FAYETTE COUNTY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – It is believed that a rock face in Fayette County was a sign of something to come for U.S. President William McKinley in 1901.
According to the book History of Fayette County, written by J. T. Peters and H. B. Carden in 1926, the enigmatic tale of McKinley Rock, perched near the Thurmond Depot, unveils a story that transcends the boundaries of time.
This curious narrative traces its origins back to September 8th, 1901, when a construction crew, engaged in the monumental task of blasting the high cliff across the river for the construction of the standard gauge railroad to Minden, inadvertently birthed a lasting legacy.
As the crew discharged a powerful shot, the cliff yielded, relinquishing hundreds of tons of stone and unveiling a peculiar sight.
Gazing up at the transformed landscape, one worker made a startling discovery – the perfectly formed face of President McKinley etched onto the cliff’s surface.
Word quickly spread among the laborers, all of whom attested to the uncanny resemblance of the cliffside rock face to the late President McKinley.
Rumors swirled among the workers, and an ominous prediction lingered in the air. Someone foresaw a connection between the rock-carved image and the fate of President McKinley.
The chilling prophecy came to fruition later that evening when news reached Thurmond of McKinley’s assassination.
The president succumbed to his injuries a week later, shrouding the unusual rock formation in an aura of premonition.
Now, a quarter of a century since that fateful day, McKinley Rock stands as a tangible link to the past.
Each year, hundreds of observers bear witness to this unusual monument, a reminder of a bygone era and the inexplicable connection between the natural world and the course of human events.
The former railroad is now a part of the New River Gorge National Park & Preserve and sits along the Rend Trail across the river from Thurmond.