For Throwback Thursday this week, we go back to April 2005 to US 15 in Painted Post, New York (this section of road is now part of I-99 as well). At the time, there was a sign for the Gang Mills exit where a NY 417 shield with a white background was affixed to the sign. I believe that it had to do with a maintenance swap that took place a few years prior. The sign is now long gone, replaced with something not quite unique.
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve is best known for whitewater rafting and other forms of adventure tourism. Yet, found in the hollows and isolated valleys are quiet farms and former coal mining towns. Well off the beaten path and isolated from much of its surroundings, Thurmond provides a unique view into Central West Virginia's industrial past. Thurmond began as a railroad town in the late 1800s. Sparked by the arrival of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad and the local coal industry, Thurmond quickly grew into a sizeable transportation and coal center. When it incorporated as a town in 1903, Thurmond was a full-fledged community - home to two banks, two hotels, and many other services and stores. A CSX freight train passes the old coaling tower in Thurmond. It was here that many steam locomotives would refill and refuel. Thurmond was home to a C&O railyard which serviced the numerous steam engines passing through the narrow valley. Thu...

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