Exploring the Forgotten Town of Thurmond (Abandoned Ghost Town)

Sdílet
Vložit
  • čas přidán 8. 07. 2024
  • Today we visit one in the United States last remaining GHOST TOWN. Today we will explore the forgotten town of Thurmond.
    Incorporated in 1900, named for Captain William Dabney Thurmond. Thurmond moved to the area in 1844 and after he had surveyed land and was given land for payment.
    The C&O railroad was completed through the area in 1873. Owing to its isolated location, just one house was built in Thurmond at that time. Throughout the years of the 1870s to the 1920s. More than 26 mines were established around thurmond, being named the coal capital of the area.
    At this time Thurmond became a center for local commerce, having banks, restaurants, stores and multiple hotels.The surge was so great that during the first two decades of the 20th century, Thurmond handled more freight per year than Richmond, Virginia, and Cincinnati, Ohio combined .
    Additionally, at its peak, nearly 95,000 passengers traveled through the depot each year.
    In 1901 the 100-room Dun Glen Hotel was constructed and open for miners and town visitors, boosting the towns economy. The hotel, which became infamous for hosting the world’s longest-lasting poker game at 14 years long.
    By 1910, Thurmond was producing $4.8 million of freight revenue for the C&O. This was Thurmonds peak.
    Prohibition being passed in 1914 curtailed much of the “boom town” rhetoric and effectively ending most of the businesses downtown. In 1922, a large fire destroyed parts of Thurmond, and in 1930, the Dun Glen Hotel burned to the ground mysteriously and most Businesses left by the 1930s as the Great Depression overtook the country.
    Thurmond did have a second wind for a short time, being a center for coal for the efforts for WW2 before the discovery of diesel fuel.
    Over the years though, the population decreased.
    In 1940 there was 339
    And in 1990 only 39.
    With people leaving, thurmond became a place of the past.
    With most buildings being abandoned for decades, it took 35 million dollars to turn Thurmond into a tourist attraction for history lovers.
    Today, Thurmond has a population of 5 who inhabit this forgotten coal Town. The national park service has preserved most buildings for viewing pleasure while maintaining the areas history, today we will be looking at what remains as we wander these old historic streets.
    if you enjoy leave a THUMBS UP 👍
    SUBSCRIBE for more exploring videos
    Tiktok
    IG @Dark.Exploration
  • Zábava

Komentáře • 721

  • @DarkExploration
    @DarkExploration  Před 2 lety +157

    It was so peaceful and informative walking around this place of the past. I'm so glad they kept the buildings and redid what they could ! If you guys enjoyed this walk around Thurmond. Leave a thumbs up 👍
    Let me know what you guys thought about the place?

    • @jessicanuoffer
      @jessicanuoffer Před 2 lety +4

      Loved it!

    • @abbystars8260
      @abbystars8260 Před 2 lety +3

      Where is this at

    • @chaosdemonwolf1
      @chaosdemonwolf1 Před 2 lety +4

      @@abbystars8260 West Virginia

    • @salis-salis
      @salis-salis Před 2 lety +2

      neat!
      edit: 14 year poker game? who won?

    • @LunaTicThomas
      @LunaTicThomas Před 2 lety +2

      I felt the calm and peaceful , as you walked they this town. When you shot the shed/home I felt a deep sadness.

  • @artmcfarter2678
    @artmcfarter2678 Před 2 lety +105

    To the left side of the bank of Thurmond there was a building that has been torn down for years. In that building, my grandfather owned a grocery store in the 1930 s.

    • @stealthdmb4866
      @stealthdmb4866 Před 2 lety +6

      Iam sure our families knew each other. When we went there when I was a child the people there still knew the names and places my mother asked about. Small town living.

    • @shawnaball1469
      @shawnaball1469 Před 2 lety +2

      Thank you for sharing

    • @JPGStrokeys
      @JPGStrokeys Před rokem

      Ok

  • @tortillasarenotbiceps7622
    @tortillasarenotbiceps7622 Před 2 lety +72

    Man, the history just gets inside you. Who were they? What was their life like? What were they like? I just love this stuff.

    • @volumedealer2716
      @volumedealer2716 Před 2 lety

      Nobody, not very interesting, and left to find some fun elsewhere.

    • @tortillasarenotbiceps7622
      @tortillasarenotbiceps7622 Před 2 lety +4

      @@volumedealer2716 Was wondering when the attention seeking troll would show. You're late.

    • @KillerF0x
      @KillerF0x Před 2 lety +5

      I love to think about all the lives that were lived there. All those people that, for all they knew, their town would be functioning normally for many generations. But unbeknownst to them, it came to an end.

    • @sierrachoco5271
      @sierrachoco5271 Před 2 lety +1

      @@tortillasarenotbiceps7622 good for you and well said!!!

