Existing comment:
Growth of an Era:
Imagine looking up the gorge and seeing a coal mining town crowded along the banks at every curve of the river. Fayette, Kaymoor, Elverton, Nuttallburg, Capertonn, Sewell, Thurmond, the list goes on. These towns sprouted up, each with hundreds of people, because of the unique relationship between the coal industry and the railroad in the New River Gorge.
An era of intense growth began in the area when the C&O Railway linked Newport News, Virginia, with Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1873, creating a virtual highway through the New River Gorge.
The railway provided the route for shipping coal and lumber to industrial centers in the Midwest and to shipbuilding center in the East. It also carried residents of the gorge to nearby towns, brought them current newspapers from far away cities, and transported students to and from school each day.
Life bustled in the towns of the gorge for over sixty years, and the coal industry remained strong through World War II. In 1927, for example, West Virginia was the lead coal-producing state, producing 28% of the nation's coal. Rapidly changing mining technology, alternative fuels, and the change from steam to diesel-powered locomotives ultimately dealt the final blow to the area. The last coal mine in the gorge closed in the mid 1990s. |