point Pleasant sits Tu-Endie-Wei State Park. The park is open year-round with no admission fee. This historic treasure is home to an 84-foot granite monument commemorating the frontiersmen who fought and died in the 1774 Battle of Point Pleasant. It also memorializes the Mansion House built in 1796 with a museum featuring some original artifacts. “Tu-Endie-Wei” is a Wyandotte word meaning “point between two waters.” The park’s Mansion House and facilities are open from May 1st through the first weekend of October. 

Park History

At the junction of the Ohio and Kanawha Rivers, Tu-Endie-Wei stands as a monument to commemorate the frontiersmen who fought and died at the Battle of Point Pleasant. On October 10, 1774, Colonel Andrew Lewis’ 1,100 Virginia militiamen decisively defeated a like number of Native Americans led by the Shawnee Chieftain Cornstalk in a bloody, day-long battle. In the end, 230 Native Americans were killed or wounded and more than 50 Virginians had lost their lives, including Colonel Charles Lewis, brother of the commanding officer.

Considered a landmark in frontier history, some believed the battle to be the first of the American Revolution. This action broke the power of the ancient Americans in the Ohio Valley and quelled a general war on the frontier. Significantly, it also prevented an alliance between the British and Native Americans, which could have caused the Revolution to have a different outcome, altering the nation’s history. In addition, the ensuing peace with the Native Americans enabled western Virginians to return across the Allegheny Mountains to aid Revolutionary forces. The battle is recognized as the decisive engagement in a proactive series of Native American wars. The monument derives its name “Tu-Endie-Wei” from a Wyandotte word meaning “point between two waters.”