New River Gorge mine once owned by the Queen according to legend

CAPERTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Legend has it that one former mine in the heart of the New River Gorge was once owned by the Queen.

Located deep within the rugged New River Gorge lies the remnants of one of many gorge coal towns: Caperton.

Caperton was a significant coal and coke production site in the New River Gorge, established in 1880 by Joseph L. Beury, John Cooper, and George H. Caperton, after whom the town was named.

Caperton was located just west of Sewell on the north side of New River.

The town produced coke in over 200 ovens and mined coal from both sides of the river and the surrounding hills.

Two notable engineering feats were constructed to support these operations: a 1,460-foot inclined track to transport coal down the mountain on the north side and an aerial cable system to move coal across the river from the south side.

At its peak, Caperton housed over 500 residents and 100 structures. However, by 1919, the population had halved, and further declines followed as coal demand waned, leading to its abandonment in 1954.

Caperton was a joint venture by three key New River Gorge industrialists: Joseph L. Beury, John Cooper, and George H. Caperton. It started as a temporary camp for the Fire Creek seam coal mine, opening in 1880, initially called Ellen or Elm.

The camp soon acquired a permanent name, Caperton, in honor of George H. Caperton.

It has also been stated over the years that the Royal Family had a hand in Caperton.

It is believed that Queen Victoria once owned the Caperton mine, and that’s what has been stated by locals and those who grew up in the gorge for years.

The Royal Family was never spotted in the town, though.

Outside of the Royal Family, the New River Coke Company, a major investor, opened additional mines in Caperton, leading to rapid growth.

By 1899, Caperton had 526 residents, most of whom worked in the mines or at the coke ovens.

In the 1910s, Caperton expanded across the river to form South Caperton, linked by a 500-foot pedestrian bridge in 1915.

The combined town had over 100 buildings, including employee houses built by the New River Coke Company, a company store, a boarding house, a post office, and segregated school and church facilities.

Despite its growth, Caperton’s population declined sharply by 1919 due to the coal industry’s downturn.

The mines closed by the late 1940s or early 1950s, and the town was fully abandoned after the school closed in 1952 and the post office in 1954.

Today, only remnants of Caperton’s structures and foundations remain, slowly being reclaimed by Mother Nature.