Volunteers from Richland area continue assistance in W.Va.

George Washington may not have slept there, but the Wyoming Hotel lays claim to having hosted the likes of Will Rogers, Sen. John F. Kennedy and George Herman “Babe” Ruth.

Visits by such dignitaries speak to the stature of Mullens, W.Va., during a time when the presence of the Virginia Railroad and the proximity of the Winding Gulf Coalfield made the city a hub of activity and its chief hostelry the prime place to stay.

For the rest of the Mullens story, consider that the once-luxurious Wyoming closed in the 1970s and eventually was joined by other shuttered businesses as train travel went the way of the dinosaur and new highways took motorists on routes that circumvented the town.

Then in July 2001, a flood caused by 11 inches of rain falling in four hours basically wiped out Mullens’ downtown.

When word of the devastation reached St. Richard Roman Catholic Church in Richland, volunteers headed to southwestern West Virginia to do what they could on behalf of Mullens and its residents.

The connection carries on to this day through the efforts of the recently formed Rich-Mar Appalachia Impact Group, a division of the Rich-Mar Rotary Club. In June, the group conducted a mission trip to Mullens, with 23 students and 25 adults volunteering to make improvements to seven homes in the area.

Along with receiving credit for service hours, the teens on the trip learned plenty of practical skills, according to group member Chris Rudolph.

“We gear all this work to the kids. The adults don’t do a whole lot. We teach the kids how to use the tools. We teach the kids what to do,” the Richland resident said. “The saws and the drills and the nail guns, we make them do all of that.”

Projects included replacing the roof and repairing the deck and siding at a home where a fallen tree caused major damage, installing nine windows in each of two houses, and updating the cooking area in another through a donation from Kitchen Fair in Shaler.

More volunteers for mission trips would mean more opportunities to provide assistance.

“We’d like our numbers to be around 80, between students and adults,” Rudolph said. “It’s open to any high school student who’s going into 10th, 11th or 12th grade.”

While participation primarily has been by Pine-Richland and Mars Area students, those who attend other high schools are welcome to get involved, as well. A participant fee is offset by fundraisers, such as this year’s Night at the Races hosted by the Richland Township Volunteer Fire Department.

Despite Mullens’ difficulties, including a population loss of nearly 60% from its 1950s peak, Rudolph sees signs of new life.

“It’s nice to see the town is kind of starting to come back. There are people investing some money in the town,” he said, with an eye toward attracting riders of all-terrain vehicles on the nearby Hatfield-McCoy Trails.

As for the Wyoming Hotel, a project to improve the structural integrity was launched in 2021, and hopes are to complete the building when financing allows.

In the meantime, the Rich-Mar Appalachia Impact Group will continue to work toward Mullens’ betterment, with the 2025 mission trip scheduled for June 8-13. Rudolph anticipates many of this year’s participants returning.

“We’re really fortunate because all the kids who came with us this year, none was a senior,” he said. “They all want to come back, so we’re really happy with that.”

For more information, visit appalachiamissionimpact.org and www.facebook.com/mullensappalachiamission.