Thurmond, West Virginia – National Park Ghost Town – Legends of America
Nestled deep within the rugged terrain of Fayette County, West Virginia, lies Thurmond, a poignant reminder of a bygone era. This ghost town, situated along the banks of the New River, whispers tales of a once-thriving railroad community, a bustling hub of commerce, and a wild, untamed spirit that earned it the moniker "Dodge City of the East." Today, Thurmond stands as a preserved historic district within the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, inviting visitors to step back in time and explore its captivating past.
The Genesis of a Railroad Town
The story of Thurmond begins with Captain William D. Thurmond, a surveyor commissioned to chart the lands north of the New River in the heart of the New River Gorge. In 1873, as compensation for his services, Captain Thurmond received 73 acres of land. That same year, the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad (C&O) completed its main line, connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Ohio River, forever altering the destiny of this remote locale.
Captain Thurmond was no stranger to the region. He had resided there since 1844 and even led a band of Partisan Rangers in support of the Confederacy during the Civil War. Following the war, he transitioned into a prominent businessman and banker, laying the foundation for the town that would bear his name.
Initially, development was slow. A single house marked the townsite in 1884. However, the construction of the C&O Railroad bridge across the New River in 1888-1889, just east of Thurmond, ignited a period of rapid transformation. Captain Thurmond generously donated land for the construction of a two-story wooden railroad station in 1888. Soon, his land became a crucial asset yard for the railroad, featuring a 70-foot turntable that was quickly superseded by a larger, 100-foot version. The establishment of a post office, initially named Arbuckle, in 1888 further solidified Thurmond’s burgeoning importance.
The Coal Connection
The catalyst for Thurmond’s explosive growth came with the vision of Thomas G. McKell, a landowner from nearby Glen Jean. Recognizing the potential of the rich coal deposits along Loup Creek, McKell sought to connect his lands to the C&O mainline at Thurmond. After successful negotiations, the railroad commenced construction of a branch line in 1892, completing it to Glen Jean by late 1893. On November 7, 1893, the first shipment of coal from the Collins Colliery Company in Glen Jean marked the beginning of Thurmond’s golden age.
The Loup Creek line quickly became one of the busiest branches in the New River region, serving numerous coal mines exploiting the abundant Sewell coal seam. Thurmond transformed into a boomtown, fueled by the insatiable demand for coal.
To support the steam-powered locomotives, two water tanks were erected, supplying water to five water columns, the engine house, and the fire hose house. An elevated tower, built in 1914, could hold 100,000 gallons, while a standpipe tower, added in 1927, boasted a capacity of 210,000 gallons. Sadly, these iconic tanks were removed by CSX Railroad (formerly C&O) in 1998, leaving only their foundations as silent witnesses to the past.
Hotels, Houses, and a Temperance Tug-of-War
The completion of the Thurmond Railroad Bridge facilitated the opening of new mines and streamlined coal transport. The C&O Loup Creek branch, extending to Glen Jean in 1893, served 26 mines, becoming one of the railroad’s most vital spurs in the New River region.
The Hotel Thurmond, a simple frame structure with 25 guest rooms, was erected next to the tracks in 1891, becoming the first lodging establishment in town. However, it was destroyed by fire in 1899. Captain Thurmond also constructed approximately 30 one- and two-story houses on the mountainside, which he rented to workers.
A stark contrast in philosophies shaped the social landscape of Thurmond. Captain Thurmond, a staunch Southern gentleman, prohibited alcohol within the community. In contrast, Thomas McKell, a shrewd businessman, established a village across the New River where such restrictions did not exist. Consequently, saloons and gambling houses flourished in McKell’s domain.
In 1900, McKell built the Dunglen Hotel on the south bank of the New River. This grand, 4½-story wooden structure, complete with a wrap-around veranda, housed 100 rooms, an ice plant, barbershop, laundry, post office, and a bar. A viaduct connected the second story to the railroad bridge, allowing guests convenient access to the station. The Dunglen’s opening night gala in 1901 featured an orchestra from Cincinnati, signaling the hotel’s immediate success.
The "Dodge City of the East"
The Dunglen Hotel quickly gained notoriety for its lavish accommodations and attracted wealthy and often unruly guests. Dubbed the "Waldorf Astoria of the Mountains," rooms rented for $2.50 a night, exceeding the weekly earnings of many miners. The hotel’s spacious lobby, dining areas, and ballroom hosted numerous parties and social events. The elegant ballroom hosted dances that lasted all night, while the bars never closed, and the gambling room offered every imaginable game. According to Ripley’s Believe it or Not and the Guinness Book of World Records, the Dunglen was home to the longest-running poker game, spanning an incredible 14 years.
