2014 More than Appalachia 1

More than Appalachia 1

Journal kept by Susan Hanes during a trip along the Ohio River and through West Virginia and Kentucky from June 15-22, 2014.

Photos by Susan Hanes and George Leonard, copyright 2014.

Cover: Road at the top of Kayford Mountain

More Than Appalachia 1 June 15-22, 2014 After attending the FABS Conference in Cleveland, we followed the Ohio River from its beginning in Pittsburgh to Louisville. We passed countless coal powered generating plants that provide electricity to a major portion of our country. We visited coalfields of Appalachia in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Virginia, witnessing the impact that mining and power generation have had on the environment. We saw sites of great labor unrest and saw evidence of poverty and of mining’s human toll of mine disasters and illness. However, we found a land rich in natural beauty and were warmed by the friendliness of the people who live there.

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Sunday, June 15 to Pittsburgh, PA By 1:30, Jake and I were on the road to Pittsburgh,

clapboard houses freshly painted and well maintained;

arriving just after 4:00. Taking advantage of the brilliant

several had been wildly decorated with colorful artwork

afternoon, we took the Duquesne Incline for a

and signs. But Allegheny Center, the modern mall

panoramic view of the city, including Heinz Field and the

encircled by attractive townhouses where we lived in

Golden Triangle, where the confluence of the

1976 was unrecognizable. It is now high-rise buildings

Monongahela and the Allegheny Rivers become the

and low rent housing. The park that surrounds it still

Ohio. Stopped for a couple of local brews at the top and

looks beautiful, though. I thought fondly of teddy bear

prolonged our enjoyment of the view. Retrieving the car,

picnics and visits to the National Aviary as I gazed out

Jake drove me to Heinz Field; I was able to get a look

across the pond. We had difficulty getting to our hotel,

through the fence and take a photo to send to Mike.

the Omni William Penn, since many of the downtown

Forty years ago, Three Rivers Stadium stood where the

streets had been closed for the Gay Pride Parade earlier

parking lots are now. From there we drove to the

that day. It was a good thing we had not tried to check

Mexican War Streets area. I saw a police car and asked

in before we did. Walked down to Market Square to find

about this area that had been pretty rough when I lived

a place for dinner; chose Il Pizzaiolo on the square, with

here in the mid 1970s. He said that by the ‘90s the area

a nice table by the open doors, where we enjoyed our

had become a war zone but now it was slowly

wine and pizza and watched people out in the balmy

gentrifying. We found narrow streets lined with

summer evening.

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Monday, June 16

Pittsburgh, PA

Our schedule of the past week in Cleveland caught up with me and I put the DO NOT DISTURB card on the door, lowered the shades, and went back to bed. Jake took a walk up the street to the grand Romanesquestyled Allegheny Court House, designed by H. H. Richardson and completed in 1888. He walked down to Point State park at the Golden Triangle and visited the Fort Pitt Museum. He also noted the old Kauffman’s, the grande dame of department stores where I used to shop; it is now a Macy’s but at least there is a plaque designating it as a National Landmark. I rallied by the time he returned and we went to the Carnegie Museum of Art. Although significantly less important than the Cleveland Museum, we found that it had some impressive collections. Besides, we were in no mood to rival those four miles we had walked in the CMA on Wednesday.

Back at the hotel, Jake went in for a nap and I walked down to Dan’s Sports World Specialties on Smithfield Street where I found an original Terrible Towel and a Super Bowl X pennant for Mike. Dan obliged me by politely listening to my stories about Mike, a Steelers fan from the age of four; I imagine he must put up with similar ramblings on a daily basis. We made dinner simple with burgers and beer in the hotel’s Tap Room, while watching the US beat Ghana in the World Cup.

Three architectural styles visible from our window 11

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Tuesday, June 17

to Wheeling, WV

A leisurely morning by Jake’s standards.

Walked over to the Allegheny County Courthouse, where he pointed out the things he’d noticed yesterday while I’d stayed in bed. Redeemed the car at 10:00 and drove out to the Frick Pittsburgh, an historical complex that includes 5.5 acres of lawns and gardens, an art museum, and Clayton, the 19th century residence of industrialist Henry Clay Frick. Wandered though the museum; the collection consists exclusively of art collected by Frick’s daughter, Helen. At 11:00 we were guided through the house by a docent who pointed out facts about the opulent Victorian furnishings, 90% of which were original. Although not as grand as those in such places as Newport RI, Clayton had the feel of a real home, with well-chosen books in the library, stationery on the lady’s desk, and family photographs on the walls, set in the grandeur of leather and damask wall finishes, ornately carved woodwork, and parquet floors. We enjoyed lunch al fresco at the Café on the grounds, a pleasant breeze cooling the sunny afternoon.

