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How many of you have ever heard of the small town of Grafton in the U.S. state of West Virginia? Most of you probably have never heard of this town. As you drive through the town, you see old buildings. It appears to be a small town with little significance. Then you see what looks like an old train station, but it is not your average small town train station. It looks like something that you would see in a major city.
Why is it here?
The old train station in Grafton, West Virginia was a train station and a hotel. Why would somebody build a train station and hotel in this small town? Ladies and gentlemen, this town was not your average small town.
The town of Grafton, West Virginia, originally established at the town of Grafton, Virginia in 1852 as the land was original park of the U.S. state of Virginia before West Virginia was a state, is said to be named after John Grafton. Who is John Grafton? He was a civil engineer for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. It was the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad that established the town of Grafton. The train station and upscale hotel was built in the 1850’s by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in honor of Daniel Williard, the president of the railroad, and the hotel was called the Williard Hotel in his honor. The hotel closed in the 1960’s with the decline of passenger railroad service and was a hotel for train crews. Passenger service ceased in 1971.
Today, the railroad tracks are owned by CSX Transportation who still has a railroad yard in the town. The old train station and hotel and the Grafton Downtown Historic District are on the National Register of Historic Places, but the old train station is not open to the public. The only view of the interior is through the windows. It is located on U.S. Route 119 south of U.S. Route 50. Along with the railroad building the town, the railroad was a great contributor to the town’s history particularly during the American Civil War. The town is also the home of the Mother’s Day Shrine and is said to be the birthplace of Mother’s Day. As you drive around, you will see that this town that looks like it has little history has some much history to see… brought to you by the railroad and an old train station.
The U.S. state of West Virginia is a state known for its natural beauty and its mountains. The state has many state parks. One of those state parks is Valley Falls State Park near the city of Fairmont. The park is mainly famous for its waterfalls, but it has many hiking trails as well. A visit to Valley Falls State Park is a place you will cherish.
Some of you are saying, “Wow! This must be a beautiful place. I enjoy seeing waterfalls. There is a big problem. This park has no connection with the railroad. Therefore, this park is not a place I will fall for visiting.”
Why visit Valley Falls State Park? It has very beautiful waterfalls. There is beauty surrounding you. Why visit Valley Falls State Park?
You enter the park, and you drive down to the main parking lot. You park your car, and you make your way to the waterfalls, but you cross a bridge. What are you crossing? You are crossing a railroad line.
Some of you are saying, “Yeah, but there are many railroad lines that pass through parks and towns but have no history with the parks or towns.”
You do have a point. So, what is special about Valley Falls State Park?
Well, you arrive at the waterfalls, and you are amazed at its beauty. As you walk around, you notice some ruins. What was here?
What you are seeing is the ruins of a sawmill and a grist mill. The water was used to power these mills. The property was acquired by a trader in the 1830’s, and he built the mills on the site. A town was erected around the mills, and it was named Valley Falls after, of course, the waterfalls. Although the mills were the centerpiece of the town, something that arrived in 1853 caused the town to boom. What came to the town?
In 1853, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was built between the town of Grafton to the east and the city of Wheeling located in what is called the Northern Panhandle of the state, and the railroad passed right past the mills. Sadly, in 1886, the town was destroyed by fire and floods. The town was never rebuilt although the grist mill itself remained in operation until 1905.
Today, you can see the waterfalls, but you can also see the same railroad line that served the town, but, today, CSX trains pass by the falls. How great would it be to enjoy the waterfalls and be rewarded by a passing train?
Valley Falls State Park is located at 720 Valley Falls Road southeast of the city of Fairmont, West Virginia off of West Virginia Route 310. The park is open year round from 7:00am to sunset, but please note that the park will close due to snow and ice. (If you are adventurous, they do allow you to walk through the park on snowy and icy days. You just have to park at the entrance and hike in.) Please note that the walk to the falls is on uneven terrain, which may be difficult for wheelchairs, but much of the falls are viewable from the parking area. Please also note that the railroad line is an active line. (No trespassing on the railroad tracks.)
