oor to beg. They would stow away on the railroad cars traveling to different towns looking for work or food. Kids would run down to the train tracks and insult the drivers. The drivers would pretend to be angry and throw coal at them, and the kids would pick it up and carry it home. (Law, Interview) The neighboring town of Bramwell, with as many as nineteen millionaires, was per capita the richest town in America. (Historic Bramwell)After the city recovered from its downward spiral, Bluefield once again became the center of commerce. Shops and tourists flocked the area. It was a special treat every year when my family would go to Bluefield. We would spend all day shopping downtown; it really was the highlight of the year. (Brooks, Interview) Bluefield was the hub of the whole area for industry. At Christmas time all the stores were decoratedand people came from all over to eat at Jimmys Restaurant. (Nelson, Interview)On December 7, 1941, World War II brought Bluefield to a standstill. Food was rationed and everything was canned, dried, or preserved. You couldnt buy tires or gas. People had to be put on a waiting list to buy a car. Women couldnt get nylon hose so they painted their legs with makeup and drew a line down the back of their legs with eye brow pencil. (Nelson, Interview) Air raid drills began and bomb shelters sprung up in peoples homes and downtown.When the war finally ended, Bluefield turned back to coal to rebuild itself. Prices began to rise. Catholic schools became popular and the quality of education increased. In the early 1980s, Mercer Mall was built. Parking had always been a problem for downtown shoppers. This combined with the convenience of mall shopping led to the extinction of downtown as a shopping area. (Nelson, Interview) When the tunnel was constructed through the East River Mountain, travelers no longer had to drive through the town and go over the mountain. The economy once again dro...
