Shinnston Case Study Geography

The town of Shinnston, West Virginia is a former coal town located in Harrison County, near the West Fork River. In 1778 Levi Shinn constructed his log home along what is now Route 19, today it is the oldest standing structure in North Central West Virginia (Wikipedia, 2016). The Shinnston Historical Association maintains it and it is open for tours by the general public. In 1815, the town was laid out with three streets, running parallel with the river, and with four crossing streets running at right angles to them. The town was incorporated in 1852 as Shinn's Town by an act of the Virginia legislature, as West Virginia did not yet exist as an independent state. In Shinnstons’ early years, it saw the development of mercantile interests, wagon
There has been a large spike in Heroin related health concerns, accidents, and overdoses. In one day last year, the department had three Heroin related overdose calls, with one resulting in death. Cardiac issues are the second largest concern. There are multiple calls for strokes, heart attacks, and/or heart related health problems, such as, chest pain, fainting, and shortness of breath. He also said that this spike has not been seen in just the elderly population; younger adults are now presenting with early onset cardiac issues (Informant Interview, 2016). He feels it is a result of lifestyle choices more than anything and therefore, the average age of the cardiac patient is getting younger. There is also an increase in motor vehicle accidents this time of year due to heavy traffic, considering the holidays and winter weather. Shingleton also stated they do a community awareness for safe driving, especially during the holiday season, in an attempt to draw attention and help prevent accidents. With colder weather conditions coming, an increase in structure fires due to heating systems (chimneys, poor ventilation), is also becoming an