Salt Industry

Salt was West Virginia's first industry. Salt is an important mineral that all animals and humans require in their diet. During the early pioneer times, access to salt was a matter of life and death.

A solution of salt brine (salty water) sometimes makes its way to the surface where pioneers could collect the water, evaporate it, and retrieve the salt left behind. This salt could be used to preserve food year round. As more settlers made their way to the region, salt became a major industry. In 1808, the Ruffner brothers built the first commercial furnace in the Kanawha Valley at present-day Malden. Large wells were dug and water was forcibly evaporated using heat produced by fire to quickly extract the salt. By the 1850s, the region that is present-day West Virginia was producing over three million bushels of salt each year.

Did You Know?

J.Q. Dickinson Salt-Works in Malden, Kanawha County continues their 200-year-old family trade of producing local salt.

Coal Industry

West Virginia has been well-known for its prominent coal industry. Coal's first industrial role in the region came through the Kanawha Valley's salt industry, as salt makers relied on the region's abundant resource for fuel.

The first coal boom in present-day West Virginia began with cannel coal found in the Kanawha Valley in the 1840s and 1850s. Distilled oil from cannel coal became a popular fuel for lights throughout the country. The arrival of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad in the late 1850s sparked the industry's growth further. However, the completion of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway in 1873 served as the clear catalyst for West Virginia's rise as the coal capital of the country.

From 1880 to 1917, soaring demand for coal drove production in West Virginia from just 490,000 tons to over 90 million tons. Mining such vast amounts of coal required a massive workforce that included over 90,000 miners working hard to get the work done quickly and efficiently. Unfortunately, the pressure to work quickly often led to accidents. During this time period, West Virginia experienced some of the worst mining accidents in the nation and hundreds of lives were lost.

New laws by both the state and federal governments established improved safety conditions and increased inspections. Meanwhile, the coal industry reached its peak in 1947. Mechanization and increased surface mining, as well as the nation's growing dependence on petroleum products, caused employment in the coal industry to decrease rapidly in the 1950s. Despite the decline, West Virginia continues to be a major exporter of coal for our country's electric power plants and the world's steel industries.

Fun Fact

West Virginia is the second-largest coal producer in the nation and the largest producer of bituminous coal in the nation.

Timber

West Virginia's timber industry dates back to the frontier, when pioneers cut down trees to build their houses and heat their homes. The commercial timber industry took off along with the spread of railroads after the Civil War. Logging towns emerged quickly.

Loggers cut down trees and transported them to a saw mill. Many logging operations would construct log rafts and float them downriver to the mill. This became a common sight on any navigable river or stream. At the mill, logs were cut into a variety of lengths and thicknesses based on the many ways that lumber could be used by consumers. Steam-powered band saws accelerated the amount of lumber that sawmills could produce, and launched West Virginia into its place as the third largest hardwood-producing state in the nation between 1870 and 1920.

Among the most significant impacts of the timber boom on West Virginia was the extensive deforestation that it caused throughout the state. In 1870, the state boasted about ten million acres of old-growth forests. By 1910, only 1.5 million acres remained and by 1920, it was all gone. Due to conservation efforts and the decline of rural agriculture, the state has more trees today than in the early 1900s.

Did You Know?

Today, West Virginia is the third most forested state in the country.

Oil and Gas

The oil and gas industry in West Virginia is rooted in its salt industry. During the early 1800s, it was not uncommon for saltmakers to hit oil or natural gas while drilling—though they had not yet recognized it as a valuable resource quite yet. However, over the course of time, these natural resources abundant in West Virginia became valuable players within the economic market.

The first major commercial oil well in the state and one of the oldest oil wells in the world was built in 1860 and produced over 100 barrels per day. This well was built in present-day Burning Springs, Wirt County by the Rathbone brothers, who were drilling for salt. In 1893, Sistersville, Tyler County made its debut as one of the country's most prominent oil field boomtowns. By 1900, the state reached a peak production with sixteen million barrels of oil produced each year.

Natural gas in West Virginia has been produced from wells since the early 1900s. Thanks to geologist Israel C. White of West Virginia University, anticlinal theory of oil and gas location helped to fuel a boom in production. By 1906, the state produced more natural gas than any other state in the nation. West Virginia would hold onto its title as the nation's top natural gas producer for eighteen years. During the twenty-first century, the state experienced a new gas boom with the development of technology capable of extracting natural gas from the Marcellus and Utica shales. Today, the state remains among the top ten producers of natural gas in the United States.

Fun Fact

Outflows of petroleum and natural gas vents, called "burning springs," are thought to have been used as a fuel source by Native Americans along the Little Kanawha, Kanawha, and Big Sandy rivers. European settlers, including George Washington, also took notice of these resources.

Iron and Steel

Similar to salt, iron has long been an essential resource since the days of the frontier. Deposits of iron ore were discovered near some of the larger rivers around present-day West Virginia early in the region's history. In as early as 1742, an iron furnace was operated at a bloomery in present-day Jefferson County where iron was used to make tools and nails for use on farms. Further west, Peter Tarr built an iron furnace in present-day Hancock County in 1794. This furnace, known as the Peter Tarr Iron Furnace, was the first iron furnace west of the Allegheny Mountains and capable of producing two tons of iron each day. However, West Virginia's modern era of iron making began in the New River Gorge area in the late 1800s with coke-fueled blast furnaces.

