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49-584: The area near the creek end of present-day Wills Creek Avenue is known as City Junction, and had a water tank and a tower. The Potomac Wharf Branch was crossed by the Georges Creek & Cumberland Railroad (GC&C). Rail was removed from the section west of the Valley Street crossing as late as 1990. In 1994, rail was removed from this area to maintain the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad ,

98-696: A Baltimore and Ohio Railroad official. The first local land grant was issued by Lord Fairfax to Christopher Beelor on March 20, 1752. The place was first called Paddy Town, for Patrick McCarty, an Irish immigrant who came to then-Hampshire County, Virginia, sometime after 1740. Eventually, a community developed, which was also known as "the Irish Settlement." Initially a peaceful village, Paddy Town came under repeated attacks by Native Americans after French and Indian forces defeated Major General Edward Braddock west of Paddy Town in 1755. Patrick McCarty's son, Edward McCarty, built an iron furnace and foundry and

147-698: A branch line , acquired in 1888 from a company called Pennsylvania railroad in Maryland , that ran from Cumberland north to the Pennsylvania state line, where it connected with the Bedford and Bridgeport Railroad . The latter company was controlled by the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR). The Fuller Syndicate , led by George Gould , acquired a controlling interest in the GC&;C in 1907, principally to obtain access to

196-593: A salt well , near present-day Armstrong Street. In the early 19th century, the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal (C&O Canal) was constructed alongside the Potomac, from Washington, DC , to Cumberland, Maryland . Originally planned to reach the Ohio River, the canal never reached Paddy Town; after being overtaken by the railroad, the canal stopped as far west as Cumberland. By 1844, Paddy Town fell into decline, which reversed when

245-431: A blessing to the town had turned into a curse, drawing repeated assaults by Confederate forces. Because of its geography, a relatively flat plain in a valley surrounded by mountains and open to many approaches, New Creek was an easy target for Confederates. The area changed hands 14 times during the war due to the importance of the railroad. Complete disaster finally visited New Creek on November 28, 1864, when Fort Fuller

294-494: A combination of education, training, administrative, and social service. The remainder of the workforce was spread across trucking, management, maintenance and repair, and other industries. The poverty rate in Keyser was 27.4 percent. Its median household income was $ 28,378. Among the largest companies employing Keyser residents are: As of the census of 2010, there were 5,439 people, 2,224 households, and 1,253 families residing in

343-512: A household in the city was $ 23,718, and the median income for a family was $ 32,708. Males had a median income of $ 29,034 versus $ 20,818 for females. Per capita income was $ 13,813. About 16.3 percent of families and 18.9 percent of the population were below the poverty line , including 34.2 percent of those under age 18 and 11.0 percent of those age 65 or over. Keyser is the home of the Potomac State College of West Virginia University ,

392-623: A junior college that serves primarily as a feeder college to WVU's main campus in Morgantown . Keyser is part of the Mineral County Schools district. The schools in Keyser include Keyser Primary School and Fountain Primary School, which cover Pre-Kindergarten through fourth grade; Keyser Middle School, which covers fifth through eighth grade; Keyser High School, which covers ninth through 12th grades; Mineral County Alternative School; and

441-414: A massive outcropping of Oriskany or Ridgeley sandstone known as Queens Point, a popular cliff from which to take in views of Keyser. The cliff is approximately 400 feet above the river. The southern edge of Keyser is not bound by geology, as the valley here stretches farther south than the city limits. Beyond its southern limits is the unincorporated community of New Creek. Today, Keyser's western horizon

490-531: A tonnage tariff for this access. The later wharves were built south of the Western Maryland Railway station , along the canal basin. Initially, canal boats could enter the Potomac River through the guard locks , and proceed upriver for some distance. The dam in the Potomac below the guard locks ensured that the Potomac was deeper at its junction with Wills Creek than it is today. The guard locks and

539-492: A two-year break in the 1950s due to a reelection defeat, Freeland served as mayor from 1937 until 1957. Athey was first elected in 1973 and had stints as mayor until health problems forced him to resign in 1990. As of 2016, approximately 11 percent of Keyser's workers were employed in manufacturing jobs in or around Keyser. Another 20 percent worked in health care or personal care and service. A little less than 20 percent worked in sales and food service. About 17 percent worked in

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588-539: Is dotted with wind turbines. The NedPower Mount Storm Wind Farm began construction in 2006, installing 132 wind turbines atop the Allegheny Front, many of them overlooking Keyser. Eventually, the wind farm reached 162 turbines, making it the largest east of the Mississippi. Keyser's oldest section is its downtown with the 1868 courthouse and two main commercial streets: Main and Armstrong. Armstrong runs parallel to

