This is an old video I uploaded to JoshiesWorld’s YouTube channel about a decade ago of the infamous Dingess Tunnel, which I visited and recorded. I never posted it on other social media platforms (crossposting), so I am doing that now to make sure as much of my content as possible is accessible everywhere for anyone to read, watch, or view. This video was taken at one of the infamous tunnels in Mingo County, West Virginia, called The Dingess Tunnel. This tunnel has a notorious history, particularly during the mine wars era. Here is the video I took when my mother and I visited the Dingess Tunnel, and I have added some brief histories and stories about the Dingess Tunnel below the video. Be sure to click on the video below to play it.
The Dingess Tunnel is best known for its mile-long one-way tunnel, which serves as the town’s main gateway. The Dingess Tunnel was originally built in 1892 for the Norfolk and Western Railway, and in 1913 it was converted for vehicular traffic. The Dingess Tunnel has a rich history, as it served the Twelve Pole Line of the Norfolk and Western Railway between Lenore and Dingess in West Virginia. Some people would go through the tunnel to rob people in the tunnel, at both ends of the tunnel, and in the surrounding area. Some robberies went awry; some robbers couldn’t find the time to gather their booty (plunder) because several residents came out with guns as soon as they found out an active burglary was underway, which they mostly killed. That isn’t all. The Dingess Tunnel is also known for the seventeen law enforcement officers who were shot to death in that area. This tragic event further solidified the area’s reputation for lawlessness and danger.
Dingess, West Virginia, is also known as one of the most racist places in the state of West Virginia. There is a piece in a book called “They’ll Cut Off Your Project” written by Huey Perry, which states that “Old-timers there said it was common practice to have a killing once a month. As ‘Uncle’ Jim Marcum described it, “Why, a colored person couldn’t think about riding through Dingess. They would stop the train, take him off, and shoot him, and nobody would say a word. Why, they would even stop the train and take all its cargo. It was a wild country then, and it ain’t much better now.”
These aren’t the only things that the Dingess Tunnel in Dingess, WV, is known for. The Dingess Tunnel is also known as America’s Bloodiest Tunnel. The Dingess Tunnel has a lot more stories and histories behind it. If you visit the Dingess Tunnel, there is a chance that you will end up seeing ghosts, hearing voices, or seeing something that wasn’t supposed to be there. In other words, it is one mile of haunted tunnel to go through. If you are ever interested in driving through this tunnel, which is still open today, here’s the link with directions to the Dingess Tunnel below. When you do, please keep a close eye out and drive slowly, because it is a long tunnel with a one-way street, so you might have to drive backward or have the incoming vehicle back up, depending on who’s past the halfway point of the Dingess Tunnel. Also, be sure to turn on your headlights so incoming traffic knows you are coming through, or look for other vehicles’ headlights to let you know they’re coming through. I think not too long ago, they rehabbed the Dingess Tunnel with $5.5 million, which included adding the lights and whatnot.
The Dingess Tunnel on Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1Z_-7TaqnwtvHXisko4u2iESJmXc&usp=sharing
More information about the Dingess Tunnel in Dingess, West Virginia, can be found on Google, Bing, Etc. You will find some interesting articles or sites where people who still live there share their experiences, information, or history. I suggest doing some research on the Dingess Tunnel; I think it would be interesting for you!
I think this House Concurrent Resolution No. 5 is a good place to learn a little bit about the Dingess Tunnel. It doesn’t include all the history and stories, but you will learn at least a little bit about the Dingess Tunnel in Mingo County, WV. https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2015_SESSIONS/RS/Bills/hcr50%20intr.htm
If you have already visited the Dingess Tunnel in Mingo County, West Virginia, let me know how it was to drive through one of the tunnels with a very dark history by leaving a comment! If you don’t know where it is or how to get to the Dingess Tunnel, I have provided the link to Google Maps above. Just open it and enter your location so Google Maps can give you directions from where you are to the Dingess Tunnel.
Joshua “Joshie” Sullivan.
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