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Henry Clay and hi s youngest daug hter Helen Frick, who lived in the house (pai nting by Edmund Charles Tarbell, c. 1910)

At 2:00, we drove back into town and visited the Andy Warhol Museum on Pittsburgh’s North Side. Five floors of galleries display his art and his life, from the 1920s up to the time of his death in 1987. Found it surprisingly interesting, for we had had no real sense of the breadth of his talent. We saw how his works depicted the relationship between artistic expression, celebrity culture, and advertising that flourished in the 1960s. Nearby in the Mexican War Streets District, we stopped at the Mattress Factory, an art museum that opened in 1977 and showcases room-sized environments created by inresidence artists. At 4:00, we were on the road, fighting Pittsburgh’s rush hour on our way west, following the Ohio River.

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At Steubenville, we saw a plaque honoring hometown boy Dean Martin. Followed the western side of the river to take advantage of the sun for photographs; passed a giant 4-chimney coal plant on the West Virginia side when we gassed up in Brilliant, Ohio.

Sorry that I did not take a photo. Further on, a giant power plant was located on the Ohio side. Entering Wheeling, we found the sun to be perfect for photos, and Jake drove up and down streets that were devoid of traffic while I jumped out to take pictures. Faded signs high on the brick sides of buildings were especially evocative. We crossed the National Road Suspension Bridge, designed by Charles Ellet, Jr. and completed in 1849, then the world's longest bridge span at 1,010 feet. At 7:30, we thought we’d better get to the Hampton Inn where we’d planned to stay.

But we were too late; there was not a room left. We learned later that the oil production boom and fracking in the area have brought in droves of workers and the oil companies have secured blocks of rooms for them, decreasing availability and increasing rates. The clerk at the Hampton suggested the Oglebay Resort; by the time we were able to find it, up winding WV 88, it was already 8:00. Although thankful to have a roof over our heads, the resort is overpriced and badly in need of renovation. Nonetheless, cocktails and conversation in our room made up for a lot.

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Wednesday, June 18

to Parkersburg, WV

In spite of our modest accommodations, we slept well

Bethany College, founded in 1840 and the oldest private

and departed at 9:15, choosing to go elsewhere for

college in the state. The center of the campus is Old

breakfast and not fund the Oglebay any further. Found a

Main, a fine example of 19th century Gothic architecture.

Perkins Restaurant at the bottom of the hill; retraced WV

We explored the town, stopping to walk through the

88 past the turnoff to the lodge and headed north to

cemetery of the 1832 Church of Christ where we found

Bethany, a town of just over 1,000 that is home to

headstones of soldiers lost in numerous wars.

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Took WV 27 to Wellsburg, where we saw Drover’s Inn and the historic 1790 lodge next to it. The inn served wagon drivers herding livestock to Eastern markets. Jake commented that without GPS, we would have zoomed right past it.

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Followed the Ohio River on WV 2, passing power plants and industrial complexes tucked in amongst the rolling hills. The road returned us to Wheeling; drove past blocks of Victorian buildings and the Wheeling Custom House, where representatives of the western counties declared their allegiance to President Lincoln, laying the groundwork for West Virginia to become the nation’s 35th state.

Fifteen minutes brought us to Moundsville. We stopped to see Grave Creek Mound, considered the largest prehistoric Indian burial mound of its kind.

Across the street stands the WV State Penitentiary, a Gothic-style fortress built in 1867 by convict labor.

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Deliberated as to whether to take the time to visit the Fostoria Glass Museum; were very glad we did. Curator Ralph Taylor welcomed us with his soft local accent and switched on the lights on the two floors of cabinets containing examples of the blown, pressed, and etched glass produced between 1887 and 1986. We had no idea how interesting glass could be, but after chatting with Ronnie and Don Crabbe, who handle acquisitions, we left with two lead crystal old-fashioned glasses produced in the 1960s in the “coin� style, and a greater appreciation for the craft of glass production.

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As we continued our drive along the Ohio River Valley, we enjoyed the beauty of densely wooded hills set back from the river, some rising as high as 300 feet. River towns sprouted every four or five miles, and small farms appeared when the land was flat enough to support them. We also encountered giant plants producing coal and oil, gypsum and chemicals, their smokestacks and cooling towers and tanks and conveyor belts scarring the landscape. One cannot help but think about the difficult choices that this landscape illustrates: the need for energy to enhance our lives and the cost to the environment that sustains us.