637-521: Is doubtful it was in use for transporting coal at that time. Some rail and ties remained between the viaduct and the Valley Street Bridge in 1994, and extend as far west as City Junction. That section of the line east of Valley Street is built on a raised section of land, with a reinforced retaining wall . The connection has been removed from the B&;O line, but the location is still visible. The line

686-559: Is headed by a mayor and five-member city council . Each serves four-year, staggered terms. The mayor and two council members are elected at one election, with the remaining three council members elected two years later. Elections are held on the second Tuesday in June of even-numbered years. Originally, terms were only two years long, with staggered terms and elections held every June. Two of Keyser's longest serving mayors were John C. Freeland (1894–1967) and Irving T. Athey (1922–1997). Except for

735-567: The Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area . The population was 4,853 at the 2020 census . Keyser, the county seat of Mineral County, is located on the North Branch of the Potomac River at its juncture with New Creek in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. Throughout the centuries, the town went through a series of name changes, but was ultimately named after William Keyser ,

784-559: The National Register of Historic Places . According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 1.92 square miles (4.97 km ), all land. It is situated in a valley on the south side of the North Branch of the Potomac River at its junction with New Creek. New Creek forms most of the eastern boundary of the town. On the immediate eastern bank of New Creek is New Creek Mountain , peaking at 1,552 feet above sea level on

833-486: The North Branch Potomac River into Allegany County , Maryland , and continues to Cumberland and points north. Heading south, US 220 heads through Moorefield and Petersburg before crossing into Virginia . The other primary highway serving Keyser is West Virginia Route 46 . From Keyser, WV 46 heads west to Piedmont and Elk Garden while to the east, WV 46 extends to Fort Ashby . Keyser's government

882-539: The census of 2000, there were 5,303 people, 2,241 households, and 1,333 families residing in the city. Population density was 2,791.7 people per square mile (1,077.9 people/km ). There were 2,542 housing units at an average density of 1,338.2 units per square mile (516.7 units/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 90.55 percent Euro American, 7.07 percent Black, 0.40 percent Asian , 0.32 percent from other races , and 1.43 percent from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race comprised 0.72 percent of

931-547: The B&O line, the junction of the Wharf Branch is easily seen. B&O's Cumberland viaduct was built as a brick arch structure during the period 1849 to 1851. The Wharf Branch line and the B&O main passed through the "Deep Cut." The cut (passage) provides the "West End" of the B&O with access to the Potomac River Valley, towards Keyser , and Grafton . The viaduct passes over city streets, Wills Creek, and

980-555: The B&O tracks at the southern end of the B&O viaduct . The Potomac Wharf Branch was built on more of an upward slope than the GC&C, to meet the B&O tracks at viaduct level. It crossed Valley Street, and the south end of today's road bridge, at street level. The B&O roadbed is about 20 feet (6.1 m) higher than the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad line. East of Valley Street, some track and ties were still in place as late as 1994. Looking back from

1029-674: The Baltimore & Ohio. Besides the B&O, railroad workers were now employed by the Western Maryland Railroad and the West Virginia Central Railroad . On February 3, 1913, the West Virginia legislature granted Keyser a charter designating it the "City of Keyser" (though the name was nearly changed during WWI due to the connotations of its pronunciation as "kaiser"). In 1924, Keyser experienced massive flooding of

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1078-539: The CSX (formerly B&O) railroad tracks, across which is a neighborhood known as the North End, sandwiched between the tracks and the river, where homes were constructed beginning in the late 1910s. Not far from downtown is Fort Hill, a small hill in the center of the city crowned with the campus of Potomac State College. The south end of Keyser features a relatively newer neighborhood, on the west side of U.S. Route 220, with most of

1127-445: The GC&C in 1927. The line from Cumberland to Midland was operated until 1939 when the track was abandoned. The State Line Branch to Pennsylvania was operated by the PRR until 1934. Keyser, West Virginia Paddy Town (c.1752-1855) Wind Lea (1855-c.1860) Keyser ( / ˈ k aɪ . z ər / ) is a city in and the county seat of Mineral County , West Virginia . It is part of

1176-425: The Potomac River, which brought widespread damage to homes and businesses. In the 20th century, Keyser's economy relied heavily on manufacturing and the railroad. While after WWII, Keyser experienced another boom in industry, the town was hit hard by the economic crises of the 1970s and early 1980s, resulting in numerous industrial closures. Although Keyser's fortunes were generally tied to the national economy through

