Mink Shoals is an unincorporated community

Unincorporated area

In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...

 along U.S. Route 119

U.S. Route 119

U.S. Route 119, commonly abbreviated as US 119, is a spur of US 19. It is a north–south route that was an original United States highway of 1926. It is often referred to as Corridor G east of US 23 and KY 80 in Kentucky to Interstate 64 at Charleston, West Virginia.- Kentucky :US 119 is a two...

 in Kanawha County

Kanawha County, West Virginia

As of the census of 2000, there were 200,073 people, 86,226 households, and 55,960 families residing in the county. The population density was 222 people per square mile . There were 93,788 housing units at an average density of 104 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...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and can be accessed by Interstate 79, Exit #1. It is located on the Elk River

Elk River (West Virginia)

The Elk River is a tributary of the Kanawha River, long, in central West Virginia in the United States. Via the Kanawha and Ohio Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River.-Course:...

 and has a public access site of the Elk River. It's rural-like feel attracts many residents, even though it is slightly over two miles from Charleston

Charleston, West Virginia

Charleston is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers in Kanawha County. As of the 2010 census, it has a population of 51,400, and its metropolitan area 304,214. It is the county seat of Kanawha County.Early...

city limits. It is located at an altitude of 571 feet (174 m). It also has an elementary school, Shoals Elementary.

History

Mink Shoals first resident was Felix Mayer. Felix was born in Wertenberg, Germany on August 17, 1829. Felix married Dorothy Ryder and cleared a farm along what is now the Dutch Road area, which became one of the most successful in the county. Among Felix and Dorothy's sons were George and Frank Mayer. Frank was born in 1860 and was a prominent figure in Kanawha County. All of these people are buried in a private family cemetery on top of Jarrett's Creek Mtn.