This city was incorporated around 1910 and saw its economy improve dramatically during the early part of the 20th century when the Virginia Railroad and the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad extended branches to it. However the town never consisted of more than 3 churches, 9 stores, 3 restaurants, a saw mill, a planning mill, 3 hotels, and a population of about 1,200 persons. Unfortunately its economy depended in a large part on the mining and lumber industries. Its population now only numbers a slight bit over 300. It is expected that the completion of the Coalfields Expressway will improve the economic picture here.