32°f, 0°C, windy and flurries. Cold and cloudy until early evening, when the sun finally broke through.
Photos from a few road trips in the past week or two.
Middleport, Ohio, is a dying small town on the Ohio River. With no major highway through the area, there is little growth or opportunity, and most storefronts are empty.
I told stories several times in this lovely "opera house", as these old performance theaters were called.
At 9am in the morning, the town looks deserted, when it should have been busy with traffic.
A barge pushes an unidentifiable load downriver.
This gorgeous bridge was built about 20 years ago, and there was great hope that it would somehow bring economic growth to Middle port and its sister town across the river, Mason, WV. Mason saw modest development with a Walmart and small strip mall, and Pomeroy, Ohio, just 1.5 miles uprivee from Middle port also saw a small bump, although frequent flooding of the downtown of Pomeroy hampers any riverfront development.
Seen in a window in town:
On the road in Mason County, WV:
Flood marker
Larry laid brick in huge ovens in this metallurgical steel plant back in the 90's. Back then it was owned by a Russian company, but I don't know who owns it now. Larry said communication was a problem, as the bricklayers didn't speak Russian and the Russians didn't speak hillbilly!
An old homestead, where Larry remembers the owner having a Model A in that garage. The car is no longer there.
The Funny Farm, which used to be a camping and entertainment venue. I don't know if it's still in operation.
This old house probably had a porch on the right side, facing away from the road. I think the house was there long before the current highway.
I believe this may have once been the post office at Letart Falls, WV. There is little left of the community now,
although this stately home still sits proudly on its hill overlooking the river.
Another vanishing community, West Columbia, still has the remains of a coal tipple, where coal from a local, now-defunct mine was processed. My friend and fellow storyteller Donna Wilson told me her father and uncle once worked in that mine.
In the distance, can you see the tall stacks of a power plant? A rare straight stretch of West Virginia road!
Enough for today! I will post a few more tomorrow.
Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.
These places have certainly fallen on hard times.
ReplyDeleteDid they all move to the city or what? I assume that it isn't possible to live where you are without a car? I always live in a big city with the convenient public transportation..my husband gave up driving long time ago since his company was just 10-mins away with biking..and I have never learned to drive because I am car sick..
ReplyDeleteSad sights. At least you have (nice) memories.
ReplyDeleteMy old hometown does not look as bad (yet), it´s sad to see all the closed, abandoned shops. My Brother still tries his best, but who knows for how long.
Oh I just love getting glimpses of old small towns and imagining what life there must have been like 'back in the day'! Thank you for sharing these!
ReplyDeleteIt's so sad to see dying towns and vanishing communities. It looks like an interesting but very sad ride. We have them here, too.
ReplyDeleteI love road trips like that. It's even better for you as you can add stories and context to many of the buildings.
ReplyDeleteFor some reason I think it's good to photograph the old and abandoned buildings. It's like their memories are being cherished in some small way. What a sentimental old thing I am this morning!
ReplyDeleteThis is fascinating. The death of the small town ... up here as well. I wonder what the internet revolution might accomplish, allowing people to work and live away from city congestion. Although, there is my fantastically talented grandkid who works entirely from home but chooses to live in urban Montreal. I know I do not understand the newest generation.
ReplyDeleteSome of those old buildings are so beautiful and have wonderful craftmanship. Another thing we may be losing.
Times and jobs change but people suffer as a result. WV has had it tough.
ReplyDeleteIt's sad to see old towns abandoned like that.
ReplyDeleteIt's a bit sad to see those old towns with almost everything abandoned and boarded up. Glad you showed us your photos though.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to imagine those towns in their heyday when you look at what's left today.
ReplyDeleteOld abandoned homes always catch my imagination...thinking about the people that used to fill them, now gone, empty houses, winds blowing through the broken windows, calling for voices that are no more.
ReplyDelete