Winding Gulf, West Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Winding Gulf, West Virginia
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 Winding Gulf, West Virginia
Location in West Virginia
Winding Gulf, West Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | West Virginia |
| County | Raleigh |
| Elevation | 2,264 ft (690 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| Area code(s) | 304 & 681 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1556003 |
Winding Gulf is a small, unincorporated community in Raleigh County, West Virginia, United States. An unincorporated community means it's a place with a shared identity but no official local government. Winding Gulf is located south of a town called Sophia.
A Look Back: Winding Gulf's Coal Mining Past
Winding Gulf has a rich history, especially with coal mining. Back in 1910, a person named Justis Collins, who was a "Coal Baron" (meaning he owned many coal mines), built special towns called coal camps here.
These camps were homes for the miners and their families. Many people worked in the coal mines in Winding Gulf. Mining was a very hard and sometimes dangerous job. Over the years, miners faced difficult conditions while working deep underground.
The coal from Winding Gulf was transported by the Virginian Railroad. There were several mining areas, or "collieries," in Winding Gulf. Some of these were known as No. 1 camp, No. 2 camp, Lynwynn camp, Epperly Hill, and Farley Hill.
In the 1920s, Winding Gulf was quite a busy place. It was actually the third largest town in Raleigh County at that time! Coal mining continued in Winding Gulf for a long time, lasting until the late 1980s.