Valley Falls State Park was once the site of a bustling town made possible by the railroad. Today, the only thing that is bustling is the waterfall and the surrounding natural beauty. Visit Valley Falls State Park. You may find it hard to leave.
The U.S. state of West Virginia is a state that has so much natural beauty. It has famous sites like the New River Gorge and the New River Gorge Bridge, the Glade Creek Grist Mill at Babcock State Park, one of the most photographed mills in the United States of America, the natural spas in Berkeley Springs to include George Washington’s Bathtub where George Washington, well… you probably figured it out what he did here, plus the town of Harpers Ferry, and so much more. It has its cities like the capital city of Charleston, Beckley, and Morgantown, and its many small towns. One of these small towns located northeast of Charleston is the town of Gassaway.
Some of you are saying, “Interesting. I bet the town got its name from the fact that somebody was getting gasoline, but the gasoline got away.”
You are very wrong. The small town, established in 1905, is named after Henry Gassaway Davis, a West Virginia politician who was nominated for the Vice President of the United States of America in 1904.
Some of you are saying, “It is nice that they named a town after a politician. There is a very big problem. This is just a small town that has no railroad. Therefore, I will not be taking these country roads to this town.”
If you were to ask people if they had ever heard of the town of Gassaway, West Virginia, you would get many strange looks. The town is often overshadowed by the town of Sutton which is east of Gassaway and is famous for it Bigfoot Festival and museum.
As you approach the town of Gassaway, the very first thing you see it the ‘Welcome to Gassaway’ sign. Many towns have a welcome sign to greet you as you enter, but you see something interesting. What do you see? You see a steam locomotive on the sign. You continue to drive into the town, and you see an old railroad bridge. You drive further into the town, and you see an old train station. You drive to the old train station, and you see a mural with a steam train. What you do not see is a railroad line. Well, the railroad line is now a railroad trail. How did the train station get here? Today, the town of Gassaway, West Virginia does not look like much, but that was not always the case.
The town of Gassaway, West Virginia was a town built by the railroad. The Coal and Coke Railway, which ran between Charleston and Elkins, ran through the town of Gassaway, and, in 1914, they built the train station giving passenger train service to the town. There was also a railroad yard in the town as they changed locomotives in the town as more powerful locomotives were needed to pull the trains to Elkins while locomotives with less power could be used for trains to Charleston. During its heyday, the town had two hotels, a bank, retail stores, office buildings, and, schools, and churches. When the railroad went into decline, so did the town. Railroad service ended and was eventually converted into a rail trail.
As for the train station, it was abandoned for many years, but it was then restored and was put on National Register of Historic Places, and it now serves as an event and meeting space for the town.
The town of Gassaway, West Virginia is four miles west of Interstate 79 on West Virginia Route 4. The old train station is located on 4th Street one block west of West Virginia Route 4. It is open available for events like weddings and parties.
The small town of Gassaway may no longer be a railroad town, but the ghosts and the legacy of the railroad remain.
In the heyday of America railroading, the railroad connected the small towns with the major cities. As many railroad lines were no longer used, many of the railroad tracks and the railroad ties were taken up while some rails and ties were left to decay. Some of the railroad beds were left to erode over time while some were covered into rail trails. (A rail trail is a trail designed on an old railroad bed to be used for hiking, biking, horseback riding, or just plain walking.) Many of the trails are paved while some remain dirt or have gravel.
In the U.S. state of West Virginia in the metropolitan region of Beckley, you will find the town of Oak Hill. The town is not very famous although it is said the country music singer Hank Williams may have died at a gas station in this town while on route from Bristol, Virginia to Canton, Ohio. (The story has not been confirmed.) The only thing most people know about Oak Hill is that most people drive by the town on U.S. Route 19 while traveling from Beckley to the World Famous New River Gorge Bridge which is just north of the town. One thing that is confirmed is that the town of Oak Hill was served by the railroad.
