COAL COUNTRY: 12.railroad_worker.jpg

Railroad worker, WVA. 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, WVA. 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