Montgomery, West Virginia
From West Virginia (WV) Cyclopedia
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Most of the corporate limits of Montgomery, WV are located in Fayette County, with part of the town being located in Kanawha County. Montgomery is situated on the south side of the Kanawha River on land originally taken up by Levi Morris, son of William Morris, first permanent settler in the Great Kanawha Valley. The community was first incorporated as Coal Valley, but was renamed Montgomery in 1891 for its founder, James C. Montgomery.
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Development of Montgomery, WV
Until 1890, the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway (C&O) station stop located in what is now Montgomery was called Cannelton, which at the time of the completion of the railroad was the name of the post office on the opposite side of the Kanawha River. From 1876, the town was called Coal Valley Post Office, through the influence of the Coal Valley Coal Company, which began to operate a coal mine there, platted thte town, adn changed the name from Montgomery's Landing to Coal Valley.
The number of store in the town increased to four or five by 1880, but the rapid growth did not begin until about 1895. The later growth was influenced by the construction of the Kanawha & Michigan Railroad on the opposite side of the river, the erection of the new bridge across the river, and the connection of the Virginian Railway with the C&O, at Deepwater, a few miles from Montgomery.
By the early 1910's, Montgomery had become the shipping center for 26 coal operations, and was the largest town in Fayette County. A proposition to relocate the county seat at Montgomery was submitted to the voters in 1892 and rejected by a vote of 1,894 against 2,257.
Variant Name(s) for Montgomery, WV
Coal Valley, Coal Valley City, Montgomery's Ferry, Montgomery's Landing, and Montgomerys Landing