    • @stealthdmb4866
      @stealthdmb4866 Před 2 lety +2

      My aunt and uncle I hear actually owned the island out in the river. I have not looked in to who owns it now. My uncle worked in the train depot and lived in one of the brick houses on main St. My grandfather's family was dirt poor. They didn't even own dirt. Till after the depression. I think my grandfather was the first to have property in Ohio. But they never gave up maybe they were richer than they knew because I look at my children and grand children and see that same determination in them. I will pull this up when iam with my mom and iam sure I will get more details than there is space to write them.

  • @keylimekid6269
    @keylimekid6269 Před 2 lety +224

    West Virginia is truly a beautiful state. I live fairly close to a town called Piedmont, and though it's not there yet, it's on it's way to becoming a ghost town. It's quite creepy to walk around, but very fun to explore.

    • @agent_ninety9
      @agent_ninety9 Před 2 lety +18

      I live 45 minutes from Morgantown about a half hour from Pittsburgh and absolutely love West Virginia. However, it breaks my heart that ad beautiful as it is, there's many people suffering there financially. There's just no more jobs. Once such a prosperous place with coal mining now so many of the mines have been shut down. It is breathtakingly beautiful but that part is tragic in my opinion. It's often so neglected by politicians too of course... But those mountains, damn. Old & gorgeous

    • @keylimekid6269
      @keylimekid6269 Před 2 lety +13

      @@agent_ninety9 You're so right! West Virginia is beautiful. But it's sad to see poor families and their children around every corner. Oftentimes the only meals some of these kids get to eat is at school. Not to mention the opioid crisis. But despite all of that, I've met some of the most kind, amazing people here. It's so interesting to hear their stories. It's by far one of the prettiest states I've seen. I hope things get better for the people here. I'm still very proud to call it my home :)

    • @agent_ninety9
      @agent_ninety9 Před 2 lety +9

      @@keylimekid6269 As you should! I get so pissed when I hear about people making fun of it. On the bike (meaning the motorcycle) I can't tell you how many times we have rode down there and driving through there, traveling somewhere, it's always beautiful and breathtaking! I don't want to get into politics, I have good friends that r coal miners here in the Pittsburgh area, at one time all those areas were flourishing and it's devastating to see when your town is boarded up. I know for example when we lose one business in my little town how sad the feeling is. Regardless if you believe in God or not, I have to say, God bless those people there. Always neglected by politicians, sometimes picked on (when they have no idea and couldn't walk a day in their shoes!) Luv to you & WV!

    • @keylimekid6269
      @keylimekid6269 Před 2 lety +1

      @@agent_ninety9 You're too kind! I hope you find many more wonderful adventures in WV. I feel like you'd love Dolly Sods and Seneca Rocks! Very close to my home. God bless :)

    • @agent_ninety9
      @agent_ninety9 Před 2 lety +1

      @@keylimekid6269 wow great to know thank you for the insight will definitely have to check it out I'm going to screenshot this so I remember!!! I can't remember the real beautiful overlook that we rode our bikes too it was fall also and our Indian summer so the leaves were perfect. It was gorgeous. It's a very famous overlook and I can't remember it!

  • @Lexi-fi9xd
    @Lexi-fi9xd Před 2 lety +69

    I’m a Kentucky native & there is just something so hauntingly beautiful about these old coal towns. I would love to see you explore more of the Appalachian region!

  • @diannadhaliwal3647
    @diannadhaliwal3647 Před 2 lety +15

    So nice to hear all the birds chirping as you explore this lush green ghost town.

  • @glenesis
    @glenesis Před 2 lety +8

    I think it's awesome that the Parks Service is maintaining this place. That warms my heart ❤️

  • @rb5stevenumber903
    @rb5stevenumber903 Před 2 lety +12

    Nice to see history preserved. So many old historical places are left to rot and are vandalised. Here in the UK we have purpose built working museums people can visit and go back to the Victorian/industrial times. The shops are open with people dressed in period clothes selling period type goods to make money to keep these outdoor museums going and show Britain's heritage.
    Good video. Really enjoyed it

  • @sheismyheroiamherkeeper
    @sheismyheroiamherkeeper Před 2 lety +48

    It's really nice to know they have invested money to preserve this town. Most old, uninhabited places are just left to rot until there's nothing but shambles left. Somebody somewhere realized that alot of people find enjoyment visiting old towns like this, and got the ball rolling to secure money to keep this place up a little bit, or at least enough to enjoy the old vibe of the town. Kudos to that person or group of people.

    • @deadredeyes
      @deadredeyes Před 2 lety

      Yeah it looks surprisingly well taken care of.

    • @michaelminnick2516
      @michaelminnick2516 Před 2 lety +3

      Thurmond is part of New River Gorge National Park. I think the Park Service does a good job of helping visitors appreciate the history of this little coal town.

