Location Help -- Springton, Mercer County, West Virginia-- FORSURE!!

[NW Mailing List]

Lloyd,

    I purchased this at the train meet in the late 1970s at Gaithersburg MD.
It was found by browsing through a box of loose photographs. I believe it
dates to around 1947 for I have another photograph by John Krause of the
1411 on the Bluestone branch dating from 1947. This is not a John Krause
photograph, the photographer is unknown to me. Thanks for the informations.
Mason Cooper
  -----Original Message-----
  From: nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org
[mailto:nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org]On Behalf Of NW Mailing List
  Sent: Monday, December 31, 2007 3:01 AM
  To: NW Mailing List
  Subject: RE: Location Help -- Springton, Mercer County, West Virginia--
FORSURE!!


       Mason and All, THIS GREAT PHOTO of the Norfolk & Western Railway HARD
AT WORK -- which must date to the World War II era or so -- is definitely on
the abandoned but still on the ground Bluestone Branch, as Bruce in
Blacksburg  so expertly opined.  I am SURE, however, that this location is
in western Mercer County, West Virginia, very near the foot of Herndon
Mountain and alongside West Virginia State Route 10.  This is about five
miles west of Matoaka and about 16 miles west of Princeton.  In the right
background is the now-demolished Springton School.
       The 1411 and about six loads are on the line about one mile east of
the coal mine at Arista -- the westernmost stub end of the Bluestone Branch.
It is approaching this "stub-division's" -- Is this a NEW WORD, Mister
Bundy?? -- junction with the spur up to the Turkey Gap Mine of Crozier Coal
& Coke Company.  If there is a post office nearby -- and it certainly could
have been in a still-standing two-story brick building a few hundred yards
back of the photographer -- it would have been Springton, West Virginia --
long before Zip Codes and all such stuff as that.  Next post office east of
here on the N&W is Hiawatha, West Virginia.  Steps to the left lead up to a
miner's home, also probably still standing and occupied.
       I'm also sure Our Friend Tom Marshall of nearby and over Herndon
Mountain Mullens, West Virginia, will confirm this information. Here is A
FINE PHOTO of a rarely photographed branch and particularly a location
buried so deeply in "Our Home Among The Heavenly West Virginia Hills!"
Also, Mason:  (1) Do You know either an approximate or exact date, (2) the
photographer and (3) hopefully this is one in a long series of photos the
hopefully nimble camera artist took that beautiful day??  Do You also have
others in this vicinity from Bramwell and Bluestone Junction On The Main
Line up to here and shortly beyond??
       Sure looks like the work of Our Mutual Friends H. Reid, August Thieme
and D. Wallace Johnson in Their Youths of the Late 1940s, when the lousy
"roads" -- of which many were one-lane dirt or primitive Macadam pavement --
discouraged Many Of Our Kindred Spirited Folks from even thinking of such
activities in The Boon Docks!  HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL, Lloyd D. Lewis,
Kenova, West Virginia.....
  Date: Sun, 30 Dec 2007 08:56:48  To: nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org  Subject:
Location Help  From: nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org
  Fellow N&W fans,  I purchased this photo years ago without a location ID.
Many places look similar, but does anyone know for sure?Thanks in advance,
Mason Cooper.    [Moderator] Image extracted to following:
http://nwhs.org/qna/photos/20071230-1411.jpg



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