Cass, West Virginia
Encyclopedia
Cass is an unincorporated census-designated place
on the Greenbrier River
in Pocahontas County
, West Virginia
, USA. As of the 2010 census
, its population was 52. The town, founded in 1901, was named for Joseph Kerr Cass, vice president and cofounder of the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company.
for those who worked for West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company, logging the nearby Cheat Mountain
. The cut logs were brought by rail to the town, where a processed them for uses by paper and hardwood-flooring companies. Cass's skilled laborers, who worked in the mill or the locomotive-repair shop, lived with their families in 52 white-fenced houses, built in orderly rows on a hill south of the general store.
In 1960 the mill closed. In 1963, the state bought the railroad used to bring logs to the town, which then began carrying tourists instead of trees. In the late 1970s, the state bought most of the town and its buildings for the new Cass Scenic Railroad State Park
. In 1982 the mill burned down.
The Cass Historic District
was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1980.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
on the Greenbrier River
Greenbrier River
The Greenbrier River is a tributary of the New River, long, in southeastern West Virginia, USA. Via the New, Kanawha and Ohio Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of...
in Pocahontas County
Pocahontas County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 9,131 people, 835 households, and 527 families residing in the county. The population density was 10 people per square mile . There were 7,594 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile...
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, USA. As of the 2010 census
United States Census, 2010
The Twenty-third United States Census, known as Census 2010 or the 2010 Census, is the current national census of the United States. National Census Day was April 1, 2010 and is the reference date used in enumerating individuals...
, its population was 52. The town, founded in 1901, was named for Joseph Kerr Cass, vice president and cofounder of the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company.
History
Cass began as a company townCompany town
A company town is a town or city in which much or all real estate, buildings , utilities, hospitals, small businesses such as grocery stores and gas stations, and other necessities or luxuries of life within its borders are owned by a single company...
for those who worked for West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company, logging the nearby Cheat Mountain
Cheat Mountain
Cheat Mountain is an exceptionally high and rugged ridge situated in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, USA. It is about long and more than five miles wide at its widest. Its highest point is at its southernmost end at Thorny Flat, which has an elevation of...
. The cut logs were brought by rail to the town, where a processed them for uses by paper and hardwood-flooring companies. Cass's skilled laborers, who worked in the mill or the locomotive-repair shop, lived with their families in 52 white-fenced houses, built in orderly rows on a hill south of the general store.
In 1960 the mill closed. In 1963, the state bought the railroad used to bring logs to the town, which then began carrying tourists instead of trees. In the late 1970s, the state bought most of the town and its buildings for the new Cass Scenic Railroad State Park
Cass Scenic Railroad State Park
Cass Scenic Railroad State Park is a State Park located in Cass, Pocahontas County, West Virginia.It consists of the Cass Scenic Railroad, an long heritage railroad that is owned by the state of West Virginia...
. In 1982 the mill burned down.
The Cass Historic District
Cass Historic District
Cass Historic District is a national historic district located at Cass, Pocahontas County, West Virginia. The district encompasses 79 contributing buildings and 1 contributing structure. Cass was founded in 1902 as a company town for lumbering by the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company...
was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1980.