The Eccles Mine DisasterThe Eccles Mine Disaster
In 1914 a series of massive explosions occurred in the Eccles Mine No. 5 near Eccles, West Virginia in Raleigh County, West Virginia, leaving over 180 men and boys dead,
Category: The Coalfields
John Forbes Nash, Jr.: Appalachia’s Mathematical GeniusJohn Forbes Nash, Jr.: Appalachia’s Mathematical Genius
Today we tell the story of one of the 20th century’s most brilliant mathematicians, born in Bluefield, West Virginia, and the subject of the movie “A Beautiful Mind,” John Forbes
The Sanctified Hill MudslideThe Sanctified Hill Mudslide
Sanctified Hill was a section of Cumberland, Kentucky, where many retired African American miners and their families resided in homes many had built themselves. In 1972 heavy rains fell across
The West Virginia Mine Wars: MatewanThe West Virginia Mine Wars: Matewan
Our story of the West Virginia Mine Wars continues at Matewan, West Virginia, where a famous gun battle left several mine company hired guards dead, along with the town mayor,
The West Virginia Mine Wars: Paint Creek and Cabin CreekThe West Virginia Mine Wars: Paint Creek and Cabin Creek
For a century and a half the king of central Appalachia has been coal. That mineral powered the industrial revolution in America, made some men and corporations very wealthy and
The Laurel Mine Disaster of 1884The Laurel Mine Disaster of 1884
The Pocahontas coal field, located in southwest Virginia and southern West Virginia, was one of the most productive coal areas in the United States. The town of Pocahontas, in Tazewell
The Pound Gap Massacre (Video)The Pound Gap Massacre (Video)
In 1892 a terrible and brutal murder took place at Pound Gap in Virginia, one of the most notorious crimes ever committed in Southwest Virginia. Here’s a link to a
The Blue People of KentuckyThe Blue People of Kentucky
In 1820 French orphan Martin Fugate and his wife Elizabeth arrived as new settlers in eastern Kentucky. Unknown to them, they carried genetic traits that would pass on to their
The Mysterious Christmas Eve Fire: The Missing Sodder Children and their Haunting LegacyThe Mysterious Christmas Eve Fire: The Missing Sodder Children and their Haunting Legacy
On Christmas Eve, 1945, a mysterious fire broke out at the Fayetteville, West Virginia home of George and Jennie Sodder. Try as they might, George and his oldest son were
Lost Legacy: The Curious Case of The Kentucky Man Who Almost Inherited a French Fortune!Lost Legacy: The Curious Case of The Kentucky Man Who Almost Inherited a French Fortune!
Back in 1924 a poor mountaineer from Middlesboro, Kentucky, became an overnight sensation. Steve White was apparently not Steve White but instead a man named Gustave Solome, the heir to