This is the start of my Appalachia series diving into the culture of this beautiful part of America. More Appalachia videos coming over the next few weeks. Enjoy! ► Join our community: www.bit.ly/3HC36EH ► My exclusive content on Patreon: www.patreon.com/PeterSantenello
I’m a 75 old West Virginian. My Dad was born to Italian immigrants in 1907 and raised in a dirt floor coal camp. He went to work in the mines in 1919 at the age of 12. He died in 1955 at the age of 47. We struggled the whole time but I became a successful citizen married 50 years and have a wonderful large family.
I’m an Arab from Abu Dhabi, and I remember visiting my younger brother for his graduation from Arizona State University, back in 2013, and after his graduation we took a road trip throughout America for two months. I was 25 and he was 23. We visited Mississippi, Louisiana, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, and West Virginia. I couldn’t agree more, people were sure mighty friendly. The irony was that the further north we went, the less friendly people became especially in melting pots like New York, or even wealthy states like Connecticut, Vermont, and New Hampshire. I even remember being kicked out of a restaurant in Vermont because I’m assuming they thought we're poor college kids lol. Whereas in the south, in a beautiful small town called Ocean Springs, Mississippi. After a long conversation with two tables and the owners about politics, history, and religion the owners decided that our money was no good, and invited us to spend the night at their home. Just pure friendly southern hospitality. I’ll never forget those people. That’s why I have a soft spot for anyone from the South I run into here in Abu Dhabi or Dubai or anywhere in the world. Plus, that random act of kindness, that happened to Peter, after talking to a local guy, who excused himself before him, only to end up paying for his food. That happened a lot to us. I guess, we were just kids to everyone we interacted with. Kids from a very faraway land. Big Oil country boys, that’s what we were mostly called 😅 for being from Arabia. I think we got at least ten free meals in Kentucky and West Virginia alone. Ironically, we were warned by people in California, that we should avoid those states, as people might be rude to us, or outright violent. Funny enough, the only racism or mild discrimination that we got, was from Californians, or those rich folks up in Vermont, and don’t get me started on the Big Apple. That road trip, exactly a decade ago, was such an eye-opening experience for us, that we ended up donating as much money as we could, during the hight of the pandemic, in 2020-2021, for the people of North and East Kentucky, mostly to churches that run food banks for their local communities and congregations, by donating money, for them to be able to buy food, for people across various small towns. We did that for 6 months straight, and I don’t have to disclose the monthly sum, as that’s between us and God. But, it was all thanks to the wonderful people we ran into back in the day. Honest to God, if it weren’t for them, we wouldn’t have such a soft spot, after watching a piece on YT about those mining towns, with people struggling to buy everyday groceries. We just had to do something, and I’m glad we did. I just wished we could’ve done more. Thank you Peter for this. Those people are hands down, the best representation of America.
Great comment, I'm not from any of those great states that you visited. It is sad how other states and the news media and the education system in America will look down upon some of America's finest people who built America into the country it is today. I'm also glad that many people from around the world can go on an adventure with Peter to learn more about how the real world operates !
From a West Virginian Thank you! Come back anytime! Everyones grandma has cornbread, fried apples, and gravy at a moments notice for a visitor or weary traveler!
I am 82 was born in Bluefield, lived in Welch, Iaeger, Pineville, Mullens. My parents were school teachers and we moved to Maryland when I was 14. But to this day I still miss Wva and thank you for these videos. They take me back to the place I belong. I plan to have my ashes spread in the river in Pineville.
aw i love pineville. i always thought that's where rich people lived because of the patty lovelace song. i also thought above ground pools were fancier than below ground pools. kids are silly.
One thing I appreciate is Peter acts the same and treats people the same no matter where he goes. Doesn't speak different when he's in the hood. Doesn't act like a hick when he's in the sticks. Peter is just himself everywhere he goes.
That's why people open up with him. His everyman personality goes a long wat toward convincing people he is real and really is interested in what they say. This is the first time i have watched him, and i already subscribed. I am also from the coal camps where i grew up in the fifties. Daddy was a coal miner until we moved North in 64. The unions were always striking and he had to feed eight of us. I will say this. There is no better place to grow up than these mountains. I know it's different now, but i loved growing up there. Been gone almost sixty years and still miss the people and the hills.
Glad to see it is improving. Cycle of life. Relatives on my mother's side come from the area. I think it will do well in Global warming and folks looking for some land to retire you can see it is happening already; in VA it has been happening for a while and it looks like it is hitting a lot of areas in WV, not just the Canaan Valley.
The dude who gave you the tour, what a fantastic guy. Such a good energy, sense of humor, and he's just happy to be of service to others. He reminds me of a really good boss I used to have. I truly hope this man is doing well, he deserves it
@@jimmyperdue3112 You're welcome! You really helped me today, reminded me to keep a better attitude and try to be more patient with others. Keep on keepin' on!
@@jimmyperdue3112 no way. My Uncle is from W. Virginia. He's got your last name. His name is Steve. Cool of you to give the tour. Interesting history out there. I was thinking that, what the mines did for W. Virginia, the mills did for New England. Im from RI. My town was a mill town for a very long time. There are old mill houses here. I read in school about the old indentured servants who lived in mill housing but couldnt leave because they owed money they may never earn! Our river in my town was so poluted by the mills and also became a dumping ground for bikes, vehicles, furniture, and more. Its been cleaned a lot but it may never be great. Our town was busy and thriving at the turn of the century. Its nowhere near as busy now, all the mills mysteriously burned down 🤨. It used to be an old french, mill town. Now its more diverse. You did a great job showing different towns and how each is so different. Did you say a highway is being built nearby? I hope that doesnt create a boom of unsightly businesses. I drove through a town i lived in back in the 90s and the businesses destroyed the landscape and the quiet.
I am from Bluefield and I wanted to say "thank you" for this series. Your series has done a good job portraying West Virginians in a positive light. Losing the Coal Industry devasted us!
I am a state delegate in the WV Legislature. Thank you for visiting our great state! There is so. much to explore here as you just touched one small segment but a very important one to us. West Virginia is the only state in the US to lie totally within the Appalachian Mountains. The rugged topography here meant most settlers went around what is now West Virginia. Scotts-Irish immigrants were the dominant settlers as they were tough people who could handle the conditions. The culture remained intact because few people moved in or out. Coupled with our jagged borders, there are many unique regions that all have their own subcultures. The southern coalfields that are featured in the documentary are the most remote with steep terrain and narrow valleys. The Kanawha and Ohio River valleys are deeply influenced by chemical, glass and steel manufacturing histories. The majority of the population lives along these great rivers. The North-Central region around Morgantown and WVU was older mining areas but now a renaissance in technology and aviation industries. The North and Northern Panhandle are benefiting form Marcellus Shale natural gas. The Eastern Panhandle is the fastest growing region as people migrate there from Washington D.C Then there are the Allegheny Mountains that run along the eastern and southeastern regions. This area is sparsely populated but contain the most natural beauty. The nation's newest national park, The New River Gorge National Park, is located here. There are so many stories to tell just here in West Virginia. The Silver Bridge collapse and "Mothman". The Marshall University football team plane crash. The Buffalo Creek flood. The many mine disasters. Hatfield-McCoys feud. The rebirth of Whitewater and the tourism industry across the state. Then there's road building in Appalachia where it's totally different from any other part of the US. Stop by and see me anytime in Charleston, a city that changed hands five times during the Civil War because of its strategic location close to the salt mines. Salt was important to keeping meat procured before refrigeration. Thus both sides needed it to feed their armies.
Generations of my early relatives were from that area. Im being called back there. Was born in Ga, raised in Oh. Now Im in Az, and ready to head home. I just want to homestead and grow food. With the big goal being to be a forerunner in creating a total local community coop food supply. Id be there already if I had running transportation. I really needed this vid and all the comments. Thnx!
get a honest governor, remove the corporation land seizure and allow the people to hold both surface and mineral rights, require the corporations to stop polluting the land AND remove the pollution left behind... there are many places shown that the State seizes after the Coal Co abandons but the State will not sell to the people... there is zero justice with Governor Justice, and the legislature maintains the injustice by not allowing/honoring Land Patent Rights to the people... speculator Robert Morris had a hand in seizing a large part of WVa when it was Virginia, WVa is the majority land owner and the US is second largest, THIS is why the people cannot open land, GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION...
I need a gig and a place to rent or buy, I'm in rural Texas, but I'm a direct descendant of David Crockett, so I've always liked the Tennessee Smokies and West Virginia scenery, I've always wanted to live up in the mountains.
