Elkview’s history can be understood through its early place names and various traces of its transportation history. Shady Sadie’s Bridge is in the area; a former depot and visible remains of a railroad line also tell the story of the railway. For the similarly named Elk River routes, it is worth distinguishing between their lengths, courses, and activities.

Elk River Trail and Elk River Water Trail

The Elk River Trail is a 73-mile section running from Clendenin to Gassaway. It passes through Braxton, Clay, and Kanawha counties. Its trail network is suited to hiking, biking, and horseback riding; activities offered on the trail also include canoeing, kayaking, and fishing. The offerings thus include activities on land as well as on the water.

The Elk River Water Trail is a separate, 101-mile route. It begins below Sutton Dam and flows into the Kanawha River in Charleston. Activities listed here include kayaking, canoeing, tubing, and fishing. The two routes therefore have different endpoints and lengths; tubing is an additional activity explicitly listed for the Water Trail. When choosing between the descriptions, first consider the activity you want and the course of each route. River conditions can vary, so it is a good idea to check them before planning a water activity.

Shady Sadie’s Bridge

In the area around Elkview, in northern Kanawha County, Shady Sadie’s Bridge carries Aaron’s Fork Road (CR 39) over Little Sandy Creek. The bridge was built in 1928 and was originally called Cobb Bridge. Its history is tied to a road system that differs from the later, comprehensive state road network: it is considered a notably well-preserved example of a bridge from West Virginia’s county road system, which was operated by the state before being incorporated into the state system.

At the local and regional levels, the bridge was deemed eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. This designation provides a specific context for its transportation and construction history: the story is not just about the year it was built, but also about an earlier phase of the road system. Three details together can help you get your bearings: the original name, Cobb Bridge; the year it was built, 1928; and its location over Little Sandy Creek. Aaron’s Fork Road is the road that crosses the bridge.

Place Names and Railroad History

The first post office in the Elkview area was established in 1840 and was known as Jarrett or Jarrett’s Ford. Early 20th-century maps suggest that the present-day community was originally established as Jarrett. The post office name and the recorded earlier place name are therefore two different historical references. Looking at the names side by side helps distinguish the postal history from the settlement history documented on maps, without combining them into a single name.

The railroad history can also be seen in two forms: the Elkview Depot is the last surviving landmark on the rail line between Charleston and Blue Creek; traces of the former rail alignment are also visible between Elkview and Blue Creek. The depot and the alignment traces thus represent different kinds of remnants: a preserved landmark and visible remnants of the line. If you plan to visit these traces, check their condition on site.

Discover more destinations: Dunbar, East Bank, Cross Lanes, South Charleston, St Albans, Charleston

Return to the regional travel overview: Kanawha.