THURMOND, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Thurmond is known for its booming railroad days and being called the “Dodge City of the East”.
The infamous gambling, drinking, and prostitution did not take place in the town limits of Thurmond, however, across the river at what is known as Southside or the “Balahack” district, not much was outlawed.
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On the weekends, miners and others would flock to Southside and to the Dun Glen Hotel where drinking and gambling would go on around the clock. Some would gamble everything they had away, including land.
Poker was a staple in the area, and people took the game very seriously.
There are multiple stories that when some people would lose everything while gambling, they would then go and jump off the Thurmond Bridge and commit suicide.
The Dun Glen Hotel currently holds the world record for the longest-running poker game in history.
The game lasted a whopping 14-years. The hotel was built in 1901 and burned down in 1930, only 29 years of existence.
Now, the hotel property is a Day Use Area in the New River Gorge National Park & Preserve.
To learn more about the Dun Glen Hotel, please click here.
