Exploring The Abandoned Town Of Thurmond, West Virginia

[@jimcline2795]

My maternal grandfather, born in 1881, went to play poker in Thurmond one foggy Saturday night. He had a great night and won about $300, worth maybe $5,000 in today's money. He was alone and was walking home late at night. He noticed a man was following him. He took several turns to make sure it wasn't just a coincidence. His stalker took the same turns and kept getting closer. My grandfather was carrying a small revolver and took a shot. He said he was pretty sure he hit his target, but didn't hang around to find out. He made it home without incident. He checked the newspapers for the next few weeks, but there were no reports of anyone dying of a gunshot. I don't know the date, but I'm guessing it was before World War I.

[@scottlin7876]

neat story

[@mudejartrainingnaturalscie6938]

He shot the local reporter? Reporter was just trying to interview him.

[@RRaucina]

That's when 911 was a pocket pistol. Still my favorite over a cell phone.

[@patriciajrs46]

Wow! Some people are prepared. Others, don't expect retaliation.

[@judeodomhnaill9711]

@@mudejartrainingnaturalscie6938 great comment lol

[@nancymiller7294]

I walked down the tracks to the left as you enter the town in 1968 with my Dad. About 2 miles or less there was a house with most of the windows gone with cardboard over them and there was clothes on the line. There was Chickens and a Pig at the side of the old stone house. I then seen a very frail black lady peeping out of what was once a window. I tried to speak but she ignored us. Years later through asking an Author about the area on the internet, I learned that her name was Melcina Fields. Melcina died in 1982 after living there with no electricity or running water for many years. It was said she had been a maid for a family that lived there that left in 1930 and when they left she stayed until her death in 1982. I grew up in Beckley WVa.

[@natewrites7803]

Wow what a tale and fascinating. She must have loved that house so much she never wanted to leave.

[@2012Odawa]

@@natewrites7803 maybe she never did....

[@ajaanderson8834]

@@natewrites7803 or she probably didnt have anywhere else to go.

[@DocShickley]

Kind of reminds me of the Peter Sellers movie "Being There". Even if it does not remind you of it, it is a great movie.

[@DraysWorld]

Thank you fo sharing!

[@briankeithhackworth9747]

My dad did a lot of the work in Thurmond for the National Parks Service restoring and cleaning up Thurmond.

[@DraysWorld]

One can tell that there has been work done there since it’s decline. Please relay the message, “strong work"!

[@jolliebearforchrist5468]

@@DraysWorld IT'S ABOUT TIME FOR A ROAD TRIP!

[@EssenceOfChicagolandAreas]

@@jolliebearforchrist5468 heck yeah. I make KZbin videos as well. I want to check out all the places that I can.

[@priola7587]

Brian, I used to work for the NPS and spent time in Thurmond and spent time with some of the workers and the park’s historical architect. Those guys were extremely talented, hard working and great stewards of this piece of the American legacy. My regards and respect to your dad.

[@birdsdaword]

When I was in graduate school in North Carolina, I would travel to West Virginia and camp in the New River Gorge.. I love to buy postcards and I got a stack of postcards from Thurmond. Thurmond. Is something else. I don't believe he park service information was there at the time. That might've been nice to label all the buildings. Your dad did a great job, Brian Keith Hackworth.

[@ricmcg5745]

My goid friend who recently passed away was from Thurmond. His name was Barry Ayers and his uncle was Ercil Ayers. His grandmother was the postmaster for many years.

[@DraysWorld]

I’m sorry to hear about the loss of your friend. Sounds like Barry had an interesting heritage. Thanks for watching!

[@patrickreedy1176]

@@ricmcg5745 Did you know the firearms dealer that lived on the mountain ? ,I don't recall his name .

[@wezacker6482]

West Virginia has to be one of the most naturally beautiful places in the country. I love the forests, streams and hills.

[@KickingAssDaily]

Blue ridge mountains and Shenandoah River.

[@Willowtree82]

California is truly a beautiful state too, it's a shame the cities are being ruined but you will never forget seeing the redwood forest with those giant trees, it's breath taking. I sure hope California gets it together it's too beautiful to loose

[@KickingAssDaily]

@@Willowtree82 All the leaves are brown, and the sky is grey.

[@DraysWorld]

The entire state could be a national park. It's a beautiful part of the country. Thank you for watching!

[@victoriamayo5774]

Me too

[@whattowatchrightnow]

Bathtub in the entryway: So that the miner coming home from work could wash before dirtying up the whole house.

[@sallylambert7552]

Yes I'm sure. Coal dust is very fine and gets deep into the skin and into every crack and crevice of your body. Very hard if not impossible to wash off. Very smart having a bathtub right by the door. He was a hard working provider for his family. His picture is probably in the museum we just dont know which one. Hope the water was good and hot and a warm yummy super waited for him after. They had plenty of coal to fill and stoke the furnace.

[@dalea1691]

I don't think a miner lived in the big house. Maybe the boss did.

[@whattowatchrightnow]

@@dalea1691 boss still has to wash up.

[@IrishAnnie]

My brother in law is a well driller. He has a shower in the basement where he showers before coming upstairs.

