WEBSTER SPRINGS — During the pandemic, Michelle Bell opened the Dandelion Boutique, a shop in Webster County where she sold a collection of flowy sundresses, floppy sun hats and denim jeans.
But she steadily lost customers to online retailers, forcing her to close up shop on a snowy day in February, less than four years after she opened.
Like other small business owners in Webster County, where opportunities are scarce, Bell knew giving up was an option, but she decided to move forward.
“Around here, jobs aren’t plentiful, so people do what they have to do to survive,” she said.
A few months after the boutique’s closure, Bell and a business partner transformed an empty, grease-stained auto shop into The Groovy Mushroom, a smoke shop with an array of products from flashy vapes and hemp-derived products to custom incense holders and car air fresheners.
Many businesses have closed, county officials said. Those that remain have either relocated or rebranded in an attempt to survive.
Residents of Webster County say they feel overlooked and forgotten as neighboring counties attract more investments and jobs, leaving Webster County behind. The county has one of the highest rates of unemployment at 7%, compared to 4.2% statewide.
“My firm belief is that the state has to start with its poorest counties,” said Chris Graham, director of the Webster County Economic Development Authority. “I just keep seeing money going to the panhandle. Little counties like us, we always seem to be at the last of the list.”
This story is part of Mountain State Spotlight’s initiative to ask West Virginians in all 55 counties what they want to hear from candidates as they ask for votes. In communities from Kingwood to Hamlin to Chloe, residents have said they want candidates to talk about how to create more good-paying jobs.
As the county’s first and only smoke shop, The Groovy Mushroom sees a steady stream of daily customers. But Bell, who also sits on the county economic development authority’s board, said she recognizes that other businesses in the area are not so lucky.
“Small businesses need help right now,” she said. “I’m one of the fortunate ones who could do what I did because when businesses die, people just move on.”
Compared to more populous counties, Webster struggles with a lack of interstate access, poor water infrastructure and fewer customers.
County officials said they’ve also seen a decline in timber jobs as lumber prices have plummeted. With most of the county heavily forested, timber companies were once the largest employers.
Webster County has a population of around 8,000, but residents say people keep leaving in search of better jobs, hurting the local economy. Since 2010, the county has lost over 1,000 residents, according to the U.S. Census.
“I grew up here, but things have changed — there’s no economy here anymore,” said Travis Giles, a lifelong resident. “There’s no coal mines, there’s no jobs, there’s nothing, so people have left.”
Giles said he tries to shop locally but has found it difficult as more shops are closing. He now drives at least half an hour to Buckhannon or Summersville to buy groceries.
With fewer businesses like family-owned grocery stores and boutiques, demand for gathering places like bars and restaurants has decreased.
Bryan Moore closed his bar six years ago after business stagnated. He said he relied on local customers, but most either moved away or passed away. Shortly after closing the bar, he opened the Springs Sandwich Shop in Webster Springs.
There, visitors can buy hot paninis with a choice of pickles or chips and an ice-cold drink on the side. He’s now relying on tourists passing through town for revenue and said the shop has seen an uptick in visitors every year.
“We have our good months and we have our bad months,” Moore said. “The most impact has been transient business from Snowshoe in the wintertime.”
As the local population dwindles, some small businesses are focusing on tourists. Like many places in West Virginia, county officials are turning to tourism to jumpstart the economy and combat slow business growth.
“I think outdoor recreation is where we’re missing the boat, largely because we have beautiful mountains and we have the best rivers,” said Alex Fliegel, director of the county’s Convention and Visitors Bureau. “There’s just not many businesses or tax dollars being spent specifically around that.”
Her office markets the county to attract visitors but relies mostly on hotel and motel taxes for funding. In Webster County, there are not enough places to stay, limiting both tourism growth and funding for the office.
To help officials grow the county’s economy and tourism, Fliegel reached out to the nonprofit West Virginia Community Development Hub. As part of the Accelerate WV program, she’s working with Graham to create a county-wide economic development plan.
In the plan, they are sketching out sustainable projects like biking and ATV trails, and once it is completed, hope it makes the county more attractive to investors and grant funders. Officials have hosted community listening sessions and expect to complete the plan next year.
Back at the smoke shop, Bell said she could see Webster Springs growing to become a place like Lewisburg or Fayetteville, where tourism is key to the local economy. She said the county EDA has ambitious plans like building a county-wide rail biking trail and connecting it to other counties to bring visitors.
“I care about my community, and I care where it goes and the future of it,” she said. “ We have people coming from all over to come here, we just need them to stay for a little while.”