The White Oak Rail Trail is a rail trail that is slightly under eight miles that passes through the town. Much of it is paved, but there are portions of the trail that are not paved. The railroad line was owned by the White Oak Railway, and the rail line was later taken over by the Virginian Railway. The main center point of the trail is the old train station.
What is special about the old train station? It is one of the oldest structures in Oak Hill. It is a passenger and a freight depot. It was built by the White Oak Railway in 1903, and it was later taken over by the Virginian Railway. Like many small towns, the railroad was a major contributor to the town’s economy. The depot was also used by the Norfolk and Western Railway and the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway. The train depot remained in service until 1983. The rail line later became the rail trail it is today.
The train depot is now an art store selling locally made at. An old railroad line that passes by the old train station is the only reminder of Oak Hill being a railroad town today.
The Oak Hill Train Depot is on the National Register of Historic Places. It is located at the intersection of Virginia Street and Central Avenue. The trail goes north from the depot to the community of Summerlee and south to the community of Carlisle. Much of the trail is wheelchair accessible.
When you think of the New River Gorge region of West Virginia, think of the small town of Oak Hill. It was once a railroad town, and an old train depot remains.
The U.S. state of West Virginia is a state full of mountains. The city of Huntington is a city in the western region of the state and located on the Ohio River and across the river from, of all places, the U.S. state of Ohio.
Some of you are saying, “Yeah! Too bad that it happens to be a boring city with nothing to do.”
Those who see the city of Huntington, West Virginia as a boring city has obviously never visited the city. Some of you may have heard of Marshall University which is located in this city. The university was made famous by the movie We Are Marshall about how the university’s American football team that was tragically killed in a plane crash and, when the university wanted to end the program, the people of the university told them otherwise.
Some of you are saying, “That is nice, but this city is not a railroad city.”
Ladies and Gentlemen, you are wrong again. One of the founders of the city of Huntington was a man named Collis Potter Huntington. Yes, it is the same Collis Potter Huntington who had a steam locomotive named for him. He is considered one of the “Big Four” of western railroad as he was the man who built the Central Pacific Railroad which became a part of the Transcontinental Railroad. He founded the city to be hub for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway. Another railroad, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, also came here, and they built a passenger train station downtown.
Welcome to the Heritage Station. What is the Heritage Station? It was once a passenger train station for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. When passenger service ceased, the old train station remained. Also called the Heritage Village, not to be confused with the Heritage Village and Farm, a living history museum located south of the city, it houses the Cabell Huntington Convention and Visitor’s Bureau and a few shops and restaurants. One of the shops is called the ‘Red Caboose’, which sells arts and crafts by regional artists. There are old freight houses and an old bank that is part of the village. What is special about the bank? It is said that it was robbed by Jesse James, the famous outlaw. It was the city’s first bank robbery.
As you approach the Heritage Station, the first thing you will see is not the old train station but a steam locomotive. The locomotive was first used by a coal mine and then used to haul lumber. You will also find an old Pullman passenger car and two boxcars.
Need a reason, to visit Huntington, West Virginia? You actually have many reasons to visit this city. The Heritage Station is just one of them.
The Heritage Station is located at 210 Eleventh Street at Veterans Memorial Boulevard (U.S. Route 60). Parking is on site. You can get more information at https://ghprd.org/index.php/heritage-station.
As mentioned, you have many reasons to visit Huntington, West Virginia. The Heritage Station is one of many.
Some of you may have heard of a place called Hawks Nest State Park in the U.S. state of West Virginia. What is Hawks Nest State Park?
Some of you are saying, “Well, it is a nest that was created by a hawk, and the great people of West Virginia made a state park out of it.”
How the park got the name is unknown at this point, and there may be a hawks nest here, but when you come here, you get a hawk’s view into the New River Gorge. You stand at the overlook and lookout over the gorge and see an amazing view. A visit to Hawks Nest State Park is a place you will want to see again and again.
