West Virginia Ghost Town: All Alone in the (Almost) Abandoned and Lonesome Town of Thurmond

[@meredithwhite272]

I live near DC and I've gone hiking in West Virginia a few times. My mind is always blown how quiet it is. Where I live there is always a hum of manmade background noises that I forget about until I go somewhere where I can't hear it.

[@realappalachia]

I worked off and on in DC for a bit and it is such a drastic difference that it is almost hard to believe it is the same country. I was out in the woods last week and all I could hear was the sound of my own footsteps. I like both environments though.

[@Rick_Bagnall]

Greetings from New Hampshire! Thanks for the show! When I saw this thumbnail, I had to get my wife so we could watch it together. We were married on June 21, 2014 and she picked Thurmond as our honeymoon destination. We toured the New River Gorge and Thurmond. We even crossed behind the buildings and went up the hill to the little church at the end of a switchback where the people actually live. What a cool place!

[@realappalachia]

Now THAT is a great story, you just made my day, Rick

[@b1k2q34]

I grew up in New Hampshire, and now live in Kentucky. Two beautiful parts of the country.

[@davidjanson7982]

LoL

[@larrygodbold3017]

It is nice to see the lack of broken windows and graffiti .

[@brianmatthews4149]

Amazing.

[@SJM6791]

Give it time.

[@GAMarine137]

Must not have many dems living there

[@williamm374]

Good hard working people who care about their little town.

[@JeffTY77450]

That would change if Antifa or BLM ever decided to stage a “protest” there. Assaulting people and destroying property doesn’t advance their cause-not sure what Antifa’s cause is-but that doesn’t seem to have occurred to them.

[@20somthingdrifter11]

The reality is work from home, and the Advent of easily accessible high-speed internet anywhere, could turn these ghost towns back into thriving towns, after all if you're no longer tied to a particular area for work you can choose to live wherever you want, why spend a ton of money to live in a shoebox in a large city, when you can move to a little bit more rural area and have so much more.

[@jameslanning8405]

These towns were brought into existence, because the people there worked. They dug coal or some other element from the ground. There was no internet, no home computers. Hell, maybe no TV, now running water or toilet! Maybe a light bulb or two. Work from home? Doing what? That's a big city yuppy dream...

[@20somthingdrifter11]

@@jameslanning8405 Its actually a thing that has started to happen, people who can work from home leaving the cities and moving into some of these smaller dying towns, the property can be bought on the cheap, and even after renovations it still has all the old-timey charm that most young professionals wouldn't be able to afford in the city. Now that the COVID pandemic has forced businesses to let people work from home this trend could pick up, being that you now have a large percentage of the workforce who now only needs a reliable internet connection to work, Satellite internet is already quite fast and Starlink is already in the testing phase in the US.

[@jillsmcfarland2001]

Agenda21-30 smart cities

[@realappalachia]

I actually work from home most of the time in my "real job" so I can understand the appeal of being in a safer, slower place. I hadn't considered the thought of them paying wages based on local cost of living as Matthew Talas referred to, kind of a dirty way to operate.

[@lindamaemullins5151]

Ikr 👍❤️

[@Wompwompwomp.ny1]

Beautiful. America is such a beautiful country. It's such a shame that this town died.

[@es5886]

The town is dead largely because it’s not able to be accessed by car. The Main Street that the buildings faced is no wider than a sidewalk, and with the rear of the buildings backing up tp a hill there’s nowhere to expand. It is a marvelous time capsule though of how towns looked in a time before automobiles. The train was right there, that’s all you needed.

[@mattlf9120]

Can't get there by car? How'd this dude get his car there?

[@natashafrancis8858]

@@mattlf9120 The only way in or out is that single lane railroad bridge you saw him drive across in the beginning. If he'd gone past the town there are 6 or 7 houses on a hill, and over that hill is another railroad track.

[@MichelleJohnson-tg5lx]

Accessible By horse and Wagon? .

[@sandy89107]

A town with no ppl. Perfect place to call home 😁

[@danalynch8889]

I thought the same thing. I wouldn't mind living there.

