Hawk's Nest - A Place of Beauty and Tragedy

View of the New River Canyon from Hawk's Nest State Park

Hawk's Nest is a peak on Gauley Mountain in Ansted, West Virginia. The name "Hawk's Nest" came from the many fish hawks which nested in the cliffs at that point. When the railroad began blasting in the area between 1869 and 1873, the hawks left and never again returned. The Chesapeake and Ohio railway, which ran through the area, was completed on January 29, 1873 and a celebration was held at Hawk's Nest Station.

Beginning in 1927, Hawk's Nest Tunnel, a three-mile long tunnel was constructed to divert the waters of the New River under Gauley Mountain. In the tunnel, silica was discovered and the workers were asked to mine the silica, but they were not given protective masks. As a result of this, many workers died from silicosis, a disease which affects the lungs and is caused by inhilation of silica dust. Although there are no definite statistics, several sources agree that as many as 700 of the 2,000 workers died from this disease.

A nearby West Virginia Historical Marker at Hawk's Nest reads:

"Construction of nearby tunnel, diverting waters of New River through Gauley Mt for hydroelectric power, resulted in state's worst industrial disaster. Silica rock dust caused 109 admitted deaths in mostly black, migrant underground work force of 3,000. Congressional hearing placed toll at 476 for 1930-35. Tragedy brought recognition of acute silicosis as occupational lung disease and compensation legislation to protect workers."

Hawk's Nest Overlook