Hemphill , WV is located about 1.5 to 2.0 miles from Welch , WV. Hemphill is a small, unincorporated community located in McDowell County, West Virginia, United States. It sits along the Tug Fork River, nestled between the communities of Capels and Welch. Being "unincorporated" means it's not officially a city or town with its own local government. Instead, it's part of the larger county.

The area exploited the famous Pocahontas No. 3 and No. 4 coal seams, known for their high quality. The primary operations here were known as the Exeter Mines. The Exeter Mines were abandoned around 1949. Today, Hemphill is an unincorporated community. Interestingly, the abandoned mine shafts now serve as a primary source of public water for the surrounding area (Welch, Hemphill, and Capels).

The development of the coal mining was closely tied to the expansion of the Norfolk and Western Railway. In fact, two major tunnels (Hemphill Tunnels No. 1 and No. 2) were constructed nearby around 1904 to help transport the massive amounts of coal being pulled from the mountains. While the tunnels served many mines in the region, they were built specifically to handle the output from the United States Coal and Coke Company (a subsidiary of U.S. Steel) and the Lake Superior Coal Company, which operated major mines in the immediate vicinity of Hemphill.Cutting through the Appalachian Plateau's sedimentary rock, these tunnels were essential for the transition to double-tracking (completed in 1909), which was necessary to move the "massive amounts of coal" you mentioned—often exceeding 3,000 tons per trainload even in the early 20th century.

A. J. Hemphill ( Alexander Julian Hemphill ) was a prominent figure in the railroad industry. While he served as the Secretary for Norfolk & Western, he later became the Chairman of the Board for the Guaranty Trust Company of New York. In 1905, Hemphill pivoted from the industrial sector to the financial sector, joining the Guaranty Trust Company of New York. This move coincided with a period where banks were increasingly taking control of the railroads they had funded. He started as a Vice President but was elected President in 1909. By 1915, he was named Chairman of the Board, a position he held until his death in 1920. Under his leadership, Guaranty Trust grew to become one of the largest and most influential trust companies in the world, often associated with the inner circle of J.P. Morgan's financial empire.