New River Gorge
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I D-/:;.8 Special History Study I ~ Historic Context Study I I I I I I - I I I I NEW RIVER GORGE \_:_ National River • West Virginia I I I ~ I 11 ~ I I I I I I - I I I I I I Cover Photo: Thurmond, West Virginia, on the New River; Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Depot; photographer uknown. I @ Printed on Recycled Paper -. I I Special History Study I ~ Historic Context Study I I I I August 1996 I I By Harlan D. Unrau I- I I I NEW RIVER GORGE National River • West Virginia I Fayette, Raleigh, Summers Counties I ,,I United States Department of the Interior • National Park Service I CONTENTS Preface ix Acknowledgements xi Chapter One: Introduction 1 New River Gorge National River 1 Physical Setting 1 I Geological History 2 Natural Environment 2 ii Chapter Two: Coal Industry Historic Context 5 Narrative History 5 Summary 5 I Introduction 5 Historic Development of the Coal Industry in Its National and State Contexts 7 I Role of Coal Industry 7 West Virginia Coal Industry and the National Market 9 Historic Development of the Coal Industry in Its Regional Context 11 I Coal Industry in Southern West Virginia 11 Coke Industry in Southern West Virginia 13 Southern West Virginia Labor Force 14 .. Role of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) in Southern West Virginia Labor History 15 Evolution of Mining Technology in Southern West Virginia 16 I Company Towns in Southern West Virginia 19 Historic Development of the Coal Industry in Its Local Context 23 The New River Coal Field 23 I Historic Development of the New River Coal Field 24 Role of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) in the New River Coal Field 34 Historic Development of New River Coal Field Coke Industry 35 I Company Towns in the New River Coal Field 37 Property Types 39 Introduction 39 I Typology of Known and Expected Property Types 40 Known and Expected Distribution of Property Types 41 Primary Production Facilities 41 Secondary Production Facilities 41 Transportation Facilities 41 Company Towns 42 Buildings in Incorporated Towns Associated with the Coal Industry 42 Buildings or Sites Associated with Significant Events and/ or Personalities in the Mine Wars and the Union Movement During the 1900-30 Period 43 Environmental Sites 43 iii I I CONTENTS Sites Associated with Recent Historical Figures or Recent Events of Great Significance Related to the Coal Industry 43 Government Facilities Associated with Coal Industry 43 Present Conditions of Property Types 43 J. Tabular Summary of Management Information 44 Chapter Three: Railroad Industry Historic Context 51 I Narrative History 51 Summary 51 Introduction 51 I Historic Development of Railroad Industry in Its National and State Contexts 52 Development of West Virginia Railroad Network and Its Relationship to the National Railway System 52 I C & 0 Railroad 52 Other West Virginia Rail Lines 52 Historic Development of Railroad Industry in Its Local Context 54 I Construction of the C & 0 Railroad 54 Operation of the C & 0 Railroad 61 Short Rail Lines and C & 0 Branch Lines in the New River Gorge Region I 64 Gauley Subdivision 65 Hawk's Nest Subdivision 65 I Kenneys Creek Subdivision 65 Southside Subdivision 65 Loup Creek Subdivision 66 .. Kanawha, Glen Jean & Eastern Railroad 66 Manns Creek Railroad 66 White Oak Railway 66 I Rend Branch 66 Piney Creek Subdivision 66 Laurel Creek Branch 67 11 Glade Creek & Raleigh Railroad 67 Sewell Valley Railroad 67 Development of Railroad Towns in the New River Gorge Region 67 I Hinton 68 Thurmond 70 Quinnimont 73 Prince 74 Fayette/South Fayette 75 Postscript 75 Property Types 75 Introduction 75 Typology of Known and Expected Property Types 76 Known and Expected Distribution of Property Types 76 Primary Railway Roadbed Structures/Features 76 Secondary Railway Support Facilities 77 Railroad Service Towns/Centers 77 ..I iv I' I Contents Buildings in Incorporated Towns Associated with the Railroad Industry 78 Government Facilities Associated with the Railroad Industry 78 ~ Present Conditions of Property Types 78 Tabular Summary of Management Information 79 I Chapter Four: Lumber Industry Historic Context 83 Narrative History 83 Summary 83 I Introduction 83 Historic Development of the Lumber Industry in Its National Context 83 Historic Development of the Lumber Industry in Its State Context 84 Timber Development in West Virginia Region: Colonial Period-1880s 84 I Timber Boom in West Virginia: 1880s-1920 87 Historic Development of the Lumber Industry in Its Local Context 90 Lumber Operations in Fayette County 91 I Lumber Operations in Raleigh County 94 Lumber Operations in Summers County 96 Property Types 98 I Introduction 98 Typology of Known and Expected Property Types 99 Known and Expected Distribution of Property Types 99 I Primary Production Facilities 99 Secondary Production Facilities 100 Transportation Facilities 100 Logging Camps 101 Lumber Towns 101 - Buildings in Incorporated Towns Associated with the Lumber Industry I 101 Present Conditions of Property Types 102 I Tabular Summary of Management Information 102 