Why Ripley?

A patriotic town full of charm invites new beginnings.

written by SUSAN JOHNSON
photographed by CARLA WITT FORD

Most Friday mornings around 7 a.m., Carolyn Rader stands in front of City Hall in Ripley and waves an American flag. Those passing through might think she’s the town character, but in fact, Carolyn Rader is the mayor. Finishing out her fifth—and final—term as mayor, Rader calls herself “unapologetically patriotic.” The city’s motto is “Ripley Believes,” and Rader believes Ripley is the most patriotic small city in America.

What’s Here

“I love parades,” Mayor Rader admits. Their oldest and largest parade has made Ripley home to “America’s Largest Small Town Independence Day.” Every year on July Fourth, the population of Ripley swells from 3,000 to about 20,000. The 150-year-old celebration has become a four-day-long event with all things Americana—music and fireworks and watermelons and pageants and picnics on the courthouse lawn.

It was the TODAY show back in 1965 that gave Ripley’s celebration its moniker. “I was in high school,” Rader explains. “The TODAY show sent their whole crew to do a story about our legendary Fourth of July celebration.” In order to run the piece on the actual holiday, Ripley had to mock up the entire day-long festivities on July 2. “Then, on the Fourth, we all showed up and did it again.”

Mayor Rader never lets an opportunity for a parade pass. “Our Veterans Day Parade is also huge,” she says. Last year, they honored more than 600 local veterans. “We also have a tradition of holding an impromptu parade whenever the local school kids win a tournament or award.” During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mayor Rader organized a parade as a safe way to honor the seniors graduating from Ripley High School. That parade was so popular, it has become another town tradition.

Rader likes parades because they bring people to town for a genuine American Main Street experience. You can enjoy films, plays, and concerts at the historic Alpine Theater. You can pick up a fresh donut from That Donut Place and a latte from The Grind coffee shop. Then, browse the work of local artisans at the West Virginia Marketplace. You can purchase craft spirits from Appalachian Distillery or unique gifts at Studio 109. No visit to Ripley is complete without dining at the Fairplain Yacht Club—order the prime rib or the wings—or Roadhouse 2081—the waffle fries are one of a kind. And when it comes to finding the perfect summer treat, look no further than I Scream Sundae, an ‘80s-inspired ice cream shop with a love of horror movies—scary good!

What’s Near

If outdoor recreation is your thing, Cedar Lakes Conference Center, only four miles from Ripley, is one of West Virginia’s best-kept secrets. “It’s an absolute treasure of natural beauty: acres of wooded trails, the site of one of the state’s most comprehensive arboretums, and beautiful water features,” says Holli Vanater, director of Cedar Lakes.

Best known for the annual Mountain State Art and Crafts Fair, the center hosts upwards of 25,000 registered guests in a given year. “This number does not include the hundreds of guests that visit on a daily basis and take advantage of our many outdoor activities,” Vanater says. Activities include biking, hiking, fishing, and picnicking in addition to the disc golf-course, playground, basketball and volleyball courts, and soccer fields available for public use. With Cedar Lakes guests visiting nearby restaurants and businesses, she estimates that the ripple effect of income across the Mid-Ohio Valley region is over $2 million a year.

Mayor Rader believes that Ripley is “on a launching pad.” Investments in the aluminum, steel, and titanium battery industries will retain and provide hundreds of existing and new jobs just minutes from Ripley. The challenge for city leaders is to address this growth with housing and city services. The city will need between 200 and 500 new housing units, the mayor estimates, to accommodate the anticipated growth.

Why Stay

“Infrastructure is key to growth,” the mayor says. She is overseeing a $31 million state-of-the-art sewer plant project. The plant is near completion and will free up 22 acres of sewer lagoons that will be drained, desludged, and repurposed for a new park—named Freedom Park, of course.

Freedom Park will join the other two parks in Ripley—West Side Park and City Park—to accommodate all manner of recreation: ball fields, tennis and pickleball courts, an amphitheater, and a swimming pool.

Nearly 2,000 children attend Ripley’s three public schools. In fact, the Jackson County Board of Education is Ripley’s No. 1 employer, followed by Jackson General Hospital, now affiliated with WVU Medicine. Walmart is the leading commercial employer.

America’s most patriotic small town has always gracefully balanced tradition with change. Located on the Ohio River along main interstate arteries, the 192-year-old city has had no choice but to welcome new people, new industries, and new ideas.

“We are always looking ahead,” Rader says. “We are not afraid of change. We embrace it.”

READ MORE ARTICLES FROM WV LIVING’S SUMMER 2024 ISSUE

This story was updated from the version in our Summer 2024 print edition to correct the year that the Staats Mill Covered Bridge was moved to Cedar Lakes.