[@vanillasnowflake]

Yep, I'm from a coal mining family and coal showers are what we called them. Ours was in the basement.

[@edwardlobb931]

A map, showing abandoned real estate in America, would be mind boggling.

[@SuperMatt2112]

Wow, that's for sure, never thought of it like that but your right, mind blowing and the irony if not absurdity of it all is their is probably enough space in abandoned buildings to house all the homeless in America, crazy to think about

[@ronmoore6598]

There is very little "abandoned" real estate in America. There is quite a bit of "vacant" real estate. It's ALL owned by someone, and this is all trespassing and breaking and entering.

[@ScoopDogg]

@@ronmoore6598 the action of breaking into a building, to commit a crime. This not breaking and entering. I

[@jacquesdecoutere3270]

Yes!!! That would be great. But looking them up on your own and going there is a great adventure.

[@awizardalso]

My real name is Michael McCluskey. I live in Canton, Ohio. It saddens me to see old towns abandoned. It's even worse to see that vandals have broken things and spray painted on the walls. I like that you went there and posted the video on KZbin. Otherwise I would never got to see this abandoned town.

[@DraysWorld]

Thanks for watching!

[@Funboy229]

Come down to Wild and Wonderful West Virginia! Thurmond isn't far from the New River Gorge National Park and there is a decent amount of cool abandoned buildings in the area as well! Just make sure you follow local laws!

[@Honorablebenaiaha]

Don’t go to WV it’s chocked full of racist white supremacists.

[@dlmullins9054]

@@Honorablebenaiaha Best and most honest people in the country come from WV. You are mistaking it from NYC or LA and any other socialist city in America.

[@darlenedunlap7650]

They do this to inspire family massage's as angels do to say we were here

[@mr.t6142]

I live in WV, and there indeed is a lot of great history to be explored. Unfortunately, just like many towns in the U.S., no jobs=no population.

[@Duke_of_Prunes]

No population, though, make WV a good choice for retirees on a budget. East Tennessee is already being bought up quickly. I am traveling to WV soon to explore opportunities -- tired of the weather in Louisiana and Mississippi.

[@nonickname8292]

@@Duke_of_Prunes Tired of zone 8 weather? Head to ME for a winter or two maybe.

[@Duke_of_Prunes]

@@nonickname8292 I have a good friend who has a summer house in Maine -- lives on the same street as Steven King. He always hightails it back to Mississippi at the first sign of winter.

[@EpochUnlocked]

Our schools and leaders have turned our kids into an exported commodity to other states. Then those kids plant roots elsewhere and never come back. WVU has the most athletic transfers out of any school. Students aren't going to get any good deals by sticking with WV educational systems.

[@Funboy229]

So I live in Glen Jean, down the road from Thurmond. Thurmond is a fun place to visit and escape from the world. It has a lot of neat history and fun place to explore. But just to let you know and others know that you're not suppose to enter the buildings. Not all of them is owned by the NPS and some of the buildings, even ones that you entered are owned by residents of the town. NPS does patrol the area and the residents have been known to contact police if they see people breaking into buildings. They're boarded up for various reasons and you happen to be there at a time that they have recently been broken into, which was why boards were down/broken. Also some of the houses are occupied, some year round, some just during parts of the year. Though if you want to visit the Depot, they are usually open year round but due to COVID and the time of year they were closed. Hopefully they will open back up for the Summer Season. The Depot has a lot of neat stuff about Thurmond and you can catch a Amtrak ride to and from Thurmond. The house you entered around 6:40, the Fatty Lipscomb House, and the little white house next to it was partially restored by the NPS when they took control of the town. Details about it is in the Depot's museum. So when you mentioned about it looked like some work had been done to it, that is why. Though that house has been nicknamed the rafter house do to rafters white water rafting the New River would stop in Thurmond and break into the house and stay the night. I have been told that then the NPS took control of it and when to inspect it they found a lot of creepy/disturbing writings on the walls and things about the house but that could just been a local legend as well. For those interested in living in Thurmond, there is places on the road to Stonecliff that are usually used as vacation properties that from time to time come up to buy or rent. If you want to be in the "downtown" of Thurmond, I think some of the houses that are owned by the locals might be for sale but I'm not entirely sure. Even if you to buy one there would have to be a lot of repair work, plus you have to deal with NPS regulations since it is in the middle of a National Park and the added bonus of people knocking on your doors and windows thinking it is abandoned. WIFI and Cell service is a bust, though you find the occasional person to get 1x in town. The only real road into/out of town goes to Glen Jean, which is about a 20 minute drive from Thurmond it doesn't have much but the bar is really banger. Beckley and Oak Hill is about 10 - 15 minutes away from Glen Jean.

