Vulcan, West Virginia

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Vulcan, West Virginia
Unincorporated community
Postmark from Vulcan, West Virginia
Postmark from Vulcan, West Virginia
Vulcan, West Virginia is located in West Virginia
Vulcan, West Virginia
Vulcan, West Virginia
Coordinates: 37°33′08″N 82°07′33″W / 37.55222°N 82.12583°W / 37.55222; -82.12583Coordinates: 37°33′08″N 82°07′33″W / 37.55222°N 82.12583°W / 37.55222; -82.12583
CountryUnited States
StateWest Virginia
CountyMingo
Elevation
738 ft (225 m)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
25697
Area code(s)304 & 681
GNIS feature ID1555899[1]

Vulcan is an unincorporated community in Mingo County, West Virginia, United States. Vulcan is located along the Tug Fork across from the state of Kentucky. The community was named after Vulcan, the god of fire in Roman mythology.[2] Vulcan received international attention when they requested aid from the Soviet Union to replace a collapsed bridge, the only legal entrance and exit into the community.[3]

Vulcan was originally settled as a coal-mining community in the early 20th century, but by 1968 the coal supply had been exhausted and the town experienced significant depopulation.[4]

Bridge[]

In 1972, the situation at Vulcan was described as:

Their biggest problem was that the state had forgotten to build a road into the community. Although state maps showed a road into Vulcan, it was nowhere to be found. The only way people could get in and out was to drive up the Kentucky side and walk across a swinging bridge, which was too narrow for a vehicle. The bridge had been built by the coal company years before and was on the verge of collapse; although there were boards missing, the children had to walk across it to catch the school bus on the Kentucky side.[4]

In 1974–75, the bridge had completely collapsed due to wood rot, and the mayor of Vulcan had unsuccessfully lobbied both the state and federal government to replace it.[5][6] Because of a lack of action the self-appointed mayor of Vulcan, John Robinette, in 1977 requested foreign aid from the Soviet Union and East Germany to replace the town's bridge.[7] Soviet journalist Iona Andronov visited Vulcan on December 17, 1977, to meet with Robinette and survey the problem. Within an hour of his visit, reporters were told that the state would replace the bridge. The West Virginia Legislature provided $1.3 million in funding to replace the bridge which opened in 1980.[3][8][9]

Vulcan in 2014
Vulcan in 2014

References[]

Media related to Vulcan, West Virginia at Wikimedia Commons

  1. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  2. ^ Kenny, Hamill (1945). West Virginia Place Names: Their Origin and Meaning, Including the Nomenclature of the Streams and Mountains. Piedmont, WV: The Place Name Press. p. 652.
  3. ^ a b writer, Caity Coyne Staff. "Plight of Nolan residents stirs memories of 'bridge the Russians almost built'". Charleston Gazette-Mail. Retrieved 2021-09-24.
  4. ^ a b "A West Virginia Town Applied For Soviet Foreign Aid, and Other Lesser Known American History Facts". HistoryCollection.com. 2020-02-21. Retrieved 2021-09-24.
  5. ^ "West Virginia Town/Access Problem CBS Evening News for Friday, Aug 12, 1977". Vanderbilt Television News Archive. Vanderbilt Television News Archive. Archived from the original on 28 February 2018. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  6. ^ Times, Gregory Jaynes Special to The New York (1978-12-16). "Stranded Mining Town Awaits Bridge". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-09-24.
  7. ^ AppalachianMagazine. "The West Virginia Town That Applied For Soviet Foreign Aid | Appalachian Magazine". Retrieved 2021-09-24.
  8. ^ DePARLE, JASON (1991-07-22). "West Virginia Roads: A Bumpy Legacy Lives On". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
  9. ^ "West Virginia Bridge Being Built Without Russian Aid". Ocala Star-Banner. 1980-01-02. Retrieved 2018-02-25 – via Google Newspaper Archive.


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