In early 2023, I ventured into the heart of West Virginia’s north-central region to capture the remnants of its once-thriving railroad industry.
Category: History
The Covington Waterworks Bridge over the Licking River between Covington and Wilder, Kentucky has a peculiar backstory.
The Louisville & Nashville (L&N) Railroad’s Rowland Branch stands as a testament to an era when railroads were the heartbeats of American towns. Stretching across 33 miles, this line linked Stanford on the L&N’s Lebanon Branch to Richmond, passing through Lancaster.
In September, a journey into the heart of northern West Virginia and southwest Pennsylvania revealed the remnants of four pivotal iron furnaces, each bearing testimony to a bygone industrial era.
West Virginia, like many states in the U.S., has a rich history that is reflected in its infrastructure.
Fire lookout towers housed and protected individuals for wildfire search, but many have been decommissioned due to technology advancements, aircraft spotters, and budget constraints.
Nestled in the heart of Kingston, New York, Rondout Creek once hummed with the activity of a thriving maritime industry. Today, it stands as a tranquil haven and a living museum of history.
The rise of coal in Virginia in the early 1900s was propelled by the expansion of railroads and the increasing demand from industrializing cities. This era saw the development of many new coal mines in the Appalachian region, transforming local economies and shaping the landscape of communities in southwestern Virginia.
I joined Jeffrey Jakucyk on a photography excursion where we had the opportunity to explore the remains of the Miami & Erie Canal. Our journey took us from Cincinnati all the way to Miamisburg, Ohio.
Many of the abandoned “beehive” coke ovens of the Davis Coal & Coke Company are still visible today in the company town of Coketon, West Virginia.
The Maybrook Line of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad provided a crucial east-west freight transportation route between Maybrook, New York, and Derby, Connecticut. After a fire damaged the Hudson River crossing, much of the line was abandoned. Portions of the Maybrook Line now serve as a rail-to-trail.
The Thorny Mountain Fire Tower within the Seneca State Forest in West Virginia is one of the few lookout towers that you can reserve and stay at!
If you are traveling along the West Virginia Turnpike, you may have noticed the portals to Memorial Tunnel.
Today, Briceville, Tennessee, appears tranquil, but it played a pivotal role in the Coal Mine Wars of 1891-92.
The New Salem Baptist Church stands as the sole remaining structure in the now-deserted town of Tams, West Virginia.
An abandoned railroad bridge over the Levisa Fork in Pike County, Kentucky seemed a little out of place.