In the lush hills of Kanawha County, West Virginia, the neighboring communities of Quick and Pinch offer contrasting yet complementary perspectives on Appalachian resilience. Quick Pinch, WV highlights the rich traditions and community spirit shared by these two areas. Though separated by just a few miles, these unassuming settlements—one a whisper of a hamlet, the other a vibrant census-designated hub—share a deep-rooted connection to land, tradition, and community spirit. Their stories reveal the quiet persistence of mountain life.
Quick: Where Time Stands Still
The unincorporated community of Quick embodies rural serenity. Tucked along Indian Creek Road (County Route 49), this tiny settlement forms where Whitoak Fork and Blue Creek converge. Named after the local Quick family, whose graves still mark the community cemetery, it’s a place where history feels tangible .
The heart of Quick is its repurposed community center—a building with layered stories. Originally constructed as Quick Junior High in the 1940s, it transitioned to an elementary school in the 1960s before closing entirely in the early 1980s. Today, it serves as a gathering place, symbolizing adaptability. Even Quick Road whispers of history, built and upgraded during the Great Depression by the WPA Program. With its closed post office and abandoned railroad tracks, Quick feels like a still-life portrait of Appalachian endurance.
Pinch: Celebration as a Way of Life
Just down the road, Pinch pulses with communal energy. Home to approximately 3,500 residents, this CDP boasts the longest-running community reunion in the United States—an unbroken tradition since 1902 . What began as an effort to raise “the civic, religious and educational standards of the community” now draws generations home every August for parades, pageants, car shows, and STEM activities .
For locals like Kaitlin Jordan, the reunion’s charm lies in its intimacy: “Everyone lines up on the road in their lawn chairs and sits around and waits and enjoys the show” . Though attendance has waned recently, longtime resident Joe Hoover remains optimistic: “New people are coming in…they’ll get things turned around” . Beyond the reunion, Pinch thrives with everyday vitality: its public schools (Pinch Elementary and Elkview Middle School), Indian Lake (stocked for fishing), and the iconic Gazebo theater anchor community life .
Shared Roots, Shared Flavors
Both communities savor the region’s culinary heritage. Pepperoni rolls—West Virginia’s unofficial state food—are a beloved staple. These simple, satisfying rolls, born of coal-mining lunch pails, feature locally baked dough wrapped around pepperoni and mozzarella. As one enthusiast recalls, they’re tied to cherished memories of “long summer days at the pool”.
The surrounding forests also provide wild bounty. Foragers hunt chanterelle mushrooms after midsummer rains, distinguishing the orange delicacies from toxic jack-o’-lantern varieties . Morels, often paired with ramps (wild leeks), are sautéed in butter or baked into pasta. Even traditional salt-rising bread—a finicky, yeast-less loaf dating to 1778—reflects Appalachian ingenuity. As one baker notes, “Its history comes out of struggle and skill” when commercial yeast was inaccessible.
Contrasts and Common Ground
Demographically, Pinch has grown steadily (+16% since 2000), with a median household income ($69,433) exceeding the state average. Its population skews slightly older (median age 51.3), and residents take pride in well-kept homes (median value $202,809) . Quick, by contrast, exists off the statistical radar—a cluster of homes and memories where community bonds outweigh economic metrics.
Yet both places exemplify Appalachian identity:
- Resourcefulness: From Quick’s WPA-built road to Pinch’s STEM-focused reunion, both leverage available resources.
- Continuity: Pinch’s 120-year reunion and Quick’s transformed school show how spaces evolve while honoring the past.
- Connection to Land: Whether foraging mushrooms or fishing Indian Lake, nature sustains both physically and spiritually.
The Unbroken Thread
Quick and Pinch, though distinct, are threads in the same cultural fabric—one quiet and resilient, the other celebratory and dynamic. Together, they embody a central Appalachian truth: communities endure not through grand monuments, but through shared stories, adaptable spaces, and the determination to pass traditions forward. As Pinch resident Joe Hoover observed about their reunion, it’s ultimately about “people getting together that you haven’t seen in a long time” . In these hills, connection is the ultimate inheritance.
Bibliography
“Easy Pepperoni Rolls.” Freutcake, 14 Sept. 2021, https://www.freutcake.com/in-the-kitchen/easy-pepperoni-rolls/. Accessed 4 June 2025.
“Exploring West Virginia.” Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/groups/558496183132574/posts/696345929347598/. Accessed 4 June 2025.
“Pinch Reunion Brings W.Va. Community Together.” WV Public, https://wvpublic.org/pinch-reunion-brings-w-va-community-together/. Accessed 4 June 2025.
“Pinch, West Virginia.” City-Data.com, https://www.city-data.com/city/Pinch-West-Virginia.html. Accessed 4 June 2025.
“Pinch, West Virginia.” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinch,_West_Virginia. Accessed 4 June 2025.
“Quick, West Virginia.” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quick,_West_Virginia. Accessed 4 June 2025.
“Sharing Memories of Growing Up in West Virginia.” Wild West Virginian Blog, https://wildwestvirginian.blog/page/2/. Accessed 4 June 2025.
“The ZIP Code, Map and Demographics of Pinch, WV.” Zip-Codes.com, https://www.zip-codes.com/city/wv-pinch.asp. Accessed 4 June 2025.
As always, thank you for riding with me!
https://youtu.be/PwZdZzuYlxI
Visibility: Cloudy
*GPS Coordinate Data Provided on bottom left corner with date and speed*
Destinations in West Virginia by appearance:
Alum Creek
Emmons (6:00)
Brounland Road – Alum Creek (20:00)
South Charleston
US119/Corridor G – South Charleston (30:00)
Charleston
US119/Corridor G – Charleston (40:00)
Oakwood Road Interchange US119/I64 – Charleston (50:00)
Big Chimney
Indian Creek Road – Big Chimney (1:00:00)
Quick
Pinch
Pinch Ridge Road – Pinch (1:15:00)
Mink Shoals
I79S – Mink Shoals (1:30:00)
End I79 (1:31:58)
US119N/Corridor G – South Charleston (1:45:00)
Dunbar
WV25/Dunbar Avenue & 10th Avenue – Dunbar (2:00:00)
WV622/Washington Street West – Dunbar (2:11:30)
Ending: Ford Street – Spring Hill – South Charleston
Listen while you ride: My Spotify Playlists
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5FI2WfzKqFIz5dD0BOA1iw?si=4f12084e12b247ec – Mix
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5IWoDtlir7k6eww0PNVdGh?si=dca253ebf4e94ac1 – Chill
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4TNiUuJHvogwtk7ZxWoOpl?si=d4594c2bf5ff4328 – Upbeat