    • @theredreceivers
      @theredreceivers Před 2 lety

      ​@DEZZNUTZ 1001 It brings in tourism along with New River Gorge National Park, and supports remaining local communities.

    • @sierrachoco5271
      @sierrachoco5271 Před 2 lety

      @DEZZNUTZ 1001 At least the money was spent here instead of overseas Oscar the Grouch (just kidding on the last part, I hear you though, but it's still better that the money stays in our country) Best wishes from upstate NY!!!

  • @walterford5875
    @walterford5875 Před 2 lety +13

    We happened upon this Beautiful town on a trip from Myrtle Beach to Ohio. It was by far the highlight of the entire road trip. For anyone who loves a great day stop, this is it. We adventured up the residential road behind the commercial buildings, alot of beautiful old houses, the train station/museum is great, as was the curator, the church is amazing, the Bridge and views are unbelievable, the state park along the river is nice, and the hiking rail trails were awesome. It was all kid friendly (3 and 5 at that point). I cant wait to go back again!!

  • @msbigdog1460
    @msbigdog1460 Před 2 lety +60

    Interesting fact: The movie Matewan was filmed in Thurmond, WV. Matewan is another very interesting story about the coal history of WV. Great movie.

    • @SirPercival13
      @SirPercival13 Před 2 lety +6

      Great film on an overlooked part of American history

    • @greigmcarthur3821
      @greigmcarthur3821 Před 2 lety +11

      I instantly recognised the final gun fight scene of Matewan on the railroad tracks outside the bank! Great movie, great retelling of this true and heroic event by real American working class heroes and trade unionists. 👏👏👏🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

    • @jimbeller7948
      @jimbeller7948 Před 2 lety +2

      @@greigmcarthur3821 I did too. Great movie for those who have never seen it. Same director, John Sayles, directed Eight Men Out around the same time (and around the same subject era) about the Chicago Black Sox scandal.

    • @ArqitectTV
      @ArqitectTV Před 2 lety +1

      Matewan Massacre.

    • @sierrachoco5271
      @sierrachoco5271 Před 2 lety

      Thanks for the tip!!

  • @bludgeonedtodeath90
    @bludgeonedtodeath90 Před 2 lety +35

    West Virginia is full of such places. One of the states that interests me the most. It has a unique texture.

    • @tolfan4438
      @tolfan4438 Před 2 lety

      A unique texture is a good way of putting it. When it rains wv makes its own gravy

  • @commoneuropeanstarling
    @commoneuropeanstarling Před 2 lety +10

    Nice to see such places preserved for people to enjoy. Looks amazing

  • @markgrubb01
    @markgrubb01 Před 2 lety +22

    My Wife and I started exploring WV about five years ago. When we first went to Thurmond there weren't no trespassing signs or under surveillance signs. You could actually enter a lot of the old houses through the windows. We got to explore inside the bank. It was pretty awesome. Now vandals have ruined it.

    • @allenatkins2263
      @allenatkins2263 Před 2 lety +11

      People suck.

    • @Miami543210
      @Miami543210 Před 2 lety +2

      Why would it be abandoned? It is only 20 min from Oak Hill. Why wouldn’t people want to live there?

    • @markgrubb01
      @markgrubb01 Před 2 lety +4

      @@Miami543210 Thurmond’s importance started to deteriorate when roads arrived in 1917. Around that time, two major fires, one that burned through the south side of Thurmond in 1922 and the Dunglen Hotel fire in 1930, destroyed much of the town’s infrastructure and many establishments moved away. The final blow to the rail industry in Thurmond came in 1949 when the C&O Company purchased its first diesel engine and began phasing out its steam engines. There are only about a dozen people living there now. There were 462 people in 1930.

    • @hypatia4754
      @hypatia4754 Před 2 lety +1

      @DEZZNUTZ 1001 So maybe it should have been left for the greedy rapacous boomers to inest in military armaments, overpriced rentals and pensions fit for kings that have left the rest of us in poverty. And I´m not even a Zoomer!

  • @gjmichaelson3739
    @gjmichaelson3739 Před 2 lety +2

    In our country people will never ever ever abandon such a place. It is so much beautiful and the houses are so much beautiful.
    Since this Ghost town is in West Virginia. This is good news cuz one of my professor is also from west Virginia. He is teaching at Marshall university HUNTINGTON west Virginia...I hope one day I'll come to this beautiful place and will start living here...❤

  • @CassandraHouse
    @CassandraHouse Před 2 lety +5

    My husband and I just went here in October if our second anniversary. We love seeing cool old stuff and hiking

  • @jeffreyhughes7107
    @jeffreyhughes7107 Před 2 lety +13

    It’s a coal tipple not topple. I worked on a movie that was shot in Thurmond called Matewan and I grew up not too far there where there still is a coal fired power plant. We used to tour the power plant (John Amos) for field trips when I was a youngin’. There was this amazing apparatus that would flip the coal hopper car to dump it and then place it back on the tracks…. Shoot I can’t remember if it took the car off or flipped the car and track together - I was in grade school.

