OT- ????? Information on Beckley, West Virginia

[CEMENTHEAD]

Due to cutbacks and forced re-arrangements at work, I'm looking into maybe taking a position in Beckley, West Virginia. What is the town/city like? Fishing and Hunting opportunities? Ammenities? Housing? Schools? Etc...Etc....

Thanks in advance, Tom

[Hobie]

I kinda like Beckley, heck I like West Virginia. Coal is/was big. You've got the New River Gorge nearby. Cool area. You can get to hunting pretty easy and to VA pretty easy (as you can see from the map). We've got a couple of members from that area who can clue you in on specifics.

[HEAD0001]

My opinions would be completely biased. So you would be best off not to pay any attention to me.

However I can tell you one thing. You sure will like the drastic reduction in the cost of living in WV. Everything from housing, to taxes, to even food prices. WV is a cheap state to live in. Tom.

[Rusty]

My wife was working at the VA hospital in Beckly when we got married. IMHO WV would be a good place to retire to if you didn't have to work. At one time all the jobs in southern WV were related to the mines or the support thereof. In recent years the mines have gone down and so has everything else.
The people are wonderful there, friendly and down to earth. There used to be a member here named Creeker who had a small cast bullet business that was near Beckly.

Quite honestly if I had to move back up there I don't know what I'd do. The life here in Fla. has spoiled me. I lived in Oceana for a year which is where my wife and I lived.

If you bowhunt there is the Southern WV Coalfields... something or other, they have a fancy name for it. It is in Logan, Wyoming, and Mingo county IIRC and those counties are archery only but they have some monster bucks. Tree rats are a religion there. Used to be, the first day of squirrel season everybody that could walk, crawl or be dragged was in the woods. Also don't ever plan to have any work done on the first day of trout season.

I don't think I'd want to live right in Beckly, but 10 miles from the city things are pretty nice.
Further would be better. Do you know more exactly where you'd be going?

[handirifle]

I haven't been in Beckley for about 7-8 years, but I really liked the town when we visited. My wifes grandmother lived there for many years. She died at age 97. We used to go there just about every year to see her (from CA) and loved being there.

The people were some of the nicest we've ever met.

Sorry i can't help out on the important issues though. i do know when they sold here house, it was pennies on the dollar compared to here.

[Hobie]

West Virginia has some great people living there. Yeah, they also have Jay Rockefeller and Robert Byrd BUT, strong on gun rights.

[HEAD0001]

A couple of important points to rebuke. The coal industry is booming in WV. We are at all time highs for tons mined, the past few years in a row. In my area the mines are hiring. Check the unemployment level in WV. You will be pleasantly suprised. Just look at the stock prices for Consol, Peabody, CMI, and other coal companies. They are rocking. There are layoffs all across the country, but you can still find a job in my area.

You do hear some bad things on the national level about the future of coal. However I do not believe it. Our economy(national economy) would die without coal. We already are too dependent of foreign oil. the new asset in WV is natural gas. Our natural gas fields are booming. WV is a well kept sectret for economic success.

If our country is ever to make a comeback then we need to bring back heavy industry to our country. Coal is a basic ingredient to heavy industry. It takes coal to make steel. Our nation is either going to flounder or succeed. If we succeed then coal will lead the way. If coal dies---our country dies.

Our state actually has a surplus-not a deficit.

There is no "first day of trout season". Trout season is open year round, with stockings in the spring, summer, fall, and winter.

As far as hunting is concerned. Yes the southern counties are fantastic big buck bow counties. There are also great deer hunting opps. in the entire state with big bucks in most ares(not like the plains states). WV is a place where you can hunt and if you want you can get away from all the people if you want. Plenty of public lands, and national forest in WV. And bear hunting is getting better every year. The bear population in our state is exploding. You can still hang your rifle on a gun rack in the back window of your truck.

Gun rights are protected by the police officers in WV. Not frowned on. I shoot my rifles on my back porch. When a cop drives by, he stops and I give him a pepsi and all he wants to do is put a little of my lead down range, not put me in jail for discharging a firearm. Tom.

[Doc Hudson]

Wasn't it Beckley where Sheriff Hatfield and his deputy were gunned down by some 'mine owner's thugs" back in the 1920's?

[Hobie]

Oh boy, we're talking Sid Hatfield Sheriff of Matewan, WV who was killed in Welch, WV...

This had nothing to do with the Hatfield/McCoy feud even though he was related.

[Doc Hudson]

Oh boy, we're talking Sid Hatfield Sheriff of Matewan, WV who was killed in Welch, WV...

This had nothing to do with the Hatfield/McCoy feud even though he was related.

I couldn't remember the name of the town or the date. just that it was part of the Union-Mineowner Troubles in the 1920's.

As I remember Sheriff Hatfield was a Union supporter and was gunned down while unarmed and heading to a court appearance.

[Rusty]

Well mia culpa on the trout. I could have sworn that when I was there (left in '79) there was a season opener.

Tom you sound like a proponent of the coal industry. They deserve a good shot in the arm. Let's hope that the present administration doesn't cut their throats. As much as I personally dislike Robert C. Byrd I guess you'd have to say he has done what he was sent there to do. Even in his present condition he might be the only thing keeping big coal from getting the shaft so to speak.

Your speech on coal and progress sounded like it came right out of one of Homer Hickam's books. Something his dad would say. It used to be in economics class they taught how manufacturering was the backbone of the country. I guess today it's banking.

I still have family up there who need to work I hope everything does keep going.

[Rusty]

As a side note, Matewan is in Mingo County and Welch is in McDowell county.

[loader]

My information is 20 years or so old, but some things don't change. When I lived in WV the Beckley area was one of my favorite spots. Good trout fishing in many stocked streams. First rate smallmouth in the New River along with catfish and if you're like me and like fighting fish over eating some excellent carp action. River rafting in the New and Gauley is very exciting if you enjoy that sort of thing. Hunting is very good and not a very far drive to national forests and wilderness areas. Deer, turkey, and ruffed grouse available. People were always friendly and it seemed a clean pleasant place when I was visiting. Wish I could find a position in that area. Like others have said WV is a good place to live if you have a job or if you dont need one. Best of luck to you!

[Ysabel Kid]

I pass through Beckley with the family on the way to the in-laws each summer. I love driving through the state - it is just goregous. Not sure about work, for as others noted, so much was tied to coal mining. You can still see a lot of hard luck if you go off the beaten path. The people are wonderful. I don't think I've ever met anyone from WV that wasn't a nice person (then again, I've never met Rockefeller or Byrd!). If you live in WV you are in the heart of a lot of great stuff - easy drive to all kinds of neat things to do.

[CEMENTHEAD]

Thank you for all the information. The forced re-arrangement may not start for a little while. Just looking to get a head start on that area. Thanks to all, Tom