Mullens in Wyoming County, West Virginia — The American South (Appalachia)
The Virginian Arrives
America's Byways
— Coal Heritage Trail — National Coal Heritage Area —
Photographed By J. J. Prats, July 15, 2019
1. The Virginian Arrives Interpretive Panel
The importance of the railroad to Mullens and the surrounding
communities can be traced back to 1906 when the Deepwater Railway
Company expanded into the area. After some negotiations, early settler
Andrew Jackson Mullins agreed to sell right-of-way through his property,
provided a railroad station was built near his store and the Deepwater
company engineer lay out a plot for the town. The railroad was completed
to Mullens in November of that year, setting the stage for the growth of
not only the town, but for the entire Upper Guyandotte River area. The
town served as the center of commerce for dozens of nearby coal towns
including Itmann, Otsego, Caloric, Mead Poca, and Tralee,
as well as the timber industry. Ritter Lumber, which had
operations in surrounding states, was located in Maben just
north of here. By 1960, the population grew from the original
family of 12 to 3,544.
In 1907, the Deepwater merged with the Tidewater Railway forming the Virginian Railroad, which had a large presence in Mullens. With the railroad now in place, the stage was set for the coal boom. The massive deposits of coal in the area were mined
this page online
Erected by America’s Byways: Coal Heritage Trail, National Coal Heritage Area.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical year for this entry is 1906.
Location. 37° 34.7′ N, 81° 23.324′ W. Marker is in Mullens, West Virginia, in Wyoming County. Marker is at the intersection of Guyandotte Avenue (West Virginia Route 16) and Lester Street, on the right when traveling west on Guyandotte Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Mullens WV 25882, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Richest Little Railroad in the World (here, next to this marker); Mullens (here, next to this marker); Mullens Historic District (here, next to this marker); Itmann Company Store (here, next to this marker); a different marker also named Mullens (within shouting distance of this marker); Virginian Railway Motor Barn (approx. half a mile away); Virginian Railway Station (approx. half a mile away); a different marker also named Mullens (approx. 0.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Mullens.
More about this marker. The interpretive panel shows three photographs. The largest is across the bottom of the panel and is captioned
Photographed By J. J. Prats, July 15, 2019
2. Five Interpretive Panels in Mullens
This panel is the leftmost.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 9, 2020. It was originally submitted on August 26, 2019, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 118 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 26, 2019, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.