I wonder if he explained the whole story about the whites from WV?😂 I know I met one when I was riding motorcycles through one town, I stayed with a neighbor from military, and I couldn't believe the story, they even showed me dancing outlaw, and my friend who was riding with us locked himself in the bedroom for the night, he was black, and trusted nobody who was that crazy😂😂
this has got to be one of the, if not THE best channel for showing the true colours of communities and societies not only in America but across the world.
@@PeterSantenello The editing is professional. Your camera work is fantastic. I stumbled upon your Amish video about a year ago and was really impressed with how you get into the heart of a place while making it look effortless (Well, I see the effort but you just will it to happen with seeming ease.) Great charisma. I love your channel. Never stop.
@@WayCoolJr27t’s incredibly refreshing to see all of the good people instead of the division we’re bombarded with in the media. I always have a better day after watching one of Peter’s videos.
I’m Puerto Rican-American. My wife is from the island as well. We heard WV was going to be terrible for us if we purchased a retirement home there. The typical "it's KKK, it's this, it's full of racial insensitivity, etc, etc". We did our due diligence and traveled the area. On June 2021 we purchased a lovely 1920 historical home in Kingwood WV. Every time we visit to spend a few weeks at the house we marvel at how we’re treated. We've lived in California for decades and there is no "let's get to know the neighbors" culture here. California for as lovely as it is, has a cold spirit of personal isolation and competitive materialism. In our town in WV, we know most of the block already. A Trump-loving couple on the left of us and some Libbie-hippie types across the streets and they come over and knock back some beers with us at sunset not caring a damn about politics. I know everybody on my street. These are the kindest people we’ve ever met. This video was re-affirming. Thank you.
Do Puerto Ricans not consider themselves Americans by default? If not, would that change if they ever vote in statehood? I just always considered Puerto Rico a part of the U.S., and by extension, Puerto Ricans as Americans. BTW, spent a few months in Puerto Rico thirty years ago when the navy base was still open. Loved it, and am considering retiring there. Is there a reason you and your wife decided not to go back for retirement?
@@operator0 Your question has a lot to unpack so let me try a few angles: PR's by nature NEVER say (as I did) Puerto RIcan -Americans. They do appreciate the citizenship afforded to them (just before WW1, of course, but that is another rant), but they are always "Boricua", they never identify themselves as "American". As to Statehood? It's never going to happen. We are too jingoistic number one, and (no 2) we know what happened to Hawaii once they were let in the union. Puerto Rico IS part of the US, as a territory but nothing of its current status is close to being part of the US in the literal sense. The Jones Act makes it impossible to function as a quasi-independent economy and we are enslaved by the stevedore unions in Florida and Texas that earn 10's of millions a year from unloading/loading goods to Puerto Rico. ?You see, the Jones Act demands all goods to PR be in US-flagged / crewed vessels. Just like Hawaii. Meaning everything costs twice as much. PR is on an economic death spiral of national indentured servitude but we are gluttons for punishment so, there's that. As to the Navy Base (Roosevelt Roads?) Yep, I played high school football against the base HS in the late '70s. It's a lovely place, truth be told. To your last query, we decided we can't retire there. The medical, police, power grid, and other infrastructures have been permanently broken since Hurricane Maria stopped in 2018. There is a heavy "brain drain" of talent as well. All the best teachers, police, and tech minds are all getting recruited state-side. It is unfortunate. It could have been the Singapur of the Caribbean, but instead, it is the squeezable banana for all the bondholders on wall street, and by effect, feeding political capital to both major party PACs in the US. Such is my home. It's pretty terminal at this point. Maybe @PeterSantanello has the time to do a deep dive into the status of Puerto Rico. There are many layers of truths that most Americans either don't know about or just are calloused enough not to care about.
They usually give a pass to the lighter colors. There is a reason blacks don't live out in the counties in WV and VA. There is KKK around and very racist people. You don't want to break down at night on a backroad either. When I was in HS on the activity bus the black people would duck down riding through there, but keep thinking it's super safe and not racist. They've burned crosses in blacks yards moving in the county, beat the shit out of my 7th grade gym teacher who was black. He lasted a year there. KKK flyers will show up randomly. You claim you live on a street, so you don't live out in a holler somewhere where everyone has a confederate flag waving and in the small stores they have a whole wall of confederate shit. Near a town or city is a little different. People will be more accepting, but like I said, don't break down on a backroad 20 mins from your city or town in a holler. Just a dangerous situation for minorities unless you know the holler is cool, which some might be. Some are more redneck than others. You never know if a few racists are driving around getting drunk or night hunting though, so just because it seems safe one day doesn't mean it is another.
I grew up about 30 minutes from Kingwood. I love that area and miss the delicious buckwheat pancakes. Hoping one day to move back in that area. Love Love West Virginia ❤❤❤
@@spicycopper2436 we do as well. It’s actually similar to the mountains where I spent my childhood in Puerto Rico. We love cheat river and the buckwheat pancakes …. Oh man ….. our neighbor makes the best 🙏. Thanks for chimin’ in. We’ll be there in September for a couple of weeks.
The episodes about Appalachia are like a school book that we didn´t know we needed. Watching the clip and then reading the comments is so heartwarming, because people are realising that they had prejudice about places that they´ve never even been to. But through you, Peter, we get to travel there and expand our mind and open our hearts. Unbeknownst to these wonderful people living without proper Internet and amenities, they´re not missing out on ANYTHING. More and more people are realising that real life is growing your own food, staying off social media (unless for educational purposes, such as this clip), getting out in nature, face to face meetings, and living a simple life without too many materialistic needs. Concepts such as "Capsule wardrobe", "No phone dinners", "Swedish Death Cleaning", "Team no filter" and more are becoming popular, because some of the aftermath of the pandemic is actually good. People getting the time to think, to ponder their lives and realise that they no longer need as much as they thought. And then many realising that they don´t want to support fast fashion and slavery in 3rd world countries. The more I see the youth stuck in the influencer world, gaming sphere and celebrity following, the more I realise that things are going downhill...fast. Of course, we also need to remember that this is the generation that probably won´t be able to buy their own place, not get a permanent contract etc. So no wonder that they´re numbed out a little. Where I live, everyday, we get articles about people opting out of marriage and having children (which is understandable in certain ways), not being able to pick up a phone and call people, not being able to make friends outside of social media (like, face to face), suffering from anxiety and not even being able to sit alone at a café. We´re slowly turning into some sort of robots or socially disabled creatures. In Germany, there is now a café, where people go if they want to sit "the old-fashioned way", i.e just talking and no WIFI. Imagine that! The world today isn´t a very nice place, and that is palpable to most people. So to live like this, in Appalachia, on just 200-300 dollars a month, sounds like freedom to a lot of people watching this.
Amen brother my mother at my age had me and built a house, I can’t even afford my upkeep, using my savings. I wish I will have a choice to live differently.
I am a Native Appalachian Woman from Western NC. It is so nice for you to come to our Appalachian mountains to show our heritage. Thank you . I am a disabled former female police officer. I was the 3rd female in our whole county to become a officer. I have a AA and BA in Criminal Justice. People in the Appalachian mountains are very smart people. We go to college and we also can live off our land.
BEAUTIFULLY said! A perfect example of who we are with Appalachian roots! My family is from South Western Virginia and Western NC ... I am PROUDLY Appalachian descent!! Beautiful people, beautiful hearts, take care of each other, laugh together, cry together, grieve together, celebrate together, loyal to the lifestyle and the Mountains! And some of the best cooking you will EVER eat!! Be blessed my friend. Thank you for sharing your words!
@@Stephanie-kt9vhI'm European. I've heard so much about the Appalachian way and it's people. It looks so beautiful and the people are incredible. I visited the US, but wasn't impressed at all. Now I realise I should have concentrated on the Appalachian districts. I love the sense of community and their pride in living there.
Jimmy is an amazing tour guide and sure does his state proud. Thank you to all of the W.V. residents that so graciously took part in this video and showed us all around.
He really is- it’s tragic what’s happened to the deep arteries of our country; especially when politicians are all about destroying entire populations with little to no regard for those left in their stead. I used to travel with my dad as an over the road trucker in the ‘80s, and one stop we made was to a little place in Wytheville, just down a ways from Bluefield. I remember (as a 12-year old, mind you) half mocking the twang in their voice and coming dangerously close to a backhand from dad, who imparted a wise lesson I never forgot. ‘Does it occur to you that they listen to you flapping your jaw and think the same thing? Different areas speak differently and the worst thing you can do is judge someone based on the color of their skin or the twang in their speech; never take differences for weaknesses or you’ll find yourself in a world of trouble.’