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We crossed the river to Marietta, Ohio, where Jake and I played our usual game when I jump out to take photos and he waits to take me to the next spot. We hopscotched down Front Street, stopping every couple of blocks to see the restored 19th century buildings that house little shops and eateries.

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We admired the rambling Victorian homes on shady Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Streets. We stopped at Mound Cemetery, said to be the resting place of more Revolutionary War officers than anywhere else in the nation, and drove through the campus of Marietta College, founded in 1835.

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Entering West Virginia again, we arrived in Parkersburg just before 6:00 and checked into the 1889 Blennerhassett Hotel, one of the Historic Hotels of America. When we saw our lovely room, it was hard to believe that it was significantly less expensive than our stay last night.

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Finding the hotel lounge full, we crossed the street to the Bankshot Pub, a memorabilia-cluttered neighborhood spot. We ordered drinks, served by a smiling young woman. A few minutes later, she was at the other end of the bar, twirling a couple of small hula hoops on her arms. Jake asked if she juggled and she said she did; she picked up some limes and gave us a demonstration. Soon the three of us were deep into conversation.

She told us that her name was Shiloh, she had just graduated from the University of Ohio in Athens with a degree in drama, and she loves Shakespeare. We learned that she dreams of being a teacher and inspiring kids in poverty to go to college and make something of themselves. We asked her questions about the music and culture of the area, which she was happy to share. By the time we’d finished another round, we had made a new friend.

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Shiloh suggested that we go around the corner to Shooter’s

and the place was filling up. I asked one woman who had

Café for something to eat. When we came in, we saw the

just made a great shot what the BCA stood for; she had no

tables littered with what we thought were clarinet cases

idea. She asked her opponent; “Heck if I know,” he

and figured that perhaps there was a meeting of musicians

answered. Finally someone volunteered that it stands for

that night. We laughed when we realized that they were

Billiards Congress of America. Great subs and beer at the

pool cue cases. Wednesdays are BCA pool league nights,

bar, with the Allman Brothers blaring overhead.

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Thursday, June 19

to Charleston, WV

Breakfast at the Crystal Café across from the hotel. Sensed it was a neighborhood favorite when a sign by the door invited us to “Take a menu and seat yourself.” Books lining the walls were offered for 50 cents with all proceeds going to charity. A rack over the stove contained personalized mugs: “Coach,” “Ohio Lover,” “Richard P. Chalmers.” Several regulars were seated, sipping coffee from their own mugs. Before leaving Parkersburg, we explored the Victorian homes in the historic JuliaAnn District, the Oil and Gas Museum’s outside exhibits, and the Romanesque courthouse, and noted the dike that protects the town from the flooding of the Little Kanawha River.

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Took I-77 to Williamstown, where we learned that the fading Fenton Glass Company is no longer open on Thursdays. Continued south on OH 7. When the road rejoined the river at Pomeroy, we encountered numerous giant power plants, their belching smokestacks visible from a distance but carefully screened by trees once we neared them. High fencing topped with barbed wire posted No Trespassing signs, and guard shacks stood at the entrances. When we pulled to the side of the public road to take a photo at one of these plants, a guard immediately stepped out and stared us down.

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We returned to WV 2 south towards Huntington. At Lesage,

and assorted junk; they are invited to add graffiti with black

made a U-turn and stopped at Hillbilly Hot Dogs, an

markers. Old busses serve as the “fine dining area�; their

installation by the side of the road. Words cannot

interiors are painted red and covered with names and

adequately describe the place; it opened in 1999 and has

dates. Although we were not hungry, we wanted to know

been decorated by its customers ever since. Over the years,

what a WV hot dog tasted like and ordered a couple:

they have contributed license tags, car parts, gee-gaws,

wiener, soft bun, chili, slaw, and mustard.

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Drove through Huntington’s Marshall University, home of the Thundering Herd; by 3:00 we were headed to Charleston. When I noticed a sign on I-64 for the Blenko Glass Factory, I persuaded Jake to turn off. And what a turnoff it was, in every way: garish colors, oddly formed pieces, and high prices. On the observation level, the only people I saw were stretched out on a couple of sofas or slouched in chairs; the manufacturing area was totally devoid of workers. Now Jake says I owe him big time for agreeing to take me there.