1225-534: The WM tracks (ex-GC&C, now used by the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad). The viaduct is double-tracked , as is the "Deep Cut." The southern end of the cut is wide enough for triple track, and the bridges are designed for three tracks. They currently carry two CSX West End tracks. The C&P line merged into the B&O westernmost tracks, then crossed over to the easternmost track. The wharf siding

1274-485: The branch and the facility were in use at least to this date. The original Potomac Wharf Branch bridge was a 203-foot (62 m) deck plate girder structure, with two support pillars in the creek. Built in 1849, and rebuilt after the Detmold accident, it survived until the flood of 1936. The Potomac Wharf Branch carried coal to flat-bottom Potomac River boats, and later to boats at the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal , before

1323-461: The canal's wharf facility was completed. There was a series of canal wharves built at Cumberland. The Mount Savage Railroad reportedly built one in 1850. The 1923 Interstate Commerce Commission valuation docket for the C&;P Railroad gives the construction date for the concrete wharf as 1917. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) provided access for the C&P to reach the canal wharf, charging

1372-408: The centuries, the town did not experience the 1990s economic boom in the same way as other parts of the country. Since losing much of its manufacturing base, the town found employment via health care, education, and service jobs. Potomac State College has continued to develop and is associated with West Virginia University. The Thomas R. Carskadon House and Mineral County Courthouse are listed on

1421-439: The city, where shopping centers, a hotel, the new high school, and the new hospital have been constructed in recent years. The main thoroughfares for the city are U.S. Route 220 and West Virginia Route 46 . U.S. Route 220 eventually intersects with U.S. Route 50 south of Keyser. At its north end, 220 crosses the Potomac via the newly reconstructed Memorial Bridge, heading toward Cumberland, Maryland. West Virginia Route 46 enters

1470-464: The city. The population density was 2,832.8 inhabitants per square mile (1,093.8/km ). There were 2,525 housing units at an average density of 1,315.1 units per square mile (507.8 units/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 88.4 percent White , 8.6 percent African American , 0.2 percent Native American , 0.4 percent Asian , 0.1 percent from other races , and 2.3 percent from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people made up 1.4 percent of

1519-462: The county seat, with the courthouse completed in 1868. In 1874, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad was looking for a place to set up division headquarters. Thus, on November 16, 1874, the town of Keyser was incorporated, named after William Keyser then the first vice president of the railroad, living in nearby Garrett County, Maryland , and in charge of the headquarters location division. In addition to

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1568-596: The dam were removed as part of the Wills Creek flood control project, built by the Army Corps of Engineers for Cumberland in the 1950s. The length of the Potomac Wharf branch was about 0.9 miles (1.4 km). The river terminus was the position where the present Interstate 68 bridge passes over the B&O "West End" line. From City Junction, where the Wharf Branch crossed Wills Creek, the line proceeded eastward to meet

1617-500: The east side of Keyser from the direction of Fort Ashby, West Virginia , becoming Armstrong Street and then West Piedmont Street before continuing on to Piedmont, West Virginia. The type locality of the Silurian / Devonian Keyser Formation , a limestone , is located in a quarry and roadcut east of the town. Keyser is served by two primary highways. The most prominent of these is U.S. Route 220 . From Keyser, US 220 heads north, crosses

1666-573: The eastern side of Keyser (though the long mountain itself has higher peaks far south of Keyser). On Keyser's western edge is the Allegheny Front , rising 2,631 feet above sea level at this point along its range. The northern edge of Keyser is bounded by the North Branch of the Potomac River. Immediately across the river, in McCoole, Maryland , another portion of the New Creek Mountain ridge features

1715-511: The former GC&C line to Frostburg . The Potomac Wharf Branch Railroad was an early intermodal experiment to provide easy access for western Maryland coal to the markets of the eastern seaboard . Although its useful life was short, it provided a needed short-term outlet for the export of the region's "black gold." The Maryland Mining Company sold its railroad property to the Cumberland Coal and Iron Company (CC&I) in 1852. CC&I

1764-683: The headquarters, the renamed town of Keyser received repair shops and a roundhouse, lifting employment and economic activity. Keyser played an early and prominent role in the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 , attracting the attention of national news and the involvement of Federal authorities. Keyser's growth accelerated in the 1880s, with the end of the Long Depression , through the turn of the century. Infrastructure improvements attracted more industry, and Keyser's private sector began to diversify beyond its sometimes problematic dominant employer,