You were such a great host/tour guide Jimmy. Thanks so much for showing us your beautiful neck of the woods and telling us about the truly fascinating history of the mining companies and especially about how the scripts were used to, essentially, enslave the miners. I doubt I would have ever known about that if it weren't for you.
Peter, 68yo woman from Germany here. Youre one of my fave TH-camrs. You show me the real US, nothing to do w the hysteria from many media. You have a brilliant personality, I admire you deeply. I wish I could be like you - no judgement, just true empathy. Thank you for being you! ❤
I've travel all over this country on a motorcycle. West Virginia is by far my favorite. The rural quiet, endless twist and turns and unbelievably hospitable people.
I'm a Londoner watching this and I can honestly say it's one of the most educational things I've ever found on tube or even on the internet. The legal slavery aspect with its own printed money blows my mind. I'm originally from East London from a breed of rare proud people which has been treated poorly and totally broken so I totally sympathise with you beautiful people.I'm totally in love with the accents and warmth of the people. I've definitely wrote this place on my bucket list. I'm guessing like us here none of this important history is being taught in the schools. I hope everyone gets to see this video and wish you all happiness and health out there.
Another part of this area that isn’t spoken of much are the Coal Mine wars. They were an attempt to get treated with some decency rather that the scandalous exploitation they had to endure. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Virginia_coal_wars
My family settled WV. A separate country was planned for WV called Vandalia and at the Charleston state capitol on memorial day every year we have a Vandalia Day Festival with state Banjo, Mandolin, and Fiddle championships on the grounds around the state capitol. It's a good time and place to visit. Also have a few legal moonshine businesses now they didn't discuss. Can ride over 800 miles of ATV trails on the Hatfield McCoy Trails system. Canam used the trails for durability testing and development because it's difficult terrain..
I grew up in Appalachia with a _thick_ accent. Sadly in our own country the accent is often associated with ignorance so in order to present oneself in a more professional manner people will try to shed the accent and have more of a "generic" american accent. I myself did that (I work in tech), but I always seem to "code switch" when I'm around other southerners.
I’m a New Yorker whom has always been fascinated with West Virginia. My accent isn’t always appreciated either. I lived in London for 17 years. Mostly North London, so I understand your affinity with being judged by accents and where you grew up.
missj, I'am one of those proud people, a cockney born in Mile End, now living in Canada. I went back to see where I grew up some years back. The pearly kings and Queens where gone, along with road signs in English. Mile End was unrecognizable. Good luck to you missus!
This is supposed to be the poorest region in the USA but I am looking in awe to the great people, nice houses, beautiful gardens and amazing nature. It's almost impossible to comprehend for someone from an extremely crowded European country how much space, nature and community spirit you have! God bless you all
We have it same in Slovakia. Young people can't leave their parents. 1-room flat costs at least 115 000€ in my town. That is over 9 years of work with average salary without spending anything to afford it.
Oh it is poor but people even the poorest people will find ways to survive but Appalachia also has a serious opioid problem that people aren't aware of but we all know about inner cities and crack though.
Coming from the UK, this is especially interesting to watch. Very informative and Jimmy was a a fantastic tour guide giving a brilliant local and personal perspective. I’m a new sub to this channel and look forward to watching more videos
I'm an Aussie, currently living in the UK but boy do I have the urge to pack up, head to WV and leave the world I know behind. I could be very happy there in those hills with those wonderful people.
Much better opportunity just south a few miles in Virginia, where I live, same geology, in the Appalachians, but it's actually established more, like new river valley, there's state college here, and universities, then there's old mixed with new like Radford to Blacksburg where vatech is, everything is close together driving wise, lots of jobs here. You also have an hour drive in all directions and you are where they are looks like, old mining towns
I am a proud Appalachian born and raised in a holler my family had been in for over 200 years. Scotts Irish and mixed Cherokee where a group of us ran to hide from the removal west. Mamaw and papaw didn't have running water, but were the cleanest people you could ever meet. Neither one had beyond a second grade education, both grandmother's went back to school at the age of 68 and 69 and refused to get a GED, they wanted their diploma and they both graduated with just that. Some call us dumb because the lack of book learning, but common sense wise you never met anyone smarter. The hillbillies I grew up around were honest, loyal, loving, and hard working. Making due with what they had. If a man owed you money, they would be there the day before he said he would pay back and thank you for the help. I had to leave for work, but that holler is a part of me everywhere I go and I hope when people meet me, they see what a real hillbilly is, because we have been misrepresented and misunderstood throughout so much of America, and it hurts my heart to think that anyone could talk badly about the people I belong to.
I've met some Appalachian people in the Mountains had never felt the level of Loving Kindness Presence until then . Emotional Awareness is True Wealth .
I've been watching the TV show 'Justified' which takes place in Harlan county and I've been wondering what exactly ment by a "Holler". The context of the show seemed to indicate some sort of trailer park village/town of some sort and I'm glad I now know what a Holler is.
For what it's worth I'm watching this from London UK and I think you come from beautiful people. The fact you have been able to hang onto to your kindness even when tested is a beautiful thing.
I’m a surface coal miner for 20 years and I worked 2 years of it underground. I’m 38 years old I love being a West Virginia coal mining man but I dislike making outsiders feel bad for us , we’re West Virginians we know what we signed up for to provide for our families, please keep the outsiders outside . Real men come from west by God Virginia
That's so funny to come across that West by God Virginia we used to call it that when we would go see my grandparents and my mom and dad they lived in Fort Gay
He is one of the most gracious host I have ever witnessed. No matter where he is, he is never judgmental, just reporting. May God bless this man and his family.
I'm pretty sure he's already said that he doesn't believe in God and when He says; Oh my God", supports that. So having said that... Have you ever read in the Holy Bible about how God does NOT bless non-believers?
I am first generation out of Appalachia, my father left when he was 25 for Arizona, my grandma had him at 14. The people there are the salt of the earth for the most part. My great grandparents were so unbelievably poor they would have one outfit for a whole year and would get a piece of fruit for Christmas. There were 13 children but 7 died. Thank you for sharing the beautiful parts 💛💛💛
Wow what a story. Would you mind sharing how 7 children died ? That seems an awfully high number, just curious as to why this happens ? Poverty, sickness, coal etc? If that's too personal no worries :)
I remember going to Appalachia for an outreach program to help build homes. The people we met would put several real construction workers to shame. The ones we met that live in that reagon were able to know who is best for what in the job, and help get us working efficiency. Good people.
The man in the overalls at the restaurant was a wealth of knowledge. I would love to see an entire episode of him giving West Virginia history. I spent my teens and twenties (now in my forties) in West Virginia. I loved it there. The people are great and the history is extremely important to what makes America the greatest nation. I do believe that gentleman in the overalls at the restaurant would make an amazing lecturer. Please revisit. Great video and you have a new subscriber!
That’s the type of guy you could sit on a porch with during a summer evening well into the break of dawn and hear him tell you all about the history of the town you’re sitting in, who’s who of the area along with their family history going back several generations, fueds, and so forth and they be the types of stories you know his dad told him, and his papaw told his dad, and his great-papaw told his papaw, etc. The only type of stories that can live in on in places like Appalachia.
I'm from the UK 🇬🇧 and I grew up in a mining village in the North East and remember the miners strikes of the 80s. Our prime minister at the time sent in hundreds of police and soldiers dressed as cops to fight our parents and grandparents who were striking against the closure of our mines. Mines were the heartbeat of our communities and when the mines closed our villages ended up almost slum like as people moved out and property fell into disrepair. My heart goes out to these guys ❤️
Yeah, but you should mention that most of these mines were state-owned industries that were spending more to extract coal than could be had selling it.
@@The_Ballosorry that has no significance. Fresh industries should have been put in place before closing the mines to enable better quality work for the population, but as you well know Thatcher wanted to destroy the miners union.
I don't think there's much way to save it. But as it dies, the old structures will be torn down, and nature will take its course. Homes are still relatively expensive though. I imagine quite a few younger people moved back during Covid and are working from home?
We have a very old school in my area. I think 6 class rooms and a gym. I dream of it being a meat shop, bakery, creamery and store with a farm to table cafe. The money to restore it is probably more than I can dream of but the employment opportunities for the area I think would be helpful. As far as electric vehicles go, until they greatly improve them, we don't want them in the Oregon Outback. As it is now, it is 30 miles to the nearest gas station. In any direction. We have a large population (of an area of 1000) that live in campers, they can't afford a EV.
I am so grateful I ran across this page. I have sat here for 4 hours. Thoroughly enjoying each and every one of your videos. Very informative. Thank you so much for taking the time for us to enjoy it.
