Traveling the Appalachian Backroads

The backroads of central Appalachia have intrigued me for years and it was long-past due for me to head back out and start exploring rural forgotten and historic places again. I love taking photos and this year, I needed something. I needed time away from my busy world at home, something to ease stress and forget about my worries. I have this nice camera that doesn't get much use, I thought it was time to get back out there to look at the world through that lens again. So, I started new, seeking and searching out new places to document as well as old.

It was during the rare times that my family would travel the backroads of WV and KY,  that I started to take notice of all the beauty of the backroads. We always drove the back roads, mainly because it was quicker and also because it was the route they knew well. Driving those winding, curving two lane roads, I took in many sights. Some of my favorites were the old abandoned houses, driving alongside the railroad tracks and watching the trains, and the occasional train bridges. I recall watching a train coming across a bridge and thinking what an awesome photo that would have been.

It was exciting to see new places. I really had no idea at the time how rich with history these backroads locations were. The remnants of the past are everywhere you look when you travel the backroads. Some towns are like a trip back in time, almost unchanged in a century or more. Being able to see these places gives me a better understanding and a visual of stories told to me from older family members, some of which are now gone.

Now that I am an adult and have traveled on my own to many more places, I still feel excitement in visiting new areas, particularly places that harbor lots of history. My plan is to continue to travel the back roads every opportunity I get, to take those roads less traveled and document the places that may fade into time and return to nature, before they are gone.

I have had others tell me that photographing abandoned places, cemeteries, and searching and driving the back roads has been therapeutic for them, and I will have to agree. I think in a busy, stressful world, taking a nice weekend drive is an excellent way to clear your mind, slow down and run away for a moment. It may not be for everyone, but it has been one of the most enjoyable hobbies I have over the past 14 or so years. I am happy to live in a place where there are lots of back roads for me to explore and I am excited to be documenting these places once again and sharing them with those of you who read here.


Photos on this site are property of Melissa Stanley unless otherwise noted.

Guyandotte's Cursed Railroad Bridge

In the late 1800s, the railroad was beginning to push its way through the little town of Guyandotte, West Virginia. In 1871, Collis Potter Huntington established the new town of Huntington, just west of Guyandotte. The new city would become the primary location of operation of the C&O railroad line that Huntington built.

Many of the residents of Guyandotte worked for both the C&O railroad and the B&O railroad, both lines ran right through town. While many of the men of Guyandotte worked for the railroad to provide for their families, there were also many hazards associated with working in the rail industry. Over the years, numerous railroad accidents have taken the lives of some of those men. One incident took place involved a man driving home from work, he was driving over the tracks at the old Buffington St. crossing, when an oncoming train crashed into his vehicle, killing him. The train derailed as a result of the crash, stopping just short of plunging into the Guyandotte River at the Main St. crossing. The old bridge near that crossing is still standing abandoned today.

The other rail bridge in Guyandotte that is still in use today and has seen its share of tragic events. That bridge was once part of the old C&O rail line that is today owned and operated by CSX. The bridge spans the Guyandotte river just at the end of Special Metals Corp. Many years ago, this bridge gained the reputation as being cursed with many referring to it as the "hoodoo" bridge.

Three separate accidents have left their mark on this ill-fated bridge, these took place in 1880, 1889 and again in 1913. I was unable to locate information on the 1880 accident, but the subsequent accidents certainly resulted in fatalities. On November 27, 1889, a freight train fell through the bridge, one man was killed as well as a horse that was being shipped to Brownstown, West Virginia.

The last accident that occurred on this bridge happened on January 1, 1913. A second track was being added to the bridge, men were on the bridge working when a train approached to cross. The workers signaled to the engineer to proceed across the bridge. Once the trains engine made its way to the center, the bridge gave way, sending the train, the train's engineer and the men working on the bridge, into the icy waters of the Guyandotte River. The engineer and six men that were working on the bridge were killed. Some of the bodies were recovered days later, including the engineer. The bridge once again was repaired and has been in use ever since.

In more recent times, several people have been killed by trains while attempting to cross the bridge on foot.

All photos on this site are property of Melissa Stanley unless otherwise noted. Top photo - Modern photo of the bridge. Middle photo - from Marshall University Special Collections Jan 1, 1913 accident. Bottom photo - source unknown, from the Jan 1, 1913 accident.