Study of Development Concept Alternatives. Environmental Assessment, Kaymoor, New River Gorge National River, West Virginia

摘要

The 1982 General Management Plan for New River Gorge National River identified Kaymoor - a mine and company townsite - as a focal point for the interpretation of early coal mining technology in the New River Gorge. Since 1982, a substantial amount of research has been done that confirms Kaymoor's value as an important historic resource. The pattern of events that occurred at Kaymoor, such as the mine and town construction by outside industrialists, the innovative technical solutions to the problems of mining coal within the steep gorge landscape, the use of immigrant and black labor, the fierce struggle to keep out the United Mine Workers of America, the transition from hand loading to mechanical processing, and the legacy of a coal town society that influenced West Virginia history to a great extent, are all nationally significant because of the impact West Virginia coal mining had on the national scene in economic, social, industrial, and labor terms. Even though the forces of gravity and weather have led to the deterioration of much of the historic fabric at Kaymoor, the extant remains still have the potential to evoke interest in the story of Kaymoor. The challenge at hand lies in protecting or enhancing what remains in the difficult environment, making the complex accessible to visitors, and interpreting those minimal remains in ways that bring the vitality of this once bustling area to life in the minds of modern visitors. The Study of Development Concept Alternatives is needed to explore ways to create the change.