Earned my subscription. As a person from the Appalachia's I really appreciate the respect and eagerness to learn you show the history and culture of the people and area. Hardships breed good people and I think that the people from the heart of Appalachia prove that.
This gives so much insight to WV. Thank you! We had stopped in WV while traveling always wanted to visit. Gives us good insight & breaks all the hear say. Thank you
Hardships also bred Nazi’s, historically and today, and we’ve currently got a lot of Appalachian transplants rolling coal on our grandparents, shooting everything that moves, waving guns around & threatening to kill everyone who isn’t just like them in another civil war to prove that. Seems a mixed bag, at best.
Jimmy is doing a great job. I love early when he explained the 60k houses actually didn't go down in price as a result of coal industry leaving but he said "they never went up.". I love this episode. 😊
My family is from weston, it's quite small and has some interesting sights like an old "lunatic asylum" they do tours and I believe some paranormal tours if that's your thing. Elkins has a SPECTACULAR environment with an amazing brewery called big timber that's worth a visit!
I love your channel so much. My grandmother was from Cumberland Gap and Appalachia feels like home to me even tho I’ve not lived there. There’s something about those mountains that tugs at my soul. Every time we visit, I cry on the way home lol. Please keep this channel up! It’s amazing! Thank you!
Shout out to your tour guide, Jimmy! What a joyful person this guy is. He’s talkative, informative, knowledgeable and SO friendly! You couldn’t have found a better person to take you around. Wish you’d have mentioned his name in the description, he deserves at least that much. Great start to your series. Looking forward to more.
@@jimmyperdue3112 Absolutely! I feel like without you, this your wouldn’t have been nearly as successful. I’m not from the area, but you made me feel like I was. 😊
Native Appalachian here! I’m so glad you’re showing how great Appalachia is! I’m on the edge, in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. I really hope you make it out this way! Some of the nicest people you’ll meet!
Great video. This really shows what kind, well-spoken, intelligent people live here and what a beautiful place this is. Helps to show how stereotypes aren’t real.
As an Appalachian myself, I appreciated the way you showed this region, letting the hometowners tell their own story. It's refreshing to see it represented from this perspective. Well done.
Peter, as someone from Pulaski Co. Kentucky I am riveted by your unbiased portrayal of these fascinating people from our region. Thank you for doing what you do. A lot of people aren't brave enough to venture into these places and some people just don't care to get to know us. Keep doing what you're doing. Warmest regards!
My family come from Whitesburg KY and Pound VA. I have watched many documentaries all designed to focus on poverty, drug addiction and no education. This is how freelance videos should be made, talking to good friendly people who love their town and their heritage despite the obstacles. This video causes me to want to visit these towns and people. Thank you for sharing
My family are from those areas too. I was born in Lynch, parents from Benham and Cumberland area. Grandparents lived in Whitesburg for many years. Can remember going across the mountain to Big Stone Gap for some of the best fresh produce I’ve ever eaten.
I grew up in WV and still call it home. One thing I did not hear mentioned is the tress. Almost all of the trees in Appalachia are new growth. This is because of two things, the first being deforestation which had some impact. The next being a fungus that killed off the American chestnut tree which would grow to be as big as 5-6ft across. 130 years ago the entire area was filled with these trees and they dominated the landscape. Roughly 4 billion trees died, only a few remain now.
Fed a lot of family’s and made people from the hollers a little money by hauling them into town and trading/selling them. I’m from Virginia and my grandpa remembers the American chestnuts demise and it caused a lot of hardship for people who lived off the land. Proud to be an Appalachian, wouldn’t trade it for any other place
I read that they're doing American/Chinese hybrid chestnut trees now because the Chinese one is resistant to the fungus. The scientists have found quite a few pure American chestnuts that apparently developed the ability to resist the fungus so they took those and bred them with the Chinese version. You can even order them via online catalogs those days,
My grandfather has old pictures of some of the white oak trees that were cut in Mingo County. One picture was of a tree stump with 3 mules standing side by side in the middle of it.
@@joeblankenship2360 Mingo County born and raised. I’ve seen several old photos of my great-great-mamaw and great-great-papaw from the early 1890s or maybe it was very very early 1900s standing next to a couple of them on their property down in Naugatuck back up on the mountains where they owned a bunch of property - massive trees. Absolutely beautiful. You could see in the background a few more that were big, but not as massive as the ones in the photos. What is truly fascinating to sit and think about is how long they must have sat there before anyone even noticed them. Hundreds of years of history in that wood now gone. One look at the photos and you’d think they were out west amongst the redwoods with how big they were. Such a shame blight overtook them. It’s a neat little bit of history for our state, especially for our southeastern region, that not a lot know about. There’s a dedicated group that goes around the Appalachian region looking for any that are growing to essentially tag and keep eyes on to try and protect.
Great to have the knowledge of the local, Jimmy who had in thorough and direct knowledge of the coal history and the counties. I loved how he pointed out the house his grandfather had that was once the hospital, and how he pointed out the trainyard area his parents wanted their ashes to be scattered. Shows a love for where they came from and where they want to close their life. Incredibly touching. ❤ That huge grocery bluestone building, altho neglected looked beautiful and still had potential. That script money to keep the workers and money enslaved in the town is way beyond belief today. The food at the pub roadhouse looked so delish! Loved the conversations with the locals at the pub and around. Such insight to how the cogs of life flow there. Great collab video with Jimmy. Watching with appreciation, From Melbourne, Australia 🌷
I am from Colombia, South America, born and raised here, and as an English teacher I found this video to be very informative and honest about the Appalachia. I will be showing it to my students so they can have an original first hand source of information about this area of the USA. Kudos from Colombia Peter.
I am European and my wife is American and African. I came in 2013 to start my studies and since the begging the narrative was these states were bad, racist. However, after marrying my wife we have traveled around a lot of these states and have found their people to be of the best character and super kind, hospitable. Especially West Virginia, we go there every year to purchase a calf and love the farmers.
My parents and most of my relatives were born and raised in rural Ohio. The majority of the population was white. In my experience, most people would be very nice to the face of anyone who wasn’t white, but behind closed doors was a different story. I heard plenty of old white Appalachian folk spew racism when there were only white people around.
Peter sheds light on parts of America most people would never see otherwise like our urban ghettoes, native reservations, and now Appalachia. Keep up the great work, kudos from New York City.
In comparison, myself included, many from these mountains would be totally lost in New York. We love our freedom here. It’s the last slice of free America left. Come visit anytime 😎
My cousin lost his daddy when he was 13, he quit school and went to work in the coal mines of West Virginia in his daddy’s place to feed his younger siblings. When the mine shut down he moved to Tennessee to work at the Carrier Factory. He hunted and grew a large garden, he was a such a productive man with a positive outlook on life.
Most of the coal miners in my area are suffering from something similar to PTSD. Their union was telling them to vote Democrat even as the Democrats were saying they would end coal. Then one day they woke up to hear the mines were closing and their union had left town. I've seen them start talking about politics then realize they were repeating Democrat talking points and literally start crying. It's like everything they ever believed turned out to be a lie.
@@tonyrmathisah, the Union scapegoat. Those poor coal companies under the evil thumb of Union workers. I've worked in both Union shops and non-Union. I haven't been to a meeting yet that discussed politics. If anything, they're specifically avoided. They do talk about grievances, safety issues, upcoming contract negotiations, events that may be going on, the current local budget, etc. As far as the Union "up and leaving", that isn't how it works. Unions have to be voted in or dissolved by the workers themselves. Unions don't choose who and how to represent, that's all on the employees. So your cousin is either very mistaken, or just lying to justify his reason for being laid-off or the company going under. It never ceases to amaze me how many people will bow to a company for a paycheck. The groveling is pathetic.
@@ElectricBuckeye No, I have had many family members who were members of the UMWA. They never saw any of the benefits that the union promised to give them such as rations. All that stuff went to West Virginia or Kentucky and hardly ever made it to the mines in Southwest Virginia. Not trying to bash the UMWA (as they really helped in WV), but they did not do much of anything for miners in Southwest Virginia. The UMWA also told all their members to vote for the democratic party, they have always said this.
@@ElectricBuckeye First! I never said anything in defense of the companies. Second! I posted FACTS about what happened to miners here in Walker and Jefferson County Alabama. Third! The UMWA openly stated it's support of the Democratic Party for decades. Forth! The Democratic Party has a history of appointing union officials to government positions. A clear indication that they can have ulterior motives for supporting the party. Fifth! I never mentioned my cousin. You've mixed up posted in your knee jerk response. You're repeating the very same political talking points as the miners I mentioned. In your binary mind the world can only be seen in terms of good and evil. The Union being Good. The Company being Evil. Sorry to be the one to burst your bubble but both can be Good or Evil depending on how they treat the workers and in the case I mentioned it was the Union that was evil. The companies for all their flaws aren't responsible what the union's political ALLIES did to the industry. So take your partisan BS elsewhere. If facts hurt your FEELINGS perhaps you should attack those who created those facts not the messenger who relayed them.
