By Isaac Fornarola
Fayette County in southern West Virginia was once known for the smokeless coal that came from its mines. Over spring break, I travelled the Coal Heritage scenic highway to understand the present-day conditions of a region that has been all but abandoned over the past 50 years. In Mt. Hope, I found a strange monument – a large piece of smokeless coal from the New River region, kept in a small cage beneath an underpass (above). Downtown Mt. Hope (below left) is deserted. What remains is the natural beauty of the New River Gorge (below right)