Gambling stakes soared as high as $50,000 in seemingly endless poker games. The hotel witnessed the region’s largest coal mine transaction, a sale exceeding $1 million. Legends abound of high-stakes poker games where gamblers lost their coal mines. Some say that significant money disputes escalated into sinister crimes.
The Dunglen defined the character of the village, transforming it into a renowned resort famous for drinking, gambling, and tales of sex and violence.
East of the hotel, worker houses and Black shanties dotted the hill above the station. On the south side, near the Dunglen, an area known as "Ballyhack" or "Bahalac" emerged, notorious for its saloons, gambling dens, and prostitution. Cheaper saloons sold whiskey by the quart, and weekends saw miners and train crews squandering their earnings on liquor and prostitutes.
The hotel’s reputation for unbridled revelry attracted local and national visitors, who nicknamed the area "Dodge City of the East." However, the hotel also became infamous for stories of murders, robberies, and other crimes. Some claimed that corpses floated in the river or were disposed of along the tracks, some of whom were union organizers. In one instance, a dead man was found in the river with $80, a watch, and a pistol. After fining the corpse for carrying a weapon, the fine was paid with the money and the watch, and he was buried in the potter’s field.
With no roads in or out, it became a haven for outlaws on the run. The town’s reputation was so dire that one pastor quipped that the only difference between Hell and Thurmond was that a river ran through Thurmond.
A Town Divided
While the Dunglen flourished, Captain Thurmond continued to enforce his strict Baptist beliefs within his town. Despite his efforts, the name "Thurmond" became synonymous with lawlessness.
In 1901, the three-story, 35-room Lafayette Hotel, pronounced "lay-flat" by locals, was erected on the former site of the Hotel Thurmond. The hotel boasted seven bathrooms, steam heat, and 400 electric lights. A veranda extended to the railroad tracks. The building also housed businesses, including the post office and the National Bank of Thurmond, owned by William D. Thurmond. However, the Lafayette Hotel maintained Captain Thurmond’s prohibition on alcohol. Unfortunately, the hotel and the Armour Meatpacking Plant burned down in 1963, leaving no trace of the Lafayette Hotel except for an empty lot.
One of Thurmond’s colorful characters was Harrison Ash, who was said to have seven notches on his gun. Ash, a former railroad detective and agent for the Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency, became Thurmond’s Chief of Police around 1902. His mission was to keep the ruffians, gamblers, and thieves from the Glendun Hotel from interfering with Thurmond’s respectable citizens. Ash, standing six-foot-four and weighing over 275 pounds, seemed tailor-made for the challenge.
Ash became part of the folklore of violence associated with Thurmond. Legend has it that he frequented the drinking establishments he patrolled and, in his off-hours, ran his own saloon across the river in Ballyhack.
Thurmond at its Peak
When Thurmond was incorporated in 1903, it was named after Captain W. D. Thurmond, and the post office name was changed accordingly.
The original depot burned in 1903 and was replaced a year later by the existing two-story Thurmond Depot. The ground floor housed the ticket agent’s office, baggage room, waiting rooms, restrooms, and a snack/newsroom. The second floor contained the signal tower, dispatcher’s office, trainmaster’s office, conductor’s office, and coal buyers’ offices. In the early 1900s, the depot served an average of 15 passenger trains daily.
The Mankin-Cox Building, built in 1904, housed the Mankin Drug Company, operated by Dr. J.W. Mankin and his pharmacist wife. The second floor also hosted Dr. Young, Thurmond’s dentist, while the top floor contained apartments. Next door, Thomas McKell opened the New River Banking & Trust Company on August 11, 1904. McKell’s death on September 7, 1904, led to his son William McKell taking over the bank and the Dunglen Hotel. The Mankin-Cox Building remains the oldest in the commercial district.
In 1905, an Armour Meatpacking Plant was established in Thurmond, with processing and refrigeration on the first level and employee apartments on the second. The plant operated until 1932. The building burned down in 1963, along with the adjacent Lafayette Hotel.
The C&O engine house and shop were constructed in 1905. A crew office at the eastern end assigned train crews to deliver or pick up coal cars. Initially, the Engine House employed 50 to 70 men. Enlarged to 245 feet in 1921, it could service up to four engines at once. At its peak, 175 mechanics, pipefitters, boilermakers, electricians, and blacksmiths maintained 60-100 railroad cars daily. From 1963, the building served as a repair shop until it was abandoned in 1985. The building burned on August 21, 1993.
The three-story Goodman-Kincaid building, built in 1906, housed the Standard Dry Goods Company, the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Exchange Company, Dr. C.F. Ridge’s office, and apartments. Standard operated out of the building until 1918. Later, the main floor housed stores and restaurants. Residents lived in the building until 1959, when the roof began to collapse.
