Elkins, WV - American Guide Series on Waymarking.com

Elkins, 45.2 m. (1,930 alt., 7,345 pop.), seat of Randolph County, lies in a shallow, bowl-shaped valley at a five-mile bend in the Tygart Valley River. Before 1889 the settlement was a scattered rural community known as Leadsville, having a mill and a country store. When the main line of the Western Maryland Railway reached Leadsville yards and shops were established. A town was laid out; in 1890 it was incorporated and renamed for Senator Stephen Benton Elkins, son-in-law of Henry Gassaway Davis who together promoted the railroad and other enterprises. The construction of the railroad soon made Elkins a terminus for feeder lines that penetrated the surrounding coal and timber regions;the local lumber industry attracted a tannery and several woodworking plants. Elkins was made county seat of Randolph County in 1900 after a three-year conflict with Beverly. Occupying a rolling 60-acre campus of native woodland and landscaped grounds in the northeastern part of town, once the estates of Senator Davis and Senator Elkins, is DAVIS AND ELKINS COLLEGE, a Presbyterian coeducational institution, with an enrollment of 450 students, granting degrees of bachelor of arts and sciences. The front campus, a grassy carpet of 10 acres overlooking Elikns, is the scene of the Mountain State Forest Festival, held annually during the first week of October, which attracts thousands of visitors. The principal events are the crowning of Queen Sylvia, the reception of the "forest princesses" representing the congressional districts of the state, the Queen's Ball, and an elaborate parade of floats.

---West Virginia: A Guide to the Mountain State, 1941

Elkins is the town I grew up in. Unlike it's bustling and influential heritage, Elkins is a quiet little burg now. As of the 2000 census there are 7032 residents, slightly less than the 1940 census. The primary industry now is tourism, with The Monongahela National Forest and Snowshoe and Canaan ski resorts close by. There are also a number of excursion trains that depart from the Elkins Depot, including one of the "Polar Express" licensed trains. Davis and Elkins College has grown by comparison and now has roughly 1000 students, many of whom are from foreign countries. The Mountain State Forest Festival is still held every year at the beginning of October, with most of the same principal events. It is a wonderful little city to visit in any season, with lots of history and culture. For more information: http://www.forestfestival.com/ and http://cityofelkinswv.com/

Book: West Virginia Page Number(s) of Excerpt: 372-374 Year Originally Published: 1941

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