During World War II, all of the nylon used by the U.S. military came from chemicals made at the DuPont Belle Works (pictured) in Kanawha County. Nylon was important for making parachutes and shoelaces for soldiers.

Belle also began making a new clear plastic called Lucite in 1937, which was used for the canopies of Allied warplanes. Other products made there, like Zerex antifreeze and hydraulic fluids, were also used by the military.