[@mrmoola3970]

@Dorian Kashton you CAN NOT "hack" instagram. They use PGP encrypted passcodes. Good luck with that

[@scottaveles6900]

That's a fake account, man. Don't fall for that shit. The response right after it probably is too

[@kristinmary4025]

Thanks for sharing👍

[@anneskewes1787]

Grew up in Beckley. Went to Thurmond sometimes on Sunday Drives. My grandparents lived in Mt. hope, WV during its coal heyday. My grandad would go to a Thurmond to play poker at the Dunglen Hotel. One could hop the train and go to and from Thurmond easily. The Dunglen was known for having the longest running poker game in the country. Thurmond was a big railroad hub during its time so a lot of families lived there in the early 1900’s. Many Irish lived and worked there, so of course there was a Catholic Church. My mother’s family lore says that my aunt’s in-laws lived in Thurmond and the husband worked for the railroad. One day, he came home unexpectedly and his wife met him at the door, saying the the local priest was drunk and in their bed. Sure enough, there the priest was. I never heard what happened after that.

[@zorazorazorzzora8333]

Thank you for the informed post . I will never understand why folks think it’s okay to enter abandoned buildings, nor do I enter houses under construction...seeing that NPS is involved I would have been even more skeptical about being arrested on government property. But then I’m a black person I want to avoid being shot ..so I follow the rules and am cognizant that I don’t have that privilege It would be interesting to see if a black person could pull off this feat without having the police called or a resident justifying shooting him/her. West Virginia is a beautiful creepy state to me ... made a wrong turn and ended up in the Monongahela National Forest a few years ago... creepy .. and I do mean creepy...

[@jalbert222]

I imagine that in the summer it is gorgeous, when all those gray naked trees are full of leaves and life.

[@88amona]

It's a humbling experience visit places like this around the world. Makes me wonder how the people were like and the families raised there and how they lived their lives. The struggles they had to endure and the mission of it all. My son asked me while watching this vid with me and asked "dad, you think people will walk the ruins of our society one day and think about us?" I just hugged him and said "let's go and walk our streets and roads before they do son". Thank you for posting this vid 😎🤙

[@DraysWorld]

Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@FlyingCircusAct]

I often find myself thinking the same thing. Time stops for nothing.

[@longcastle4863]

Probably be a group of alien scientist and archeologist wondering why we didn't bother to manage our pollution and climate change concerns...

[@TheDamageinc81]

The people were hard working self-sustaining folks who were just trying to not go hungry.

[@allenlovestia1982]

Watch the movie Matewan and you'll see it first hand, filmed in Thurman

[@lennybower7157]

That tub by the entrance at 9:02, in the old days would have been called a miner's tub/basin. They're not uncommon, especially in some bigger houses in old mining towns here in WV. The thinking was that the miner could come in and immediately wash the coal dust & soot off in either a tub or a _very_ simple shower & drain set-up before going in. Thus not messing up the rest of the house. In my basement _right_ next to the door I have a shower-drain set-up. And I do mean *right* next to the door. I thought it was odd at first too, until I met an old coal miner here and asked him about it. So, thanks to him for sharing his knowledge and wisdom, and thank you for the video sir!

[@vanillasnowflake]

Yep, we call them coal showers.

[@chillywilliedfw9093]

That's a 😎 bit if information and a really practical idea for miners.

[@aprilleerose]

My basement here in Pittsburgh, Pa has a shower right next to the door down there as well.

[@commanderamg1185]

I use to do ground maintenance on the yellow visitors center..... THAT BUILDING IS DEFINITELY HAUNTED!!!!!!

[@stanich054]

Casper & Wendy....?

[@commanderamg1185]

I didnt hang out long enough to find out... and when you leave back across the river bridge..... if you take a left...going towards the camp ground... the big bridge to your left (before entering camp) I've had an ***edit UNEXPLAINABLE*** explainable thing happen there.... I start talking to an 80 year of uncle of a friend who grew up there.... he stopped me mid story and filled in the rest. On account the same thing happen to him 60 years ago.... no bullshit.

[@MrGreatness412]

@@commanderamg1185 well what happened 😳

[@commanderamg1185]

In the building. My supervisor unlocked the front door. To turn the alarm system off. We step in and hear foot steps right above us moving from our right side to the left. About 8 steps. He disarms system . 2 more steps sound. We look at other and and back out quietly and lock the door. He tell me stand here. ( front doors locked with chains around the handles. ) he walks to the back door to see if any windows are open. Back door is locked and chained.... he walks the rest of the way around back to the front. We walk inside again and yell hello.... nothing.... we clear the bottom level . No steps sounds came from the second floor.... we go up the stairs right side of the building .... as we move left we came into a room of cut outs of life size coal miners... super says hello again ( and peeps all behind the cut outs. ) nothing/nobody there. As we're about to leave the backdoor first level is heard (shutting) we split left and right up top.... walk down stairs meet in the middle at the back door. Still locked from the inside and chains wrapped around the door outside..... we look at each other again and leave.... ( maybe 2 words were spoke between us the entire time) **** that was the building situation. ( while I was clocked in) The bridge story is a whole other experience. About 9 years after working there. I went back to the bridge/ camp area to go fishing..... ***this is the story that me and the older friend shared similar events.

[@MrGreatness412]

@@commanderamg1185 I definitely believe you. I've experienced a similar situation growing up. People tend to think you were crazy.

[@foxgloved1]

sadly there are several abandoned towns in west virginia,my daddy was from mabens,which no longer exists

[@benlujan288]

WV is a very beautiful state!

[@williaminus6545]

Does he ever talk about Matewan?

