The wv mine wars museum preserves and interprets artifacts and historical records of the local communities affected by the mine wars, exploring historical events from multiple perspectives through the lives of ordinary people. I aint cutting my hair till the good lord comes arrive upon the mountain just to see what we have done, i aint cutting my. Before new machines were created after world war ii, mining was a highly labor intensive industry. Watch the mine wars american experience official site pbs. The 19201921 coal wars in west virginia served as an early trial for john l. West virginia mine wars timeline timetoast timelines. And yet in west virginia, with the waning power of the umwa over the past few decades, the coal industry has grabbed even greater control of the. I aint cutting my hair till the good lord comes i aint cutting my hair till the good lord comes i aint cutting my hair till the good lord comes arrive upon the mountain. Harlan county war battle of evarts the battle of blair mountain was the largest labor uprising in united states history and the largest armed uprising since the american civil war. Over the past five years, it has killed a coalfired.
George hughes son of a west virginia coal miner david corbin life, work, and rebellion in the coalfields umwa union wars rebecca bailey matewan before the massacre out of print but worth searching for. Below ground they withstood some of the worst working conditions in america. Back when coal was king, new towns sprang up, and fortunes were earned almost overnight. The battle of blair mountain was the largest labor uprising in united states history and the largest armed uprising since the american civil war. But, it has been omitted from our history until now. Students will learn about the mine wars and the role they played in the labor history of west virginia. Around 7 to 20,000 miners joined to confront wv state police and coal company employees in what came to be known as the battle of blair mountain. The west virginia mine wars museum, located in matewan in mingo county, houses documents, photographs, and artifacts from the mine wars, but more importantly, it honors the. West virginia mining american experience official site pbs. Apr 25, 2017 the coal mining massacre america forgot the mountains of southern west virginia are riddled with coaland bullets child coal miners with mules in gary, west virginia in 1908. Aug 10, 2015 and yet in west virginia, with the waning power of the umwa over the past few decades, the coal industry has grabbed even greater control of the narrative. Up to 100 people were killed, and many more arrested. The people i read about in the history books and the people i met in the hills of kentucky and west virginia had important stories to tell and i wanted to pass them on.
For the assignment, students need to read and summarize articles in their own words. Before it was over, three west virginia counties were in open rebellion, much of the state was under military rule, and. Labor violence in the southern west virginia coal fields, 19191922. Early land grants and settlers along patterson creek by charles morrison, west virginia history. Goldenseal book of the west virginia mine wars our price. About 5,000 miners gathered in charleston to protest against the coal companies and march south towards logan county. The west virginia mine war of 192021, a major civil insurrection of unusual brutality on both sides, even by the standards of the coal fields, involved thousands of union and nonunion miners, state and private police, militia, and federal troops. For west virginia it was 537,000 tonsmine and 84 jobsmine for wyoming, it was 23. The west virginia mine wars are a dramatic and often overlooked chapter of american history.
Joshua james is an american singersongwriter currently based out of american fork, utah and lincoln, nebraska. Books nonfiction growing up in coal country, by susan bartoletti. The mine wars, which took place in the southern west virginia coalfields from 1912 to 1922, included the paint creekcabin creek strike 1912, the battle of matewan may 1920, the battle of the tug may 1920, and the miners march on logan august 1921 and the ensuing battle of blair mountain. My favorite aspect of coal wars is how the author uses vignettes of different traditional coalproducing areas of the united states and china and illustrates the physical, social i found martins coal wars at the montlake branch of the seattle public library in the new books section. The matewan massacre, or battle of matewan, was the biggest shootout in u. At the dawn of the 20th century, the struggle over coal the material that fueled america led to the largest armed insurrection since the civil war and turned parts of west virginia into a. You wouldnt guess it, but in 1920, a bloody battle took place on these peaceful streets. The violence of the west virginia coal mining war of 19201921 reached a level unparalleled in us history. Most historians of west virginia and appalachia see this event as the beginning of a long series of tribulations known as the second mine wars. The united mine workers saw major declines in membership. Last week, trumps epa administrator scott pruitt announced, the war on coal is over. Similar to other areas of southern west virginia, the tug valley has been shaped by the bounds of mining life. Good description of what life in coal country in eastern pennsylvania was like around turn of 20th century. Although they occurred mainly in the east, particularly in appalachia, there was a significant amount of violence in colorado after the turn of the century.
