Black Betsy is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

in Putnam County,

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...

, United States. The town is located on the east bank of the

Kanawha River The Kanawha River ( ) is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately 97 mi (156 km) long, in the U.S. state of West Virginia. The largest inland waterway in West Virginia, its valley has been a significant industrial region of the stat ...

West Virginia Route 62 West Virginia Route 62 is a north–south state highway in western West Virginia. The southern terminus of the route is at West Virginia Route 25 in Dunbar. The northern terminus is at Interstate 77 and U.S. Route 33 in Ripley. History In th ...

. Many legends exist as to the origin of the name Black Betsy. Many claim it was named after a black woman who sold moonshine to miners while others say that "Black Betsy" was the moonshine itself. The coal from the area was supposedly named "Black Betsy" as well. All of these are rumors and each member of the community has a different variation of the story.

References

Unincorporated communities in Putnam County, West Virginia Unincorporated communities in West Virginia Charleston, West Virginia metropolitan area Populated places on the Kanawha River {{PutnamCountyWV-geo-stub