by Lisa Schauer
The bridge that crosses over the Cacapon River in Great Cacapon has been named the Thurman W. Whisner Memorial Bridge, in memory of the late highway bridge engineer from Great Cacapon.
While police temporarily stopped traffic on the bridge, Whisner’s family, friends, local dignitaries, and West Virginia Department of Highways representatives gathered for a brief ceremony on Saturday, June 15.
Widow Karen Whisner read from West Virginia House of Delegates’ Resolution number 41, officially naming the Thurman W. Whisner Memorial Bridge. A new highway sign has been posted by the bridge.
Whisner thanked Delegate George Miller, who was in attendance, for introducing the resolution in the latest session.
She said a scholarship fund has also been set up in her late husband’s name with the Morgan Student Aid Fund at CNB Bank.
Thurman Whisner was born in Morgan County in 1951 and graduated from Berkeley Springs High School. He joined the WVDOH in 1969, working as a bridge inspector and highway engineer until his death in 2022.
“His favorite bridge was the New River Gorge,” said Whisner, describing how some of his ashes were scattered there, as a beam of light bounced off the bridge’s suspension.
“He had the biggest heart, but he was a pistol,” declared Whisner, as people shared their memories of the local highway legend.
photos by Lisa Schauer
A reception followed in the Great Cacapon fire hall.
