WYOMING CHAMBER OF COMMERCE P.O. Box 235, Mullens WV 25882
“Music of the Coalfields Highway”
Land of boulders, fast running waters, waterfalls, railroad lines, trestles, wildlife, birding, fishing, mountain biking, mountain climbing, hiking, backpacking, bed & breakfasts. No stoplights nor 4-lane roads in this mostly rural county.
Book. Images of America: Wyoming County by Ed Robinson, published by Arcadia Publishing.
R.D. Bailey Recreation Area R.D. Bailey Lake/WMA
P.O. Drawer 70
Justice WV 24851-0070
(304) 664-3229 or (304) 664-9587
Large lake, picnic area, boating, fishing, hiking, camping. R.D. Bailey Lake WMA (17,280 acres) Mingo and Wyoming counties. Located 15 miles west of Pineville on state Route 97. Mostly oak-hickory forest covers the rugged terrain, which is characterized by narrow valleys and steep ridges, with elevations ranging from 500 to 1,200 feet. Large expanses of forest provide good hunting opportunities for deer (archery only), squirrel, ruffed grouse, turkey, raccoon and black bear. A 200-yard rifle range is located on the area. Fox, bobcat, skunk, opossum, mink and muskrat can be trapped on the area. R.D. Bailey Lake, 630 acres, provides excellent warmwater fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass, sunfish, hybrid striped bass, crappie, catfish, carp, walleye and tiger musky. Trout are stocked in the tailwater. A Corps of Engineers-operated 169-site camping area along the Guyandotte River is open from May 1 to November 1. A public boat launching site is located at the head of the lake. Managed by WVDNR. Owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Hatfield and McCoy trailhead - located at Mullens and at Twin Falls S.R.P. as well as part of the Hatfield & McCoy Trail. www.trailsheaven.com
City of Mullens – Historic Railroad Town. 75 structures of historic significance (see next). Historic Landmarks in the Downtown Area:
- Webster Apartments – originally Mullens General Hospital, 1921.
- Wyoming Hotel – built in 1918, destroyed by fire and rebuilt around 1922.
- Eatwell Café – built in 1922. Closed after the 2001 flood.
- Smiley Department Store – 1921-22
- Trent Building – 1922, Men’s clothing with offices on the 2nd floor.
- Bank of Mullens – 1921, 3-story brick building. Has housed banks, clothing store and currently has been made into apartments.
- G.C. Murphy Co. Building – 1944, now houses Southern Highlands Inc., a mental health organization.
- Markowitz Building – 1922, “Army and Navy Store” – men’s clothing. Owned by the Markowitz’ family, the only Jewish family to live in the area for any extended period of time.
- The Law Building – 1923, once housed an African-American hotel and restaurant.
- Mullens Dollar Store– 1924, dry goods, clothing, notions.
- Hatcher Building – 1922, furniture store, SEARS Catalog Store and bank.
- Levi Lusk Apartment and Garage Building – 1929, housed the Craft Bus Line as a service garage.
- Ball and Shannon Building – 1927, general merchandise, grocery, school supplies, school books.
- A.J. Mullens Building – 1921, store and real estate office with apartment on second floor. Also housed the Mullens Motor County (automobiles) for nearly 40 years.
Historic walking tour and fitness (need more information)
B&B’s (need more information)
Mullens Opportunity Center- (304) 732-6188
Tator Hills Park in Mullens (need more information)
Mullens Dogwood Festival (need more information)
Pineville Labor Day Festival (need more information)
Twin Falls S.R.P. Lumber Jack Festival – (304) 294-4000. (need more information)
Coal History – Coal Miner Memorial Document (multipage document have) Contains info on Coal Camps, Superintendents, Coal Store
The Junction on the Creekside – Rt 52, Rt 97, Hanover, WV (304) 663-2747 - lodging. www.junctioncreekside.com
Pinnacle Creek Village - Rt. 16 Pinnacle Creek Rd., Pineville, WV 24874 (304) 732-8030 (304) 732-8346 Camping, lodge, store, gas & restaurant. Camp & ride – 2.5 miles to trailhead.
Whistle Stop Café at Pinnacle Creek - Rt. 16 Pinnacle Creek Rd., Pineville, WV 24874 (304) 732-8030 (304) 732-8346 Full Service restaurant and store. Ride 2.5 miles to café and store from trail.
Along State Routes #54 and #16:
Maben Coal Mine – operated from 1944 – 1969.
Maben House of Wonder – 1924, houses wood craft sales and post office. Also, houses a solar dry kiln.