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Nearing Charleston, we found Freedom Industries, located 2½ miles upstream from the junction of the Kanawha and Elk Rivers where, on January 9, 2014, a tank spilled a coaltreatment chemical into the Elk River, tainting the water supply to some 300,000 West Virginians. The plant is about 200 yards from the Charleston city limits and thus is able to avoid some municipal regulations. We followed a narrow, mostly one-lane road that we shared with large tankers. At the facility, we saw eight or ten rusting tanks that had to be 30 feet in diameter and at least 35 feet tall. It was one of these that had failed and caused the January spill. I took several pictures from the car window until someone came out and waved us off. We learned later today that potentially chemical-laced water from the company’s tanks had flowed into the Elk River on two consecutive days as recently as last week. It seems that our environmental education in West Virginia is just beginning.

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We saw the restored train station across the Kanawha that

ginger-based cocktails we ordered, was our conversation

serves as the headquarters of the family business of my

with a family at the next table. When I noticed the

NCS roommate, Betty. Her father, William J. Maier, was a

woman’s Coal River tee shirt, I asked her about it, telling

successful businessman and philanthropist. Visited the

her that Jake and I were headed south to experience West

1932 State Capitol building; its magnificent gold dome

Virginia’s Appalachian culture in coal country. Barbara

shines over the city. It was too hot and muggy for a stroll

Gero, her husband Joe, and their son Ryan, are local

in the surrounding park; we went on to the Brass Pineapple

people with a heart for the land. They shared favorite

B&B, where we are staying in the English Gentleman’s

books and Joe told us of his family connection to the

Room. Three blocks away, we had dinner at the Bluegrass

Hatfields. Ryan offered to help us if we had any questions.

Kitchen, which advertises “eclectic comfort food with a

Tomorrow, we will take Ryan’s suggestion and visit Taylor

modern edge.” The best part of the meal, besides the

Books on Capitol Street.

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West Virginia State Capitol

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Friday, June 20

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to Beckley, WV

Today, although in some ways deeply disturbing, was the

excess, tainted with toxic byproducts, into the valleys

most enlightening of our trip. By 10:00, we were on I-64,

below. It is less expensive to execute and uses far fewer

following detailed instructions from the Internet to get to

workers than more traditional mining, thereby impacting

Kayford Mountain, home of anti-mining environmentalist

the jobs of those whose livelihood depended on working

Larry Gibson, who died in 2012 at the age of 66. The

the mines. We carefully made our way up a narrow,

Gibson Family has lived in the Kayford Mountain area

winding rock-embedded road to the top of the mountain,

since the beginning of the 18th century. Larry became an

backtracking after we were turned away from a blasting

activist in the mid-1980s after discovering that mining

area by the single-toothed man who guarded the

operations in the area had desecrated his family

entrance. We came to a whitewashed stone marker,

cemetery and threatened the mountain itself. Since then,

placed by Mt. Olive Church of God Prophesy, lettered

the scale of mining operations has grown exponentially;

with a verse from Psalms 72: “The mountains shall bring

more than 500 mountains across West Virginia, Virginia,

peace to the people, and the little hills, by

and Kentucky have been stripped of trees and flattened,

righteousness.” Taking the road to the right, we found

and more than 1,200 mountain streams have been

ourselves at Stanley Heirs Park, where we left the car.

buried with resultant rock and debris. It was our

Just above, there were two shacks; we saw that one had

intention to visit Kayford Mountain and to see for

been the home of Larry Gibson, the self-designated

ourselves the impact of mountaintop removal mining,

Keeper of the Mountain. He was buried nearby, his

when coal seams are extracted from a forested mountain

tombstone bearing his image and the inscription, “My

by decapitating it with explosives and pushing the

mother gave me birth, but the mountain gave me life.”

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As we walked along the dirt road through a small community of homes, I noticed the sound of birds singing against the dull hum of machines in the distance. We passed several cabins, most constructed around old trailers; noticed that signs identified the occupants as Stanleys or sons of Stanleys. At first, we saw no one around; then we spotted a wood fire further on, which a man was tending. I called out to him, asking if he could tell us where we might see the mining operations. “A couple hundred yards up the hill, and you’ll see it all,” he told us. At the top of the hill, we followed the narrow footpath along the ridge of the mountain. Carefully making our way over the lose stones, we climbed to the top, and there, spread out before us, was a vast, flat, grey wasteland that had once been a forested mountain top. We stood in awe; pictures could not capture the sight below us.