    • @hostilesavage4299
      @hostilesavage4299 Před 2 lety

      You did not work on that movie.. quit with ya b.s'ing lol

  • @dafyddr8678
    @dafyddr8678 Před 2 lety +17

    An amazing find... Things like this are so rare here in the UK which makes your videos all the sweeter for us to watch.

  • @A.Snowy.Vulpix
    @A.Snowy.Vulpix Před 2 lety +19

    Eyy welcome to West Virginia! I’ve been to Thurmond, it’s really cool 🥰

  • @1940limited
    @1940limited Před 2 lety +11

    It's so quiet with just the birds cheeping.Very peaceful. Amtrak train still stop here so you can take a trains to Washington DC if you want and other points north. Coal trains and freights still come through as well.

  • @Joshualbm
    @Joshualbm Před 2 lety +2

    Amazingly well preserved. No graffiti or major vandalism either. Maybe I'll move there.

    • @gwarlow
      @gwarlow Před 2 lety

      @Joshua Should be able to get a real bargain price for any house you want. ;-) Heck, why not! Cheers.

  • @prairiepatriotpreacher9738
    @prairiepatriotpreacher9738 Před 2 lety +12

    It's too bad that so many people moved out of small towns, like this, only to end up in big cities.
    I live in North Dakota, where there are well over 100 ghost towns. Some are still fairly intact, while others are completely gone, with the exception of the Cemetery, like the town of Epworth. It is so sad to see these towns either completely abandoned or all but completely abandoned.
    A good example of a ND ghost town is Belden. My Great Grandparents homesteaded a few miles from Belden, when they came to America in 1904 & 07. After my Great Grandpa died, in 1932, my Grandpa took over the farm. My Great Grandma remarried. After my Step Great Grandpa died, in 1946, she moved into Belden, where she lived until she died, in 1961. At its peak, in the 1940s - 50s, it was a town of a bit less than 100 people, with 2 General Stores (Husa's & Kivi's), a Post Office, a town hall & a church. My Great Uncle operated a Gas Station/Repair Shop, which was 1½ miles north of town, until he died in 1982. Since he never married, his nephew then took it over. Kivi's General Store was much smaller than Husa's. It closed in the early 1960's. Husa's General Store was like Godsey's General Store, on "The Waltons". They sold everything, including clothing & household goods to gas & basic auto parts/tires. It was still a nice little town in the 1970s, but by then there was only 7 families left. In 1984, it was unincorporated. Husa's General Store closed in 1987 & burned down a few years later. In the mid 2000s, the Post Office Building, which closed in the mid 1980s, was remodeled & turned into a convenience store & still is open, but it isn't even close to what Husa's General Store was. My Great Aunt lived in their house, until she went in the nursing home, in 2004. Their son, that operated his Uncle's gas station/repair shop, lived in his Grandma's house until he died, in a truck accident, in 1989. When I was in Belden, in 2019, I was saddened to see that my Great Grandma's house had completely collapsed & my Aunt's house was also about falling down. The town is pretty much abandoned, with the exception of the store, the church, a few houses that are still lived in, a small hunting lodge & an oil field service co. office, which were both built during the oil boom of the 2010s, where Husa's General Store had stood. There are still 3 families in Belden.
    In 1953, my Grandparents retired & moved into the County Seat of Stanley, which is 13 miles north of Belden. My family has lived here since, with the exception of a few years, when we had to move, due to my Dad's work. There are over 2 dozen ghost towns within 75 miles of Stanley. Every time that I have been to one of them, it's a sadder site than the time before. I remember when many of them were still active little towns. Of course that is by ND standards, were the average population of towns is 1,000 - 2,000 & we consider a city anything over 15,000. Stanley was a quiet town of about 1,200 people, in 2005. Then, just over 5 years later, the oil boom hit. In about 4 months we had an influx of 5,000+ people, the majority of which were living in temporary trailer courts, motorhomes, tents or even their cars/trucks. The boom went bust just as fast. The only people that stayed were the workers that were needed to maintain all of the oil wells & infrastructure. Now Stanley is about 2,700. In 2020, the population of ND was about 780,000. However, due to the current federal government killing the oil industry, about 10,000 people have left ND, since then. There are now even more Ghost Towns. They are Company Towns, called Man Camps. They had everything a regular town has, some of which were 1,000 people or more. Now they are just block after block of empty trailers, that are falling apart. Many towns have abandoned neighborhoods. Here in Stanley there is a subdivision, that has 4 apartment buildings that were never finished before the boom went bust. They are just standing as an eyesore. Thurmond is a good example of what happens to a town when a boom goes bust. Unless, we get the oil & coal industry back, there will be many more ghost towns, in ND, in another 20 - 30 years. If the oil industry is completely killed, Stanley could have a population of 500 or less by 2050. 😥

