Nora, Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nora, Virginia
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Unincorporated community
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Post office in Nora (2020)
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 Nora, Virginia
Location in Virginia
Nora, Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Virginia |
| County | Dickenson |
| Elevation | 1,532 ft (467 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
24272
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| Area code(s) | 276 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1497048 |
Nora is a small place in Dickenson County, located in the southern part of the U.S. state of Virginia. It is an unincorporated community, which means it's a town that doesn't have its own local government. In the year 2000, about 566 people lived there. Nora is found right along the McClure River.
For a long time, the main business in Nora and the surrounding county has been coal mining. More recently, people have also started getting a lot of natural gas from deep underground. This gas comes from a rock layer called the Huron Shale formation, and the area where it's found in Virginia is known as the Nora Field.
Contents
History of Nora
The area where Nora is now was first called "Mouth of Open Fork." For a short time in 1882, it was even the main town for the newly formed Dickenson County.
How Nora Got Its Name
In 1904, a post office was built at Mouth of Open Fork. The first postmaster, W. A. Dorton, decided to name the community and the post office after his wife, Nora.
The Clinchfield Railroad
The Clinchfield Railroad was built to help transport coal from the mines in the area. This railroad goes right through Nora. The construction of the railroad was finished in 1915, with the last tracks being laid near Nora.
The 1977 Flood
In 1977, the McClure River flooded. This caused a lot of damage and destroyed many parts of Nora.
People from Nora
Many interesting people have connections to Nora:
- Margaret Binns (1884-1968): Margaret was from Brooklyn, New York. She came to Nora in 1915 on the very first train that arrived in the town. For 50 years, she worked for the small Episcopal Church in Nora. Her home was a welcoming place where children from the town could gather and play.
- Ralph Stanley: This famous bluegrass musician grew up in McClure, a nearby town. He attended high school right here in Nora.
- Kathleen Counts (1932-1983): Kathleen was a coal miner from Nora. Sadly, she died in a mining accident in McClure in 1983. She is thought to be the first woman miner in the United States to die while working.
- Trazel Silvers: Trazel was a talented basketball player at Ervinton High School. After high school, he played basketball professionally. He first played for the famous Harlem Globetrotters and then for several teams in Europe.
