As part of the Pocahontas Coal Fields, growth in Bluefield flourished with the development of the coal industry. In search of industrial work, Bluefield began attracting immigrant European workers and migrant African Americans from the farther south to the mountainous region. In the late 19th century, the Norfolk and Western Company selected Bluefield as the site for its headquarters and repair center, continuing to stimulate the growth of the local economy and population. Booming overnight, the City of Bluefield was officially incorporated in 1889 and continued to grow faster than the infrastructure around it. It was nicknamed "Little New York" during this boom and became one of the first cities in the nation with a distinct skyline. Coal was fueling the Industrial Revolution, and Bluefield was the gateway to up to 40% of that fuel. As time continued, and the development of the country's interstate system, Bluefield's dependency on the railroad system diminished and thus changed the needs of the local industry.