  • @aarong1884
    @aarong1884 Před rokem +2

    There is a town that is still used as a tourist attraction called Cass that is pretty similar to Thurmond. It's between 1-2 hrs from Beckley, which is roughly 15 minutes south from Thurmond. If you ever get back down this way and have the time you should check it out. They do have a old train they use to give rides into the mountain on which is pretty cool. It's worth the visit.

  • @georgebonney90
    @georgebonney90 Před 2 lety +4

    I've lived in West Virginia my whole life and never knew this place existed,I really enjoy the content

  • @jimborghini2761
    @jimborghini2761 Před 2 lety +6

    These old mining towns are amazing. I love the train tracks. Must be so quiet at night.

  • @moonwalker091000
    @moonwalker091000 Před 2 lety +27

    What a beautiful little town!! I love the train station!! the scenery is absolutely amazing, all the greenery and big mountains. Great video once again. Hope you had a great time exploring this little town :o)

  • @chaosdemonwolf1
    @chaosdemonwolf1 Před 2 lety +64

    Amtrak still stops there for some reason but a combination of factors emptied Thurmond. In the 1930s, the Great Depression killed one bank and caused the other to move. Thurmond's rail yard was built to handle steam locomotives, and that facility withered as trains switched to diesel. Key buildings, including the hotels, were destroyed in fires and never rebuilt.

    • @timewithoutconsequence4611
      @timewithoutconsequence4611 Před 2 lety +8

      I live in a small town. Amtrak stops here too. I always want to ask someone why? I walked in one day. The station has a waiting room and ticket machine.

    • @deejayimm
      @deejayimm Před 2 lety +4

      I think it's a good idea to still leave these as options, but why would you stop if you don't have somebody on the schedule as either departing or boarding there?
      Maybe they have to stop for other traffic ahead, and they just stop at that station?

    • @chaosdemonwolf1
      @chaosdemonwolf1 Před 2 lety +1

      @@deejayimm A possible crew change?

    • @deejayimm
      @deejayimm Před 2 lety +1

      @@chaosdemonwolf1 yeah that's a good one, very possible.

    • @xYoungExodus
      @xYoungExodus Před 2 lety

      Pulled straight from google

  • @carolali8851
    @carolali8851 Před 2 lety +7

    That's such a serene place, I'd love to live there. Great narration, thanks for the history.

  • @user-iamRobinV68
    @user-iamRobinV68 Před 2 lety +5

    What a beautiful area. Really enjoyed walking along with ya ! 🥰🥰🥰🥰

  • @benniepetrey
    @benniepetrey Před 2 lety +12

    So glad you are exploring this ghost town, so much history there. I about choked laughing 😃 though when you were looking in that one building and said this dates back 50 years, I certain that building probably dated back over a hundred years. When I visited Thurmond over 40 years ago most those buildings were in the same shape as you found them. Keep exploring ☺️ and sharing your journeys.

  • @mudpuddle8805
    @mudpuddle8805 Před 2 lety +11

    What a beautiful area! I would LOVE to live in the mountains of West Virginia.

  • @DoubleKlutch99
    @DoubleKlutch99 Před 2 lety +8

    I was here with the Motorcycle club that I was in, and it was an amazing walk through the entire area. Will be going back sometime in a much smaller group. Visiting Hawks Nest, Seeing the New River Gorge and all those areas around that are just so amazing. Highly recommend anyone to go through.

  • @manda6077
    @manda6077 Před 2 lety +25

    I love this! There's something so eerie about an abandoned town abandoned houses are enough but a town is just like oh my God LOL awesome job

  • @sharkd0g
    @sharkd0g Před 2 lety +22

    I love stuff like this!! So glad they are preserving the history

  • @tw418
    @tw418 Před 2 lety +4

    Wow, this town is like a weird combination of both eerie and peaceful at the same time

  • @katherinenicholson9752
    @katherinenicholson9752 Před 2 lety +4

    Looks like home, which is what drew me to this video. Then I heard it was a coal town in WV and wondered if it really was near my home. I'm from Greene County in PA, (can drive into WV in 5-10 minutes from my family home) and this is basically the aesthetic of everywhere. Makes me so nostalgic. Thanks for the explore.

