Then
Beckley was founded in the 1930s with the arrival of an
engineer named Alfred Beckley. Native Americans had called the area home long
before Beckley arrived, but this civilization had since left the area. Because
of the surrounding terrains, many travelers were forced to pass through
Beckley-then called Beckleyville-regularly.
However, it wasn't until the Industrial Revolution brought
railroads and mines to the area that Beckley started to really thrive. Prior to
that, it was a simple farm country. The jobs that came with railroads, mines,
and other such industries brought many more folks to the Beckley area. Coal
mining was a big industry in Beckley for much of the late 1900s, until many
aspects of the process became mechanized and jobs decreased drastically.