Welch, Coal mining city in McDowell County, West Virginia, United States.
Welch is a town in McDowell County, West Virginia, spreading at the confluence of Elkhorn Creek and Tug Fork amid forested mountains at 403 meters elevation. The historic courthouse district with its early 20th-century brick building forms the center of the settlement and stands listed on the national heritage register.
The settlement experienced its rise after the arrival of the Norfolk and Western Railway in 1891, which enabled coal transport from the Pocahontas field. Mining shaped life and economy of the community for decades until the decline of the coal industry began.
The town carries the first memorial building for World War I veterans on American soil, erected in 1923. This commemoration site still shows the deep connection the community holds with its fallen soldiers from that time.
The courthouse district in the town center offers a look into the architectural past and can be explored on foot. The mountainous location requires attention when walking, as some streets rise or drop steeply.
In 1961, a family here received the first federally issued food stamps as part of a program by the Kennedy administration. This action made the town the starting point of a nationwide welfare initiative that would reach millions of households.
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Twin Falls Resort State Park
23.3 km
U.S. Coal and Coke Company Store
9.9 km
McDowell County Courthouse
703 m
Panther Wildlife Management Area
26.3 km
Itmann Company Store and Office
20.8 km
World War Memorial
6.5 km
Pocahontas Fuel Company Store and Office Buildings
21.3 km
Ashland Company Store
20.1 km
Wyco Church
27.5 km
Carter Coal Company Store
14.3 km
Page Coal and Coke Company Store
14.1 km
Welch Commercial Historic District
793 m
Capt. James Moore Homestead
24.9 kmJohn Harriman House
18.6 km
Pocahontas Historic District
25.4 km
Pocahontas Exhibition Coal Mine & Museum
25.2 km
James Ellwood Jones House
19.9 km
Mullens Historic District
23.6 km
John J. Lincoln House
15.8 kmTolliver Branch Lake
24.5 kmHorse Creek Public Fishing Area
19.2 kmR D Bailey Lake Wildlife Management Area
21.3 kmPanther State Forest
26.3 km
Wyoming County Courthouse and Jail
16.7 kmBlack Wolf Links Golf Course
14.4 kmClear Fork Valley Golf Course
25.1 kmMural, Work of art
669 mScenic viewpoint
21.6 kmDiscover hidden gems everywhere you go!
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