Has this ever happened to you? A word or phrase becomes so common that you never stop to think about its origins. And sometimes names work the same way. For example, the West Virginia town of Richwood in Nicholas County: you’ve probably heard of it, but have you ever stopped to wonder how it got its name?

The small town of Richwood, West Virginia lies tucked away in Nicholas County, in a valley surrounded by the beautiful Appalachian Mountains.
youngamerican/Wikipedia
Its proximity to the Cherry River, as well as the lush forests that adorn the nearby slopes, made it quite an attractive spot for the Cherry River Boom and Lumber Company, who founded the town as the site of their new sawmill, incorporating it under the name of Richwood in 1901.
Tim Kiser/Wikipedia
Up until that point, the settlement, which first saw pioneers as early as the late 1700s, was known as "Cherry Tree Bottoms."
Loggers brought trees from the surrounding forest to the mill to be made into boards; the scraps from this process were sent down the road to what would become the world's largest clothespin factory: Dodge Clothespin Company. It was also built in 1901, and earned Richwood the designation of "Clothespin Capital of the World."
Brya/Wikipedia

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As a result, for decades, little pieces of West Virginia forest infiltrated homes across the nation.
Library of Congress/Wikimedia
Other industries followed, including ax handle production, paper production, coal mining, and banking. Now, however, these industries are largely things of the past.
Youngamerican/Wikipedia
The town has struggled to survive without these industries but has rallied around a revitalized downtown area that is slowly filling with small, locally owned artisan shops. Today, Richwood has earned itself a new nickname: Ramp Capital of the World! (Check out their famous ramp festival each spring!)
And throughout the community, you'll still find nods to their past, like this wooden sculpture featured in a small park in the heart of town and the many recreational opportunities available in the surrounding forests. Rich wood, indeed.
Youngamerican/Wikipedia

Had you already heard the story of how Richwood got its name? Can you remember using locally made clothespins to hang the laundry out to dry on a backyard clothesline? How times have changed…but at least we still have ramps!

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