Quinwood was founded in 1919 by Quin Morton and Walter Wood, hence Quinwood. Their company was Imperial Smokeless Coal Co. In 1947, Quinwood became one of the few coal camps to be incorporated. They also opened the Quinwood No. 2 mine just over the line in Nicholas County. Both mines were in the Sewell seam of coal.
In the book "The Layland Mine Explosion," Dennis Deitz gives a first-hand account of vintage coal mining at Quinwood (not Layland) that is interesting even to those who know nothing about coal mining.
An old tipple at Quinwood, but not the one belonging to Imperial Smokeless. One resident of the area told me this tipple belonged to the mayor of Rainelle. Another said it was owned by John Brown Harris.
The coal camp section of Quinwood is fairly well maintained.
These old buildings at Quinwood have housed, among other things, a shoe store and a restaurant.
Mick Vest contributed this picture of the still extant company store at Quinwood. It was the white part of the building.
John B. writes, "I have one question that you might be able to help me with. I have a piece of coal script from the IMPERIAL SMOKELESS COAL CO. that the token maker shipped to McClungs, WV however Quinnwood, WV is on the token. I found the coal company listed in an old 1921 Dun & Bradstreet book at McClungs, WV, but the next year the town was gone and the coal company was now listed at Quinnwood, WV along with 3 merchants with the last name McClung. The question - Do you know if McClungs was an early name for Quinnwood and thus they were the same place?"