Exploring West Virginia’s Allegheny Plateau
When my friend Ben motioned that he wanted to explore West Virginia and visit some of the places made famous…
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New River Gorge’s Industrial Transformation
The arrival of the railroad into the New River Gorge in West Virginia transformed the region into one of the world’s most important coal mining regions.
Revisiting Cairo, Illinois
Once a strategically important city at the juncture of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, Cairo, Illinois is in terminal decline after decades of racial turbulence.
Rust Belt Pennsylvania
The industrial heart of the Rust Belt is western Pennsylvania as once-mighty steel mills, coke plans, and machine shops, scattered alongside railroads, rivers, and highways, have downsized and closed. A globalized economy and increased automation led many jobs overseas; what remained was a shell, unable to be self-sustaining without government intervention.
4 Must See New River Ghost Towns
Ghost towns along the New River in West Virginia are aplenty but what makes these three unique is that they lay within the New River Gorge National River. Prior to the creation of the national park in the late 1970s, much of the land was used for the production of coal and coke. Small, company-owned towns were developed for the miners and their families, and when those mines closed out—so did the communities.
Pickens, West Virginia
Several years ago, I made my way into the heart of West Virginia – and came across Pickens.
Cass, West Virginia
Explore the Greenbrier River valley in West Virginia with an overview of Cass and the connecting Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad Greenbrier Division.
The (near) Ghost Town of Thurmond, West Virginia
Thurmond, West Virginia is a fascinating town along the New River in Fayette County. With just a population of five, Thurmond served as an important stop for the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad before the advent of the diesel locomotive era.
Deerton, Michigan
Deerton, Michigan is an unincorporated community in Alger County that was founded in 1882 when the Detroit, Mackinac & Marquette Railroad constructed a station for a lumbering camp. A post office opened in 1922, and in 1926, a small school was constructed at the junction of Deerton-Onota Road. Today, not much is left in the community – most of the residences are abandoned, although the school still operates.
Coal Camps: Gary, Iaeger and War
The last update in the Coal Camp series from January unfolds deep within McDowell County, West Virginia, including Gary, Iaeger and War.