Mullens in Wyoming County, West Virginia — The American South (Appalachia)

The Virginian Arrives

America's Byways

— Coal Heritage Trail — National Coal Heritage Area —

The Virginian Arrives Interpretive Panel image. Click for full size.

Photographed by J. J. Prats, July 15, 2019

1. The Virginian Arrives Interpretive Panel

Inscription. 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 and delivered to the coast of Virginia for distribution throughout the world.

Erected by America’s Byways: Coal Heritage Trail, National Coal Heritage

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Area.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Railroads & Streetcars. In addition, it is included in the Coal Heritage Trail series list. 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. It 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.

Regionally, this marker is in the Southern Coalfields.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

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 territory of the Mississippian Culture.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: 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); Captain J.F. Lyttle, Jr. Memorial Park & Playground (approx. 0.3 miles away); a different marker also named Mullens (approx. 0.6 miles away); Itmann (approx. 1.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Mullens.

Other markers no longer nearby. Virginian Railway Motor Barn (was approx. half a mile away but has been permanently removed); Virginian Railway Station (was

Five Interpretive Panels in Mullens image. Click for full size.

Photographed by J. J. Prats, July 15, 2019

2. Five Interpretive Panels in Mullens

This panel is the leftmost.

approx. half a mile away but has been permanently removed).

More about this marker. The interpretive panel shows three photographs. The largest is across the bottom of the panel and is captioned “Berkshire locomotive #507 makes an appearance in Mullens in the summer of 1954.” In the upper right are two photographs captioned, “Virginian steam locomotive #719 on standby in Mullens,” and “This circa 1915 photo shows the Virginian Railway Depot in Mullens.” Click on image No. 1 above to zoom in to examine the photographs.

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 309 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 26, 2019, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.