Outraged coal miners marched south from the kanawha valley by the thousands, determined to end the nonunion regime in logan and mingo. The war on coal is not just political rhetoric, or a paranoid fantasy concocted by rapacious polluters. More may be available under specific events like matewan, blair mountain or paint creek. In the 1980s, writer denise giardinas storming heaven offered a wideranging portrait of southern west virginias coal camps, while film director john sayles matewan focused on. The kanawha county board of education needed to take action on the books at its april 11 meeting or lose state acquisition funding. The coal wars were a series of armed labor conflicts in the united states, roughly between 1890 and 1930. Using these averages, it would take 106 us mines, 170 wv mines, and 3. This historical coloring book is designed to be an interactive way for kids to learn about the history of the wv mine wars. Politics, coal, and the roots of the conflict in mingo county, 17931920, by rebecca j. Pbss the mine wars shows west virginias militant, radical. Jan 20, 2016 in the 1980s, writer denise giardinas storming heaven offered a wideranging portrait of southern west virginias coal camps, while film director john sayles matewan focused on.
The coal mining massacre america forgot the mountains of southern west virginia are riddled with coaland bullets child coal miners with mules in gary, west virginia in 1908. Other books included animal farm by george orwell, the crucible by arthur miller and the autobiography of malcolm x. The mines closed in 1951, and the community was gradually abandoned throughout the 1950s, with the last family moving out in 1960. It has already been distributed to over fourth graders in west virginia. If there ever was a war on coal, the coal industry has lost. On his second album, build me this, the followup to his critically acclaimed the sun is always brighter, produced by industry veteran shannon edgar, james expands his musical palette to foreboding doomladen hard rock. The labor wars goes far beyond the narrative of the armed conflicts and the history of organizing to deal with issues like the role of women, the structure of. The matewan massacre is important though, as part of the continuing civil strife between union sympathizers and coal mine operators and their hired gunmen.
Around this time photographer earl palmer took this picture of the few company. Harlan county war battle of evarts the battle of matewan also known as the matewan massacre was a shootout in the town of matewan in mingo county and the pocahontas coalfield mining district, in southern west virginia. The west virginia coal miners fight for social justice was the largest armed insurrection in us history, other than the civil war. Apr 10, 2017 the 19201921 coal wars in west virginia served as an early trial for john l. Besides blair mountain, the biggest battle was the three day battle of the tug river, from may 12 through may 14, 1921. Coal miners had been seeking to organize a union in response to practices like being paid in scrip. The future of energy and the fate of the planet by. Its truly today economic life or death in west virginia and part of the reason is that leaders in washington, d. A ed publication of west virginia archives and history, volume 40, number 2. Oct 16, 2017 last week, trumps epa administrator scott pruitt announced, the war on coal is over. Kanawha county public library west virginia mine wars. However, unionized coal mines in southern west virginia are on the wane now, and have been for some time. Although coal mining in southern west virginia was dark, dirty, and dangerous work, it appealed to many hardworking men.
Books on the mine wars kcpl owns books, e books and more related to the mine wars. A coal miner and longtime west virginia resident reflects on his time working in the mines, and his familys life in a company town. The west virginia mine warsand particularly their climactic episode, the miners march on logan in august and september 1921make for a rousing good story, and no one has told it as well or as fully as lon savage does in thunder in the mountains. Estep was born at hudnallkanawha co, wv on october 15, 1882, and used the nickname of cesco. In the early 1900s in the coal fields of southern wv, miners faced desperate circumstances. A native of the west virginia coalfields, stevenson has compiled a marvelous group of historical photographs, which document the history and ways of life of many west virginia coal camps. The conflict occurred in logan county, west virginia, as part of the coal wars, a series of early20thcentury labor disputes in appalachia. Cesco could barely support his family, even though he worked ten hours a day and six days a week. It occurred on may 19, 1920 between local coal miners and the baldwinfelts detective agency. Jan 10, 2014 big stick, wv was a mining community owned by the pemberton coal and coke co. The museum is dedicated to educating the public about the events of the m.
The entire economy of west virginia today is threatened like its never been before in our lifetimes. The assassination of matewan massacre defendants sid hatfield and ed chambers in august 1921 brought the west virginia mine wars to a frenzied crescendo. Martin traveled from the appalachias to rural china to interview those involved in the coal industry, from workers to coal barons, and those affected by its production. History of the west virginia coal industry by phil conley 1960 the inspiration for this website. The story of west virginias four mine wars and other thrilling incidents of its coal fields, morgantown, west virginia, west virginia university, 1969. If you would like to use a copy of this book for educational purposes only, click here to open the file folders.
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