  • @Duececoupe
    @Duececoupe Před 2 lety +4

    My first thought was N&W (one of my favourite railroads), didn't think C&O....I imagine that N&W, B&O, C&O and possibly WM (another favourite railroad) were close to each other in some places....great video!
    Greetings from a Swede in Glasgow, Scotland....

  • @trackandtrail6874
    @trackandtrail6874 Před 2 lety +5

    The coal tipple is in Nuttallburg up the New River from Thurmond. The road leading to the Tipple is one of the neatest you'll ever find. Tons of history there.

  • @BodyGuardOfLies1
    @BodyGuardOfLies1 Před 2 lety +11

    I can never understand why someone would live in a city if they could live in a wonderful rural location like this.
    Maybe that's just because I'm a misanthrope but I would sooner have 5 neighbours than 5 million.

    • @barbaranneboyer7997
      @barbaranneboyer7997 Před 2 lety

      money!

    • @lukajolich7669
      @lukajolich7669 Před 2 lety +1

      For me, as I have grown up in an area with not the most people (not very small, but still considered a small town), I often find myself marveling in the spectacle of cities with the idea of millions of people coming together in one place. I especially had that feeling when I spent a year in Beograd, Serbia, and I often just found the sight of so many people in one place and the history that all those people and those before them contributed to the city to be very interesting.

  • @evogibson92
    @evogibson92 Před 2 lety +5

    first learned about this place from Stobe the Hobo i Belive. RIP Stobie

  • @willlyons9823
    @willlyons9823 Před 2 lety +5

    Super interesting and looks stunning! In the UK those houses would be converted and listed on Air BnB for $300 per night! Run a few steam trains as well! 🚂

  • @donboudreau2
    @donboudreau2 Před 2 lety +2

    "Thank you" for a great historical video of a classic abandoned West Virginia coal town, Thurmond. #nature #overgrowth #tonsofhistory

  • @tedoakley5600
    @tedoakley5600 Před 2 lety +4

    this was one of the coolest videos I've seen! West Virginia really is a gorgeous and mysterious state that I'd love to visit someday.

  • @bellbrass
    @bellbrass Před 2 lety +2

    When I saw the thumbnail for your video, I immediately thought of "Matewan" - the fantastic John Sayles movie, a large part of which was filmed in Thurmond in the 1980s. As you walked through downtown, I remembered the famous gunfight scene in the movie - one of the best gunfight scenes ever done in cinema. I'm from Kentucky, and I had relatives who were part of the coal mining industry in eastern KY. There was a time when eastern KY and West VA were full of "boom towns" - Thurmond was one, as was Packard, KY - birthplace of actress Patricia Neal - also a ghost town.

  • @LeafyJolt
    @LeafyJolt Před 2 lety +11

    This is going to be something to see! Love your adventures!

  • @CAdeNA_25
    @CAdeNA_25 Před 2 lety +7

    This is where "A Quiet Place" was filmed 🎥

  • @brendakrieger7000
    @brendakrieger7000 Před 2 lety +7

    I've been through West Virginia and it's stunning!

  • @bodegabreath4258
    @bodegabreath4258 Před 2 lety +2

    Love it. Creates a strong impression of how life must have been once upon a time. TY.

  • @The_TOD_1
    @The_TOD_1 Před 2 lety +10

    Nice release! It's about 3 hours from my new home. This will make a great day-trip (once it warms up).

    • @Jeremy_Zack_Lucas
      @Jeremy_Zack_Lucas Před 2 lety +2

      Same here. I lived in both Charleston WV and Beckley WV. Both not too far away. You could get lost for hours in the mountains exploring.

    • @The_TOD_1
      @The_TOD_1 Před 2 lety +1

      @@Jeremy_Zack_Lucas I left Baltimore for Hundred WV last year . . . population 290! Love it!

    • @Jeremy_Zack_Lucas
      @Jeremy_Zack_Lucas Před 2 lety +2

      @@The_TOD_1 wow you're in such a small town! Baltimore is way bigger! It's sad because the economy is suffering and I had to move to Richmond Virginia! I'm a single dad and I had to move for my kids!

    • @The_TOD_1
      @The_TOD_1 Před 2 lety +2

      @@Jeremy_Zack_Lucas At 59, in 2020, I elected to retire from a federal government position. Although I was in the suburbs of Baltimore, it was still getting too violent and too dangerous. I moved to Hundred because my oldest brother lives nearby, and he's the chief of police of a neighboring town. And I got a beautiful A-frame home on a mountain. Now I have to find a warm beach home to avoid these winters 🤦‍♂️🤪😂

    • @msbigdog1460
      @msbigdog1460 Před 2 lety +1

      @@The_TOD_1 Welcome to the Mountain State!!

  • @alexkonrad2721
    @alexkonrad2721 Před 2 lety +3

    It's truly beautiful there, no graffiti or broken windows

    • @Utubin
      @Utubin Před 2 lety +3

      Thank God.
      Sickening why people do such a thing.

