HUNTINGTON -- It may be West Virginia's second-largest city, but it is probably now the state's most recognizable town.
Huntington and Marshall University received the silver screen treatment in last year's Warner Bros. release "We Are Marshall," which tells the story of the school's 1971 football team that took to the field a year after most of the squad was killed in a plane crash.
Sights familiar to area residents, such as 4th Avenue, the Ohio River floodplain, and the Marshall campus itself, were exposed to the rest of the world through the film.
While the movie was not exactly a box office smash, the DVD topped national sales and rental charts last month.
In his state of the university address in September, Marshall President Stephen Kopp said the movie has helped student recruiting.
Huntington itself, which has a population of about 50,000, was founded in 1871 by railroad magnate Collis P. Huntington. The town was the western end point of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway.
The population has declined from where it was about 30 years ago, but downtown Huntington is making a comeback with projects such as Pullman Square -- a $60 million retail development -- bringing entertainment and restaurant options into the heart of the city.
Officials are also working on a project to clean up and revitalize the eastern end of 4th Avenue and better integrate the university into the downtown through the Old Main Corridor. About $340,000 has been appropriated by the state for the project, and city officials are seeking opinions from business owners, residents and students in developing a plan.
On the other end of 4th Avenue, Huntington's historic Keith Albee theater has returned to service after an extensive renovation, and is now the home venue for the Huntington Symphony.
Huntington serves as the seat for Cabell County, and the courthouse is located at the corner of 5th Avenue and 8th Street, as is the city building. The courthouse was built in 1914, and the city hall in 1901. Both are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The city is also home to the Big Sandy Superstore Arena, which hosts concerts, sporting events, trade shows and conventions.
There are two large hospitals in Huntington, Cabell Huntington Hospital in the South Side of the city, and St. Mary's Medical Center in the eastern end. Both hospitals have programs affiliated with Marshall University's medical school. Cabell is the home base of the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, while St. Mary's is home to the St. Mary's School of Nursing and School of Radiologic Technology, both of which are part of the university.
The residential areas of Huntington include the west end, south side and east end. Westmoreland, Central City and Harveytown neighborhoods are found in the west end, while the south is home to the Ritter Park area, Southeast Hills and Fairfield neighborhood. On the east end are Highlawn, Guyandotte, Altizer, Walnut Hills and Beverly Hills.
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