[@operator0]

Fun fact; The New River is the second oldest river in the world, known to have carved out the New River Gorge which contains rocks that are more than 300 million years old. This makes the river at least that old. I believe the river was in existence before Pangaea was formed, but there's little evidence to support that claim, however, it is known that the New River did exist while Pangaea existed. An ironic name for such an old river.

[@seaislevel7233]

Ill never understand why people have to vandalize old places.

[@Punnybone55]

Fools names and fools faces are often seen in public places.

[@ligerangry2621]

Because they have the brain twisted ....🤯 mentally impaired.

[@therealdude1]

Teenagers

[@kjsdpgijn]

"Cum?"

[@Me97202]

There are a lot of unsophisticated people out there.

[@nelsonkowal9440]

I was there in the 80's. If my memory serves me correct, there was a restaurant in an old bank called the Bankers Club. The bar was situated in the bank's vault. I think at that time it was the smallest incorporated city in the country; population was I think 13 people. Also, we walked through the train roundhouse with remnants of passenger records and other paperwork laying all over the place. The New River Gorge scenery is beautiful.

[@jackkircher1755]

I was there in the 80's too and only the museum and gift shop were open. No restaurant or hotel. I wish they were able to restore these places for visitors to the area. There are several beautiful state parks in the area. The bridge park and Hawk's nest parks are close by. The most beautiful with several different areas is Grandview State Park which has the Nature's air conditioner which is two boulders together and when you place your head between them, it feels like air-conditioning. Turkey Spur is another nice part of the park to see. If you happen to be around I-77 and State route 19, that is where you will find these beautiful places in the Appalachian Mountains. My Alma Matter is there as well.

[@thomasschwarting5108]

I SO enjoy the history AND the tour of these places. Thank you for taking us along!-

[@DraysWorld]

Thank you for taking the time to watch! It was a great adventure. More to come.

[@lauraabrams2918]

Interesting tidbit if no one else has mentioned this, but Thurmond was where they filmed the movie Matewan. Wonderful movie with James Earl Jones.

[@billblount5955]

A great movie

[@Honorablebenaiaha]

A racist white supremacist movie. It should be banned.

[@the_minimalistic_adventure]

@@Honorablebenaiaha Alright, calm down Cancel Culture.

[@andrewbritton7923]

This town was part of many that made unionization happen in America. The Matewan massacre aka bloody Mingo was the start of the coal mine wars. It's sad my state went from pro labor and union to anti-union and red republican in the 2000s.

[@allenlovestia1982]

@@andrewbritton7923 oh, you mean anti communism. Why I love it.

[@a2j.holyloveaffairreyna757]

My Grandma Dad's Side, Born 1896: Cameron County TX....Vs 1904 Year You Mentioned....

[@DraysWorld]

Who was your Grandma?

[@a2j.holyloveaffairreyna757]

@@DraysWorld Are You A Traveler.!.? U.Speak Spanish.!? 1896--1991 Granny Fidela Ortega< Maiden Name

[@MrGSXSIR]

West Virginia is by far the most secluded I’ve ever felt. Beautiful and scary

[@C_AVATAR]

Thanks for the video of this town. People need to remember their history because it helps to remember who they are.

[@calliehendricks9188]

Glad grandpa had a good poker night and even more glad he didn't get robbed 😊

[@sachaput]

Pretty amazing how well maintained it is despite being abandoned. Fascinating video and nice site for a horror film.

[@BigBirdy100]

Operated by the federal government

[@allenlovestia1982]

It's not abandoned

[@DraysWorld]

8 people still reside in Thurmond. Thanks for watching!

[@michaelwhalen7991]

This is a historically sad example of progress in America, boom then bust.

[@magnum.4490]

Actually this is a sad example of NO progress in America. Unfortunately West Virginia is the worst when it comes to this as beautiful as the state is but certainly doesn't dictate the rest of the countries progress as many cities and towns have progressed beautifully

[@DavidSmith-sb2ix]

It's like that everywhere in the world.

[@fishngiggles5272]

Revolutions

[@Honorablebenaiaha]

Actually conservatives don’t conserve anything, and progressives are really regressive. Everything in the US is upside down. They destroy statues of historically bad people, only to build statues of criminals and bad people. America is in the age of decadence.

[@dlmullins9054]

Boom due to coal... bust due to liberals

[@robberry1869]

My grandfather, H. A. Berry, worked in the New River Banking & Trust and my dad was born in Thurmond. The family lived there until the bank moved to Oak Hill. My mother was a Thomas and her family still owns WOAY-TV. That panoramic shot of Thurmond hangs on my wall and its in color. A gift from the bank to my grandfather upon retirement. Thurmond was once a great town, the place where they brought coal out of the mountains. My dad told the story of the sheriff, upon finding a body in the river, fined the dead man for loitering. I suppose he died with money on him. Pulling the dead from the river (both accidental and foul) was a common occurrence. The place was full of characters, gamblers and good people.

[@DraysWorld]

My favorite part of this video is hearing stories from people like yourself. Thank you for sharing!

[@robberry1869]

@@DraysWorld Your welcome. I'm taking a friend to WVA in June and will visit Thurmond (again). Neat place with or without family history.

