Backroads Discovery: Bluestone Museum & Taxidermy

As you journey along the New River in Hinton, West Virginia, you’ll encounter the once-thriving Bluestone Museum & Taxidermy.

As you journey along the New River in Hinton, West Virginia, you’ll encounter the once-thriving Bluestone Museum & Taxidermy. It was the brainchild of C. E. Lyons, a man whose love for the outdoors and taxidermy evolved from a mere pastime into a thriving enterprise.

Lyons, a man of many talents, was born in 1921 in Garrison and raised along the Coal River, graduating from Marsh Fork High School. His early years saw him briefly working in the coal industry before the outbreak of World War II. Enlisting in the Army Air Corps, he spent the war years in the Hawaii and Marshall Islands, operating radio communication stations. His career took a turn in 1945 when he joined the railroad as an agent, only to be called back by the newly formed U.S. Air Force in 1948. His journey continued in 1951 when he received an officer’s commission while serving in Alaska, becoming an electronics officer on the Distant Early Warning System until 1955. He then served at other bases and returned for his second tour in Alaska in 1960.

During those tours, Lyons became a registered guide and the first licensed taxidermist in Alaska. Upon his retirement as a Captain at Vandenburg Air Force Base with 23 years of service, he returned to Alaska in 1964, where he resumed his guiding career and opened AAA Taxidermy, building it into the largest locally owned taxidermy shop in the state. He sold his business in 1971 and moved to Hinton, where he opened Bluestone Museum & Taxidermy.

Lyons was not just a taxidermist and a guide, but a man of diverse interests and passions. He continued to hunt and fish all around the country, showcasing his love for the outdoors. His accomplishments extended to wildlife photography, where he produced four full-length wildlife movies. He was a true adventurer, finding time to ride his jet boat up and down the New River for bass fishing every day, regardless of the weather. This love for the outdoors and his diverse interests were evident in his life.

Lyons operated Bluestone Museum & Taxidermy until 1998 and passed away in 2008.

Sources

“Bluestone Museum & Taxidermy Studio.” Post-Herald and Register [Beckley], 30 Nov. 1975, p. 40.
Woodrum, Gene L. “Taxidermist Provides Story.” Beckley Post-Herald, 2 Nov. 1977, p. 26.
“Clarence E. Lyons.” Pivont Funeral Home.