The entire mountaintop was gone; what remained was a sterile moonscape. As we retraced our steps, we saw that a young couple had joined the older man outside the house. After what we had seen, I asked them if they thought there was any hope. The younger man softly answered, “Yup. It’ll all come back someday. It may take a long, long time, but it will come back.” We introduced ourselves and learned that the young people were Shane and Kimberly Stanley; Jimmy is Shane’s father.

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The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness. —Psalms 72:3

Our photo from our viewpoint

The same area from Google Earth 63

We returned to the car and descended the mountain on the other side; the road was no better and we were glad we encountered no other vehicles.

Once back in the Coal River Valley, we saw homes that for the most part, were neat and well maintained. Cars in the driveways and toys in the yards indicated far better living conditions than those of the mountain people, who had no electricity or running water. We drove along Coal River Road, following winding WV 3.

Noticed that virtually all the towns we passed were unincorporated. At Whitesville, practically a ghost town now, we visited the Upper Big Branch Miners Memorial, a striking granite monument to the 29 miners, some in their early 20s, who lost their lives on April 5, 2010, in a Massey Energy mine explosion.

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We passed the abandoned Marsh Fork Elementary School, located just 400 feet downslope from a Massey Energyowned impoundment that holds back billions of gallons of coal slurry. The school had been at the center of a controversy that led to protests, arrests, and nationwide publicity. Local residents, especially parents of Marsh Fork students, were concerned about the health impacts of exposure to coal dust and the threat of a disaster, should there be a breach. Last year, a new school was opened just a few miles down the road; we stopped to take a photo of it.

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Near Beckley, we visited the Exhibition Coal Mine, which offered a realistic look at mining as it was at the turn of the century. We were guided through an actual mine by a retired miner who gave us a real sense of what it was like to work at that time.

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We also saw authentic miner and superintendent homes, as

began working at the Mining Museum. She said that she

well as a school and church, all of which had been relocated

finds it healing to meet people and share her experiences.

from their original settings. In the schoolhouse, docent

The storm clouds were gathering by the time we went to

Peggy shared her difficult life as a coal miner’s wife, telling

Tamarack, a large complex showcasing the best arts, crafts,

us that after mining 14 years, her husband suffered a

music, and food of West Virginia. We wandered through the

massive injury at work when his back was broken. He had

displays of quilts and baskets and glass until the rain let up

already contracted black lung disease and cancer, and

enough for us to make a run for the car. Checked into a

became severely mentally disabled. She told us how caring

Hampton Inn (we were smarter this time and made early

for him had been like caring for a child. After his death, she

reservations) and had dinner at the steakhouse next door.

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Saturday, June 21

to Williamson, WV

It was foggy as we pulled out of the hotel and drove

gorge and had a small mining museum. Followed I-77

north to Fayetteville to see the New River Gorge

south to Bramwell, “the millionaires’ town.” In the

Bridge, the iconic image of West Virginia (it is

early 20th century it was considered the richest town

featured on the State’s quarter) and the longest

of its size the US. Now it has become a center for

arched bridge in the Western Hemisphere. Took a

ATVs and Hatfield-McCoy souvenirs. The GPS sent us

series of switchbacks down to the river for the famous

to the hamlet of Pochantas and dumped us in

view; the morning mist added a richness to the scene.

someone’s yard at the end of a road; we got

The Visitor’s Center offered a nice view over the

ourselves back on US 52 towards Welch.

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Crossed into McDowell County, described in a recent New

investment. Of West Virginia’s 55 counties, McDowell has

York Times article as the poorest in West Virginia. John F.

the lowest median household income. I noticed a sweet

Kennedy campaigned there in 1960 and was so appalled

little house with the front porch railing made out of hearts

that his first executive order was the creation of the food

in unincorporated Switchback, WV; the laundry hanging out

stamp program of which McDowell residents were the first

front touched me somehow. We passed many

recipients. Fifty years after Lyndon Johnson’s War on

unincorporated towns, as we had earlier. In Kimball, we

Poverty, the county is slipping back into hardship as people

encountered at least 200 cars parked along the road and

flee, and communities are scarred by family dissolution,

the surrounding fields near Five Loaves and Two Fishes. We

prescription drug abuse, and a high rate of imprisonment.

turned around to see what was going on and realized that it

The statistics are jarring: 46 percent of the children in the

was a food bank. Long lines of people were waiting to get

county do not live with a biological parent; although the

in; others with grocery trolleys were loading bags into their

region produced more coal than any other county in West

cars. I read later that it is partnering with the WV State

Virginia, it got almost none of the wealth back as local

University Extension Service to provide fresh produce too.