[@ruthturner5263]

My grandfather actually paid in that poker game that lasted so long. We walk this place all the time with Dad until he passed on. Holds too many memories now to go back.

[@DraysWorld]

Amazing! Thank you for sharing!

[@barblane4020]

Back in 1974 we did a week long raft trip down the New River. One of the highlights was the old bank building in Thurmond was converted into a restaurant. It was one of the stops on our adventure. So cool to see it after all of these years. I lived in West Virginia for high school and college. Great memories. Thanks for the post.

[@chrisweimer3042]

At the 5 56 mark you look down the stairs, and when you turn to walk away there is a whisper. Then in the room that says box on the wall, there's 2 voices I can hear speaking. Check it out plz.

[@roberth547]

Cool video man. My grandparents lived in Thurmond until around 1996 or so. My grandfather was the postmaster of Thurmond in the towns prime. Their old house is still there, partially preserved like the rest. Glad to hear people like the area. It's an awesome town.

[@DraysWorld]

I’m sure your family has some interesting stories from that town. Especially being the postmaster! Thanks for watching!

[@chrisallen7911]

Leaping Lizards, that place is haunted as all get out. That interior shot of a house was so creepy. I would love to see it in person.

[@rarebreed9208]

The bathtub in the entryway was probably to wash the coal dust off of you before you spread it all over the rest of the house.

[@billblount5955]

You are probably right

[@rarebreed9208]

@@billblount5955 Thanks. Whoever lived there probably had a wife like mine. That's what made me think of that.

[@billblount5955]

@@rarebreed9208 wva wife's are more crazy than rest of the usa

[@MarkLambertMusic]

I always thought the Red Dead Redemption 2 developers used this town as a model for Annesburg in game.

[@jshicke]

When walking down rickety stairs, do not step in the middle of the step. Walk on the edge as it will be the most supported part. Beautiful scenery around that area. Too bad that nothing ever came along to replace coal mining in the area. All those lives that were disrupted as coal lost favor to other fuels.

[@DocShickley]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I seem to remember Thurmond,WV as a "flag stop" on the Amtrack Cardinal". I used to ride the "Cardinal" to Indianapolis in the '70's & '80's. I rode once with a cellist from Hinton, WV who played in the Vienna (Austria) philharmonic. We smoked a joint in the sloshing, overflowing toilet. She turned me on to Heinrich Schutz's motets. Fabulous journey.

[@mattdevaux7202]

I looked it up on the Amtrak website- and it STILL says you can stop there! That’s amazing to me that you could actually take a train there in 2021

[@DocShickley]

@@mattdevaux7202 Nothing surprises me about what Amtrack keeps in their back pocket. Maybe sometime soon we might be able to stop for lunch and a swim in the oldest river in the Western Hemisphere. After resting for an hour of course!

[@jackkircher1755]

Yes, it is (am sure it is still). Some people travel the line just to have the nastalgia experience. I took the Cardinal from Prince WV to NYC TWICE. Once for Christmas with my sisters and once for my favorite uncle's funeral

[@messengerguardiansparanorm8606]

I lived in WV for 10 years. I swear, with the exception of Huntington, Parkersburg, Clarksburg, Charleston, Beckley, Fairmont and Morgantown, MOST OF THE STATE LOOKS LIKE THIS. I go back from time to tiime, and that STILL has not changed. I guess I'm not surprised. You have a new sub and a thumb's up.

[@messengerguardiansparanorm8606]

Oh, and I guess I should include Weirton, Wheeling, Martinsburg and Shepperdstown (wait, are those REALLY considered part of West Virginia, when you think about it?) to the towns that still...live. One could say that Harper's Fairy is in a protected status, but...only just. It WOULD look like Thurmond, otherwise for its history.

[@DraysWorld]

Thanks for watching!

[@Honorablebenaiaha]

Yeah, don’t go back. They are bad bad people who live there.

[@carolholmes6352]

You are absolutely right , almost the entire State of WV is a Ghost Town . Our State Capitol is way under 50k people and falling

[@dianamullins9475]

@@messengerguardiansparanorm8606 I was raised in the area and we had outhouse and a coal company house that had bullet holes in the eves from the coal mining wars. My uncle and his family lived in Gauley bridge. He showed us an engraved carving on the rocks across from new river camp ground. We would ore over in john boat. There is a carving of a man standing at a ship's wheel with his family Crest. It was awesome to see.

[@Beurymtman]

I live in Thurmond about 2 miles up Beury Mountain Road, I can't imagine Living anywhere else

[@amykelley5715]

Born and raised in West Virginia....still here. 💙💛💙💛

[@johnwozniak1218]

I love WVA! Thank you!

[@timofeegraaay8165]

Bath tubs in entry was used to clean coal off of miners or railroad workers prior to coming into the home living space. I grew up in coal fields of West Virginia many years ago, I am getting old now and happy I never had to work the mines.

[@mikalpechota770]

Watched your video before going to this location. It was a beautiful day there today. What a cool place to visit within the NP.

[@DraysWorld]

Glad you made it out! Thanks for watching

[@brochacho1001]

There are so many other abandoned or half abandoned towns out in the mountains in west virginia. Me and family were out riding dirtbikes on the pocahontas trails and it was just crazy coming from a city to see all of these empty towns with old architecture beginning to decay and being left to be consumed by nature.

