Princeton, Bluefield, Bramwell, Athens

A Little Mercer County History

The County of Mercer was formed by an act of the General Assembly of Virginia, passed on the 17th Day of March, 1837 in Richmond. The Bill was introduced into the Assembly by Daniel Hale, representative from Giles County, and supported by a petition presented by a large number of persons living within the confines of the area at that time

. The territory forming Mercer County was taken partly from the counties of Giles and Tazewell. The Bill which was passed by the Assembly created the County of Mercer and its boundaries, and formed one distinct and new county in memory of General Hugh Mercer, of Revolutionary War fame who died at the Battle of Princeton, New Jersey.

Today, Mercer County is considered to be the "Gateway to Southern Hospitality and Black Gold." The southern-most county in West Virginia is characterized by mountain majesty&emdash;and, like in the beginning&emdash;pride of its citizenry.

Recreation is one of the primary resources of the area, which boasts of two state parks, forest areas, fishing, boating, skiing, and other outdoor recreational facilities.

Princeton, the county seat, enjoys a spectacular history, having been completely burned twice during the Civil War to ensure that no valuables fell into the hands of the opposing forces.

Bluefield is another influential city in Mercer County, having become the service center for the Pocahontas coalfield. Wholesale warehouses, insurance firms, furniture factories, and textile and flour mills sprung up to meet the needs of the industry. Merchandise supply stores sent traveling salesmen to stock the isolated company stores of the smokeless coalfield. Hotels, shops and theaters soon appeared, and the city gained a reputation as an entertainment center for the coalfield, whose residents rode the train into town, shopped all day, and took in a movie before cashing in the return fare.

Today, the mild and pleasant climate, low crime rate, accessibility by major interstate highways, leisurely slow Southern pace, and the friendly people of Bluefield make it an ideal place to visit.

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