COAL COUNTRY: 12.railroad_worker.jpg

Railroad worker, WV. When West Virginia became a state in 1863, 90 percent of its population lived on farms. In 1873, the Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) railroad finally connected southern West Virginia with the East Coast. By the early 20th century, branches of the C&O, Norfolk & Western, and the Virginian railroads extended into every coal-producing hollow in southern West Virginia,: importing miners and exporting coal. Between 1880 and 1920, southern West Virginia’s population grew from 93,000 to 446,000, due almost entirely to the coal industry. Jon Chase photo
12.railroad_worker.jpg

Railroad worker, WV. When West Virginia became a state in 1863, 90 percent of its population lived on farms. In 1873, the Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) railroad finally connected southern West Virginia with the East Coast. By the early 20th century, branches of the C&O, Norfolk & Western, and the Virginian railroads extended into every coal-producing hollow in southern West Virginia,: importing miners and exporting coal. Between 1880 and 1920, southern West Virginia’s population grew from 93,000 to 446,000, due almost entirely to the coal industry. Jon Chase photo