WILLIAMSON

city, seat (1896) of Mingo county, southwestern West Virginia, U.S. It lies on Tug Fork, opposite South Williamson, Kentucky (to which it is connected by bridge), and is at the centre of the Tug Valley coalfield, popularly known as the Billion Dollar Coalfield. Established in 1892, the town was named for Wallace J. Williamson, a prominent landowner. The arrival of the Norfolk and Western Railway in the 1890s opened the vast bituminous coal resources and stimulated the town's development. Railroading, lumbering, and machinery manufacture also contribute to the economy. The Coal House (1933), which serves as the headquarters of the local chamber of commerce, has exterior walls made from 65 tons of coal. The King Coal Festival is held there annually in September. Inc. town, 1892; city, 1905. Pop. (1990) 4,154; (1998 est.) 3,646.