Norvell, West Virginia
Norvell | |
|---|---|
 Norvell, West Virginia, in 1929 | |
  Norvell Location within the state of West Virginia  Norvell Norvell (the United States) | |
| Coordinates: 37°50′16″N 81°5′50″W / 37.83778°N 81.09722°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | West Virginia |
| County | Raleigh |
| Elevation | 1,237 ft (377 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| GNIS ID | 1742879[1] |
Norvell was an unincorporated community in Raleigh County, West Virginia, United States.
Geography
Norvell was located on Piney Creek south of McCreery and north of Wright.[2] It was 5 miles (8.0 km) from Beckley, the county seat.[3]
History
Norvell was a stop on the Piney Creek Branch of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway,[4] between McCreery and Wright.[5][6] In 1919, the Charleston Chamber of Commerce announced its annual Chamber railroad trade trip through the state; the route included a 15-minute stop in Norvell.[7]
The Fire Creek Coal and Coke Company was located in Norvell,[8] as was Mine #2 of the Wright Coke and Coal Company; this mine had been established in 1903.[9] Norvell's post office operated from 1935 to 1945.[10]
The population was 250 in 1940.[3] Norvell was around that time called a "mining camp" and was the site of a boarding house.[11]
A November 1941 miners' strike which prevented between 10,000 and 11,000 West Virginia coal miners from working did not prevent the miners at the Fire Creek Mine in Norvell from working. During this time, the mines in Norvell and Fire Creek remained operational.[12] A portion of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway in Norvell, serving the Wright Coal and Coke Company Mine #2, was retired in 1942.[13]
By the 1960s, Norvell was named one of the "worked out" mining towns of the New River gorge area of West Virginia. Others included Elmo, Quinnimont, Terry, Glade, and Fire Creek.[14]
Norvell is one of the nearly 300 communities and ghost towns in Raleigh County.[2]
See also
References
- ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Norvell, West Virginia
- 1 2 "Historian looks for patterns in vanishing town names". West Virginia Explorer. January 27, 2019. Archived from the original on February 10, 2025. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
- 1 2 The Attorneys List. United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company, Attorney List Department. 1940. p. 1065.
- ↑ Allen, William Frederick; Allen, Edwin Stevens; Burns, Andrew J. (1919). The Official Guide of the Railways and Steam Navigation Lines of the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico and Cuba. National Railway Publication Company. p. 1345.
- ↑ Carpenter, Richard C. (2003). A Railroad Atlas of the United States in 1946: Volume 1: The Mid-Atlantic States. JHU Press. p. 136. ISBN 978-0-8018-7331-7.
- ↑ "West Virginia Railroads" (PDF). The Branch Line Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 12, 2023. Retrieved April 13, 2026.
- ↑ "Chamber of Commerce News". Charleston Daily Mail. Charleston, WV. September 11, 1915. p. 2.
- ↑ Conley, Philip Mallory (1960). History of the West Virginia Coal Industry. Education Foundation. p. 216.
- ↑ Smith, L. Howard (1904). Norvell-Shapleigh Hardware Company's Establishment. New York City, NY: David Williams Company. p. 3.
- ↑ "Post Offices". www.postalhistory.com. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
- ↑ "Negro Shot During Fight at Norvell - Boarding House Operator Uses Shot-Gun on Intoxicated Guest". NewspaperArchive.com. Beckley, WV: Beckley Post Herald. December 26, 1935. p. 1. Retrieved April 13, 2026.
- ↑ "Some Fayette Men Never Lost Time". Beckley, WV: Beckley Sunday Register. November 23, 1941. p. 8.
- ↑ "C&OHS Archives". archives.cohs.org. p. XD-X-12261. Retrieved April 13, 2026.
- ↑ "Virginia and Pennsylvania Publicizing 'Honey'". Beckley, WV: Beckley Post-Herald. July 6, 1961. p. 5.