Some of you are saying, “That is nice. I have heard great things about the state of West Virginia, and I am aware of the natural beauty of this state. I am pretty sure that there is a lot of beauty here, but because this park has no railroad, I will not be making my nest here.”
Why visit Hawks Nest State Park?
As you arrive and walk to the overlook and look down into the New River Gorge, you see the great gorge with the New River flowing through the bottom. You see a dam of which, sadly, was a site of the worst industrial disaster in the state’s history during the construction of a water tunnel. As you look into the New River Gorge, you see a railroad line. The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway built the railroad through the gorge to mainly transport coal from the coal mines to the ports of Norfolk in the U.S. state of Virginia, but that is not that main reason for visiting the park. The main thing you will see has been the number one view in the park. As you look into the gorge, the number one view is the view of the railroad bridge crossing the New River. Originally built by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway and now owned by the Chessie Seaboard Transportation Company (commonly known as CSX), it is still in use today.
Now you have a reason to visit Hawks Next State Park. When you come here, you may have a problem leaving.
Hawks Nest State Park is located in Ansted, West Virginia on U.S. Route 60 ten miles west of U.S. Route 19 and the World Famous New River Gorge Bridge and the New River Gorge National Park. The overlook is open from sunrise to sunset, and it is completely wheelchair accessible.
Hawks Nest State Park in Ansted, West Virginia is a great park to visit. You may not see any hawks or hawk’s nest, but you will get a great view of the New River Gorge and a railroad bridge crossing the New River in the gorge below.
How many of you have heard of the small town of Prince located in the southern region of the U.S. state of West Virginia? Unless you live in that region or work for the National Park Service or are a railroad historian, you most likely have never heard of this town. It is a suburb of Beckley that is on the New River inside the New River Gorge which is famous for its beauty and an engineering marvel, the New River Gorge Bridge.
Some of you are saying, “I bet that the town is named after some prince in a foreign country.”
Sadly, you are wrong. That town is named for William Prince, who happened to be a settler in the region and was never part of any royal family.
What is this town known for? Well, it is mostly a ghost town like the nearby town of Thurmond. Like Thurmond, it is a railroad town as the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (now CSX Transportation) passes through. Like Thurmond, the town has three amazing features. The first is the New River. The second is the surrounding natural beauty. The third is the train station. Both towns are known for their train stations. The train station in Prince has a special history.
What is special about the train station in Prince, West Virginia?
The train station in Prince, West Virginia serves as the Amtrak station for the city of Beckley as the city does not have its own train station.
There is more to the story. The railroad line was originally built by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway serving the region’s coal industry by transporting coal from the mines of West Virginia to the ships in the harbor of Norfolk in the U.S. state of Virginia. The town of Prince, West Virginia did not have a rail yard. What put the town on the railroad map? It is on a junction of two railroad lines with the main line going into the gorge and the other line going to the southern region of the state, but what put the town on the railroad map was the train station.
Well, many towns were put on the map by their train station, but what makes the town of Prince, West Virginia special?
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway had a plan to build modern train stations on their railroad lines between Charleston, West Virginia and Norfolk, Virginia. As you look at the train station, it looks old with the old C&O symbol on the side. When the station was built, it was very modern. Of all of the planned stations, this was the only station to be built. Yes, you are looking at the only planned station by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway to be built on the line.
Today, the train station retains its original look. It is the main building in the town.
The next time you think about the town of Prince, West Virginia, think about a town surrounded by natural beauty that had railroad royalty.
The U.S. state of West Virginia is called the Mountaineer State because it is a state that is completely mountainous with no plains or flatland. One of the state’s greatest natural wonders is the New River Gorge where the New River carves it way through a deep gorge through the southern region of the state. South of the New River Gorge is the river town of Hinton. Hinton is a town on the New River, and it is also a railroad town with an old Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Station that was built by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, and it is served by Amtrak today. The town has a railroad festival in the fall to celebrate the railroad heritage, but the town also has another railroad treasure.
