Greenbrier River Trail

West Virginia's beautiful Greenbrier River Trail is one of America's premier rail-trails and popular with bicyclists, hikers, walkers and cross-country skiers. Most of the trail runs along the gorgeous Greenbrier River and passes through picturesque countryside as it winds through the river valley. There is no doubt you will see many species of interesting wildlife along this wonderful trail. One of the great things about the Greenbrier River Trail is the opportunity to see remnants of the old railroad, including many whistleposts and historical mile markers.

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

A smart and stylish man was he,
He had a college-bought degree,
He wished to buy some timber land,
And so he took his pen in hand,
But when it all was said and done,
He hurt his friend in Marlinton
He did a capital crime you see,
Spelling Marlinton with a G.

Marlinton, West Virginia has always had spelling problems with its name, so Andrew Price, the first mayor, wrote these verses to discourage this mistake. Marlinton was named for Jacob Marlin, one of the first English settlers to the area in 1749. Marlinton is the second county seat of Pocahontas County. Colonel John McGraw planned the town and promoted the move of the Pocahontas County Court House from Huntersville to Marlinton in 1891.

To celebrate its rich history, Marlinton holds Pioneer Days the second weekend of July each year. Marlinton is located on the banks of the wild Greenbrier River. Through Marlinton runs the Greenbrier River Trail, the longest and narrowest state park in the county. We welcome you to Marlinton where no one is a stranger. Don’t be surprised to be greeted by most anyone you meet as you walk the streets of our community.

Town of Marlinton, West Virginia

ASS is an example of a type of community and a way of life now vanished from America — the company town. Built by a company for its employees where no housing, or not enough, was available at the site of a new mill or mine, these towns were often self-contained. The company built and operated a company store to provide for the needs of the townspeople, on credit as necessary, to the additional profit of the company. Sites were provided free for construction of churches, lodge halls and other such buildings. The houses remained company property, the only employees could rent them.

Both the lumber and coal industries built company towns in West Virginia. As railroads were built into the undeveloped parts of the mountains, it became possible to sell and ship heavy products like lumber. Lumber companies set up sawmills and went into business, building towns for the many who came, or were brought in, to work at the many jobs provided. Getting logs from the forest to the sawmill required heavy transportation, and the lumber companies had to build their own private railroads, called lumber or logging railroads, into the mountains. The Cass Scenic Railroad was such a private logging railroad and Cass was a lumber company town.

George H. Deike III / Cass: A Brief History and Guide to a Lumber Company Town / 1989