[@louiseegenlauf5507]

@@danalynch8889 we need to check in the place called Uniontown Pennsylvania it's in Fayette county too I was born and raised in there I wish we'd never moved from there when I was about 9:00 my dad died and my mother moved wish we would have stayed but this is the first time I've heard this town would love to visit there to see what it's all about

[@autumnortiz6782]

@@davebryant8050 well you told it like it is

[@davidjanson7982]

LoL

[@davidjanson7982]

@@louiseegenlauf5507 LoL

[@dannysgirl1549]

At one time Thurmond was the only town in the US that could only be reached by train. There wasn’t a road to it. It’s a nice road trip if you’re in the area.

[@realappalachia]

I did not know that but after driving it doesnt surprise me so much, good info

[@beverlybarnes3122]

Remember the old show petticoat junction? You couldn't get to the hotel, Kate and her girls lived and owned. by a road. You had to ride the train. Just thought I'd throw that in.

[@susanprivate3551]

My dad was a telegraph operator at Thurmond in the early 50’s!!! We used to visit often in the 60-70’s...We just drove down there last summer with my 84 yr old mom!!! My cousins husband Bob Bailey was a extra in Matewan!!! LOVE my home state of West Virginia 💙💛

[@realappalachia]

a telegraph operator, that is just about the coolest thing I have ever heard. I love old occupations like that.

[@luisvilla799]

Wow!!! awesome story God bless!!!!

[@lonniesmith6701]

Had some cousins that were extras in the movie also, I've spent many days in those mountains around that area, almost heaven.

[@bobbiek2960]

My grandparents lived in Minden WV, back in the 60’s. Some of my favorite memories.💗 Beautiful country and beautiful ppl. I remember my cousins would say “you talk funny”. Lol

[@b1k2q34]

@@bobbiek2960 I grew up in New Hampshire, but would go to see my mom's side of the family in Kentucky quite often as a child. My cousins always said we talked funny. And I remember thinking that everyone on television talks like me, not you. Lolol

[@TheWabbit]

I could live there, perfect neighbors and beautiful countryside!

[@artmchugh5644]

Don't forget the sound of the river !!😎😎😎😎😄😄😄😄🍺🍺

[@TheWabbit]

@@artmchugh5644 oh yeah! I'm sure plenty of frogs are around there singing at night! Its like a lullaby to me even at my age!

[@joeschlotthauer840]

I was thinking the same thing, looks amazing to me...

[@richardwicks4190]

Better find out if the neighbors view you similarly before making any moves.

[@joeschlotthauer840]

@@richardwicks4190 Are you insinuating that the people there are crazy...

[@turtlecrawford6468]

I remember going there as a kid to walk the tracks and fish with my dad and they were filming the matewan movie.

[@williamh.jarvis6795]

Yes! I watched this movie 🎥, produced byJohn Sayles! It is excellent! My VHS copy probably needs to be replaced with a digital version of it, in some format.

[@IAm-NotHear]

Thank you for making this video. My California eyes are always stunned by the beauty of Appalachia.

[@realappalachia]

thanks for watching all the way across the country, Daniel

[@mastrtonberry2]

You're welcome to come visit. Just leave the west coast politics at the door.

[@IAm-NotHear]

@@mastrtonberry2 I know I'm welcome to visit. I'm American. Born and raised.

[@rockycoyote]

Somebody buying the town is a good idea. An outdoor outfitter could put in a kayak rental, hotel & restaurant and send folks off in the river and give them a ride back.

[@realappalachia]

It would be an amazing resort for that type of activity

[@californigirl]

The national park system, according to "'da googles" owns and preserves about 80% of Thurmond WV. The McCune clan IS (at least back in 2016) interested in attracting new folk though.

[@Biker65]

Turn it into a haunted town for Halloween

[@sillililli01]

@Joseph Bien I'm a business owner and I hear you, I would only invest in an area that was conservative. I stay away from cities, as they are too liberal for me.

[@arcticfox5118]

With the train access if you restored the side parking (i.e for the station rather then just for the cargo trains) tracks and got a classic passenger coach and/or old steam engine mockup on a modern electric or diesel train and you could sell daily rides upto the place from someplace convineint nearby as an experince. Throw a small classic restored cargo coach on to run your towns daily supplies up and you eliminate the need for large trucks. Do rentals as someone else suggested and convert a few abandoned buildings into luxury restraunts and hotels and put down some trails and a nice park maybe a few cabins at the trail end accessable by carrage or horse with a place to rent them nearby and this would make a nice little holiday spot. Wouldn't cost too much in terms of this kinda thing either. Maybe 150-200 million total to renovate the whole town, advertise it and market it.

