Lester, WV

Lester is a town in Raleigh County, West Virginia, United States. The 2020 census counted 337 residents. The community was named after Champ Lester, a local pioneer. The town is situated along Surveyor Creek, which is part of the Coal River watershed, and is concentrated around the intersection of state routes 97 and 305. A newcomer can read Lester through the overlap of its older landmarks, surrounding geography, and current places. For a newcomer, Lester comes into focus through those concrete links among its past, landscape, and current routines. The latter highway connects the town with the Beckley area a few miles to the east.