By 1910, Thurmond generated $4.8 million in freight revenue for the C&O, nearly 20% of its revenue, surpassing Richmond, Virginia, and Cincinnati, Ohio.
The Decline Begins
Prohibition in 1914 curtailed much of the "boomtown" rowdiness and effectively ended McKell’s "red light" district, including the longest poker game played at the Dunglen Hotel.
In 1917, the Bullock Realty Company built a four-story structure that initially housed a jewelry store, clothing store, the Western Union Telegraph Company, and apartments. The National Bank of Thurmond acquired the building in 1922 and remodeled its half into a limestone classical revival facade. The bank oversaw $4.8 million annually in the late 1920s, primarily from the railroad.
In 1917, a road was blazed to Thurmond, foreshadowing its ultimate decline.
During the first two decades of the 20th century, Thurmond handled more freight than Richmond, Virginia, and Cincinnati, Ohio, combined. Nearly 95,000 passengers used the depot yearly, and over 150 people worked for the railroad as laborers, brakemen, and dispatchers, with 18 train crews operating out of Thurmond.
A major fire in 1922 destroyed much of Thurmond’s infrastructure, prompting many establishments to relocate.
The C&O’s coaling tower and sand house, constructed in 1922 of reinforced concrete, cost $85,000. Coal hopper cars dropped their load into a pit beneath the building, and an elevator transported the coal into the tower, from which it dropped into the coal tenders of the engines. The coaling tower and sand house were abandoned in 1960.
The Thurmond Union Church, constructed in 1927, supported Baptist, Methodist, and Presbyterian congregations.
In 1929, D.D. Fitzgerald constructed the commissary under an agreement with the C&O Railroad. After the Lafayette Hotel fire in 1963, the commissary became the town’s post office, closing in 1995.
On July 22, 1930, a devastating fire broke out at the Dunglen Hotel. The fire destroyed the building, including the Earl Nichols grocery and soda counter. Damages totaled $100,000. The burning of the Dunglen marked the end of one of the wildest places in West Virginia history.
By this time, the rise of the automobile reduced passenger travel on the railroad.
The National Bank of Thurmond closed in 1931 after a series of fires devastated the town. The New River Banking and Trust Company relocated to the building until it moved to Oak Hill in 1935.
By the Great Depression, businesses were waning. The Armor Meat Company closed in 1932, the New River Bank moved to Oak Hill in 1935, and the C&P telephone district offices closed in 1938.
The Ghost Town Emerges
For 35 years, Thurmond was only accessible by railroad. At its peak, it had two banks, two hotels, a movie theater, boarding houses, restaurants, a jewelry store, clothing stores, general stores, and a population of about 500.
In 1930, Thurmond had 462 residents, but by 1940, it had dropped to 339. The population continued to decline in the following years.
The railroad ceased to be a major factor in 1949 when the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway switched from steam to diesel locomotives, eliminating the need to stop at Thurmond for water and coal. The Thurmond depot closed soon afterward.
Thurmond experienced a brief revival during World War II due to high coal demand, but the coalfields began to play out.
In 1978, the National Park Service established the New River Gorge National Park, identifying Thurmond as a prime historical site in 1982. In 1984, the Thurmond Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
By 1980, Thurmond’s population had dwindled to 67.
The Chessie System sold the derelict depot to the National Park Service in 1985. Property acquisitions increased in 1989, and the Thurmond depot was purchased from CSX Transportation in July 1991 for $50,000.
In 1992, the National Park Service developed a $35 million plan to establish Thurmond as a tourist site. The depot underwent extensive rehabilitation, and the engine house was destroyed by a fire in August 1993.
The post office closed in 1995. The same year, the depot was fully rehabilitated and began serving as a visitor’s center and an Amtrak station.
The water towers were razed in 1999 due to safety concerns.
Thurmond Today
Today, Thurmond has approximately four residents. As the remaining residents move on or pass away, their homes and land become the property of the National Park Service. Contributing structures to the historic district are restored, while other intrusive buildings are removed.
Most Thurmond property is owned by the National Park Service. The entire town is a designated historic district on the National Register of Historic Places. Thurmond is the least-populous municipality in West Virginia.
To reach Thurmond, take U.S. Route 19 to the Glen Jean exit, north of Beckley. Follow the signs to Thurmond, seven miles down WV Route 25. This road is narrow and winding and is not recommended for RVs and trailers.
Thurmond stands as a hauntingly beautiful testament to a vibrant past. Its preserved buildings, the echoes of its rowdy history, and the stunning natural beauty of the New River Gorge create a unique and unforgettable experience for those who venture into this captivating ghost town.