The story of a forgotten America.

Tag

West Virginia

Tag

West Virginia

Thurmond

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.

Two West Virginia Rail Trails

West Virginia has many miles of fantastic rail-to-trails, or railroads that have been abandoned and converted into recreational corridors. Most of the trails are not paved, and many contain impressive bridges and tunnels that make any trip exciting. And quite a few of them have remnants of their coal mining past remaining, whether it is abandoned mine portals or discarded equipment. Two of those trails are profiled: The Chesapeake & Ohio’s Hawks Nest Subdivision and the Nicholas, Fayette & Greenbrier Railway.

Ruins

The ruins of downtown Wheeling, West Virginia. Nearly an entire block of historic buildings – some of them very recently occupied, has been cleared for parking and grassy lots. Across the street, more historic building stock was cleared in the summer for more open space.

Biggest Population Losses

After a recent drive through Cairo, Illinois (article forthcoming), and seeing the effects of decades of racial segregation and violence, and then economic decline and population loss, I wondered what other major and minor cities in the United States has experienced such steep and dramatic losses? Besides Cairo, Detroit and Wheeling, I asked my Facebook readers of other examples.

American Car and Foundry Company, Huntington, West Virginia

American Car and Foundry Company

While spending a rainy day at a library, I managed to find some information on the now closed American Car and Foundry Company manufacturing company in Huntington, West Virginia, that dated back to November 1, 1872 when it was issued a charter as the Ensign Manufacturing Company. It is nearly as old as the city itself!