McCreery, West Virginia
From West Virginia (WV) Cyclopedia
McCreery is located near the mouth of the Piney Creek, a major tributary of the New River descending from the highlands of central Raleigh County. The Piney Creek Subdivision of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway (C&O) ascended the creek from the New River at McCreery. A C&O map of 1903-1904 refers to the site most often called McCreery as "Coalgate," possibly alluding to its location at the entrance to the Piney Creek Gorge, which provided the most direct access to the rich, yet-undeveloped coalfields in the highlands south of the gorge near Beckley, WV. McCreery was first known as "Bloxton" for R.T. Bloxton of Hill Top (Fayette Co.)
The National Park Service has stabilized several seasonal dwellings at McCreery as part of the New River Gorge National River and operates a maintenance garage there. Several mercantiles have operated at McCreery, though none now stand. The National Park Service operates a river access area at McCreery, just above the mouth of Piney Creek. The fecal coliform county on Piney Creek at McCreery can be high following a heavy rain, a result of poor sewage in the drainage near Beckley area.
Rafter's Reference: McCreery is located on river-left, at the mouth of Piney Creek, and is upstream of the primary New River Gorge whitewater rafting area.
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