@@hilohilo9539 I've had generations in my family in the UMWA (great-grandfather, grandfather, father). I've never heard anything about rations. Ever. Its always been about pensions and the cradle-to-grave medical coverage. If you're talking about the strike fund, that's primarily on the locals. All the anti-Union rhetoric came about in the 80s with neoliberalism under Reagan. Certainly guys had their own opinion on who to vote for, but that was never something discussed on an official level. Hypothetically, if the national did tell the locals to vote Democrat, thats who historically had always supported Unions and collective-bargaining as a whole in contrast to conservative Republicans and businesses who have traditionally pushed against them or attempted to get them dissolved, citing them as detrimental to a free market and profitability. So could you blame them if they did?
I'm so happy to see you finally make it to our beautiful state. With so many other TH-camrs painting our state in a negative way its great seeing you explore our home with an open mind.
What a great guy Jimmy was to spend his time giving you a tour of his hometown state and giving us a first hand look at how life is in the mountains. Love this kind of content.
Born and raised on the eastern side of the state. Seeing this much love for my home is truly beautiful to me. Currently working on a 5 year plan to return home. I am so happy to see this much light shed on the struggles the state has gone through.
@@frankp7411 they’re coming to bring business to WV. How can this be a bad thing？ Tourism revenue is 150 billions in CA while merely 4.8 billions in WV. What are you talking about?
My sister drove up from South Carolina to Ohio a couple weeks ago, she ended up having car issues in WV, which ironically was in a small town like what you see here. Needless to say, she was treated so well by the local people and they helped fix her car, which was the result of one person knowing another.
Had this same thing happen to me when I was driving back to Ohio from rafting on the New River Gorge. My car overheated and I pulled into a very small, mountain town. The gas station was clearly the "hub" of the town with most of the activity going on. So many people, young and old, stopped to see if I was okay and asked if I was okay and needed anything. I really appreciated that sort of kindness a lot. This was May 2021, so just a few years ago.
I was alone and my alternator died in the middle of nowhere in WV late at night 100’s of miles from home and I was amazed how great I was treated and my alternator was fixed by a man that was booked up for months and charged me minimally. So thankful!🥰
This Bluefield native thanks you for taking time to visit our beautiful region, helping to dispel some myths & show what Appalachia WV is really like. ❤
This series about the Appalachians should be seen by all Europeans who have a prejudiced opinion of Americans. They are very down-to-earth, don't just chat about small talk, but talk to you in plain language. But they are nice and even though they are among the poorest people in the USA, they are incredibly generous and will pay your bill.
Should be seen by all Americans too. You be surprised to know how many Americans have traveled the world but only been to tge big American cities, and live in one too. No idea of the real America.
I am german and if I would ever visit the US, I would rather go to a lush rural area and have a talk with locals in a cafe, than going to demonic hellholes like Los Angeles, New York or Las Vegas. I dont want this energy....I want THIS.
Like the song said "I sold my soul to the company store". I really feel for these people. They deserve so much better from this country. And they're so friendly. This is the 2nd video I've watched, and I love how you are so respectful of all the people you interact with. I'm subscribing.
Sixteen Tons Tennessee Ernie Ford Some people say a man is made outta mud A poor man's made outta muscle and blood Muscle and blood and skin and bones A mind that's a-weak and a back that's strong You load 16 tons, what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt St. Peter, don't you call me 'cause I can't go I owe my soul to the company store I was born one mornin' when the sun didn't shine I picked up my shovel and I walked to the mine I loaded 16 tons of number nine coal And the straw boss said, "Well, a-bless my soul" You load 16 tons, what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt St. Peter, don't you call me 'cause I can't go I owe my soul to the company store I was born one mornin', it was drizzlin' rain Fightin' and trouble are my middle name I was raised in the canebrake by an ol' mama lion Can't no high-toned woman make me walk the line You load 16 tons, what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt St. Peter, don't you call me 'cause I can't go I owe my soul to the company store If you see me comin', better step aside A lotta men didn't, a lotta men died One fist of iron, the other of steel If the right one don't get you Then the left one will You load 16 tons, what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt St. Peter, don't you call me 'cause I can't go I owe my soul to the company store
I always tell my fellow Europeans when visiting America to not waste time in New York, Los Angeles or Las Vegas and instead explore the other great states. I from the UK and I visited Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho, Kentucky and Tennessee and the people I met in these states are some of the best people I have ever met coupled with the absolutely beyond beautiful nature and scenery.
@@Drax514 Sorry, but today's NYC is awful.. I live 30 mins across the Hudson in Jersey and as I youngster, I would go into the City because it was thriving, nicer people, lots to do, etc.. Today as an adult, I wanted my kids to experience NYC so after many years not being there, I took my kids to the Highline, just to give them a little taste of the NYC and let me tell you, people have gotten more rude, saw crime happen right in front of us, garbage all over the sidewalks and traffic was just terrible... that's just some of the issues... and oh yeah, let's not forget the rats the size of toy dogs... My kids can go on their own if they want now that they are driving... me? I would not step foot in that city if you paid me.
@PeaceDweller thank you! It aggravates me to know end that people visit the US go to the places you named and think that's the US when it couldn't be further from the truth. I prefer to call them the cesspools of America.
True, although those places are a MUST to go see as a tourist. Yeah it's all nonsense, and is just "Bright Lights" but it's incredible people watching to go down to LA, or in NYC lol. And Las Vegas is a sight in itself. But I do agree with you, if I were telling someone what to do on a Vacation to America would be to visit Miami, Orlando Florida, you can practically get a feel for "LA" or Cali in a sense, and then travel North to go visit the mountains. It would be an incredible vacation, seeing both the crazy, luxurious city life, and you also get to see the beautiful backbone of the country aka the sticks.
NYC sure, but New York is also home to the largest state park in the continental United States. The Adirondacks are around 6 million acres (3 times larger than Yellowstone) of pure beauty that take up about 1/5th of the state. The Adirondacks during the peak of fall is unlike anything you will ever see in your life, the mix of colors as the trees begin to drop their leaves is beautiful. Climb a mountain and take a look, the view just doesn’t end. Definitely recommend it to anyone who’s put New York off for any reason.
"It's hard to take a West Virginian out of West Virginia", that is a very true statement. I grew up in McDowell County and moved to Texas when I was 18. As great as Texas is, there is something about these mountains and people that brought me back. I moved back after 32 years away. Thank you for being so kind and respectful. We get a bad rap and so many don't see the true nature of this place or the people in it.
I am from Brazil, leaving in WV for more than 10 years as a missionary. I love everything about here. It feels home 💚 Thank Peter for bring up the reality and beautiful of WV!
My grandfather was a coal miner over here in England until they closed them down in the 80s, the factories soon followed. Lots of people lost their livelihoods. My grandfather was wheelchair bound in his later life due to his work. Hard working, good people. Its nice to see how similar people can be whilst being so far apart. Great content as always Peter
My oh my! The best hour and a bit I've spent on TH-cam for a long, long time. Thank you. It's strange how someone from another country - the UK - can be drawn into another place, its problems, its hopes and fears. Yet I found it somehow life-affirming and uplifting. How natural were all the people, especially in the bar and all did W. Virginia proud. Thanks again.
Goodness Peter, you have me transfixed on these Appalachian videos! The people, the history, the scenery, the hospitality and brutal juxtaposition between the blessing of coal and the greed of corporations, and neglect and outright hostilities from US Gvmt. You have me intrigued and I appreciate the gracious candour of the folks you interviewed - I wouldn't want to be prejudged either. They don't deserve that disrespect. As the man said, they powered America's progress. They deserve recognition and respect for that. I'm Canadian and I'm definitely putting West Virginia on my bucket list. ✌
Jimmy was an awesome individual! Having a girlfriend west of Atlanta (I used to live in Gainesville, GA!) will sure pull at his heartstrings! Maybe they can figure out a way to do 6 months a year in each place! ♥️
European here. I was lucky enough to be able to thru hike the Appalachian Trail. The people are THE BEST. Most generous, down to earth folks one can imagine. So often they would feed us hikers. It really restores ones faith in humanity. And the way they are portrayed by mainstream culture and the media lead to my awakening.
