The City of Elkins, situated on a bend in the Tygart Valley River, was developed by Senators Henry Gassaway Davis and Stephen B. Elkins and named for Senator Elkins, in 1890. Both men built permanent places of residence known as Halliehurst and Graceland, with commanding views of the city below. These Victorian-era mansions are now part of Davis & Elkins College and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In the early 1900s, the city grew quickly. Davis and Elkins developed railroad lines, coal mines and timbering. Together, they built the WV Central and Pittsburgh Railway into Elkins and opened a vast territory to industrial development in the late 1890's. In 1899, Elkins became the county seat. With those developments, the town started a building boom. By 1906, as described in “The Coming Metropolis of the State,” the town boasted of “European-style” hotels, opera houses, banks, a YMCA, brickworks, tannery and brewery. Davis Memorial Hospital and Davis & Elkins College had already been founded. The city had already attracted hundreds of rail and timbering workers as well as business entrepreneurs, all looking to make Elkins their home.

As the railroad expanded, Elkins experienced the luxury of passenger train service. In 1930, 18 passenger trains were arriving and leaving Elkins daily. The air was filled with the coal dust of steam locomotives. By the late 1950s, passenger service was discontinued and by the end of the 1980s all rail service ended. By the turn of the 21st Century, the rail yard began to be vibrant again. With a recently redeveloped depot area and tourist train service, the sound of train whistles has returned.

With its contemporary mixture of history, commerce and arts, Elkins is now considered a ”Small Town Gem” by the West Virginia Department of Commerce. Our town celebrates its proud heritage and looks forward to continued growth.