Kenova
Kenova is the largest community in highly rural Wayne County. Its history was shaped in large measure by its location on the Ohio and Big Sandy rivers where Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia meet. Its name sounds like the name of an Indian tribe, but it was devised by taking a few letters from each of the three states’ names. Kenova once served as a shipping port for timber floated down the Big Sandy River from the wooded slopes to the south. Given Kenova’s forest heritage, it’s surely not coincidental that many of the city’s streets are named for trees. The Midland Trail makes its way along Oak Street. Other Kenova street names include Beech, Walnut, Poplar, and Chestnut. This heavily retouched postcard view offers a glimpse of Kenova’s Chestnut Street as it looked in the 1940s.