Coalton, West Virginia

Coalton, West Virginia was incorporated in 1895 as the town of Womelsdorf in honor of O.C. Womelsdorf, the first coal mine operator in the community. Womelsdorf was an Irish immigrant community. The completion of the Rolling Creek & Charleston Railroad from Coalton south to Charleston had hopes to spark the town’s development.

The current name of Coalton was given to the community due to the local mining operations. In 1916, coal production at Coalton was 240,000 tons but declined sharply to just 22,000 tons by 1928. Coalton’s population peaked at 833 in the 1920s but dramatically declined to 373 by 1930. Today, the population of Coalton is around 250 people.