Mullens, WV

Mullens is a Wyoming County city in a valley where the Guyandotte River meets Slab Fork. The 2020 census counted 1,475 residents. City services, emergency services, a trail system, local lodging and dining, and the annual Dogwood Festival give the community a present-day civic rhythm. The Coalfields Expressway now reaches Mullens from the Beckley direction, while the mountains still shape the roads, work trips, and daily geography. Larger medical and retail needs pull residents toward Beckley and other regional centers.

The city was incorporated in 1912 on land owned by A. J. Mullins, and early growth came from lumber, coal, and rail. The Virginian Railway built an engine terminal and yard nearby in 1909, employing hundreds during the first half of the 20th century before the line became part of Norfolk Southern. The caboose museum and Mullens Historic District keep that railroad and coalfield past visible. Mullens has had to rebuild after serious flooding, but the town’s layout still follows the valley, the tracks, and the river confluence.