Holden is a mine camp that is about four miles due west of Logan West Virginia. It was owned by the Island Creek Coal Company. It was named after one of the founders of the Island Creek Coal Company Albert F Holden. Mr Holden believed that a coal town should be a nice place to live and built the town with that in mind. Holden became famous as a model community according to Walter Thurmond. In 1955 they had stores, a hospital, air conditioned movie theater, drug store, dress shop, taxi, beauty shop, dentist, , barber shop, gas station, billiards hall, cable tv, tennis courts, swimming pool, a recreation building with a gym, lighted baseball field, volleyball courts, picnic grounds and a clubhouse. This was a town to take pride in.
The Logan Field was not developed until 1904 because the railways had not reached it.By the 1930’s Island Creek Coal Company employed 2500 men. The workers were a mixture of whites, immigrants and about a third black. The mines have shut down but Holden is still the home of approximately 1,00 residents.
Holden some claim has its own ghost known as the Coal Miners’ Widow. Mamie Thurman was known as a “black widow because she married men for their money who would then suddenly die. She was found murdered at the coal mine known as Holden 22. She now is said to be seen walking in Holden 22’s old abandoned headquarters.
