Eaton, West Virginia


Eaton is a ghost town in Wood County, West Virginia. It sat along the path of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Passenger service along the line stopped completely in the fall of 1981. Eatons's long abandoned train station burned the mid 1980s. All rail service on the line was discontinued in 1988. The railroad tracks were removed in the 1990s and turned into part of the North Bend Rail Trail.
The town was named for a tunnel builder named Eaton.

Tunnel accident

In the early 1960s work began on the tunnels, widening and raising the roofs. Eatons tunnel, which was originally built in 1867, collapsed on June 6, 1963 burying 2 workers. One was rescued safely. The other was never recovered. The old tunnel was deemed unsafe to continue and was sealed off. A new tunnel was dug parallel to the old. There is no marker commemorating the still buried worker. The tunnel has become a place visited by ghost hunters.

Note

Please do not forget the trails are a part of the park system and those without renting a camping site may be ticketed if visiting after their visiting hours.