Coal River Beach, Upper Falls
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
Between the 1920s and 1950s there were a series of beaches on the Coal River between Tornado and Saint Albans. The Lower Falls beach may have been the most popular had it not been for the fact that the beach at the Upper Falls was free. Although these sandy beaches were natural, they were often enhanced by the land owners and business owners on the banks of the river.
Images
Coal River Beach
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Coal River Beach
Coal River Beach Advertisement
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
Three of the beaches were on Lower Falls, Shadyside and on Upper Falls. The Coal River has an abundance of sand and that makes the beaches appealing. The falls are shallow and the water runs like “natural shower baths, with the water pounding against delighted indulgers.” The river was originally called the Walhondecepe by the Delaware tribe but the name was changed by John Peter Salling, a German explorer, because of the coal deposits he saw along the river.
Sources
http://www.mywvhome.com/thirties/beach.html
http://www.livingappalachian.com/stories_sleepcoalriver.php