Helen in Raleigh County, West Virginia — The American South (Appalachia)

Helen

Photographed by Mike Wintermantel, November 27, 2021

1. Helen Marker

Inscription. As the railroad began to push west through southern West Virginia, mining of the vast coal reserves brought new opportunities, growth, and in many instances, new towns. That was the case with Helen. Helen was established around 1919, and named after the daughter of G.W. Stevens, who was the president of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad. The East Gulf Coal Company was the first to open a mine in the area. In the last six months of 1919, the East Gulf numbers 1, 3, and 4 mines produced a total of 62,837 tons of coal, increasing to 84,543 tons in the first six months of 1920. Later the Koppers Coal Company began mining the rich deposits of coal. Through the years Koppers Coal would later operate as the Eastern Gas and Fuel Company, and finally as the Eastern Associated Coal Corporation.
Helen was typical of coal towns found throughout the area. There was a company store, restaurant, movie theater, school, church, and even a boarding house for single miners. Helen was also a place with a very diverse population as black and white, Italian, Polish, and other immigrants worked side by side in the mines. Just east of this location

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was a baseball field where spirited games were played each week against teams from other mining towns across the region. At the height of the coal boom, thousands of miners worked in the coal mines in and around Helen. While the mines may be closed now, the memory of those who lived here and mined the coal remains strong.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Places. A significant historical year for this entry is 1919.

Location. 37° 38.177′ N, 81° 18.873′ W. Marker is in Helen, West Virginia, in Raleigh County. It is on Foreman Bottom Road west of Tams Highway (West Virginia Route 16). Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Helen WV 25853, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the New River Gorge.

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

Helen Marker Photos image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mike Wintermantel, November 27, 2021

2. Helen Marker Photos

markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Baseball (here, next to this marker); Miners Memorial (here, next to this marker); Camp Lightfoot (here, next to this marker); Helen, WV (here, next to this marker); Helen Coal Miners Memorial (here, next to this marker); Byrd Prillerman High School (approx. 2.3 miles away); New Salem Baptist Church (approx. 2.7 miles away); Raleigh County / Wyoming County (approx. 2.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Helen.

Photographed by Mike Wintermantel, November 27, 2021

3. Helen Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on November 28, 2021. It was originally submitted on November 28, 2021, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 370 times since then and 36 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 28, 2021, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.