Where the Chicory Blooms

Where the Chicory Blooms. Bluefield, West Virginia , National Coal Heritage Area.

"Coal is known to be in so many places, as to have induced an opinion that the whole tract between the Laurel Mountain and Ohio yields coal." , Thomas Jefferson, 1785

, Bluefield is the Southern Gateway to West Virginia, the first place visitors see when they enter West Virginia from the south and their last glimpse of the Mountain State before traveling south into Virginia. In many ways, Bluefield epitomizes the splendor of West Virginia, where scenic beauty, history, and rich traditions blend together to create a place like no other., Bluefield rests in a picturesque valley between the Bluestone and East rivers, shadowed by the towering East River Mountain. The city is perched on the eastern edge of the Flat Top-Pocahontas Coalfield, which covers about 900 square miles in Mercer, McDowell, and Wyoming counties in West Virginia, and part of Tazewell County in Virginia., Two things make Pocahontas Coal different. First, in contrast to the New River Coal Seam, which typically ranges from 3 to 4 feet in thickness, the Pocahontas Seam is more than 6 feet high and ranges in some places from 10 to 14 feet. Second, the low sulfur content gives Pocahontas Coal a quality ideal for the steel and shipping industries. For decades, Pocahontas Coal was the U.S. Navy's preferred fuel for powering battleships., At 2,655 feet above sea level, Bluefield has the highest elevation of any city in West Virginia. This lofty altitude produces generally mild summers, which have earned Bluefield the title of "America's Air-Conditioned City." It also led to one of the most endearing summer traditions in the United States. In 1939, city leaders began offering free lemonade to residents any day the temperature reached 90 degrees., History Highlights , Bluefield is thought to be named for the chicory wildflowers that give the hills a look of azure each spring., History Highlights , The steep and rugged hills of Bluefield have presented some construction challenges over the years. Ripley's Believe It or Not once recognized Bluefield's Ramsey Elementary for its entrances on seven levels.