[@gaius_enceladus]

**Beautiful** place! I can see myself in a small cottage there - all cosy with a roaring fire going in the lounge with the snow piled up outside and the wind sighing through the trees! Wonderful!

[@realappalachia]

Now that sounds pretty amazing

[@richardevans9003]

At 7:30 you'll see a set of crossing lights on the far left. The road over the bridge (on the right) crosses the tracks at those crossing lights and then climbs up steeply behind the banking buildings and there ARE houses up there. They look seasonal, but still quite live-able.

[@marcfournier823]

Great studio and maker spaces. Alternatively a great place to hunker down after the apocalypse.

[@ashleyhockenberry2187]

Excellent ! My home state - Almost Heaven !

[@joeapicelli8367]

Looks like a great place for me. Not much for socializing lol.

[@Gryphonisle]

That is the most railroad centric railroad town I’ve ever seen. There are the tracks, there is the railroad bridge with a lane for cars, and there is the town practically built onto the tracks, but for a single lane for cars between the buildings and the tracks.

[@filianablanxart8305]

Back in the day , it was only different by degree from lots of mining towns throughout the region of that part of Appalachia . In circa 1880- 1920 era when the mines were being developed , cars and trucks weren't yet a thing , nor road networks other than the scattered subsistence homesteaders and farmers driving their wagons to town periodically . Totally incapable of supporting the needs of the populations needed to work the mines and related infrastructure . Just in the same gorge there were a dozen or more towns likewise built on the narrow strip of level- ish land along the river , and served by rail . What was different about Thurmond was that it continued to hang on after the rest were all abandoned shortly after each respective mine closed .

[@Gryphonisle]

@@filianablanxart8305 Thanks!

[@kennolte5801]

Truly sad to see a place like that deserted. It's a beautiful area. It looks like there was some work going on in one of those buildings. We can only hope it is preserved for future generations.

[@realappalachia]

I think the state may be keeping some of it up. I sure hope so anyway.

[@myd0gr3x]

preserved for future generations? preserved by who (master) for who (slave)... the real shame is that some bank holds the land and people are only permitted to visit... try to squat or even purchase any of that land and you'll quickly find out who is master and who is slave... that land sitting abandoned should be a clue of who can own and who can't own...

[@marclayne9261]

I passed thru here, in 1994, on a Amtrak train, from Clearwater FL, to Hamilton, OH.....a local scholar and teacher, gave us a lecture, on the New River Gorge.....as we passed under that great bridge....Scot-Irish, ancestors since 1740s, Virginia/Kentucky....I learned more on this train trip, than on any Interstate Highway...

[@realappalachia]

That sounds like a great time

[@madamountaineer2459]

Thurmond is an awesome place. I spent a lot of winter days in that area -- it's a really laid back place in the wintertime. Summer usually brings a lot more hobbiests, especially rafters. Stonecliff down the road is really popular. I never knew across from the depot was where the Dunglenn used to be. Fascinating! The creek going into Thurmond is awesome fishing! If you're ever there in early spring after they stock the waters, you'll have a great time catching fish all day. Behind the tracks up the hill is some residential places. There used to be a house at the split but last time I was there I noticed it was grown over. The population also went down. Fun fact! Thurmond is still incorporated and everyone that lives in the town is on the city council ^^

[@realappalachia]

Great info, thanks so much. I wondered about the fishing while I was there, looked like it might be a good spot. I dont think I've been in the summer for some reason but it sounds like I really need to check it out then too.

[@franciecrist991]

@@realappalachia if you're here during the summer and want to run the river hit me up! I can probably hook you up with a private trip with one of THE BEST guides, we always have a blast

[@rupe53]

@@realappalachia ... if so few people live in an incorporated town it makes me wonder how things get taken care of with such a low tax base. Who plows the streets, fixes potholes, etc? Obviously not even enough people to support a volunteer fire dept.

[@realappalachia]

@@rupe53 I wondered the same thing. I know the state runs a lot of it or at least maintains the structures

[@lightning9279]

@@realappalachia It's been deemed a historical area. That means we all pay for it with higher taxes. The residents don't. There is not enough of them to foot the bill.