I've gone down the rabbit hole watching these videos and it's been surprising just how nice these people have been when you talk to them. They are comfortable with their life and don't worry about much else it seems.
That company store was a homeless shelter when I was in high school. Thank you Peter for showing the world that WVians deserve respect just like everyone else.
Wow, this was a rare TH-cam gem, thanks for doing it. Coal miners are the heart of America. The epitome of underrated and under appreciated. They work themselves to the bone knowing damn well it's going to shave many years off their lives but it's what allows America to thrive the way it has. Unsung heroes. The people alone are what makes living in the south something to strongly consider. I've lived around the world from Cali to Saudi Arabia to Spain and now Texas, with many places in between where vacationing is concerned, and there is nothing like a down home southerner (parts of southern Italy are comparable but still not quite on this level). Just the best people. Hard working, loyal, welcoming and warm. One thing I've learned from bouncing around the planet, environment is everything. Culture, is everything. It will make or break your mental heath and view of the world.
Having grown up deep in appalachia (western NC) and descended from a long line of people who were born, lived, and died in appalachia, I regularly forget what a different culture it is from what a lot of people know. It's nice to see the culture celebrated for what it is.
celebrated, but not exploited, erased, or tinkered with. We know how to survive in ways that have been forgotten by the bigger populace. The kind of social mobility that's being injected into modern American society would be like introducing a foreign parasite to a *relatively* pristine environment.
I just bought an old farm in West Virginia from the 1780s. I can say without question that the people in West Virginia have hearts of gold. I feel so grateful and really humbled to be living here.
Please keep making these videos. So many Americans have no idea that this culture exists and needs to be remembered as well as celebrated! Me and my wife are native Texans and the people in this area had us feeling at home
Peter, this was wonderful. Do you know what I was reminded of watching this video (not from WVA): How smart and completely unpresuming most of the people were. The guy with the overalls in the pub. Reminds me of the people I was surrounded by growing up . . . low-key, intelligent, sharp, hard-working, going through life with character and simplicity and character and warmth. Thank you, can't wait to watch the next in the series.
@@PeterSantenello Yet you only scraped the surface. Appalachia has so many different areas and each one have a slightly different feel and touch. I live down near Charleston and it's a different experience of Applalachia.
@@allycbythesea7937 Yes, didn't he? But he wasn't boastful in his demeanor. If you work/worked in "corporate," you'll know what I mean 😵💫. No, not this guy, he just low-key explained things in a way that said, "I'm secure in who I am and in my intelligence."
I'm brazilian, and i am absolutely obsessed with Appalachia. Though I've never been, everything in this video seems like home to me, and these marvellous people interest me to no end! It has been my dream for a decade now to go hiking in the Appalachian mountains, and as a young single latina I've got scared away from doing it a couple times now, but i will do it. Thank you for this amazing video!
Man Peter you deserve some type of recognition award from the academy of something. I love the stories of experience those men shared. They are so valuable and real! Thank you Peter!
The Scottish Highlands and the Appalachians are the same mountain range, once connected as the Central Pangean Mountains. Remnants of this massive mountain range include the Appalachian Mountains of North America, the Little Atlas of Morocco, Ireland, the Scottish Highlands, and part of Greenland and Scandinavia.
@@dangerdan2592 for an other example. Ohio what's hilly and has a lot of plains to farm has the highest hungarian population and to be honest it does make sense. Its the same thing. I get why people move to similar areas after immigration
So in way, my Scottish and Irish ancestors ended up back where they started lmao.. That's crazy, I can't believe I'm just now finding out about this.. Honestly, I'm sure I've heard of this before but just forgot lol..
What a great episode. I'm born and raised in Massachusetts and had only cursory knowledge of Appalachia. It's such a shame so much of the history of this country is being lost to time. Thank you for what you do and the knowledge you bring. It is appreciated.
It’s not being lost. West Virginians know their history very well and pass it on to their children. Every Appalachian child can cite their family line for four generations or more on each side and talk for hours about the important events in their family’s history. It’s just that the stereotypes keep muddying the waters for those outside the region. Long live Massachusetts.
My Pappaw and my Great Uncles grew up on Miners $cript, many of them dying in the mines as well, or later from black lung, but my Mammaw worked at a store very similar to that in your video when she was young. Some coal towns also had little theaters in them... When i come'n visit, we still go to the outdoor theater, there in Grandview, as they live near, (Beckley), also with many neat little miner homes down in the hollers, to go'n sight see. So many neat attractions and so much history there, the Coal Miner Train-Tours are an absolute must, along with the tram and the New River Gorge, for those visiting... been going there since i was 3 yrs old, and now in my 40's and have had the privilege to take my own kids, some years back. I'm told many of the Coal Mining Company's also have buried drums of that script, all around... 🤔hmmm, never really thought about it till watching your video, but now understand, why they needed to depose of the "Coal $crit" and make it more'r less go away...😏 dirty dirty dogs.. Was pretty much slavery.. at least a heck of a monopoly... Also sad to see what's happened to WV small towns, have personally had family members fall into "what the town now has to offer" there after the mines closed down😔and many places i enjoyed as a child, now gone, demolished, leaving barely a trace behind. I live in FL now, but IMO, WV is still one of the purdiest places on the face of this Earth.
I love that it’s also highlighting the fact that the people there are really good folks, because it is further proof that it isn’t poverty that causes a demographic to be crime ridden, like the propaganda tells us. That’s the difference between Appalachia, which is literally the poorest white area in the entire country, and places like Chicago, Baltimore, etc..
My mom grew up in Stephenson and went to Mullens High School. She grew up poor and her daddy worked in the mines. She moved away when she married my dad but we went back to WV every summer. It is one of the most beautiful places in this country. Thank you for sharing this wonderful state.
I'm from Australia, but West Virginia has always been one of my favourite states. It's an absolutely gorgeous place, I've spent many many an hour on google earth pin-pointing towns of interest to me (Some that you even visited, went through in this video) I love the houses, architecture and small backwoods towns, and the nature aspect too, the mountains and forests are just breathtaking, and this video really shows it off. So thank you Peter for this awesome journey.
As someone who was born and raised in West Virginia and who still lives here, I love seeing our state being represented in a non-judgemental light. Do we have issues here? Of course we do. But everywhere as issues, they might just be different issues. I would choose to live here everyday. I love my state and my people and I am proud to say I am from West Virginia.
" everywhere has issues" So true, i live in Philly and the fentanyl just ruined this place! don't get me wrong it was always a rough city, but the people were always GREAT imo, but now its just unrecognizable. when you walk down these block all you see is the people strung out on that shit, and if you go in early morning before the sun rises the sight is scary those folks that are struggling really look like zombies, they are the real walking dead! and no one cares everyone is just cold and matter a fact about it. its like we lost our humanity here, those people are still our brothers and sisters at the end of the day...With that said i wish all of you in West Virginia the very best!
@@soulight77 California is significantly diversified & bigger and more complex than that of WV. Lump all problems into sum. No doubt CA got way more issues. No policy satisfies every one. Ca embraces a large influx of people including those from WV continuously
Peter I just commented on your next long Appalachia video, about my family and the area they were from in WV. Then I find this video and you are in my family's hometown. My maternal Grandfather owned the gas station at the corner of Valley and WV-10/Arista Mountain Rd in Matoaka, WV. I'm not sure if it was still there, but there was a huge swordfish on the back wall with a glove hanging out of its mouth. That store was my favorite place on this entire planet and I never, ever have been able to pass it without crying. My whole family lives in a small holler near there called "Weyanoke" and there is still so much of my family there today. Thank you, again, for this video too. This one really brought tears to my eyes. This place holds such a special place in my heart, and in the history of this Country. Nobody ever knows Matoaka when I say it, and I can't explain how nice it is to see this video getting the exposure it is and that name being spoken. Matoaka is such a beautiful name, and was another name for the famous Pocahontas.
This is a breathtakingly beautiful area. I am absolutely in love. The lush green of the forest , the deep blue of the sky, the wide horizons, fantastic. And the old brick houses really add to the scenery.
Peter. I'm an old truck driver. I've never got the deep dive of all these places I've been to. Your channel is the ultimate history channel. The real deal. The truth. The experience. 💯 keep it up! I've watched a bunch totally addicted.
Loving this series so much . As an Australian I have zero knowledge of these regions and feel privileged to get a glimpse into this part of the world via such a kind and respectful presenter. Thank you for bringing this series to us Peter .
as someone from kentucky i'd say these are kind of puff pieces. place is a dumpster fire. i got the fuck out. there's a reason young people with either the means or ability usually get the fuck out. at least the folks who don't end up as junkies or in prison.
