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...
The southern portion of Mountain Charlie Road is an approximately 5.1-mile single lane rural highway located in the Santa Cruz Mountains of Santa Cruz County. This segment of Mountain Charlie Road begins at California State Route 35 (Summit Road) and terminates to the south at Glenwood Drive near South Pacific Coast Railroad Tunnel #4. A second northern segment of Mountain Charlie Road begins at Summit Road and extends approximately 1 mile northward to Old Santa Cruz Highway. Mountain Charlie Road along with a small portion of Glenwood Drive and Bean Creek Road were all part of the McKiernan Toll Road. The McKiernan Toll Road was commissioned by the Santa Cruz Turnpike Company in 1858. This toll road would be constructed by Charles Henry "Mountain Charlie" McKiernan and Hiram Scott at a cost $6,000. The McKiernan Toll Road originated at what is now the city of Scotts Valley and ascended to the Summit Road. The toll facility was ultimately purcha...