[@buck546]

I love my home state of WV. Sadly she is like a victim of a bad love story used by the rich companies and after they took all she had to offer they left her used and abused. You can still clearly see her scars.

[@realappalachia]

solid analogy there

[@allen7585]

Perfect way to summarize my feelings of WV as well.

[@rm9338]

Yes that’s the American way , take it all and walk away .

[@ashleyratliff7919]

Real Appalachia with Shane Simmons has

[@marylinbelcher9918]

Most companies were out of country. Canada. I grew up in Delbarton which originally was named Adananac which is Canada spelled backwards. Much of the mineral rights wre/are owned by Canadian companies

[@douglasstewart1380]

Such a wonderful piece of history. I'm going to have to put a visit to Thurmond, WV on my bucket list.

[@snider5767]

We were there this past summer. A really cool place. A must see if anyone is in the area. We also walked up the roadway to the houses above the town. There are many abandoned homes, a couple homes that are lived in and a church. You can actually drive up there in a car. Really worth seeing. Thanks again for what you do.

[@DrFrankensteam]

I could live in a place like that.

[@Paulie1232]

Then go....

[@youwillgetbanned]

Love this part WV, Fayette, Summers, and Raleigh county. Family is from Oak Hill. Grandma was born and raised in a 2 bedroom tin roof shack with 12 siblings with no indoor plumbing. Great Grandmother pre-dates the civil war in that part of WV. I miss my WV Summers with my many cousins ,from fishing the New river,hunting,arrowhead hunting,ginseng digging, and dirt bike riding. Sad WV has been exploited for its natural beauty and resources for over 100 years. West " By Golly " Virginia !

[@selmazopinion]

Beautiful and sad at the same time. Thank you for showing this.

[@realappalachia]

I'm glad you enjoyed it. It feels exactly as you describe being there

[@greyjay9202]

The sound of the river ... very peaceful.

[@shyamdevadas6099]

Thurmond is like so many quaint little towns in WV that would be wonderful to live in. I first bought land there starting 20 years ago. (I eventually owned three properties in two counties.) Sadly, I lay the blame for the decline at the feet of the state's leaders - both political and business. Instead of biting the bullet and transitioning to a modern information-based economy, they recklessly relied on the mining industry. Now, it's essentially too late to do anything, now that people and businesses have fled. The fact that these deserted towns are still so beautiful and unvandalized is evidence that the people there are ethical and hardworking. I just wish that they were more open to change.

[@thehammer6675]

I like it. I'll bet theres a little cabin for cheap up in the hills somewhere. I could move there and elect myself mayor, sheriff, and whatever else I wanted to be.

[@walterlangston4253]

if you hike the south side juction trail cross the river from thurmond about 2 miles you come to the coal camp of rush run then red ash lots of coke ovens to see there I got a video of the red ash coke ovens

[@realappalachia]

is that stuff still there? I would love to see that. There's a community near my hometown called Red Ash and my popaw worked for a mine there

[@esc4p3d]

I go there often, like today, my grandfather worked as a brake man @ Thurmond, Dunlop Creek That empties in to New river there is where he fell to his death from a small bridge that crosses it. My father was only 16 months old @ the time.

[@melissaszuch1560]

My husband's family is from these parts. Thank you again. Lots of history here

[@realappalachia]

You're absolutely right, history on virtually every corner. Thanks for watching.

[@davidbell9130]

another interesting video and thanks for sharing

[@93greenstrat]

If not for the C&O Railway, Thurmond would have been long forgotten.

[@jeffa3596]

Wow, when I was a child I stayed at the "Bankers Club" a hotel in Thurmond. It was the old bank. This was a couple of years before the movie was made. Great white water rafting.

[@allen7585]

This is happening all over West Virginia. Look into Grafton. It use to be known as the city that never slept. It was the first stop of the trains from DC after going through insanely long train rides west through the Allegheny mountains. People wanted to get off and walk, stretch, and eat restaurant food. Vice versa, people going to Dc would stop in Grafton before continuing on the long, long trip through the mountains to DC. Now it’s slowly being abandoned. The old train depot is beautiful but falling to pieces.

[@realappalachia]

very sorry to hear that, I was in Grafton around 25 years ago for a bank I worked for and it sounds like it has really fallen on hard times.