As a WV Studies teacher and native of WV, it truly surprises me of the ignorance of people who have no idea of how receptive and friendly we are in Appalachia and WV.
I have never visited WV , but hope to someday get a chance to visit it and meet some of it's great people and to enjoy it's fantastic beauty ... WV rocks !
When we were there a friendly person took our truck and was in the middle of removing the parts to help us out when we got the truck back. My guess is they were going to polish them for us...
Peace be upon you, David. You're a West Virginia Studies teacher?! Wow! And a native of WV too! Have you thought of starting your own TH-cam channel sharing your knowledge and insights about WV??? Do think about it. Also, which underrated places in WV would you recommend to someone to visit?
My family is from West Virginia and I can say that without a doubt WV is one of the most underrated states as far as beauty and the people. I love going to visit them and seeing the natural beauty of the land
This is the best understanding and tour of Appalachia I have ever seen. I knew what it basically was, but not explained and toured like Peter Santenello. Excellent job Peter.
That was the best documentary on Appalachians in West Virginia I’ve ever seen! It’s the only documentary which actually gets to know the people who live there. I’m originally from east Tennessee, and have always been proud my Appalachian origins. And I was totally stoked seeing the Hatfield McCoy trail segment. That’s some free living out in those outlaw trail areas! Great job! 👍
I live in New Zealand in a remote country town which is basically the last stop to the wild East Coast. I've also lived in cities. It seems pretty universal that country folk tend to be very similar. Very down to Earth and friendly. Just wholesome good people who like a good talk, a drink or two, keen to have a laugh and just mostly relaxed but will work hard and play even harder. I love living with these type of people. I find cities to be a paradox. Fully surrounded by people but little to no real connection with each other in a meaningful way. Give me the country life any day!
Great Stuff Peter.... Reminds me of Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations". The way you treat everyone with such respect, you get the very best out of them in the interviews.
My parents are from West Virginia and raised us in Pa. They have taken us back to their hometowns as kids, and visited their relatives and their stories of life there are fascinating. I am 53 and raised my kids in the San Francisco Bay Area and although beautiful in its own way, I sometimes fantasize about moving to some remote area like where my parents are from because life seems so much simpler. People are kinder and the pace is slower. Ppl here would never strike up a conversation with a stranger and the tech industry/Silicon Valley residents are the antithesis of down to earth. It’s pretty insufferable. Love this video and hearing from these people.
I'm from rural KY. We're far from our mountain cousins but we grew up the same in many ways. There is only one group left in America that can be openly picked on. Thank you for doing what you do and treat people with respect and conversing with people with an open mind. This is why I keep coming back to your videos.... and come on down to Kentucky.... we'll show you a good time down here too!
Where do you live? My daughter lives in Calloway county, between Mayfield and Murray. Her daddy and I want to move to far western Kentucky, near her. It's hard to find an inexpensive house rental anymore, online. She's disabled and wants us to move down so badly. We're on social security and live in Chicagoland. Any tips?
Being from the North East of France, we have in a way the same problems after the closure of the coal mines approximately twenty years ago. The same causes lead to the same effects. I feel these people. Great video, very touching.
Yeah, it fucking sucks. But the fact that everyone just clings to coal drags out the pain. There's plenty of ways to help the region, but ain't gunna vote for it because they're convinced its hippy communist shit, instead vote for some grifter who promises to bring back the mines even though that shit is never going to happen due to economic forces and advances in technology making it less viable, then that grifter just gives tax breaks to the bosses and CEOs and slashes all the welfare programs that are keeping out of work folks afloat.
I LOVE your Appalachia documentaries. You are so good at putting a human face on these lovely people who’ve been given short shrift for far too long. You are never condescending. I love your guy in this video. Can’t get enough of his accent. Keep doing a great job! Thank you.
This is the start of my Appalachia series diving into the culture of this beautiful part of America. More Appalachia videos coming over the next few weeks. Enjoy!
► Join our community: www.bit.ly/3HC36EH
► My exclusive content on Patreon: www.patreon.com/PeterSantenello
❤God bless you and all US
You're on a roll! Keep it up. I love the content.
Holy shit! I'm from there!! How in the hell did you find out about The 'Field?? And welcome to town Pete! Hope you enjoyed your time!
@@NoNORADon911 take your meds, boy
Hey Peter I was born in Bluefield and live in the Appalachian part of Virginia. It’s awesome your showing how we live and shining light on us.
I'm sure this will be a buried comment. But I love the respect you show each community you visit. Mainstream media doesn't touch what you're showing.
Thanks J!
Mainstream media spread fake news, nothing is true there. The truth is people and their stories, it's like that all over the world.
I hear you😘
Mainstream media doesn't touch anything truly relevant.
True.
I’m a 75 old West Virginian.
My Dad was born to Italian immigrants in 1907 and raised in a dirt floor coal camp. He went to work in the mines in 1919 at the age of 12.
He died in 1955 at the age of 47.
We struggled the whole time but I became a successful citizen married 50 years and have a wonderful large family.
🌹🌹🌹
Your poor father. I hope he lived to see your better life.
@@seanabadalich9112he was 7 when his father died
Where in Italy was your family from?
That's absolutely heartbreaking.
I’m an Arab from Abu Dhabi, and I remember visiting my younger brother for his graduation from Arizona State University, back in 2013, and after his graduation we took a road trip throughout America for two months. I was 25 and he was 23. We visited Mississippi, Louisiana, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, and West Virginia. I couldn’t agree more, people were sure mighty friendly. The irony was that the further north we went, the less friendly people became especially in melting pots like New York, or even wealthy states like Connecticut, Vermont, and New Hampshire. I even remember being kicked out of a restaurant in Vermont because I’m assuming they thought we're poor college kids lol. Whereas in the south, in a beautiful small town called Ocean Springs, Mississippi. After a long conversation with two tables and the owners about politics, history, and religion the owners decided that our money was no good, and invited us to spend the night at their home. Just pure friendly southern hospitality. I’ll never forget those people. That’s why I have a soft spot for anyone from the South I run into here in Abu Dhabi or Dubai or anywhere in the world. Plus, that random act of kindness, that happened to Peter, after talking to a local guy, who excused himself before him, only to end up paying for his food. That happened a lot to us. I guess, we were just kids to everyone we interacted with. Kids from a very faraway land. Big Oil country boys, that’s what we were mostly called 😅 for being from Arabia. I think we got at least ten free meals in Kentucky and West Virginia alone. Ironically, we were warned by people in California, that we should avoid those states, as people might be rude to us, or outright violent. Funny enough, the only racism or mild discrimination that we got, was from Californians, or those rich folks up in Vermont, and don’t get me started on the Big Apple. That road trip, exactly a decade ago, was such an eye-opening experience for us, that we ended up donating as much money as we could, during the hight of the pandemic, in 2020-2021, for the people of North and East Kentucky, mostly to churches that run food banks for their local communities and congregations, by donating money, for them to be able to buy food, for people across various small towns. We did that for 6 months straight, and I don’t have to disclose the monthly sum, as that’s between us and God. But, it was all thanks to the wonderful people we ran into back in the day. Honest to God, if it weren’t for them, we wouldn’t have such a soft spot, after watching a piece on YT about those mining towns, with people struggling to buy everyday groceries. We just had to do something, and I’m glad we did. I just wished we could’ve done more.
Thank you Peter for this. Those people are hands down, the best representation of America.
Great comment, I'm not from any of those great states that you visited. It is sad how other states and the news media and the education system in America will look down upon some of America's finest people who built America into the country it is today. I'm also glad that many people from around the world can go on an adventure with Peter to learn more about how the real world operates !
God bless you for your paying it forward
❤
What a wonderful story thanks for sharing.
From a West Virginian Thank you! Come back anytime! Everyones grandma has cornbread, fried apples, and gravy at a moments notice for a visitor or weary traveler!
I am 82 was born in Bluefield, lived in Welch, Iaeger, Pineville, Mullens. My parents were school teachers and we moved to Maryland when I was 14. But to this day I still miss Wva and thank you for these videos. They take me back to the place I belong. I plan to have my ashes spread in the river in Pineville.
One day ull be in the air from where u belong, in peace ,,, peace be upon you brother ❤
aw i love pineville. i always thought that's where rich people lived because of the patty lovelace song. i also thought above ground pools were fancier than below ground pools. kids are silly.
Come home, papaw. 🙂
Whenever I need some time to myself, I always run off to Pearisburg to hike along the AT.
One thing I appreciate is Peter acts the same and treats people the same no matter where he goes. Doesn't speak different when he's in the hood. Doesn't act like a hick when he's in the sticks. Peter is just himself everywhere he goes.
