[2] Vulcan received international attention when they requested aid from the Soviet Union to replace a collapsed bridge, the only legal entrance and exit into the community.

[3] Vulcan was originally settled as a coal-mining community in the early 20th century, but by 1968, the coal supply had been exhausted and the town experienced significant depopulation.

[4] Vulcan lacked a road connection to the rest of West Virginia and relied on a swinging bridge across the Tug Fork to Kentucky Route 194.

[4] In 1974–75, the bridge had completely collapsed due to wood rot, and the mayor of Vulcan had unsuccessfully lobbied both the state and federal government to replace it.

[5][6] Because of a lack of action, in 1977, the self-appointed mayor of Vulcan, John Robinette, requested foreign aid from the Soviet Union and East Germany to replace the town's bridge.