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| A Shay locomotive, used for logging in the mountains of West Virginia |
West Virginia, is Wild and Wonderful, John Denver sang about it. It is west of Virginia, it was part of the original Virginia territory. Is the only state that was once a part of another state (Virginia.)
When we had the other house, in Lexington, Kentucky we drove through or flew over West Virginia coming and going.
Coal mining, and hardwood timber are traditional industries. Most of the state is too mountainous for modern agriculture. And coal mining is a shadow of what it once was. There is some oil and natural gas production in West Virginia, and strangely as a spin off from that glass production. Natural gas wells that are marginal in commercial production, provide sufficient gas to fuel many glass factories. Blenko in Milton is a favorite stop of ours.
West Virginia is a very pretty place to visit, a very difficult place to earn a living.
I’ve only been to the state once for dinner at SG’s deputy’s house when he was at the Library of Congress. A beautiful place!
ReplyDeleteThe mountains are pretty. MARK runs a commuter train that goes to WV, it is like a two hour ride each way.
DeleteThat train is very impressive. It looks like it's built for heavy duty work.
ReplyDeleteIt is coal fired, they do tourist excursions up the mountain and back. The locomotives were designed to carry very heavy loads down steep grades.
DeleteLooks lovely.
ReplyDeleteIt is a really pretty part of the world.
DeleteI love the Blenko glass factory. My parents had Blenko glass ashtrays back in the mid-century days of when they both smoked.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if they still make ashtrays?
DeleteBeen a few times. My maternal grandmother's family all lived there and were all coal miners. Never saw much otherwise pass the family compound where they all lived. I was little when she used to take me there. To my knowledge her siblings are on passed on, but the kids and grandkids all still living on the land.
ReplyDeleteIt is a place where people tend to stay.
DeleteI drove through it a few times but didn't stay to see the sights.
ReplyDeleteThe train trip took us into the mountains and was quiet fun.
DeleteI recall that song.
ReplyDeleteOkay Penguin but I doubt that Patrick Morrisey will feel that you have done his state justice with this blogpost. You even failed to mention Stonewall Jackson.
ReplyDelete