[@IronBallsMcNeese]

Absolutely. Rafting down (or up) the New River, you can see lots of them, completely grown over by wilderness. But it probably wouldn't be wise to go exploring those - might meet some real Deliverance type folk who want to hear you squeal like a pig.

[@GenerallyGeneralLee]

@7:06 I CAN'T BELIEVE you walked down those steps into that basement! But thanks for doing it so I didn't have to. West Virginia is undeniably a very beautiful state. I plan to retire there.

[@ImKermitJagger]

Long as you’re not from Cali come on over lol

[@dirtbikeheaven1129]

Good video but I have to agree that it’s best to not enter any house or building unless you are sure it’s open to the public. My mother was born in Thurmond in 1919. My grandfather was the first and only telephone man to ever have an office there. He strung all the original telephone lines to the small communities up and down the river. There were no roads along the railroad tracks to the river communities so the telephone company finally supplied my grandfather a bicycle to expedite his travels to those communities. Thurmond was a bustling railroad town and for a few years in the early 1900’s actually hauled more freight than Cincinnati, Ohio. If memory serves me correctly, that continuous poker game he mentioned lasted 14 years at the Dunglen Hotel.

[@StantonsJourneys]

Definitely on my bucket list of places to see, thanks for taking us around.

[@timmcneil906]

I was in Thurmond many times from the late seventies to the early eighties. There was a whitewater rafting company called Wildwater Unlimited Expeditions, the first of it’s kind on the New River. Their base camp was just upstream from downtown. The guides would give us cool history lessons as we made our way through the rapids. Our group from northern Illinois would meet up with some folks from New York and have a terrific weekend there every summer for years.

[@joecrafted]

One of my friends from grad school was a whitewater guide in WV, I wonder if he worked for that company. He is near New River Gorge in Lansing now. His wife does a lot of the artwork for the Bridge Day celebrations.

[@ozzyhouston2535]

I wanna go on a photo expedition for Bigfoot, there 😊

[@debracasseday4960]

My husband and I went there for our 1rst wedding anniversary, New River Gorge camped at the Old Army camp , explored where you are and took our Duckie down the river. What a great way to spend a anniversary.

[@DraysWorld]

It’s a great part of our country to explore! Thanks for watching!

[@showaltermicro]

The film was made in West Virginia with the town of Thurmond standing in for Matewan. Other scenes were filmed along the New River Gorge National River.

[@A_Handle_2_Continue]

For the UMW folks, Thurmond is one of the locations where the 1987 film Matewan was filmed. Some of the "renovations" in those buildings were done by the film crew to place cameras and lights I would presume.

[@agfan1]

Somewhere John Denver is singing "Take me home country roads".....

[@graham1466]

I hope not

[@chronologie4]

you mentioned when it was founded but not when it was abandoned. Cool find.

[@JohnBrandkamp]

Thanks so much for this video tour. My mom was born in WV, though not here. She was from Gassaway, WV, another small hamlet tucked away in the hills and hollers.

[@DraysWorld]

Thanks for watching!

[@jamiepan7650]

It’s so cool. Looked like a hard working t own.

[@bobbydavenport5121]

I just love old abandoned places

[@seakelp3508]

I didn't see The Bankers Club in this video. That was the famous restaurant, where celebrities and politicians would stop to eat, when taking the Amtrak. I ate there once in 1982.

[@BurningUp99]

Interesting....I'd like to read up on that or find some old photos. I'm guessing that's part of the Amtrak line that runs between Chicago and Baltimore/D.C. I imagine it was very heavily used back in the day.

[@jackkircher1755]

It is still an Amtrak station but only as a signal stop. A line from Chicago to NYC has a audio tour of the a ew River Gorge area. The name of the train route is "The Cardinal. When I lived near there I would take people to Thurmund. The gift shop was across the tracks in what used to be the company store for the mining community. They charged outlandish prices for goods so the company made a lot of money off the employees.

[@jlucasound]

Dray, just subbed. @1:02 I was sold. You are good but you will get better. I think this is a love for you. Your style is recognizable from the beginning. I am not trying to belittle you but I see a colab with the "Proper People". Carry on, good man. This looks intriguing.

[@DraysWorld]

I appreciate the kind words. Thanks for watching!

[@kalicenter]

My family grew up right there. 👍🏻

[@rnupnorthbrrrsm6123]

Sweet !!!! Share what history you know :)

[@The420Earthling]

Tell us more, that's really cool.

[@alexanderthurmond7172]

I miss this place glad to see it again

[@cynthiameaux6271]

Have you ever thought about exploring the area of Osage West Virginia? That is in Morgantown West Virginia. That is practically a ghost town! There are a few tenants there. There are some that have tried to revamp the area, but to no avail. There are two tenants up on Osage Hill and I believe one of the tennant's home looks like it's only just one fingertip away from falling over. I know about it personally because I spent many years of Summers up on the hill with my grandmother. Two of my grandpas were coal miners. The place is a ghost town! Please look into it! Thanks for putting this video up.

