Blaine Island
Encyclopedia
Blaine Island is an island
on the Kanawha River
in the city of South Charleston
, West Virginia
. It is roughly 80 acres (323,748.8 m²) in size. Blaine Island serves as the South Charleston Manufacturing Site for the Union Carbide Corporation, a subsidiary
of the Dow Chemical Company
. Union Carbide purchased Blaine Island in 1927 in order to expand their petrochemical
manufacturing operations in South Charleston . The company previously had petrochemical plants in South Charleston in 1925 and Clendenin
in 1920, which holds the distinction as the world's first petrochemical plant .
For this reason, locals occasionally refer to the island as "Carbide Island".
Blaine Island is named for a man of the surname of Blaine who erected a mill there before 1823. Blaine's mill was of log construction and its dam extended from the south side of the Kanawha River to the island. Fleming Cobb, an early settler, planted two pear trees
on Blaine Island that he had brought from Tidewater Virginia
in the 1780s, some of the first fruit trees known to be transplanted west of the Allegheny Mountains
.
Today, Blaine Island is a multi-company site. Bayer Corporation owns and operates the Polyols Production Unit, formerly owned by Union Carbide. Today, Union Carbide provides staffing, services, and utilities to Bayer.
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
on the Kanawha River
Kanawha River
The Kanawha River is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately 97 mi long, in the U.S. state of West Virginia. The largest inland waterway in West Virginia, it has formed a significant industrial region of the state since the middle of the 19th century.It is formed at the town of Gauley...
in the city of South Charleston
South Charleston, West Virginia
South Charleston is a city in Kanawha County, West Virginia, U.S. The population was 13,450 at the 2010 census. South Charleston was established in 1906, but not incorporated until 1919 by special charter enacted by the West Virginia Legislature...
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
. It is roughly 80 acres (323,748.8 m²) in size. Blaine Island serves as the South Charleston Manufacturing Site for the Union Carbide Corporation, a subsidiary
Subsidiary
A subsidiary company, subsidiary, or daughter company is a company that is completely or partly owned and wholly controlled by another company that owns more than half of the subsidiary's stock. The subsidiary can be a company, corporation, or limited liability company. In some cases it is a...
of the Dow Chemical Company
Dow Chemical Company
The Dow Chemical Company is a multinational corporation headquartered in Midland, Michigan, United States. As of 2007, it is the second largest chemical manufacturer in the world by revenue and as of February 2009, the third-largest chemical company in the world by market capitalization .Dow...
. Union Carbide purchased Blaine Island in 1927 in order to expand their petrochemical
Petrochemical
Petrochemicals are chemical products derived from petroleum. Some chemical compounds made from petroleum are also obtained from other fossil fuels, such as coal or natural gas, or renewable sources such as corn or sugar cane....
manufacturing operations in South Charleston . The company previously had petrochemical plants in South Charleston in 1925 and Clendenin
Clendenin, West Virginia
Clendenin is a town in Kanawha County, West Virginia along the Elk River. The population was 1,227 at the 2010 census. Clendenin was incorporated in 1904 and named for the Clendenins, an early pioneer family in the Kanawha River Valley. Charleston, WV retains the namesake of George Clendenin's...
in 1920, which holds the distinction as the world's first petrochemical plant .
For this reason, locals occasionally refer to the island as "Carbide Island".
Blaine Island is named for a man of the surname of Blaine who erected a mill there before 1823. Blaine's mill was of log construction and its dam extended from the south side of the Kanawha River to the island. Fleming Cobb, an early settler, planted two pear trees
Pear
The pear is any of several tree species of genus Pyrus and also the name of the pomaceous fruit of these trees. Several species of pear are valued by humans for their edible fruit, but the fruit of other species is small, hard, and astringent....
on Blaine Island that he had brought from Tidewater Virginia
Tidewater region of Virginia
The Tidewater region of Virginia is the eastern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia formally known as Hampton Roads. The term tidewater may be correctly applied to all portions of any area, including Virginia, where the water level is affected by the tides...
in the 1780s, some of the first fruit trees known to be transplanted west of the Allegheny Mountains
Allegheny Mountains
The Allegheny Mountain Range , also spelled Alleghany, Allegany and, informally, the Alleghenies, is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the eastern United States and Canada...
.
Today, Blaine Island is a multi-company site. Bayer Corporation owns and operates the Polyols Production Unit, formerly owned by Union Carbide. Today, Union Carbide provides staffing, services, and utilities to Bayer.