In 1911, the Elk Horn Coal Company established a coal camp at the confluence of Steele Creek and the Right Fork of Beaver Creek. This place had been known as “Martin’s Mill” since before the start of the Civil War, due to Rev. “Old” John Martin's Grist Mill, which was located on Mill Creek. During the Civil War, after the Battle of Middle Creek, Confederate General Humphrey Marshall and his forces camped there at the mill, while on their way back to Virginia. During the period of 1911 to 1914 the coal camp was called different names, including “Camp Steele Creek” and “Watson Town.” They later named this place Wayland, after Clarence Wayland Watson, the president of the company. In April 1914 the railroad arrived, and on May 18, the town post office was established. The coal camp's construction wasn't completed until the early 1920s. Wayland was incorporated as a sixth-class city in 1923.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
