MacArthur, WV

MacArthur is a Raleigh County census-designated place with a name change built into its story. It was first called Hollywood, then renamed in 1942 for General of the Army Douglas MacArthur. The older name still appears in historical references, while the newer one belongs to the community’s wartime-era map. MacArthur sits in Raleigh County’s Beckley-area coal region, where small communities carry the names of people, mines, and moments from the surrounding hills. It is a West Virginia place whose two names mark two different chapters.