[@Mr.T-Mapogo-999]

Am From India 😍🇮🇳 What A Beutifull Place And Lovely Forest West Virginia 😍

[@immelting9834]

I love the old buildings and small towns. Having said that , can you please provide any links, ideas, or organizations that are actively looking for donations or help in saving these historic buildings and put them in your old town videos ? It's a crying shame to see these old buildings rotting away across america . I would gladly donate to any cause that is willing to preserve our history and I know some of your viewers of these videos would too. Take care my friend

[@DraysWorld]

Great idea. Thank you.

[@sheepking5340]

I have been to this state dozens upon dozens of times, seen pure fascinating scenery. A large fraction of my family lives here, I’m going camping here a few weeks after this message.

[@DraysWorld]

I haven’t found an un-agreeable place or person in West Virginia yet.

[@indieauthorjasonblayne7511]

Sadly a lot of abandoned SV coal towns look like this anymore. The heyday of coal is long gone but I still remember my grandfather telling me of the days when he was working in the mines. My mother held on to old mining script and other items too.

[@timfremstad3434]

the heyday day of coal is not gone........political environmentalists are making it into the filthiest thing on earth , want it done away with NOW, with no practical replacement.........yes, I am saying wind and solar are not practical, if they were, they would be getting used more..... what's going on now is that these "alternatives" are being forced down our throat.......coal can be burned cleanly

[@indieauthorjasonblayne7511]

@@timfremstad3434 coal can also be used as a form of gasoline which burns cleaner and is more efficient than petroleum but why use it for that and keep people working. I get what you mean.

[@parrin96]

I went here last year, in October, and it was such a great experience. It’s even smaller in person. Everything was beautiful, and it was the most well kept ghost town I’d been to.

[@DraysWorld]

It’s a very unique place in the middle of the nothingness

[@MelodyMeanFace]

You didn't mention the "Christmas Story" connection to the leg lamp in the church - that's a "Major Prize"!

[@LotsofLisa]

“Notafingah!!” 😂😂😂

[@sandraruiz3834]

@@LotsofLisa lmaoooooooo

[@Taysel9821]

My grandma lives in lewisburg and we’re going to see her next week. We may have to come by here! I love places like this

[@lindalaw8368]

I am from that area, Oak Hill, I was born in Beckley 72 years ago. Visited Thurmond and it was fairly typical, small WVa coal mining area. Poor, rural, and closed to outsiders. Wish the narrator had more connection with the history

[@DraysWorld]

I do too. Perhaps on my next visit. Thanks for watching!

[@nazfan01]

I came across this video by accident and I am glad I did. My step-mother was from West Virginia. She passed away in 2004. I came across an old steamer trunk she had tucked away and I opened it up in 2020. I found some really great family cabinet cards and various other family heirrlooms/info. I started doing a find a grave memorial for my step-mother and as I went along, I started finding some interesting details of her father's family. They were the Hanlin family. Her father was born 1896 in Emoryville, WV along with some of his siblings being born in Emoryville as well. Turned out my step-mother's dad's brother was born in a area known as Wabash. W.Virgina. This is, I believe, was located in the mountains within the Carpendale, Elk Garden, Piedmont, Keyser area. History is that a post office called Wabash was established in 1904, and remained in operation until 1913. The community took its name from the Wabash Railroad. Basically meaning that the railroad tracks were being built through the mountains. Once the rail tracks were finished, they moved on. The coolest thing about this is I have a large Imperial Cabinet Card of several men standing on rail ttracks. It is hard to tell if they are railroad tracks or perhaps coal cart rails. Either way, I do not think there would be any sign or any hint that Wabash ever existed at this point.

[@DraysWorld]

This is really interesting! Now I'm curious of the location of Wabash! I appreciate you watching and commenting with this great story!

[@nazfan01]

@@DraysWorld - You are welcomed! Yes, I even found this Wabash location was very interesting myself. It is one of those places I would like to try and visit even there is nothing left to see there. It be just be the imagination of people that once worked through there what may have been going on there at the time

[@brianralston1579]

The water heater looked fairly new in the basement of that first house.

[@1pcfred]

I'm thinking it was installed when a movie was shot on that location at some point. That's what those "renovations" were from that the video poster made mention of. They look about the same age as the heater.

[@joecrafted]

The movie 'Matewan' was filmed in and around Thurmond. Really well done movie about historical events in the 1920s in West Virgnia.

[@AutumnHaunts]

I’m going here soon excited to check it out. Thanks for uploading this

[@DraysWorld]

Thanks for watching!

[@rrtrob8016]

I stayed at The Bankers Inn in Thurmond with my family as a stop over for whitewater rafting. I recall the old mattresses and the one bathroom per floor in the Inn. My Dad joked “If it was good enough for Lady Bird Johnson, it’s good enough for us.” We had so many family laughs about our adventure in Thurmond. Thank you for the post.

[@ctg18158]

The movie "Matewan" was filmed in Thurmond. The movie was released in 1987.

[@Torgo1001]

It's amazing how quickly houses and other buildings decay once they are vacant and not kept in good repair.

[@DraysWorld]

The weather there is pretty brutal in the winter. They do deteriorate fast

[@randallgreen6746]

This town is so neat, It would take a lot of work but it be reopened.