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At Welch, the county seat, we saw great evidence of poverty: collapsed, boarded stores and houses with broken windows. The only new buildings seemed to be related to government.

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The McDowell County Courthouse where former Matewan Chief of Police Sid Hatfield was shot to death on August 1, 1921 for sympathizing with striking mine workers.

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Drove along the Tug River in Logan County.

Just south of Sarah Ann, spotted a marker for the Hatfield Cemetery. We climbed up a steep and muddy hill, passing No Trespassing signs, to see the impressive marble statue that “Devil Anse” Hatfield had ordered from Italy to mark his own tomb. He died in 1921 at the age of 83. Numerous graves of Hatfields fill the cemetery, including Anse’s two sons who were gunned down on the same day and now rest next to their father.

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Although Blair in Logan County was the scene of one of

left ten dead and was the subject of a 1987 John Sayles

the most brutal confrontations in the history of American

film. At Matewan, we stumbled upon the 15th Annual

labor, we decided not to go north to see it, since little

Hatfield-McCoy Reunion Festival. We arrived just as the

evidence remains. But its history is chilling. For five days

parade started, with balloons and kids filling the beds of

in 1921, 10,000 armed coal miners confronted lawmen,

pick up trucks and Girl Scouts marching in coordinated

strikebreakers, and the US Army in an attempt to

tee shirts. Rolled into a perfect parking place and walked

unionize. It was the largest armed rebellion in the US

around, taking it all in. When we heard gunshot sounds,

since the Civil War, and only the second time in history

we realized that the re-enactment was taking place, but

that the US has bombed its own citizens. We proceeded

by the time we got to the area, it was over. I saw one of

to Matewan, scene of another battle in the coal wars,

the actors and asked if I could take her picture since I

when striking miners engaged in a gun battle with armed

had missed the performance. She called out to another

agents hired by the Stone Mountain Coal Company to

actor, and before I knew it, the entire cast had

evict the miners from their homes. The ensuing shootout

reassembled to pose for me.

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Reached Williamson just before 4:30. After looking at a room in the historic Mountaineer Hotel, we decided to stay in town. It was a train hotel, built in 1925 and is now listed on the National Register. The place was clean and quirky and a lot more memorable than a chain motel. Briana, the desk clerk, told us that she was a real McCoy, spelling her name with two small bars beneath the “c” in Mc; a kind of secret sign, she said.

We have the Smiley Burnette Room, named after the comedic Western actor who starred as Gene Autry’s sidekick. Next to the hotel, the Coal House, built entirely of bituminous coal masonry, was completed in 1933 and now houses the Chamber of Commerce. Dinner down the street; salads and wings at Starter’s Pub, trying to ignore the grating voice of the woman on the Jewelry TV channel hawking Tanzanite earrings.

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Sunday, June 22

to Hazard, KY

It was foggy as we drove out of Williamson, and totally devoid of cars. We had planned to have breakfast down the street, but nothing was open and not a soul was in sight. US 119 brought us to Pikeville, KY on a wide highway with no traffic; the only people we saw were selling fireworks by the side of the road. I noticed a sign for Dil Cemetery, recognizing the name as the resting place of many members of the McCoy clan. We parked, crossed the highway, and climbed up a shady hill, this time on well-worn wooden stairs rather than a muddy, slippery path. Sarah (1829-189-) and Randolph (1825-1914) are buried next to their daughter, Roseanna (1859-1889). Intriguing that the date of Sarah’s death was not completed on the stone although she apparently died before her husband.

I plan to read about the Hatfields and McCoys after we return from our trip, and may learn why.

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Pikeville, less than 30 miles from Williamson, is

massive highway cut-through project around the city is

dramatically different from her WV sister. A medical

the second largest land-removal engineering project in the

complex, college, technical school, and all kinds of new

Western Hemisphere, second only to the Panama Canal.

construction offer quite a contrast to the empty streets of

In spite of all this, we could find no place for breakfast in

Williamson and its mostly abandoned buildings. The

Pikeville either.

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On the Virginia border, we stopped at an overlook at Breaks Interstate Park where I descended a path to see the five-mile gorge, the deepest east of the Mississippi River, called the “Grand Canyon of the South.” Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail led to Clintwood, where we wished we could have visited the Traditional Mountain Music Center and Ralph Stanley Museum; Sundays are always a problem for the tourist.

Along the Coal Heritage Trail, noticed “Coal Haul Road” signs, and as we looked up, we could see traces of industrial steel framework above; we realized that there is a lot going on out of sight in the world of King Coal.