Meanwhile, in 1834, Wheeling built its first ironworks. The city would become the center of iron production in the state and would also become an important city in the production of steel, especially in the manufacturing of nails. In fact, the nails produced in Wheeling gave the city its nickname as "Nail City."

The 1885 invention of the Bessemer furnace allowed the steel industry to flourish. It's important to note that steel is refined iron ore mixed with other minerals. The state's first Bessemer converter began production at Riverside Iron Works in Wheeling and by 1890, steel production was far more prominent than iron. At one time, one of the nation’s major steel mills was located in Weirton where some of the finest steel in the world was made.

Did You Know?

In 1890, the McKinley Tariff stimulated production of tin plate in the United States. This prompted the opening of several tin plate mills in the state and sparked the beginning of the formation of the Weirton Steel Corporation in Hancock County.

Chemical Industry

West Virginia’s chemical industry is rooted in the 350-million-year-old brine deposits that made the region a leading salt producer in the early 1800s. However, the modern era of the state's chemical industry began into the 1920s, becoming its own major economic driver following World War I and peaking after World War II.

Before the war, most of the chemicals used in U.S. manufacturing came from Germany. When the war with Germany broke out, chemical plants were established on the Kanawha and Ohio Rivers. The region's vast natural resources and access to transportation attracted major chemical companies including Westvaco, Monsanto, and American Viscose, among others.

Chemists at the Union Carbide and Carbon Corporation (later Union Carbide Corporation) plant in Clendenin revolutionized the petrochemical industry when they discovered they could convert the local natural gas supply to ethylene. Such discoveries lead to the Kanawha Valley becoming known as the "Chemical Capital of the World" and West Virginia's chemical industry steadily grew. Between 1947 and 1952, the state's chemical production peaked and nearly doubled the national average. However, by the late twentieth century, the industry declined in the state as automation and industry mergers increased. Despite this, the industry still plays a major role in the state's economy and the state remains a leader in the fields of polymers and biochemical engineering.

Fun Fact

During World War II, the United States government assisted in building a plant at Institute to produce rubber as part of their program to boost synthetic rubber production. The plant at Institute supplied 60% of the nation's synthetic rubber made from alcohol.

Glass and Pottery Industry

For over 200 years, glassmaking has been a prominent industry in West Virginia. Abundant supplies of white silica sand, limestone, and inexpensive fuels have helped to build a rich history of glass manufacturing in the state. West Virginia is particularly famous for its handmade glass, marbles, and wide variety of art glass. Prominent glassmakers in the state include Wissmach Glass of Paden City, Blenko Glass, Fostoria Glass, and many others.

Likewise, an abundance of clay deposits in the state, left behind by weathering limestone and shale during the marine geologic age, have fueled a robust pottery industry in West Virginia. For many years, Hancock County was the nation's brick and tile capital thanks to the abundance of high-quality clay found in the area. During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, West Virginia's abundance of clay led to the manufacture of countless dinnerware, containers, stoneware, porcelain, and other ceramic products that boosted the state's pottery industry with prominent companies including Homer Laughlin China Company, Carr China Company, La Belle Pottery, and many others.

Did You Know?

The glass industry in West Virginia produced some of the state's prominent labor movement leaders.

Electric Industry

Hydroelectric (water) power was the earliest electric power source in present-day West Virginia. The Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal's Dams No. 4 and No. 5 were built in 1835 to support canal navigation and hydroelectric plants were added in the early 1900s. Both are still operational and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Electricity transformed life in West Virginia. However, electric service spread slowly with early investors focusing on more populated areas like cities, where they could reach more paying customers and ensure a return on their investment. Many rural communities were without electric service until the twentieth century, when technology advanced and federal programs—such as those introduced as part of the New Deal—moved along the rural electricification process.

West Virginia's first coal-fired plant began operation in 1919, marking the beginning of a boom in coal-powered electricity. Throughout the twentieth century, West Virginia became a major electricity exporter, providing electric power beyond its borders. In 2002, the Mountaineer Wind Energy Center began operation in Tucker County, introducing large-scale wind energy to the state. Natural gas has since joined coal, wind, and hydro as a growing source of power generation for the state.

Fun Fact

Today, West Virginia continues to rank among the top electricity-exporting states in the country.

Tourism Industry

Tourism, one of West Virginia's newest industries, is also one of the state's fastest-growing industries, bringing visitors from near and far to experience the Mountain State's natural beauty, rich history, and unique culture. The state's tourism industry also supports a wide range of local businesses within West Virginia—including restaurants and lodging, gas stations, shops and boutiques, artisan markets, etc.—helping communities thrive alongside the visitors that they welcome.

From whitewater rafting, hiking, and skiing to ziplining, camping, and fishing, the outdoors of the Mountain State offers year-round adventure. History buffs are attracted to explore places like Harpers Ferry, Civil War sites, old mining towns, and various other unique points of interest. Visitors are also attracted to the numerous fairs and festivals across the state such as the Mothman Festival, Mountain State Forest Festival, Feast of the Ramson, and many more. These events celebrate everything from local folklore to traditional foods and offer a glimpse into West Virginia's unique culture and heritage.

Did You Know?

A full list of events happening in West Virginia is available online at: wvtourism.com/events-festivals.