Huntington in Cabell County, West Virginia — The American South (Appalachia)
Huntington Mine Rescue Car
One of the original 7 US Bureau of Mines train cars was headquartered near C&O tracks, 19111933. The wooden car, with crew & supplies, traveled the WV region to give mine safety & rescue training and to aid in mine disaster rescue efforts. Government rescue cars reflected Progressive Era trends of humanitarianism and efficiency in national reform programs.
Erected 2014 by The Royce J. and Caroline B. Watts Museum and West Virginia Archives & History.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Railroads & Streetcars. In addition, it is included in the West Virginia Archives and History series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1911.
Location. 38° 25.004′ N, 82° 26.511′ W. Marker is in Huntington, West Virginia, in Cabell County. It is on 7th Avenue west of 10th Street, on the left when traveling west. It is at the former C&O Railroad Station, now a CSX Transportation office building. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 935 7th Ave, Huntington WV 25701, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in West Virginia’s Kyova Tri-State Region and in the Mid-Ohio Valley. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in the Ohio River Valley, in Appalachia, and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France and also the territory of the Mississippian Culture.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Chesapeake & Ohio Passenger Station (within shouting distance of this marker); Sixth Street Bridge Spire (approx. Ό mile away); The Virginia State Road (approx. Ό mile away); Huntington (approx. Ό mile away); Revolutionary War Memorial (approx. 0.3 miles away); Cabell County Cavalcade (approx. 0.3 miles away); Chessie System (approx. 0.3 miles away); Collins P. Huntington (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Huntington.
Regarding Huntington Mine Rescue Car. Car No. 7 was stationed in Huntington, W. Va. Stations and cars were equipped both with mine-rescue and first-aid equipment, much of which is the beginning came from England and Germany. The railroad cars were former Pullman sleeping cars purchased by the Government. Interiors were remodeled to include an office, training and workroom, and cooking, eating, and sleeping quarters. Each station or car was directed by a mining engineer of practical miner trained in rescue- and first-aid methods. Personnel of Car No. 8 included a mine surgeon in 1914, and later Public Health surgeons were assigned to most cars.

1924 bronze by Gutzon Borglum, Photograph by J.J. Prats, September 29, 2018
3. Statue of Collis P. Huntington at the former C&O Railroad Station
Statue is 8 feet tall on a 46 inch base. Huntington was the founder of Huntington in West Virginia and builder of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad. The interpretive panel in front of the statue is weather-worn and can no longer be read.

Photographed by Unknown photographer. U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration Photograph
4. A Wooden Mine Rescue Car from 1907
Secretary of the Interior, Richard A. Ballinger; Director of the Bureau of Mines, Dr. Joseph A. Holmes; Dr. J. J. Rutledge and two others; with a Bureau of Mines rescue car in the background at Marianna, Pa.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 30, 2022. It was originally submitted on November 7, 2018, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 686 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on November 7, 2018, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.