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Clincho, a non-descript town in Dickenson County, VA has

the coal companies replace the diverse hardwood forests

a huge granite and brass memorial etched with over 300

by hydro-seeding to create barren grasslands full of

names of those who lost their lives in the coal industry.

invasive species that have adverse effects on wildlife. In

As we drove along, we occasionally noticed rounded

their attempt to cover up the environmental disaster they

grass-covered mounds; we learned that these mounds

have created, the companies have made the problem

represent the final phase of mountaintop removal, when

even worse.

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We stopped at a Sunday swap meet in a large lot just as

stopped at a KFC in Big Stone Gap; the Colonel is the

things were starting to wind down; perused the tables of

closest we could come to buying local. The place was

boots and VHS tapes and bric-a-brac as vendors were

bustling with the post-church crowd and rich with local

packing up. Bought a scrip coin from one fellow who had

accents. Drove through beautiful rolling country, with the

a collection in a glass case: a 10-cent coin from Amherst

dark Appalachian Mountains pressing close. At Harlan, KY

Coal Company in Logan County. The company was

saw a large sign in front of a church that entreated, “Keep

located in the area affected by the 1972 Buffalo Creek

Praying for Harlan County.” Indeed, it is one of the

flood, the most destructive in West Virginia history. A coal

poorest counties in the state and was the subject of a

waste dam burst and 130 million gallons of sludge poured

1976 Academy Award-winning documentary detailing the

down over six hamlets in the hollow, killing 125 people

grueling Brookside Coal Miners’ Strike of 1973. The Coal

and rendering 4,000 of the 5,000 residents homeless. As

Museum at Bernham was closed, but we visited the

we’ve driven along, we have noticed how few bars and

miner’s memorial in the back. Lynch is a black miner’s

restaurants there are, although we have passed plenty of

town, and has a colored school and its own monument to

funeral homes and flower shops, even in the smallest

black miners. It seems that every town on the coal route

towns. Finally gave up on finding a local place to eat and

has a memorial to honor their own.

89

90

US 119 took us through blasting areas and active mining operations. Next to the Cumberland Coal Company entrance (where a gruff-looking guard stood by a chain-link gate surrounded by signs), yet another memorial had been placed: this one, to 26 miners who died in the Scotia Mine disaster in March 1976.

91

We pulled over at the Oven Fork General Store by the side of the road. Among the clutter of chairs and watering cans and pots, a notice said, “Open Sundays … sometimes,” but today was not one of those times. A few miles on, we came upon a sign, hand-lettered on a bed sheet, that read, “Super Moon.” I asked a couple of young guys what it was. They told me that it was a three-day outdoor music festival. “You mean, like Woodstock?” I inquired. One of the boys lit up and said, yes it was. He told me that the headliner was Rising Appalachia, two girls with an environmental agenda who were donating their proceeds. When I asked where the money was going, they told me that it was for those in need in the surrounding communities.

92

In the town of Whitesburg, we spotted a sign for a yard sale outside a neat white bungalow, and decided to check it out, following advice that Shiloh had given us in Parkersburg. Not only did I find a little glass dish for a dollar, but I had an interesting conversation with the homeowners, David Sizemore and his partner, Mary Ann Moore. We spoke about mountaintop mining and the need for cheap power and David admitted that he was both an environmentalist and an industrialist, and that the problems in Appalachia are not easily solved. I loved his line, �Mountains of greed lead to rivers of sorrow.�

93

We had wisely made reservations at the Hampton Inn in Hazard, so we had the freedom to take a detour. We turned off KY 15 to KY 1231 near Carr Creek State Park and drove for three miles or so until we saw a huge valley fill in front of us. Coal companies had buried what was once a small mountain stream surrounded by a dense hardwood forest with tons of toxic debris. All that remains are streams of rock and invasive grass. As the sun was setting on one of the most interesting days of our trip, we arrived in Hazard and were soon relaxing in our comfortable room.