Welcome to the Hinton Railroad Museum. It looks small on the outside, but it has so much on the inside. No, you will not see full size locomotives on display nor will you see old boxcars or a caboose.
Why visit the Hinton Railroad Museum? As you see the museum from the street, you will want to go inside.
Before you even enter the museum, you will see a wooden model train. Be advised that this is just the beginning.
The museum is filled with artifacts mainly from the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway. The displays are full of models trains, old photos, old rail equipment, uniforms, and other items, but there is one item that will catch your eye.
The main thing that you will see is the full scale wooden display. The display is a carving by Charlie Permelia telling the story of John Henry. Who is John Henry? In the nearby town of Talcott is the Great Bend Tunnel of which the original has been replaced by a new tunnel used by CSX Transportation today. The original tunnel was built by railroad workers. One of them was John Henry, a muscular man. It was here where John Henry challenged a steel drill with his hammer. Even though he defeated the steel drill, it cost him his life. The wooden display is a memorial to the famous worker.
The Hinton Railroad Museum is located at 206 Temple Street (West Virginia Route 20 North) in the town center. Only street parking is available. Sadly, the building is not wheelchair accessible.
The U.S. state of West Virginia is a state that was once part of Virginia. It is known as the Mountain State because the typography of the state is 100% mountains, and it is the only state with that kind of typography. The state has no major cities although parts of the state are in the Washington D.C. and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania metro areas. It does have a few cities like Charleston, the state capital and largest city, Morgantown, the home of West Virginia University, and Huntington, the home of Marshall University where the movie We Are Marshall featured the tragedy of the university’s football team. The state has many engineering feats like the New River Gorge Bridge. What the state is really known for is its coal mines and its natural beauty. One unpopular place in the state is the city of Wheeling. Located in the northern panhandle region of the state nestled between the U.S. states of Pennsylvania and Ohio, the city of Wheeling is located on the Ohio River and is on the National Road (present day U.S. Route 40). If Wheeling, West Virginia is unpopular, why visit? While in Wheeling, you can visit the West Virginia Northern Community College. Located in the Downtown section of the city, West Virginia Northern Community College welcomes students from the region to get an education. When in Wheeling, make a visit to the West Virginia Northern Community College.
Some of you are saying, “That is nice. You know. Wheeling, West Virginia has never been on my list of places to visit. I either pass through on Interstate 70 or take the Interstate 470 bypass. With Wheeling not being a railroad city, I will not be visiting Wheeling, and I will not be getting an education here.”
You do have a point. Why visit the West Virginia Northern Community College?
The state of West Virginia has a lot of history, and it is a state that has many railroad sites and much railroad history. In Cass, you will find the Cass Scenic Railroad and the Durbin Rocket. You have the railroad town of Thurmond and Prince. In Elkins, you have the Cheat Mountain Salamander, the Mountain Explorer, and the Tygart Flyer, and it is the home of the West Virginia Railroad Museum. In Martinsburg, you have the oldest surviving steel truss roundhouse in the nation. There are numerous rail trails throughout the state. When it comes to the city of Wheeling, well, it is not a famous railroad city with many railroad sites.
So why visit Wheeling, West Virginia?
As mentioned, Wheeling, West Virginia is the home of the West Virginia Northern Community College. What is so special about the West Virginia Northern Community College? Well, before it was a college, it was a train station. In the glory days of railroading, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad built the terminal in 1907 to give passenger train service to the people of Wheeling, West Virginia and the surrounding region. The four story brick and limestone train station welcomed passengers to the city as well as sent passengers to other parts of the nation. Passenger service ceased in 1961. The train station was remodeled and became the home of the West Virginia Northern Community College. In 1996, the building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
West Virginia Northern Community College is located in Downtown Wheeling, West Virginia at the corner of Market Street, 16th Street, and Chapline Street. Please note that the building is not open to the public but to college students and teachers only.
