History
> Although founded in 1838, Beckley existed only on paper at that time, "Alfred Beckley said he "was frequently jeered and laughed at for his Paper Town..." Early in its history, the town was known as Beckley, Raleigh Court House, and, occasionally, Beckleyville.
> The town of Prince was formed in 1870 when brothers William and James Prince purchased 300 acres along the New River from General Alfred Beckley. They arrived prior to the building of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad in 1873 and established a mercantile store and ferry crossing. Their businesses flourished during the construction of the railroad, the Stretcher’s Neck tunnel, and a bridge across the New River. Prince itself was not a mining town, however, the advantageous geographical location made it possible to supply mining towns on Laurel Creek in Fayette County, and on Piney Creek and in Beckley in Raleigh County.
> With the railway completed through the New River Gorge in the spring of 1873, and coal being shipped out in the fall of that same year from Quinnimont, the need for passenger service was evident. The first passenger train depot was built at Prince in 1880 and lasted until 1917, when it was destroyed by fire, and then rebuilt that same year. The building was enlarged in 1891 to be able to accommodate the large volume of freight and passengers traveling to the area. The depot was very strategic and efficient for both Fayette and Raleigh counties. Another passenger depot was constructed nearby at Quinnimont in 1896.
> The current brick train depot at Prince was built in 1946 by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway at a cost of $200,000. The new depot used Art Deco style architecture, and had its grand opening on June 26, 1946, that was attended by an estimated 2,000 people with a marching band, state and railroad dignitaries, speeches and refreshments.
Basically Prince was a transportation hub of the region and helped develop the local area due to the train and its central location.
