Book excerpt: Bluefield is truly Virginia's tallest town. The town's elevation is officially 2,389 feet, with East River Mountain reaching 3,700 feet at the town's southern limit. In its long, illustrious history, the community has had four distinctive names. The small, agricultural community began as Pin Hook. Then the town became Harman in honor of a local Civil War hero, E. H. Harman. With the arrival of the railroad, the town was first incorporated under the name of Graham in 1884 in honor of the Philadelphia engineer and promoter Col. Thomas Graham. Finally, the town was redubbed Bluefield in 1924 to coincide with its neighbor across the state line. The name Bluefield comes from the fields of blue chicory that are common to this region of the two Virginias.