[@babydriver8134]

I Love to explore too, just like you. History is cool.

[@realappalachia]

I subscribed to your channel, looks like you live in a cool part of the world too

[@charleshughbryan5603]

Great video ! I've been watching your channel for awhile and getting to know my birth place. I was born in Beckley , WVA in 1947 at my Grandfather's house but my parents moved away before I was two. My Grandpa died not long after we moved and so much history was lost. I grew up in the Midwest and promised my Grandmother I'd take her back when I got my license. Well, life happens and I took her ,my Mom, and wife and children back after I came home from Viet- Nam. Beautiful country but so many unanswered question about my family. Grandma introduced my to family and friends there but I couldn't stay long as the Marines sent me to college to be a mechanical engineer and I had to go back for the fall semester. Your videos are a glimpse of my past and I enjoy them very much. Thanks Keep those videos coming.

[@realappalachia]

That’s awesome, Charles, so glad the videos speak to you and your history

[@robinfrey1696]

I lived in a tent in Fayetteville last summer and visited Thurmond often. It's really nice, but there are about 20 of these towns along the river and some are even cooler.

[@ES-pc8kf]

I rafted the nearby Upper Gauley River which has some of the best rafting in THE WORLD 🌎 It was classified as the 6th best technical river in world for rafting. Great experience!! It was Wild and Wonderful rafting over a ten foot high waterfall.

[@tthinker9897]

Would have liked to see some of the houses, surely there were houses - not everyone could live in a hotel or bank building. This small deserted town is both beautiful and tragic; I do hope that people decide to live there again. Me personally, I need to have a movie theater within a half hour drive, even though it's been over 2 years since I have gone to a movie. Thanks for the nostalgia.

[@filianablanxart8305]

There are / were houses , and streets on the hillside above the business district . 20- ish years ago quite a few were still occupied . There were/ are roads leading from the backside of the town thru the hills . But in the context of originally being mid 1800's wagon roads . By modern standards they would be closer to Jeep trails than modern highways . That said , the railroad instantly became the predominant transportation mode . It was exponentially faster , easier , and more efficient than local roads .

[@tthinker9897]

@@filianablanxart8305 thank you so much! I remember watching the video of exploring this town. You must have lived or traveled there - thank you again for filling in the blanks.

[@filianablanxart8305]

@@tthinker9897 I travelled there , at the same era that I was deeply looking into the history of the area , and the larger regions around there ,and it stuck with me . This video is reminding me I'm overdue to spend some time in Thurmond again .

[@michaelmacdonell4834]

There's a county in England called Sussex. It gfot divided a few decades ago, and I lived on what is now the border. The countryside, geology, trees - this film was a trip right back in time. Thank you.

[@realappalachia]

that is great, glad it helped to bring that back for you

[@Electra225]

Thank you for another enjoyable video of Thurmond, WV. I will definitely add this to my places to stop when I get to visit, hopefully, in the very near future.

[@spencerbass7142]

That is really neat. I think it would be a great place to live, very pretty.

[@freestonew]

I noticed as you drove by the "suburbs" at the edge of town that on the left were at least two areas where I saw buildings and a house with a car or truck parked and the properties look "used". Probably there are more people here than it looks as many would live back in hollows or back off of the road. If they have jobs, they must drive a few miles then buy supplies in that workplace town. Yes, no Grafitti or broken windows. Whenever I see graffiti that is of just a name tag, I read "dispair" between the lines!

[@foltzenlogel]

In 2019 the town had a population of 6

[@filianablanxart8305]

1980 population 67 , 1990 37 . Far from the boom years , but far more people than today . I'd have to look up the details , but as I recall in general terms : Since the 1990's the NPS long term plan is for a non- populated historical site . Pre existing residents could stay , but when they sell or pass away , the Park Service gets the property .

[@codythedog61]

HI AGAIN FROM DOWN UNDER, LOVE THESE VIDS MATE. AWESOME.

[@danalynch8889]

I discovered Thurmond while on one of my trips to West Virginia while visiting my Uncle. I would take my little second cousin and drive around West Virginia. I would drive the back roads.