Town of Maben– site of Ritter Lumber Co. from 1903 – 1948. Mining town from 1944 – 1969. 18-remodeled lumberjack dwelling and 1 original dwelling remain. Also, the world’s largest hardwood lumber producer in 1929. Home to a log one-room schoolhouse built in 1936.
Otsego– Coal mining town from 1917 – 1968. Virginia Railway Tunnel built there in 1926.
Otsego on Cedar Creek– Strip and underground coal mine.
Nuriva – Coal Mine Town, 1916.
Mullens Athletic Field– Monument of Rick Tolley who has the head coach of Marshall University who was killed along with 74 team members in 1970.
Stone Tunnel– Free standing unsupported railroad tunnel cut through solid rock in 1906.
Itmann– Coal mining town, 1916. 120 buildings built for employees and their families. Many houses remain. The 1917, 2-room schoolhouse is preserved. 324 feet high steel bridge was a mine car trestle built in 1919 for WWI.
Itmann Coal Tipple – Coal prep plant build in 1948 by Pocahontas Consolidated Coal Company.
Winding Gulf Coal Mines– 1912 – 1984 largest production of Coal in Wyoming County came from mines along Virginia Railway.
U.S. Mine – Pinnacle Creek – One of the largest coal mine producers in eastern U.S.
Lambert Knob– lookout tower for forest fire control built in 1923.
Indian Fort – restored circular rock structure believed to be Indian in origin.
U.S. Steel Mine Man Trip Shaft and Office Premises
Along State Route #97:
Saulsville – Town settled in 1840, site of Southern West VA Community College, a freestanding state supported, fully accredited.
Twin Falls S.R.P. – site of the 1830’s pioneer homestead. Remains of the 1892 water powered grist mill (Foleys Mill) are still viewable, scenic, lodge, restaurant, 18 hole championship golf course, deluxe cabins, campsites.
Pineville – Town settled in 1840. Courthouse built in 1916 and County Jail in 1929 from native stone quarried nearby.
The Castle Rock – peculiar rock formation located at Castle Rock Creek and Guyandotte River. Rises 221 feet from the river.
Mullensville– 1933 - 1936, site of the Civilian Conservation Camp for needy boys ages from 15 – 20. Provided jobs for them.
National Mines Corporation – Pocahontas Mine – 1968 to the present. Mines 500,000 tons of coal/year.
Wyoming – coal mining town, est. 1938. Childhood home of Curt Warner, pro football player.
Baileyville – 1804, ancient Indian campground. Five cemeteries dating back to the 1800s.
Horse Creek Lake – 1955, public fishing lake.
Guyandotte Campground – sites for tent or trailer with electric hookups.
R.D. Bailey Lake & Dam – boat ramp and marina (Guyandotte River), lake is in Wyoming Co. Visitor Center with great scenic views and exhibits. Boating, fishing, hiking, camping available.
Coal Mountain – home to Burning Rock and descendents of the Hatfield feud.
Lizzard Creek Park– picnic facilities, grandstand, volleyball, horseshoes and playground equipment.
Routes #10 and #1:
Cyclone – remains on an Indian village, park located here.
Lacome – petrography and pre-Columbian archaeological diggings found here.
Oceana – First settlement in Wyoming County – 1799. State historical marker located at Laurel Park. Serves as the County Seat. Sportsman Cove – fishing lake, miniature golf, archery, etc.
Matheny Jesse – Home to the Guyandotte Baptist Church organized in 1812. In 1864, Civil War skirmish was fought here between the Union and Confederate Home Guards.
Glen Fork– 4H Camp located here in the summer.
Sabine – Coal mining plant now idle. Original houses and store buildings still in existence from 1924.
Glen Rogers – hometown of former Governor William Marland.
Tralee, Alpoca, and Bud– original 1914 dwellings, remodeled and privately owned. Alpoca – has an Opera House. Large superintendent house remains.
Herndon Mountain – 4 high bridges and 5 tunnels were built to cross the Great Flat Top Mountain in 1907. Wyoming/Mercer County line falls at elevation of 3500 square feet. Rt. #10 crosses at 3,044 ft. elevation.
Routes #99 and #85:Intersects beautiful sunsets/sunrises, wildlife consists with black bear and wild boars.
Petroglyphs – South of Lilly Haven near Oceana are prehistoric, sharp, deeply inscribed writings on a stone cliff circa 1300 – 1500 A.D.
McDonald Plantation – 1802. Established the first all African-American community in the county. Existed until the 1950s. 1 building is all that remains.
Clear Fork Valley Golf Course – 18 hole, pro-shop, snack bar.
WMTH CORPORATION PO BOX 51153 BOWLING GREEN, KY 42102 PHONE (270) 792-5300 FAX 721-0004
