i grew up here in hinton, wva during the 70s. i went to bellepointe elementary and hinton high during junior high. my father's office was in front of Helems store, and i remember a thrift store across from the courthouse. a friend lived across from the courthouse. there was also a Murphys, which is kind of like a Target. and a library near the bank.
My sister and I were in Hinton back in the summer on a weekend trip. She believed it wouldn't take much to turn the area into another "Gatlinburg". I disagreed, partly because I didn't want to see Hinton, a real place with real people, try to be another Gatlinburg. We actually had an argument over this, while eating on the deck of the bar and grill across the river from the town! Back in Ohio, even now, when I want to listen to streaming music, I will often listen to WMTD on my phone. What can I say? I find the town absolutely charming and genuine.
I agree. I wouldn’t want it to turn into something like Gatlinburg. Tourism kills it for all the local people. Within just the last few years the amount of people on the river has tripled. If you’re local in the spring and summer you’ll be lucky to find a place to fish.
