11 Tiny Towns In West Virginia Where HUGE Things Happened

Just like you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, you should never judge a town by the number of people who live there. As it turns out, there are several tiny towns in West Virginia where huge things happened. It's true! Not all of the state's history-making events occurred in larger cities. Need proof? We thought so, which is why we compiled a list of 11 tiny towns in West Virginia where huge things happened.

1. Eccles, population 362

Eccles is the site of a mining disaster that took the lives of 180 men on April 28, 1914. It’s the second-worst mining disaster in the state’s history.

2. Shinnston, population 2,201

Shinnston is the site of the deadliest tornado in West Virginia history. The storm, on June 23, 1944, killed 66 people in the town and surrounding area. In total, 103 people were killed and 430 were seriously injured.

3. Kenova, population 3,216

A hillside in Kenova was the crash site of a plane carrying the 1970 Marshall University football team. The tragic accident occurred on November 14, 1970, as the team was returning from a game. Sadly, all 75 people on board were killed when the plane crashed into the hillside, just a short distance from Tri-State Airport.

4. Matewan, population 499

Matewan was the site of a 1920 shootout between local miners and the Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency. The incident is referred to as the Battle of Matewan or the Matewan Massacre. Ten people were killed during the incident, including two miners, the mayor, and seven agents from the Bald-Felts agency.

5. Benwood, population 1,420

No list of tiny towns in West Virginia where huge things happened would be complete without Benwood. The town of roughly 1,400 was the site of a huge mining disaster. The horrific accident occurred in 1924, when the Benwood Mine exploded, claiming the lives of 119 coal miners. There were no survivors. It’s the third-worst coal disaster in state history. The blast was reportedly caused by the ignition of methane gas and coal dust and occurred at around 7:05 a.m., about a half hour after the morning shift of miners started working for the day.

6. Mount Hope, population 1,414

Mount Hope in Fayette County was the site of a devastating fire that demolished the town in five hours. The fire broke out on March 24, 1910. Among the burned buildings, were the town’s high school, a hotel, several businesses, and many houses. According to news reports from the time, the town had a population of nearly 600, and after the blaze, 500 were left homeless.

7. Monongah, population 1,044

Monongah is the site of the worst mining disaster in American history. On December 6, 1907, an explosion at the mine killed 367 people. Most of the men died instantly.

8. Farmington, population 375

A mine disaster on November 20, 1968, killed 78 miners. The explosion at the mine was so big that it was felt almost 12 miles away in Fairmont! The accident was a catalyst for several laws that were later passed to protect miners.

9. Bartley, population 224

Bartley, which is located in McDowell County, is the site of one of the deadliest mine disasters in the country’s history. The Pond Creek #1 mine exploded on January 10, 1940, killing 91 miners. The cause of the blast was determined to be a gas pocket that had built up and was ignited by a spark.

10. Belmont, population 903

The closest city to Willow Island, Belmont is an unincorporated place that was the site of the Willow Island Disaster. In 1978, a cooling tower, which was under construction at a Belmont power station,

collapsed and killed 51 workers. The tragedy was deemed the biggest construction accident in the country’s history.

11. Ripley, population 3,252

Ripley in Jackson County was the site of the last public hanging in the state. In 1897, John Morgan was hanged for murder. About 5,000 people came to watch the event, which was written about in a national newspaper. The spectacle caused the state legislature to outlaw public executions not long after.

So, were you familiar with these tiny towns in West Virginia where huge things happened? Do you know of any other tiny towns in West Virginia where huge things happened? Let us know!