William R Bill Archer

Bluefield in the 1940s William R Bill Archer

Almost every American city enjoys a magical time in history when all the tumblers of fate, luck, hard work, and good fortune seem to fall into place, and the city enjoys a golden era. The 1940s were just such a time in the city of Bluefield. At the dawn of the decade, the United States was on the verge of entering the greatest war the world has ever known, and the coal that flowed through Norfolk and Western Railway's Bluefield yard was destined to fuel an Allied victory. But there is so much more than war and coal at the heart of Bluefield's story. The 1940s were a time of inspiration for men like Nobel laureate John F. Nash Jr., a time of artistic discovery for men like Joseph Dodd of Bluefield State College, a time of valor and heroism for Congressional Medal of Honor recipient S. Sgt. Junior Spurrier, and a period of success in business, arts, and professional fields for hundreds of Bluefield's sons and daughters.