[@g24thinf]

The Dun Glen had, according to Ripley, the longest running poker game in history. Played continuously for something like 14 years. A body was found floating in the river one time behind the hotel and when fished out was found to have 500 bucks and a pistol in his pockets. The Sheriff promptly fined the dead man 500 bucks for carrying a concealed weapon and pocketed the money.

[@bendigr]

i love driving back roads like these.

[@realappalachia]

they really are great to escape for a few minutes of peace

[@palco22]

Very interesting. It's all history to me and I can't get enough !......Thanks for this tidbit of a time forgotten.

[@realappalachia]

that is awesome, thanks so much

[@1960gambit]

Been to Thurmond and Saint Elmo, Colorado.

[@williamturner1517]

WAIT! WAIT!! West Virginia is ALMOST HEAVEN!!

[@oughtssought1198]

some of the Amtrak conductors tell some of the tale of Thurmond as the train approaches town Thanks for this chance to look around a bit with out getting out & catching the next day's train

[@jamesharrison6201]

Sounds like my kind of town

[@walterlangston4253]

I live near Thurmond go there a lot and love to hike to the near by coal camps that are abandoned and the dunloup branch line runs behine my house

[@Ender-Corbin]

Used have a train bridge that (drove across it frequently) connected one of the town's nearby me. Was demolished about 10+ yrs ago to make way for the new 2 lane 500 yrd up the river.

[@LasVegas68]

Nice video. I used to have family around Thurmond when I was a kid. Haven't been back so I appreciate your video.

[@realappalachia]

Glad you enjoyed it, thank you

[@dwhallon21]

Wow, what a find. That is still a pretty little town tucked away in beautiful country. Someplace this Hoosier could call home. Thank u for sharing

[@realappalachia]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@mountainfolk2000]

Thanks Shane, another great video.

[@realappalachia]

Thank you, Jane

[@mikemorris4916]

I'm have family up the mountain ifnu keep going up the hill and also if you turn right befor the big bridge follow it down to the swimming holes and sandbar and there a rafting place on left hand side

[@CRAIGVY]

very Kool, thank you for your time taken to share , nothing beats just taking rides in the car off the highway, long back roads lead to kool places , Peace an Blessings Craig

[@realappalachia]

Thank you, Craig

[@carolyndavis7476]

Wow!! A beautiful scenic drive but on the other hand, sort of spooky u being the only person around. It is a shame that a town that was once bustling has wound up like this. Thanks for the ride!!

[@realappalachia]

Thanks for riding along with me. You described exactly how it feels in person too, beautiful but so alone that it is unnerving

[@carolyndavis7476]

@@realappalachia Yes...it unnerved me just watching u there in regretfully a very desolate place. Stay safe!!

[@Beyerjohn283]

We used to go hiking there back in the early 2010's. Havent been there in a few years now, but loved that area. TONS of hiking trails around there. Def more than you can do in a day. Its so quiet and peaceful there. We would visit in late March usually before all the drunk white water rafters came down the New River.

[@realappalachia]

I'm always surprised at how much there truly is to do around there. Great place to visit.

[@freestonew]

drunk, you say?! why is it so many "adventuring people must be drunk in order to "appreciate" the experience? Maybe this is due to their so many inhibitions installed by society and childhood that they would not enjoy the trip otherwise!

[@geekhillbilly2636]

Looks a Lot like Hardburly,Kentucky .BTW I live in Hardburly to this day.The Home scenes of the Movie "Next Of Kin" was filmed here

[@realappalachia]

I just read that about Next of Kin after someone else mentioned the movie. I have never been to Hardburly, is there a lot of the camp left these days? I would like to come check it out someday.

[@fazapops]

Incredibly interesting... thank you for posting this!

[@jdallison7061]

Grew up about 1 1/2 hours away been there multiple times. Been whitewater rafting starting at the bridge six or eight times good times fun and exciting trip.

[@lauraables4101]

I know a couple of the people that live in Thurmond their last name is Dragan

[@realappalachia]

that is awesome

[@richarddrum9970]

Been through Thurmond by train a few times and in the early nineties was there helping National Park service with some design work for the station and its riverbank. Walked across the bridge over the New River hoping that a train didn’t cross at the same time, very neat place to visit.

[@lavendersunday8712]

I enjoyed your video. Thanks for sharing.

[@TheGreatOutdoors]

Amazing. And fascinating comments!