[@timofeegraaay8165]

BTW you can still get a ticket on Amtrak to Thurmond. It is The Cardinal which runs from Washington DC to Chicago, IL and stops at Thurmond upon reservations or will not stop if nobody has tix to get on/off.

[@dwood2342]

@ 7:13 I expected for him to see Josh standing in the corner right before something knocks the camera out of his hand. BTW kids, trespassing is illegal.

[@jojogoins]

Lots of great memories growing up in Thurmond. I was born in Oak Hill in 1971 & grew up in Thurmond until I turned 18 and left because of the poor economy. My great uncle ran the post office & my other great uncle had a bar on the other side of the bridge at the fork called River Rat Inn. He sold the bar in the early 80's to the NPS after they refused to to renew his liquor license because they were turning the New River Gorge into a national park. It was fun in the summer fishing the river, swimming & hunting. We stocked up on food. But it was rough in the winter with the only source of water being a spring that fed into a tank that would freeze up solid if pretty much everyone didn't keep their spigots open during the winter. We burnt coal all winter for heat. The closest town was Oak Hill. If you look on the bricks at the Depot, you will see they have the residents name engraved on them.

[@DraysWorld]

I want to go back and see these bricks. I appreciate your comment.

[@jeffhershberger]

Love these old places and videos. We used to go to Pipestem when I was a kid, not too far away. I really like the beauty of the area, especially in the fall.

[@brianreber6303]

This is the perfect place for me ... I don't like neighbors I don't like crowds more than 4 people in a room an I get uncomfortable ... I don't even like family stopping by especially unannounced ...

[@vanvorst1999]

Truly wild, wonderful West Virginia! 😉

[@acedagod5644]

Im from Charleston WV and currently live here and I never been to thurmond but always wanted to go .

[@edwhite4992]

I need to go there. I’m related to Dr Mankin and it would be a cool trip. Thanks for the video.

[@alexanderthurmond7172]

Ah my hometown.

[@nonamespecified1262]

I love these old towns but what totally bugs me is why no one goes in to these places and fix the buildings, just to keep them secure, fix some walls, fix some roofs, replace some windows, make the buildings weather proof to keep them from falling down.

[@NoelKerns]

At 2:36 - "Can't quite tell exactly what that old signs says..." At 2:50 - Clear, vintage photo of building, with freshly-painted old sign!

[@anabelletalstein2479]

0:22 I've been up there before, probably in 2019 or late 2018 cant remember exact, I've been in that building, and I even got a little stuffed cardinal. Hope that place isn't shut down...I would love to go back to that place. When we were there, I actually got to see a long train go by.

[@charlii5917]

The 1 lane grate bridge gets me every time we cross it. Husband had a niece that lived way back in the mountain behind Thurman. Just went to her house once and that was more than enough for me.

[@carmenchapman9697]

Sad to see towns like that abandoned, looked remarkable. Thank you for Sharing the video., That was amazing

[@Anna_Stetik]

The "A Christmas Story' lamp in the window of the church gives us a good idea of what their sense of humor was like. Fun movie.

[@RB3Author]

I started watching this video and thought "Damn, this place looks familiar..." and, after a quick check, I realize I've been through Thurmond several times on the Amtrak Cardinal line. Really hit home at about 2:16 when you were on the tracks and panned left to the abandoned buildings. It's cool knowing more about this place I've only seen through a train car window.

[@brakel8r]

We used to stay there when we would go on our rafting trips with Wildwater Unlimited. the hotel name at the time i think was called the Bankers Club. Kinda sad seeing it deserted like that knowing how much fun and happiness was had rafting

[@Vegan-dm1xx]

My ancestors. My grandparents are Thurmond’s. I grew up in Bandy town, and Quinland. Ive been there a few times and always seemed creepy. The scenery was nice though.

[@anneskewes1787]

Isn’t Quinland up the road from a Thurmond?

[@luv_a_nurse8960]

Cant wait. Going to West Virginia this summer. Not a bad drive from WNY.

[@DraysWorld]

Thurmond is a unique place. I hope you enjoy. Thanks for watching!

[@timmolina9569]

There is plenty of water. I would live there.

[@unclemonster48]

The way things are looking maybe a great place to bug out to.

[@streetcarp475]

It looks ideal seriously

[@charliepearce8767]

@@streetcarp475 I'm here in Australia and just checking out homes for sale in Thurmond, Unfortunately couldn't find any.. Id live there....maybe.

[@streetcarp475]

@@charliepearce8767 how bad is it getting there by you ? I'm in Wisconsin..in the US. Not too bad here yet but I'm %100 sure it's gonna be time to get to somewhere remote pretty soon.

[@kimberlybrooks5572]

Mount Hope, Pax,Mossy these are just a few. I was born in Beckley West Virginia's last hospital built in Southern West Virginia

[@aaronbailey8192]

Just as a waning some places that are back in the woods might seem like they are abandoned but with a population of 8 people im sure you was watched going through every place im from the area and you might wanna ask permission first.

[@wadeparker8695]

That corner stone had a masons mark on it. Compass and square and the Capital ‘G’