Littleton: Valley and History Between Railroads and the Oil Boom

Littleton combines a landscape shaped by a creek and hills with a local history spanning early settlement, railroads, and the oil boom. The town lies along US-250 and the banks of Big Fish Creek; hills to the north and south form the valley. For planning your vacation, these offer different points of interest: the landscape along the creek and the historic landmarks that have shaped Littleton across different eras.

The Valley and Historic Orientation

Big Fish Creek and the hills to the north and south give the valley its distinctive shape. Littleton’s location along US-250 adds a specific road connection to this landscape. Another historic reference is the old Littleton Bridge: it was bypassed and abandoned in 2006. The end of the Mason-Dixon Line lies about a mile northeast of Littleton. These details highlight different aspects: the valley and creek on one hand, and historic local landmarks, a general direction, and an approximate distance on the other.

From Settlement to Railroad History

The Little family settled in Littleton in 1797, and the town was named after them. The name thus points back to an early chapter in the town’s history. From 1861 to 1864, Company N was stationed in Littleton, among other places. Its three-year assignment included guarding the B.&O. and North Western Railroads. This is distinct from the route of the B&O main line through the valley of Littleton. Together, these details offer two perspectives on railroad history: the stationing of a unit with an assignment involving the railroads, and the railroad line as part of the landscape.

Buildings and Economic Change

Our Lady of Assumption Church was built in 1870 by Father Edward Delahunt. The Exchange Bank Building on Main Street dates to around 1910 and is considered potentially eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion C for architecture. The two buildings point to different aspects of local history: church construction and bank architecture. For the bank building, the designation remains potential eligibility for listing, not confirmed listing.

Another defining period was the major oil boom Littleton experienced from 1896 to 1906. The town served as a supply depot for the oil fields; laying oil and gas pipelines provided a great deal of work during this period. The history of the boom thus encompasses not only the oil fields themselves, but also Littleton’s role as a supply center and the work of building pipelines. This economic perspective adds a distinct chapter to the earlier settlement, railroad history, and architectural history.

Putting Littleton in Context as a Vacation Destination

If you’re looking for a vacation rental in Littleton, you can choose your destination based on the topics that interest you most: the creek and valley landscape, railroad history, or the economic past of the oil boom. The buildings add church and bank history to these points of interest. This makes it possible to understand Littleton not only by its location along US-250, but also through its varied historical and landscape connections.

Discover more destinations: New Martinsville

See the broader travel guide: Wetzel County.