[@blossums7]

Really Enjoy your videos. Thank you.

[@rubensalcido5606]

Nice scenic drive and interesting place of histort!

[@realappalachia]

thank you, Ruben

[@rboston33]

Went to Thurmond twice, both times to begin great white water rafting trips on the New River.

[@lisamiller2710]

I 💕 love watching haunted places

[@markminter3960]

Thanks again for such a good job. On these videos.

[@realappalachia]

Glad you like them!

[@debbieepperly3821]

That was a beautiful drive, Shane. So sad to see the place with nobody around. The Depot looked very interesting. Did it include a hotel back in the day? I'm wondering if anyone still even lives there? I know you showed the post office & town hall, but didn't see any residential areas. When I was a kid, my daddy & mama used to love going to Eggleston to fish & spend the day. Daddy would drive his old truck, with mama & usually my oldest sister in front with them. Me & her 3 girls would ride in the back of the truck. We'd go to Parrott, get on the road next to the railroad tracks & drive all the way to Eggleston, then go over a track crossing & be where my parents loved to go. There was an old country store there & daddy would buy us pop & stuff to eat, then it was fishing time until almost dark. We'd go home most times the same way we came cause it was quicker. I remember there were times we'd end up riding right beside a train! That would scare us kids half to death & we'd lay down in the back of the pickup. We went that way for years, til the railroad put a chain over the crossing & locked it. You going over that bridge right beside the train tracks reminded me of that! Its a shame you couldn't get over to see the old hotel that had burned or see where anyone was living. Such a pretty small town. Its a shame its just alone with memories more than anything else. Loved seeing the train go by...I hear them on the tracks in Belspring/Parrott most every day & night. I love hearing the whistle when it gets close to the crossing. My granddaddy used to go get the mail bags from the train as it passed the depot. I used to love hearing daddy & mama talk about their parents & how their lives were. I miss that so much. Thanks for this wonderful video! Please stay safe & as always I pray God's protection over you as you bring us the history & beauty of our land.

[@realappalachia]

Last I heard there was like 4 or 5 or 6 residents - maybe 2 or 3 families left there but they still operate as a functioning town.

[@richardevans9003]

There are some houses up behind the three remaining buildings. If you cross the bridge and keep going straight across the tracks, the road climbs a hill and they are on the left

[@tangerinedreamfan9973]

That long train reminds me of what I would see in North Carolina going along US route 70.

[@BrendaHouston_]

I went through there on an Amtrak about 10 years ago. Going through the hollers of West Virginia was a cool part of the trip.

[@realappalachia]

I bet that Amtrak ride was something else

[@BrendaHouston_]

@@realappalachia it was from North Carolina to Denver with my mom. She was 89 years old and we had a sleeper car. Memories! They took us through D.C. and then up through Chicago and back down.

[@thomasweaks4359]

I am very familiar with Thurmond. The town was thriving during those years when coal mines were active in the area and steam locomotives were used to haul the coal. There was a service/repair shop in Thurmond that employed a large number of workers in the area. The town experienced a steep decline when the steam locomotive was replaced.

[@urkoolUncle]

Enjoy your videos, Shane.

[@realappalachia]

Thank you

[@virginiawilliams7282]

Such a shame you didn't capture some of the original old & beautiful homes. Also the scenery around the area & the river. But still a good video

[@pwb0511]

Cool video, I went to college in wv, miss the place

[@edholohan]

Really enjoyed this. Thanks!

[@realappalachia]

Thank you, Ed

[@bubblehead78]

Great video! I've subscribed to your channel. Recommendation: put a link to Google maps showing the route your drove on your tours.

[@cranerigging3604]

That's an interesting weight limit sign at 3:15 crossing the bridge , I like it ! The visitors center looks pretty cool . What people that do visit or still live in Thurmond must have some good value's and respect for property as I did not see any sign of vandalism or paint and graffiti .

[@realappalachia]

Very true and very good to see that type of respect

[@williamsimmons152]

I dunno...that’s a common DOT weight limit sign in rural areas with small bridges.

