From: jfurr@vtssi.vt.EDU (Joel Furr)
Newsgroups: alt.appalachian
Subject: from the alt.appalachian archive (Summers County WV)
Date: 25 Aug 92 18:19:38 GMT
Organization: The Ohio State University Department of Computer and Information Science

From: hix@ecsvax.uncecs.edu (Michael Hicks) 
Organization: UNC Educational Computing Service 
Subject: Summers County, West Virginia

HINTON:  The county seat.   Overlooks the New River.   Located at  the  
junction  of  the  New  and  Greenbrier  Rivers.    Enjoyed  prosperity  
until  the  decline  of  coal  &   labor   intensive  railroading.    Many  
great  old  houses,   some  for  sale   at  ridiculously low prices.  
Historic district downtown.  Bluestone  Dam & Lake located above the town.  
The lake has a marina, etc.,  as  well  as nearby Bluestone State Park.   A
well-managed  small  public  library  is  in Hinton. Over 60% of county
residents  have  library cards (no info. available on how many actually use
them). The City of Hinton and the County have made a real effort to cope  with
their economic problems,  and some improvement has been made  over the past
few years.  

PIPESTEM  RESORT STATE PARK:   Over 4000  acres.  Lodge,  cabins,  camping, 
another small lodge accessible only by tramway;  hiking/cross country ski
trails, horseback riding, 2 golf courses, etc.

APPALACHIAN SOUTH FOLKLIFE CENTER:  Located in Pipestem. Sponsors  annual 
traditional  music festival.   The center was founded  by  activist   Don 
West  to  promote  knowledge  of  and  pride   in  Appalachian heritage &
history.  

NEW  RIVER:  Wild & scenic river.  National Park Service  has  an  info.
center in Hinton & offers various programs.  Good canoeing,  rafting. 
Sandstone  Falls is located several miles below Hinton.  There's  now  a
"jet-boat" tour from Sandstone up to  the  falls.  Take care if you go on/in
New River.   It has a reputation as  an  unusually dangerous river.

GREENBRIER  RIVER:  Good bass fishing.   Excellent for  canoeing. Talcott to
Hinton is a good day trip on the river.

BLUESTONE  RIVER:  Good hiking,  fishing.  Some crazies raft  the  Bluestone
during Spring floods.

TALCOTT/HILLDALE AREA:  Location of Big Bend Tunnel,  the railway  tunnel 
where JOHN HENRY challenged advancing technology &  lost.   Hulking, graceless
statue of the legendary John H. located beside  the highway over the tunnel.

PENCE  SPRINGS:  Old  resort hotel,  later used as a  prison  for  women,  bad 
women.  Now renovated & once again a hotel.   Offers  unpretentious charm. 
Calm,  peaceful.   A good place to get  the  hell  away  from everything for a
few days.   The guy  that  owns  Pence Springs also has the Riverside Inn,  a
nearby restaurant of  very good reputation.

HIGHWAYS:  The county has a good road system.   I-64 crosses part  of  the 
county  through Sandstone.  Route 20 provides  good  N/S  access.   Roads are
in good repair.   The only bad roads are  the  very remote unpaved county
roads.  Most are ok, but some are... interesting.

DOWNSIDE  OF  THE  COUNTY:   Limited  job  market.  Tourism-based  economy.
One of the highest infant mortality rates in the nation.

PEOPLE:   The  usual conglomeration.   If you look hard,  you can  find
someone to fit any desired stereotype.

HISTORY:  Best  book  is  HISTORY OF  SUMMERS  COUNTY;  FROM  THE  EARLIEST 
SETTLEMENT TO THE PRESENT TIME,  by  James  H.  Miller.  Published in 1908, 
838 pages.   This is an excellent book, quite  comprehensive:   first  
settlements  by  non-natives,   Indians,  development of Hinton,  commerce,
rivers, odd characters, crime &  punishment,  etc.   It  even recaps an
unfortunate production  of  Richard III performed at the Thespian Hall by the
Black community  of Hinton in 1874.  

PRINCETON:  Town located in neighboring Mercer County.  Has a new  Cracker 
Barrel restaurant;  offers charming examples of avarice- driven development
and decline.   Apparent original source of  WV  DOH Fable,  which was insult-
ing to the noble residents of Summers  County,  hardworking  folks  at  the 
WV  Dept.  of  Highways,  &  Appalachians  in  general.  The most significant
event  in  local  history  was  the discovery several years ago of a dead man
in  a  city  water tower near I-77.   Princeton residents had noticed  a 
funny taste - "Mildred, this water taste funny to you?"  Cultural  growth  in 
Princeton peaked in the late 1970's with  development  and  operation of 3
discos:  The King's Gallery,  Billy's Bump  &  Boogie and the Disco Inferno. 
(This is all true).  The discovery  by  bar  owners  that unexplained fires 
could  result  in  large  insurance  settlements  resulted in 3 fewer  discos. 
 Bereft  of  their usual stimulation,  the population turned to development of 
strip shopping centers,  downtown economic destruction, franchise  restau-
rants,  and gas stations, and more gas stations.  It's been  downhill  from
there.   Anyhow,  in reacting to the WV DOH Fable,  one should keep in mind
the environment in which it was conceived...