  • @jenniferalves1239
    @jenniferalves1239 Před 2 lety +12

    I truly enjoy your hiking tours of abandoned sometimes historic, towns. Exploring quite places excites me. I lived in Virginia for approximately twenty-five years. I now live in Douglas County, Colorado. Please let me know if you come out to CO. I'd love to meet up with you to go exploring.

  • @Ganiscol
    @Ganiscol Před 2 lety +8

    Eerie, peaceful and food for imagination of a long gone era.
    Would have been cool to be able to walk up on the conveyor and see whats at the other end. 😃

  • @HeckinMoonMoon
    @HeckinMoonMoon Před 2 lety +6

    Was there a couple years ago. Fascinating place imo

  • @carolynuschock9028
    @carolynuschock9028 Před 2 lety +4

    That big hotel was beautiful

  • @jesusmontoya9879
    @jesusmontoya9879 Před 2 lety +4

    I really enjoyed watching this, good job! So cool to see how people lived not long ago

  • @mht5875
    @mht5875 Před 2 lety +3

    So beautiful - now I am wanting to visit Thurmond and walk around, enjoying its beauty. Subscribed.

  • @Richard-wz3nl
    @Richard-wz3nl Před 2 lety

    Magnificent photography. Just loved this great video. Fantastic. Extremely well done !

  • @NathanElcoate
    @NathanElcoate Před 2 lety +2

    Very much look forward to this :)

  • @Ghostselkie
    @Ghostselkie Před 2 lety +2

    Cool Video. Love history stuff like this. Amazing how things change in just some decades. And it's so nice to see that some people take the time and make videos for share such interesting places with the whole world. :)

  • @lyedavide
    @lyedavide Před 2 lety +1

    Looks like a beautiful place to be living in. Thanks for the video!

  • @redaedelman8398
    @redaedelman8398 Před 2 lety +1

    Thank you so much for this cool video. I really loved it. It caught my eye as I was born in Thurmond N.C.

  • @djcomputers1352
    @djcomputers1352 Před 2 lety +4

    This town is truly a beautiful place.😊

  • @thestars386
    @thestars386 Před 2 lety +4

    Those buildings looked really cool. I bet they were really neat looking on the inside, especially the bank. But I bet they were all cool looking. Great explore!!

  • @sierrachoco5271
    @sierrachoco5271 Před 2 lety

    This is really a great video, thank you! Best wishes from upstate NY!!!

  • @stealthdmb4866
    @stealthdmb4866 Před 2 lety +1

    Wow really love the video! Thurmond looks so much nicer than when I was there. Gosh must have been 40 + years ago now ! My grandfather and and his mom and dad came to Ohio from Thurmond in a covered wagon they were so poor it’s all they had . The fire that destroyed the town destroyed all the records they had no birth certificates so they had no way to prove who they were. They had to go back and get signed wittiness who could verify who they were. No joke. My grand father went back when he was in his 20’s to work the coal mines during the depression but some thing happen while he was thee so he came back to Ohio. All he would say was it was a hard way to make a living if you lived very long. Video really brought back memories and I will take my grandson back to see it one day. Glad they are taking care of it.

  • @anitazetsche820
    @anitazetsche820 Před 2 lety

    Thank you for sharing spooky, sad and beautiful at the same time

  • @mikefitchNYC1971
    @mikefitchNYC1971 Před 2 lety +3

    Awesome job on this exploration!

  • @Jason942
    @Jason942 Před 2 lety

    Loved the tour. Great job!!!!

  • @bfloy1837
    @bfloy1837 Před 2 lety

    Beautiful! Good job! Thanks for sharing! From Elizabeth Illinois

  • @dominicgerdes1294
    @dominicgerdes1294 Před 2 lety +3

    The Thumbnail of this video really caught me off guard. I took almost the same photo on my film camera last year. Glad to see someone dug deeper into the history of this town and made an awesome video out of it.

  • @paulgrimm
    @paulgrimm Před 2 lety

    I got so relaxed watching this .Thanks

  • @mariedonelson6642
    @mariedonelson6642 Před 2 lety +1

    Very neat! Thanks for sharing 👍

  • @IAmSomethingDifferent

    Glad you're daring the poison ivy, oak, and snakes to bring us this! Thank you!

  • @thesilentgeneration
    @thesilentgeneration Před rokem

    Very nice video. I like that you also give some history in your videos, that makes them much more interesting.

  • @gimpp8973
    @gimpp8973 Před 2 lety +2

    I love how mid sentence you went 'oooh Caterpillar' then continued to film it for a short time.😁

  • @jamieanthony6527
    @jamieanthony6527 Před 2 lety +1

    loved the caterpillar, so cute! glad you filmed him/her :)

  • @larrynicholas9730
    @larrynicholas9730 Před 2 lety

    Thank you for your video....nice job!