1813-418: The homes built in the 1960s and 1970s, known as Airport Addition, as it was once the site of a small airfield. An area sandwiched between Airport Addition and Potomac State College is known as "Radical Hill," which was the name of Thomas Carskadon's farm in the same location, so named by Carskadon because of his self-described radical opinions. The most recent commercial development for the city has been south of

1862-422: The population. Of the 2,224 households, 26.8 percent had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.6 percent were married couples living together, 14.8 percent had a female householder with no husband present, 5.9 percent had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.7 percent were non-families. Of all households, 37.5 percent were made up of individuals, and 18.5 percent had someone living alone who

1911-421: The population. Out of 2,241 households, 24.8 percent had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.3 percent were married couples living together, 13.3 percent had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.5 percent were non-families. 36.4 percent of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.6 percent had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size

1960-467: The railroad crossed the town of Midland on a large wooden trestle . The rail line came through Clarysville and Vale Summit , and went south to Lonaconing to service the mines. The trestle was removed in the 1930s. In addition to coal hauling, the GC&C provided passenger stations and service. A published schedule of the GC&C dated January 18, 1887, shows two trains per day from Cumberland to Lonaconing (except Sundays). The GC&C also owned

2009-602: The route through the Cumberland Narrows . The WM (which had also been controlled by Gould until 1908) took over the GC&C operation in 1913, and a full merger was completed in 1917. Under the WM, the GC&C built a new line from the Narrows through Frostburg to the Pennsylvania line , which was continued by the Connellsville and State Line Railway (another WM subsidiary) to Connellsville . WM abandoned large portions of

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2058-660: The town received an economic boost in 1852 when the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, in search of a path through the Alleghenies, arrived. Sometime between 1855 and the start of the Civil War, the townsfolk renamed the village New Creek Station, after the creek that runs by it. In 1861, the American Civil War came to New Creek Station in then- Hampshire County, Virginia , when the Union established Fort Fuller. The railroad that had been

2107-426: Was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.85. The population was spread out within the city: 20.0 percent under the age of 18, 13.5 percent from 18 to 24, 23.5 percent from 25 to 44, 22.0 percent from 45 to 64, and 21.0 percent who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.2 males. The median income for

2156-446: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age in the city was 36.1 years. 19.4 percent of residents were under the age of 18; 19 percent were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.8 percent were from 25 to 44; 24.7 percent were from 45 to 64; and 17.1 percent were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.2 percent male and 51.8 percent female. As of

2205-584: Was a railroad that operated in Maryland from 1876 until 1917, when it was merged with the Western Maryland Railway (WM). The main line ran from Cumberland to Lonaconing . The GC&C was created by rival coal mining companies in the Georges Creek Valley to compete against the Consolidated Coal Company who dictated rail traffic over the Cumberland and Pennsylvania Railroad . By 1887

2254-435: Was about 1,000 feet (300 m) long, extending from the current Kelly Boulevard around to Wills Creek. The details of the facility and the method for loading coal from the rail cars to the canal boats are not known. However, it was probably not as convenient as dumping directly into the boats, as was done with the later Canal Wharf facility. The Potomac Wharf Branch was listed on the C&P valuation sheets in 1918, although it

2303-467: Was acquired by the Consolidation Coal Company in 1870. Consolidation Coal also owned the Cumberland and Pennsylvania Railroad (C&P). The C&P was acquired by the Western Maryland Railway (WM) in 1944. A classic wreck scene photo, circa 1860, shows the Wharf Branch bridge collapsed into Wills Creek, with the locomotive C. E. Detmold dangling into the creek. This image indicates

2352-661: Was overcome; the Confederates then took over the town, destroying the earthworks and nearly all the buildings. A smaller Confederate force was then sent to Piedmont , where they managed to burn the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's roundhouse, a workshop, and other machinery before they were turned away by Company A Sixth West Virginia Volunteers. Following the war, the state legislature sent the Hampshire County seat back to Romney and split this northern half away to form Mineral County in 1866, eventually settling on New Creek to become

2401-726: Was used into the 1940s as an industrial siding for the Cumberland Contracting Company, and the City of Cumberland's warehouse at Valley Street. Before crossing Wills Creek to City Junction, a spur of the Wharf Branch serviced the Wellington Glass Plant. The plant had been acquired from the National Glass Company in 1909, and the buildings burned in that year. George%27s Creek and Cumberland Railroad The Georges Creek and Cumberland Railroad (GC&C)

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