Walston:

Walston was named after Walston H. Brown, the president of the Rochester and Pittsburgh Coal and Iron Company. This tells you about the origins of the town. The mine was the reason Walston existed. Coke ovens and a washery were constructed. The 432 coke ovens formed a line 1.25 miles long and were the longest string of coke ovens in the world in 1889. A total of 700 coke ovens existed in Walston. Is is said that the night sky glowed orange over Walston due to the coke ovens. The air was filled with smoke and all vegetation was wiped out on the surrounding hills. These coke ovens are still visible to this day although many have collapsed or have been destroyed. The town has restored two of them to original condition for historic interest. In 1888, the population of Walston was over 2000, today it is only a few hundred. The coal operation boasted some very large building including the washery and tipple as well as large building for the mining operations. These are all gone now. Being of rather shoddy construction, most of the coal company houses are gone now too. Yet, a few hardy souls remained in the community, and Walston still exists today. It still has a post office, and there is a nice park for a ballgame or a picnic.