Next time you come upon the city of Wheeling, West Virginia, think of it as a city where you can see a train station that gives you an education.
There are so many things about the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is a state that has so much natural beauty. You have the New River Gorge. You have Dolly Sods, the largest unspoiled natural area east of the Mississippi River. You have the many mountains and valleys. Are you thinking about the coal mining industry? You can visit the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine, a once active coal mine in Beckley that is now open for public tours. What about railroads? You have the Cass Scenic Railroad in the town of Cass that takes you to the top of the second highest point in the state. Also in Cass, you can take a ride on the Durbin Rocket. You have the city of Elkins that was once a major railroad city with only excursion trains today. Elkins is also the home of the West Virginia Railroad Museum that tells the history of the railroad in the state. There is so much to the state of West Virginia from small towns to natural beauty to railroads to its cities with the largest city being Charleston, the state capital. A city that is very often overlooked is the city of Wheeling. How is it overlooked as Interstate 70 and the National Road (U.S. Route 40) passes through this city which happens to be on the Ohio River and borders Ohio? Once known as the ‘Gateway to the West’, it was once a big railroad town with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad having a presence here, but it has a great little treasure known as the Kruger Street Toy and Train Museum.
What is the Kruger Street Toy and Train Museum?
Some of you are saying, “Well, duh, it is a museum of toy and trains that happens to be on Kruger Street.”
You are exactly right. It is on Kruger Street. It is about toys and trains. Well, it is about model trains of which there are plenty here. Yes, there are plenty of museums about toys and about trains, but what makes this place different?
It all began with a father and son who collected toy trains. The collection grew, and they decided to display their collection in a museum, but where?
As you arrive at the Kruger Street Toy and Train Museum, you notice that it looks like a school. That is because it was a school. It was bought through an auction, and the Kruger Street Toy and Train Museum was opened in September of 1998.
Before you enter the old school, you notice a yellow caboose. Yes, there are cabooses everywhere, but this particular caboose is from the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad as a memorial to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad’s influence to the city of Wheeling.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is just the beginning.
You enter the museum, the very first thing you see… is a model train, but there is much more.
The museum features rooms dedicated to different toys, and there are rooms dedicated to different model trains. You have the O Gauge Room. (O Gauge is a size of the model train.)
Then there is the Ohio Valley History Room which has a model train display of the Ohio River Valley of which Wheeling is a part of, and there is a display in honor of Chuck Yeager, a famous jet pilot from the state who is famous for breaking the sound barrier.
What is a train museum without the Historic Train Room? The room has a collection of historic model trains from Lionel.
You have the HO Gauge Room. Yes, it features a HO Gauge model train display, but it also displays locomotives in brass and model trains from all gauges.
Yes this is a museum about toys and trains. For those who are a fan of Peanuts (the cartoon and not the food item), the museum features a collection of Snoopy, Charlie Brown, and other Peanuts characters that was donated by a local doctor named William Mercer so that many would enjoy the collection for years to come. Yes, it is about Peanuts, but there is also a model train display here as well.
The Kruger Street Toy and Train Museum is a very special museum in a not-so-famous part of West Virginia. A visit here is a visit you will cherish. For those of the older generation, it will bring back memories of your childhood. For the younger ones, they will see the toys that the children played with before them.
The Kruger Toy and Train Museum is located at 144 Kruger Street in Wheeling, West Virginia. It is less that a miles from Interstate 70, U.S. Route 40, and West Virginia Route 88. The museum is open year round, but hours do vary due to the time of the year. Parking is on site. Due to the age of the structure, the museum is not wheelchair accessible. You can learn more about the museum and its exhibits, the history of the museum and the building, and get information on hours and admission at https://www.toyandtrain.com/.
They call it wild and wonderful West Virginia, but the state has much to offer. The city of Wheeling has the Kruger Toy and Train Museum. When you visit, you will have a wonderful time.
John Cowgill: Stories of the Railroad 