ORIGIN OF SOME OF McDOWELL'S PLACE NAMES

"Name Fame...Coal Towns"
 
from H. Edward Steele's article,  Bluefield Daily Telegraph, 
Sunday, September 13, 1987.


Now and then, coal barons fastened their complete names 
onto their towns. . . 

ITMANN, from I. T. Mann, and
JENKINJONES, from Jenkin Jones
 both legendary Pocahontas Fuel Co. pioneers."


When individuals to be honored outnumbered the available 
coal camps, town namers resorted
to various alterations. . .

MAYBEURY, for operators A. J. Mayor and William Beury."


"Since the N & W Railroad opened up this wilderness country in 
the late 1800's and the coal barons were indebted to them, many 
communities took their names. . .

KIMBALL honors an early N & W president, Frederick Kimball. . .
WELCH was named for Capt. I. A. Welch, a civil engineer who did early exploration of the Pocahontas 
coal field."


"Derivation of other area towns include. . .
GARY, for Elbert S. Gary, U. S. Steel chairman;
ECKMAN, for John Eckman, for many years Pulaski Iron's general 
manager. . .
BERWIND, Edward J. Berwind, a Philadelphia capitalist who was an 
extensive developer in the Pocahontas and New River fields. . .
VIVIAN, named for William Vivian, partner in a powerful London 
banking house with big interest in the N & W and Wilcoe. . .
WILCOE, a combination of William Coe, a civil engineer of the 
railroad,  who also has a Bluefield Street named for him. . . "


"Other coal related town names are. . .
MAITLAND, maiden name of the wife of Howard Houstin, a McDowell 
operator.
CARETTA, for Etta Carter, wife of the founder of Carter Coal 
Company, now Ogla. . ."