94

View of the area from Google Earth 95

96

97

Itinerary Sun 15

Route: I 77, I 80, I 76 and I 79 to Pittsburgh Sites: Pittsburgh: Heinz Field (Steelers); Mexican War Streets Activities: Duquesne Incline in Pittsburgh Drinks: Grandview Saloon by Duquesne Incline Dinner: Il Pizzaiolo, Market Square Omni William Penn Hotel: Room 1172 PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA

Mon 16

147 miles

Sites: Allegheny County Courthouse; Point State Park; Fort Pitt Museum; Carnegie Museum of Art Activities: Dan’s Sports World Specialties Dinner: Tap Room, Omni Hotel Omni William Penn Hotel: Room 1172 PITTSBURGH, PA

Tue 17

7 miles

Route: US 22 to Steubenville; OH 7 to Martin’s Ferry; WV 88 to Oglebay Resort Sites: Pittsburgh: Frick Art Museum; Clayton; Andy Warhol Museum; Mattress Factory; Ohio River Valley; Brilliant, OH; Wheeling, WV: Historic District; National Road Suspension Bridge, Centre Market Lunch: Café at the Frick Oglebay Resort: Room 201 WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA

Wed 18

101 miles

Breakfast: Perkins Restaurant Route: WV 88 to Bethany; WV 27 to Wellsburg; WV 2 to St. Mary’s; OH 7 to Marietta and Belpre; Sites: Bethany College campus; Drover’s Inn, Wellsburg; Ohio River Valley; Wheeling: Victorian buildings, Custom House; Moundsville: State Penitentiary, Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Site, Fostoria Glass Museum; Sistersville: Twin Banks; Marietta, OH: historic downtown, Marietta College campus, Lock House, Mound Cemetery, The Castle and other Victorian Homes Drinks: Bankshot Dinner: Shooters Café The Blennerhasset Hotel: Room 407 PARKERSBURG, WV

98

161 miles

Thur 19

Breakfast: Crystal Cafe Route: I 77 to Williamstown; OH 7 to Pomeroy; WV 62 and WV 2 to Huntington; I 64 to Charleston; Sites: Parkersburg: junction of Ohio and Little Kanawha Rivers, historic downtown, courthouse, Oil and Gas Museum, historic Julia-Ann District; Williamstown; Ohio River Valley: Pomeroy, OH; Point Pleasant, WV; Huntington: Marshall University campus; Milton: Blenko Glass Company; Charleston: Freedom Industries spill site, old train station, WV Capitol Lunch: Lesage, WV: Hillbilly Hot Dogs Dinner: Bluegrass Cafe Brass Pineapple Inn: The English Gentleman’s Room CHARLESTON, WV

Fri 20

202 miles

Breakfast: Brass Pineapple Inn Route: I 64 to Exit 79; WV 79/3; Kayford Mountain Road; WV 1/3 to Beckley Sites: Charleston; Taylor Books; Kayford Mountain: Stanley Heirs Park, Larry Gibson cabin, views of mountaintop removal; Coal River valley: Sylvester; Whitesville: Upper Big Branch Mine Memorial; Montcoal; Marsh Forks Elementary Schools and slurry impoundment; Beckley: Exhibition Coal Mine, Tamarack Dinner: Texas Steakhouse Hampton Inn: Room 112 BECKLEY, WV

Sat 21

100 miles

Breakfast: Hampton Inn Route: US 19 and WV 82 to New River Gorge and return; I 77 to Exit 9; WV 20 to US52; WV 49 to cemetery; WV 44 to Matewan and Williamson Sites: New River Gorge River: New River Gorge Bridge, Fayette Station Road, Canyon Rim Visitor Center; Bramwell; McDowell and Mingo Counties: Welch: Five Loaves and Two Fishes food bank, Courthouse; Tug River Valley; Sarah Ann: Hatfield Cemetery; Matewan: historic downtown; Rawl; Williamson: Coal House, historic downtown Activity: Hatfield-McCoy Reunion Festival in Matewan Dinner: Starters Sport Restaurant The Historic Mountaineer Hotel: Smiley Burnette Room 415 WILLIAMSON, WV

Sun 22

237 miles

Route: US 119 to Pikeville; US 460/VA 80 to Haysi; VA 83/US 23 to Pennington Gap; US 421 to Harlan; US 119 to Whitesburg; KY 15/ KY 1231 to Hazard Sites: Pikeville, KY: Dil Cemetery (McCoy family), historic downtown, Cut-Through ; Breaks Interstate Park; Clintwood, VA: Dr Ralph Stanley Museum; Coal Heritage Trail: Norton, Big Stone Gap, Appalachia; Harlan County, KY: Coalgood, Harlan, Benham, Lynch, Oven Fork: General Store, Super Moon Music Festival; Whitesburg; Carr Creek Lake State Park Lunch: Big Stone Gap, VA: KFC Hampton Inn: Room 210 HAZARD, KENTUCKY

298 miles 99

Š 2014 Susan Hanes