Dingess, West Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dingess, West Virginia
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 Dingess, West Virginia
Location in West Virginia
Dingess, West Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | West Virginia |
| County | Mingo |
| Elevation | 971 ft (296 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
25671
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| Area code(s) | 304 & 681 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1554306 |
Dingess is a small community in Mingo County, West Virginia, United States. It's known as an unincorporated community, meaning it doesn't have its own local government like a city or town. Dingess is about 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Lenore and 13 miles (21 km) west of Logan. It has its own post office with the ZIP code 25671.
Dingess is famous for a long tunnel, about a mile (1.6 km) in length, located south of the community. This tunnel was first built by Italian immigrants for the Norfolk and Western Railway. It opened for trains on September 25, 1892. Since the mid-1900s, cars have been able to drive through it, but only one lane at a time. There's also a shorter tunnel between Dingess and Breeden.
Contents
Exploring Dingess: A Look at Its Past
How Dingess Got Its Name
The community of Dingess was named after a person named William Anderson Dingess. He was one of the first settlers to live in this area.
Life in Dingess in the Late 1800s
By the year 1894, Dingess was a busy place. It had two hotels and eight boarding houses for people to stay. There were also four restaurants and four grocery stores. The community had four sawmills, which were important for processing wood.
Dingess also had a school with two teachers. About 100 students attended this school. Many people in Dingess worked as coal miners, with 133 miners living there at the time.
Challenges and Changes in Early Dingess
In its early days, Dingess had a reputation for being a challenging place. Some older residents described it as a "wild country." There were often difficulties and conflicts in the area.
From 1900 to 1972, the area along Twelvepole Creek, which stretches for about fifteen miles, saw many difficult situations involving law enforcement.
In 1901, there was an incident where a large safe was damaged in the community. Citizens quickly responded to the loud noise. The people involved in the incident left quickly, dropping some valuable items. They escaped on a small rail car, which was later found a few miles away.
Learning in Dingess: The Local School
Dingess Grade School is where students in the community go to learn. The school's special symbol or mascot is a Dragon.
Images for kids
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The old Dingess Train Depot
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The Dingess Tunnel when it was used by the Norfolk & Western Railway
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The Dingess Tunnel today, with a paved road for single lane traffic.
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The Dingess Petroglyphs, located at Laurel Lake Wildlife Management Area.