Chapter Five: Euro-American Settlement/Agriculture Historic Context 107 Narrative History 107 Summary 107 I Introduction 107 Historic Development of Euro-American Settlement/ Agriculture in Its National and State Contexts 108 I Early Exploration 108 Early Settlement 109 Agricultural Development: Late 18th Century to the Civil War 111 I Agricultural Development: 1860s-1900 113 Agricultural Trends During the 20th Century 115 Historic Development of Euro-American Settlement/ Agriculture in Its Local I Context 117 Early Settlement in the New River Gorge Region 117 Typical 19th Century Appalachian Mountain Farmstead and Traditional I Mountain Culture at the Dawn of the Industrial Era in the New ~ River Gorge Region 123 v I I CONTENTS Impact of Industrialization on Settlement/ Agriculture in the New River Gorge Region 126 Settlement/Agriculture in the New River Gorge Region: 1870s-1940s 128 Property Types 131 J. Introduction 131 Typology of Known and Expected Property Types 131 Known and Expected Distribution of Property Types 132 I Farmsteads. 132 Agricultural Processing Facilities 133 Transportation Facilities 133 I Present Conditions of Property Types 133 Tabular Summary of Management Information 134 I Chapter Six: Recreation/State Parks Historic Context 137 Narrative History 137 Summary 137 Introduction 137 I Historic Development of Recreation/State Parks in Its National Context 138 National Conservation Movement 138 State Parks Movement 139 I Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) 141 Historic Development of Recreation/State Parks in Its State Context 143 Overview of Conservation and Recreation Development in West Virginia: I 1890s-1920s 143 Emergence of the West Virginia State Park System in the 1920s 146 Overview of Conservation and Recreation Development in West Virginia: 1920s-Present 147 - Overview of Development of State Park System: 1933-Present 150 Historic Development of Recreation/State Parks in Its Local Context 160 I State Park Units in New River Gorge National River 160 Babcock State Park 160 Other New River Gorge State Recreation Facilities 170 I Recreational Activities in New River Gorge National River 170 Development of Hunting and Fishing Recreational Activities 171 Development of Whitewater Recreational Activity 173 I Recreational Opportunities in New River Gorge National River 174 Property Types 177 Introduction 177 I Typology of Known and Expected Property Types 177 Known and Expected Distribution of Property Types 178 Primary Outdoor Recreational Activity Facilities 178 Secondary Recreational Support Structures 179 I Overnight Visitor Accommodations 179 Private Retreat Development 179 Engineering Structures and Landscape Features 179 Transportation Facilities 180 Present Conditions of Property Types 180 Tabular Summary of Management Information 180 vi I Contents Chapter Seven: Specific Evaluation Criteria - Registration Requirements 183 Evaluation Process 183 Coal Industry 185 Railroad Ind ust:ry 186 Lumber Industry 187 Euro-American Settlement/ Agriculture 187 Recreation/State Parks 188 Criterion D 189 Summation 189 Chapter Eight: Research Needs and Questions 191 Coal Industry 191 Railroad Industry 192 I Lumber Industry 193 Euro-American Settlement/Agriculture 193 I Recreation/State Parks 194 Epilogue 195 I Annotated Bibliography 197 List of Repositories Consulted or Where Research Was Conducted 197 Coal Industry 198 I Collections 198 Books 198 Periodicals 200 Technkal Studies 201 Theses and Dissertations 202 - Congressional Documents 203 I Railroad Industry 203 Collections 203 Interviews 204 I Books 204 Periodicals 205 Technical Studies 206 Dissertations 207 I Lumber Industry 207 Collections 207 Books 207 I Periodicals 209 Technical Studies 209 Dissertations 209 I Euro-American Settlement/ Agriculture Historic Context 210 Collections 210 Books 210 I Periodicals 213 Theses and Dissertations 214 Technical Studies 214 I Recreation/State Parks 215 ~ Manuscripts/Collections 215 vii I CONTENIS Books 216 Periodicals 217 Technical Studies 218 Maps 221 Kaymoor Map No. 1 222 Kaymoor Map No. 2 223 I Thurmond Map No. 1 224 Thurmond Map No. 2 225 Thurmond Map No. 3 226 I Grandview 227 Fayetteville, West Virginia inside back cover Oak Hill, West Virginia inside back cover I Thurmond, West Virginia inside back cover Prince, West Virginia inside back cover Meadow Creek, West Virginia inside back cover Hinton, West Virginia inside back cover I I I - I I I I •1 Ii -.1! viii I I PREFACE ~ This special history study /historic context study has been prepared to satisfy in part the research needs as stated in the task directive (approved by Charles P. Clapper, Jr., Acting Regional Director, (former) Mid-Atlantic Region, in a memorandum dated June 16, 1993) I concerning New River Gorge National River (NERI), Special History Study /Historic Context Study, under Package No. 112 Qater changed to Package No. 150). The purpose of this study was to (1) establish the foundation for decisions about identification, evaluation, I registration, and treatment of historic properties and (2) integrate preservation planning into the broader park planning process.