THE INDUSTRIAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE KANAWHA VALLEY DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy In the Graduate School of The Ohio S tate U niversity By SELVA CARTER WILEY, B .A ., A.M. ***** The Ohio State University 1956 Approved byt — — A dviser Department of Geography 11 MAP I TOLL IRlQt KANAWHA VALLEY REGIONAL MAP tent lilt* tow TABLE OF CONTENTS PAQE INTRODUCTION.................... 1 A pproach ........... 2 Area of Study ....................................................................................................... U CHAPTER I - THE PHYSICAL LANDSCAPE .................................................................. 7 T e rra in .................................................................................................................... 7 Earth H istory ...................................................................................................... 11 CHAPTER I I - CLIMATE AND VEGETATION ............................................................. 17 C lim ate ..................................................................................................................... 17 Vegetation ........................................................................................................... 22 CHAPTER I I I - RESOURCES ......................................................................................... 26 C oal ......................................................................................................................... 26 Natural Gas ........................................................................................................... 32 P e tr o le u m ....................................................... 37 Salt (Brines) .......................................................................................... h6 C lay ......................................................................................................................... 51 Sand and Gravel ....... .................................................................................. 56 L im estone ................................................................................................................ 57 Iro n ............................................................................................................................ 56 W a t e r ......................................................................................................................... 59 Water Power ........................................................................................................... 62 CHAPTER IV - SETTLEMENT............................................................................................. 66 P olitical Circumstances ............................................................................... 66 P a t t e r n ....................... 69 Pioneer Economy .................................................................................................. 73 CHAPTER V - DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE "GLASS AND GAS AGE" AND THE WAR TEARS TO THE TWENTIES........................................................ 60 The Minor Role of Agriculture ................................................................. 60 Evolution of Cosmunication and Transportation ............................. 8U W ater ............................................................................................................. 8U T rails, Roads and Highways ............................................................. 93 R ailw ays ...................................................................................................... 99 Antecedents of Manufacturing .................................................................... I l l Salt Brine .................................................................................................. I l l L u m b e rin g .................................................................................................... n y Coal Mining .................................................................................... 118 Natural Gas Extraction ...................................................................... 121* Miscellaneous Developments ............................................................. 126 i i i I t TABLE OF CONTENTS (C o n tin u ed ) PACE CHAPTER VI - DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE "GLASS AGE" AND THE "WAR TEARS" TO THE TWENTIES .................................................................. 138 Agriculture ...................................... .............................................................. 138 Changes in Population ............................................................................... 3-1*2 Rapid Growth of ComnunIcation and Transportation .............. 11*8 Exhaustion or Changes in the Extractive Industries .............. 169 Rapid Expansionism in Manufacturing ................................................ 177 CHAPTER VII - THE EXPANDING CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES................................ 180 Carbide and Carbon Chemicals ................................................................ 181 E. I, du Pont de Nemours & Company .................................................. 202 W estvaco ............................................................................................................ 217 American Viscose Corporation ............................................................... 223 Barium Reduction Conpany ........................................................................ 231 Ohio - A p e x ...................................................................................................... 233 General Chemical Division ...................................................................... 238 Monsanto Chemical Conpany ...................................................................... 21*0 Belle Alkali Conpany ................................................................................. 21*1* Carbide and Carbon Chemicals Division (Institute) ................ 21*6 CHAPTER V III - THE METAL INDUSTRIES ........................................................... 2$0 Electro Metallurgical Conpany ............................................................. 250 True Tenper Corporation ........................................................................... 255 West Virginia Steel Corporation ......................................................... 257 Gravely Motor Plow & Cultivator Conpany ....................................... 259 Kanawha Manufacturing Company ............................................................. 260 Evans Lead Division .................................................................................... 261 United States Naval Ordnance Plant .................................................. 263 CHAPTER IX - THE GUSS INDUSTRIES................................................................ 266 Owens-Illinois Glass Conpany ............................................................... 266 Libbey-Owens-Ford Glass Conpany ......................................................... 269 Dunbar Glass Conpany ................................................................................. 271* CHAPTER X - THE REFINING INDUSTRIES ........................................................... 277 Pure Oil Refining Company ...................................................................... 277 Other Refining Operations ...................................................................... 280 CHAPTER XI - MISCELLANEOUS DEVELOPMENTS .................................................. 282 Charleston Brick Industries .................................................................. 282 CHAPTER X II - PROBLEMS ........................................................................................ 285 Water Pollution ............................................................................................. 285 Water-Overrated C apacity ........................................................................ 289 W ater-Flooding ............................................................................................... 290 CHAPTER X III - CONCLUSION................................................................................. 29l* V TABLE OF CONTENTS (C ontinued) PAGE APPENDIX A - CHARTS, MAPS, TABLES, GRAPHS, AND DIAG AilS.......... 301* APPENDIX B - PHOTOGRAPHS ( I n d u s t r i a l F a c i l i t i e s ) ............................318 BIBLIOGRAPHY...........................................................................................................327 2 MOT That signal note of distinction is even lore pointed idien ve consider The Industrial Geography of the Xanavha Valley uas chosen as i tbs late start sni the oonsequant progress in sotpirlm nitk other field for investigation because of the perticular unlqueneee vhich industrial areas such as Pittsburgh, vhlch had long since been mil urks Its soonoisie activity as an dust 100 per cent eelf-contained established, entity, Wills In i larger sms, industrial activity can rarely be The philosophy of eoonomlc geography as simplified in the indus­ deeaed as entirely self-sufficient, the outstanding developwnt in the trial activity of the Kanavha Valley reveals that it lies on the peri­ cheedeel industries of the Xanavha Talley eoies close to being entirely phery of geognphlcal science, The eiplersr, the geologist, the self-contained aid independent of outside forest, oheiist, the biologist, and the latheaatlclan have cabined their Abundant natural resource* of eater,