[@rupe53]

@@realappalachia ... would almost seem to be under national park control, which means any crime would have a hefty penalty. (graffiti, vandalism, etc)

[@realappalachia]

@@rupe53 good point

[@Suneed1997]

These videos are insane to me haha I’m definitely a city person lol can’t believe there are people living at places like this! Very cool

[@DRWFJ40]

Dragan Diversified is a company with "diverse" interests that the Dragan family created when they sold their property to the National Park Service. Jon Dragan moved to Thurmond in the 1960's and started the first whitewater rafting company on the New River. He raised a family in Thurmond & his brother Tom still lives in Thurmond I think. They're good people. There is a long list of things that make Thurmond less than ideal for a river outfitter to locate but... that's another story. It's a cool place to explore for sure.

[@DRWFJ40]

There use to be the ruins of an old turntable upstream of the coal tower on the same side of the tracks.

[@realappalachia]

@@DRWFJ40 thanks for the fantastic info, that resolved s couple of questions I had

[@DRWFJ40]

@@realappalachia I would imagine the NPS wasn't real comfortable with it's condition. In the late 80's you could walk through and explore it but it was falling apart.

[@stokerboiler]

The train is empties headed to Russell.

[@lynbodeen]

I was on a train a couple years ago and stopped there. It was very cool.

[@davidglaum2538]

It is great to see that it is in good condition not trashed and damaged.

[@realappalachia]

it seems to be well-maintained by the state, thankfully

[@zigman8550]

Glad to see the old steam locomotive coaling tower still standing.

[@trainliker100]

Earlier today I was reading a model railroad magazine with an article where somebody modeled this town in HO scale. And later today KZbin has this as a recommendation for me. I hope that's just coincidence.

[@realappalachia]

It probably isnt lol

[@lukewalters4716]

Um no it's not a coincidence. Ever got ads for crap you talked about buying before? Happens to me all the time.

[@trainliker100]

@@lukewalters4716 But nobody could know I was reading that magazine that day. Also, I bought the magazine off a hobby shop rack so there wouldn't be any record connecting my name to that particular magazine. However, I do subscribe to OTHER magazines from the same publisher.

[@ohmeowzer1]

Love your videos getting caught up

[@realappalachia]

Thank you so much

[@davidjackson7675]

Interesting, it is right next to a big bend in the New River.

[@jerryferko8309]

this story was on " mysteries of the abandoned " on the science channel ............pretty cool story and sad at the same time . they did a story on lynch , kentucky also ...........U S STEEL had a coal facility there .....it was huge ....

[@realappalachia]

I'm not familiar with that show but it sounds right up my alley

[@margiebyrge2766]

Mt hubby took me and his little brother to Thurmond to see it but we didn't cross the bridge to the other side but the next trip we will.

[@realappalachia]

It is well worth the effort, great things to see

[@GeoHvl]

The road NC 194, between Elk Park and Banner Elk, NC. is identical to the road into Thurmond, WV.

[@libertygiveme1987]

You know, I DON'T GET IT!!!! They, the news media, is CONSTANTLY talking about a "HOUSING CRISIS", NOT ENUGH HOUSING, and here you go, an almost ABANDONED TOWN!!!! Build this town up!!!!

[@williamm374]

They need the jobs in the area and the Leftist politicians want to destroy the fossil fuel industry.

[@shyamdevadas6099]

Gentlemen, with respect...the coal industry was the problem. Coal was already on the decline. No one wants to live near a coal plant. Mining is still dangerous, dirty, and relatively low-paying. Instead of biting the bullet and committing to a modern, diversified economy, WV leaders and many of its citizens just tried to milk more time out of the coal industry. In 1999, I bought my first patch of land in WV and intended to relocate my electronics business there. I thought I found a good community along I-68 that had an enormous fiber optic trunk being laid. As it turns out, that trunk was there to service just a few cities along the I-68 corridor. Over 20 years later, my community still doesn't have modern broadband. Without that, no modern business can operate. Therein follows no jobs, no tax revenues, people flight, and deserted towns. In my heart, I hope WV finds its way. Other similarly isolated regions with old economies have done this all over the world. One thing I can say is that sitting around now and whining about coal and left-wing politicians isn't going to get anyone anywhere.

[@JordanReeve]

Housing crisis are more often not about the overall supply of housing. But the houses are in close proximity to the job centres of major cities

[@nettiemarie2556]

Neat history, tyfs with us.

[@realappalachia]

Glad you enjoyed it, thank you