I used to think routing  the Interstate around Huntington was a big mistake.....but not any more.

let's compare two cities near Huntington that are/were comparable in size, Charleston and Lexington.

Charleston decided to run nearly every damned Interstate in WV through their city in hopes of growing Charleston. It divided a thriving minority community and certainly didn't help their downtown or their downtown Mall. Charleston is losing population faster than Huntington and their downtown is not nearly as vibrant as Huntington's. Plus if you are outside any where between South Charleston all the way up to the State Capitol, you can hear the noise of the interstate. You can't get away from it.

Lexington (like Huntington) decided to run it's Interstate outside the City. It's thriving and growing. If you're traveling through Lexington via I-64 or I-75 you never see the skyline of the city, wouldn't even know it's there. At least in Huntington you can see the skyline if you're traveling east on I-64 around Westmoreland/Wayne county area.

I feel the reason for Lexington's success and growth depended on a couple of things:
They combined city and county into one entity. I think that's the secret of their success. It eliminates the fighting between the City and the County. The WV Legislature is too provincial and rural controlled to allow anything to benefit our cities.

Imagine what Huntington and Charleston would be like if the WV Legislature would allow this to happen? Both cities population would be well over 150,000 instead of under 50,000.

Lexington's past job's were not based on rust-belt industries (like Huntington and Charleston) but on the Horse industry and businesses locating in Lexington due to UK (sort of like what Marshall is doing now).

If only the railroad had remained a primary source of transportation and mover of goods.  Interstates gave people quick access to other areas that embraced change and growth.  Huntington chose to route their connection away from the city.  That also coincided with beginning of the decline for the once proud city.  People could now leave the area and did in droves.  I remember in high school, about 1985, when a lot of teachers were having problems with the state and the state of education here and they took off for North Carolina.  A lot of industry dwindled in the region around then, too, or a  little before.  Airport cities took off and to this day they have large Marshall alumni groups located in those cities. 


Great post! Especially, getting a regional airport!! I'm tired of these little fiefdoms being protected at the detriment of the rest of the state. That's exactly what happened to Huntington decades ago when the "city fathers and business owners" prevented the downtown area from changing. Thus, you get the mall in B'ville and other activity in South Point, OH.



Sometime in the 60s-70s, Huntington should have pivoted and embraced easy access, opened up to the outside world, and given up on trying to remain a hidden gem untouched by outside influence.   And that includes telling Charleston to shove it and putting a regional airport in a valley within 20 miles of the city with a corridor of interstate running from downtown directly to the airport, piggy-backed onto I-64.  Huntington, with the river, the rail, an interstate providing exposure, and a regional airport, would have thrived despite what was happening to the state due to corrupt and inept politicians.  Same thing from Charleston coming from the East into Teays Valley.  Two cities expanded 20 short miles towards each other with a major airport in between would have boomed this whole thing into a mega hub. Could you imagine the mall wedged right smack between Huntington and a major airport for 45 years and all of that annexed by the city and a casino from the other direction?  And all the other business that would have bloomed along that corridor.  it would have been like Corridor G stretching from Huntington to Charleston.

And it would have been cheap to do before everything was over-regulated and the EPA had a firm lock on any developing industry.  I think the area would have had enough economic power to change the whole state and probably to eliminate state taxes completely.

Unfortunately, could be wrong but i think the longer it goes without him signing. The tougher it will be for us to land this guy. I hope i?m wrong.

If we can get this kid for one year I'll take it. Dan would have never even tried to get him. At least Corny is working his tail off and beating the bushes. That is all you can ask.

If you can recruit HS well, and hold on to your players, it is the superior model. Football is a game of precision and execution. You get that at a much higher rate from a guy that?s been in your system for 3-4 years than a one year guy even if the one year guy has more talent.