  • @Senor0Droolcup
    @Senor0Droolcup Před 2 lety

    This is awesome! So glad I found this channel

  • @katacombs1601
    @katacombs1601 Před 2 lety +2

    Thank you I love these adventures ❤️

  • @Richy.Boi.
    @Richy.Boi. Před 2 lety

    Thanks for the researched intro 👍
    Great to have some background b4 the explore.

  • @outlaweric
    @outlaweric Před 2 lety

    that was awesome. thanks for sharing

  • @sadfiremccraven4579
    @sadfiremccraven4579 Před 2 lety +1

    Wow I'm amazing how nice this abandoned place is . Thank you for doing this amazing video for us . Keep up the good work . ❤️🌹❤️🌹❤️Great history to. Be safe

  • @STho205
    @STho205 Před 2 lety +4

    Unless they stopped recently, Amtrak stops at Thurmond station. Never really knew why. People have to drive there to board or Deborah. There's not a lot of people in the county.
    I remember Thurmond as the fewest passengers boarding per year for the whole system.

  • @wrwolfe13
    @wrwolfe13 Před 2 lety

    this place is on my bucket list - thanks for the great video

  • @ImmaCellJunior
    @ImmaCellJunior Před 2 lety +6

    I came here for the caterpillar 12:43

  • @RasheedSyd
    @RasheedSyd Před 2 lety

    I love how the nature took over this town. Specially loved those birds chirping.

  • @bettyboyne8531
    @bettyboyne8531 Před rokem

    Loved exploring this old town 🙂🙂 Like taking a walk in the past.

  • @romalacroix8162
    @romalacroix8162 Před 11 měsíci

    Beautiful area, great video. I admire your respect of old building and places .There's too much vandalism of others memories . 😊❤

  • @davegoldspink5354
    @davegoldspink5354 Před 2 lety +9

    When you look at the beautiful scenery and what would have been some very beautiful homes all this seems both a horrible shame and waste. Places like these are something we never see here in Australia. Thanks so much for sharing.

  • @natalierozean5989
    @natalierozean5989 Před 2 lety +1

    I agree they should make the buildings accessible to the public. Not just unlocked and unsupervised leaving them vulnerable to vandalism. I’m certain there would be historians who would volunteer their time to sit in each building or better yet, give tours at posted hours during the day or on weekends.

  • @lotusdolphin
    @lotusdolphin Před 2 lety

    I’m so glad that you posted this. It was really really interesting. I can’t imagine it in its heyday are some really cool buildings there. Thank you so much! From me and California💜🤟🏻🍀😎🇺🇸

  • @MomMom-kc4ee
    @MomMom-kc4ee Před 2 lety

    Beautiful video, thanks so much!

  • @olgacarreras6595
    @olgacarreras6595 Před 2 lety

    Awe intro. I really enjoyed the back story before seeing the town. Thank you

  • @bernie2231
    @bernie2231 Před 2 lety

    Great watch! I was trying to imagine what is was like there in the late '50s, the whole time that I was watching this.

  • @fanged_felines8008
    @fanged_felines8008 Před 2 lety +4

    I love how you stopped to film the caterpillar

    • @1940limited
      @1940limited Před 2 lety +3

      I liked that, too. A WV caterpillar! He's just trucking along minding his own business.

    • @kennyspaulding796
      @kennyspaulding796 Před 2 lety +1

      I didn't. I want to see the town. I can go out my back door and see a caterpillar anytime.

  • @SherriWarden-zl9eq
    @SherriWarden-zl9eq Před 11 dny

    Glad you came to WV! Much more to see in our state!

  • @donaldclark9462
    @donaldclark9462 Před 2 lety

    A very good and interesting video for learning the history of this small town.

  • @SurferKenTV3
    @SurferKenTV3 Před 2 lety +64

    Population 5. Would’ve loved it if you got to interview one of its inhabitants. Great content per usual!

    • @DRWFJ40
      @DRWFJ40 Před 2 lety

      I'm not familiar with the Bullocks but the Dragan's came to Thurmond in the 1960's and started the first white water rafting company.
      czcams.com/video/yhcQ6HyVqhQ/video.html

    • @cantthinkofaname7525
      @cantthinkofaname7525 Před 2 lety

      let’s get Soft White Underbelly on this

  • @Squintintaratino
    @Squintintaratino Před 2 lety

    I'll never understand why rich people wouldn't be attracted to areas like this and Eastern KY. The views are amazing!!

  • @melodymacken9788
    @melodymacken9788 Před 2 lety

    Absolutely spectacular.
    Brilliant.
    From Rotorua, New Zealand.