The first major industry in Southwest Virginia — which laid the foundation for the regionally important town of Abingdon — was salt. In Saltville (a small town now located on the Smyth-Washington county line), salt was (and still is) produced by using water to extract salt from the ground. The salt marshes in this unique area are also known for woolly mammoth finds, and as a result the town has adopted the woolly mammoth as its official mascot; two mammoth replicas appear regularly at town events and are reputed to have weather forecasting abilities.