Cord Byrd: “among the beautiful, rolling-green hills of northern West Virginia is a little town with a big history. I am speaking of…”

“among the beautiful, rolling-green hills of northern West Virginia is a little town with a big history. I am speaking of the town of West Union, the county seat of Doddridge County. Once a center for railroading and other forms of transportation, as well as oil drilling, coal mining, and and other forms of businesses and manufacturing, West Union was an important and thriving commercial center in the late nineteenth century. Unfortunately, like too many small towns in West Virginia and across the country, West Union has fallen into some hard times. Nevertheless, West Union retains its rich and colorful history. Indeed, the entire downtown district of West Union has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The downtown section contains buildings that feature a wealth of architectural styles, with four of them having been listed on the National Register. These historic buildings include the Doddridge County Court House with its Romanesque architecture, and the Silas Smith Opera House which was built at the turn of the last century and now serves as the county library. For a small town in the hills of West Virginia, the town of West Union has been the home of a number of prominent American citizens. General Bantz Craddock, who rose to be the Commander of U.S. Southern Command and is responsible for military operations in the Caribbean, Central America, and South America, was raised in West Union.…”