Straight white American man. If you only watched the mainstream media you would think Peter was satan reincarnate.
Acts the same , treats the same, and always in the same shirt. Lol
😂
@@ALCRAN2010brought to you by cuts clothing lol Can't knock em gotta make that sponsorship money.
That's why people open up with him. His everyman personality goes a long wat toward convincing people he is real and really is interested in what they say. This is the first time i have watched him, and i already subscribed. I am also from the coal camps where i grew up in the fifties. Daddy was a coal miner until we moved North in 64. The unions were always striking and he had to feed eight of us. I will say this. There is no better place to grow up than these mountains. I know it's different now, but i loved growing up there. Been gone almost sixty years and still miss the people and the hills.
Interesting you said “hick” for whites but didn’t use “hood, street or ghetto” for a black area. Nice double standard
As an Appalachian Native, I deeply appreciate you doing this video.
how’d you get internet 😂
@@Boston_CremePie i have 5 gigabit down fiber optic in Wv, old money i guess 🤗
A lot's of love from India.🇮🇳
Love the line “we aren’t so judgemental out here” a lesson to learn for many many in nowadays society
Glad to see it is improving. Cycle of life. Relatives on my mother's side come from the area. I think it will do well in Global warming and folks looking for some land to retire you can see it is happening already; in VA it has been happening for a while and it looks like it is hitting a lot of areas in WV, not just the Canaan Valley.
The dude who gave you the tour, what a fantastic guy. Such a good energy, sense of humor, and he's just happy to be of service to others. He reminds me of a really good boss I used to have. I truly hope this man is doing well, he deserves it
Thank you
@@jimmyperdue3112 This journey was special in large part due to you. Where I'm from we'd say your'e a good egg, Jimmy. Thank you.
@@jimmyperdue3112 You're welcome! You really helped me today, reminded me to keep a better attitude and try to be more patient with others. Keep on keepin' on!
@@jimmyperdue3112 no way. My Uncle is from W. Virginia. He's got your last name. His name is Steve. Cool of you to give the tour. Interesting history out there. I was thinking that, what the mines did for W. Virginia, the mills did for New England. Im from RI. My town was a mill town for a very long time. There are old mill houses here. I read in school about the old indentured servants who lived in mill housing but couldnt leave because they owed money they may never earn! Our river in my town was so poluted by the mills and also became a dumping ground for bikes, vehicles, furniture, and more. Its been cleaned a lot but it may never be great. Our town was busy and thriving at the turn of the century. Its nowhere near as busy now, all the mills mysteriously burned down 🤨. It used to be an old french, mill town. Now its more diverse. You did a great job showing different towns and how each is so different. Did you say a highway is being built nearby? I hope that doesnt create a boom of unsightly businesses. I drove through a town i lived in back in the 90s and the businesses destroyed the landscape and the quiet.
@@jimmyperdue3112 Good job Jimmy. You made us look good. 😊
I am from Bluefield and I wanted to say "thank you" for this series. Your series has done a good job portraying West Virginians in a positive light. Losing the Coal Industry devasted us!
I am a state delegate in the WV Legislature. Thank you for visiting our great state! There is so. much to explore here as you just touched one small segment but a very important one to us. West Virginia is the only state in the US to lie totally within the Appalachian Mountains. The rugged topography here meant most settlers went around what is now West Virginia. Scotts-Irish immigrants were the dominant settlers as they were tough people who could handle the conditions. The culture remained intact because few people moved in or out.
Coupled with our jagged borders, there are many unique regions that all have their own subcultures. The southern coalfields that are featured in the documentary are the most remote with steep terrain and narrow valleys. The Kanawha and Ohio River valleys are deeply influenced by chemical, glass and steel manufacturing histories. The majority of the population lives along these great rivers. The North-Central region around Morgantown and WVU was older mining areas but now a renaissance in technology and aviation industries. The North and Northern Panhandle are benefiting form Marcellus Shale natural gas. The Eastern Panhandle is the fastest growing region as people migrate there from Washington D.C
Then there are the Allegheny Mountains that run along the eastern and southeastern regions. This area is sparsely populated but contain the most natural beauty. The nation's newest national park, The New River Gorge National Park, is located here.
There are so many stories to tell just here in West Virginia. The Silver Bridge collapse and "Mothman". The Marshall University football team plane crash. The Buffalo Creek flood. The many mine disasters. Hatfield-McCoys feud. The rebirth of Whitewater and the tourism industry across the state.
Then there's road building in Appalachia where it's totally different from any other part of the US.
Stop by and see me anytime in Charleston, a city that changed hands five times during the Civil War because of its strategic location close to the salt mines. Salt was important to keeping meat procured before refrigeration. Thus both sides needed it to feed their armies.
Generations of my early relatives were from that area. Im being called back there. Was born in Ga, raised in Oh. Now Im in Az, and ready to head home.
I just want to homestead and grow food.
With the big goal being to be a forerunner in creating a total local community coop food supply. Id be there already if I had running transportation. I really needed this vid and all the comments. Thnx!
Thanks for the quick summary!
get a honest governor, remove the corporation land seizure and allow the people to hold both surface and mineral rights, require the corporations to stop polluting the land AND remove the pollution left behind...
there are many places shown that the State seizes after the Coal Co abandons but the State will not sell to the people...
there is zero justice with Governor Justice, and the legislature maintains the injustice by not allowing/honoring Land Patent Rights to the people...
speculator Robert Morris had a hand in seizing a large part of WVa when it was Virginia, WVa is the majority land owner and the US is second largest, THIS is why the people cannot open land, GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION...
I need a gig and a place to rent or buy, I'm in rural Texas, but I'm a direct descendant of David Crockett, so I've always liked the Tennessee Smokies and West Virginia scenery, I've always wanted to live up in the mountains.
I wonder if he explained the whole story about the whites from WV?😂 I know I met one when I was riding motorcycles through one town, I stayed with a neighbor from military, and I couldn't believe the story, they even showed me dancing outlaw, and my friend who was riding with us locked himself in the bedroom for the night, he was black, and trusted nobody who was that crazy😂😂
this has got to be one of the, if not THE best channel for showing the true colours of communities and societies not only in America but across the world.
That's so nice of you. Thank you from my wife (who edits) and me :)
The exact opposite of what the MSM shows you.
@@PeterSantenello The editing is professional. Your camera work is fantastic. I stumbled upon your Amish video about a year ago and was really impressed with how you get into the heart of a place while making it look effortless (Well, I see the effort but you just will it to happen with seeming ease.) Great charisma. I love your channel. Never stop.
Wait till you see the whittakers
@@WayCoolJr27t’s incredibly refreshing to see all of the good people instead of the division we’re bombarded with in the media. I always have a better day after watching one of Peter’s videos.
I’m Puerto Rican-American. My wife is from the island as well. We heard WV was going to be terrible for us if we purchased a retirement home there. The typical "it's KKK, it's this, it's full of racial insensitivity, etc, etc". We did our due diligence and traveled the area. On June 2021 we purchased a lovely 1920 historical home in Kingwood WV. Every time we visit to spend a few weeks at the house we marvel at how we’re treated. We've lived in California for decades and there is no "let's get to know the neighbors" culture here. California for as lovely as it is, has a cold spirit of personal isolation and competitive materialism. In our town in WV, we know most of the block already. A Trump-loving couple on the left of us and some Libbie-hippie types across the streets and they come over and knock back some beers with us at sunset not caring a damn about politics. I know everybody on my street. These are the kindest people we’ve ever met. This video was re-affirming. Thank you.
Do Puerto Ricans not consider themselves Americans by default? If not, would that change if they ever vote in statehood? I just always considered Puerto Rico a part of the U.S., and by extension, Puerto Ricans as Americans.
BTW, spent a few months in Puerto Rico thirty years ago when the navy base was still open. Loved it, and am considering retiring there. Is there a reason you and your wife decided not to go back for retirement?
@@operator0 Your question has a lot to unpack so let me try a few angles: PR's by nature NEVER say (as I did) Puerto RIcan -Americans. They do appreciate the citizenship afforded to them (just before WW1, of course, but that is another rant), but they are always "Boricua", they never identify themselves as "American". As to Statehood? It's never going to happen. We are too jingoistic number one, and (no 2) we know what happened to Hawaii once they were let in the union. Puerto Rico IS part of the US, as a territory but nothing of its current status is close to being part of the US in the literal sense. The Jones Act makes it impossible to function as a quasi-independent economy and we are enslaved by the stevedore unions in Florida and Texas that earn 10's of millions a year from unloading/loading goods to Puerto Rico. ?You see, the Jones Act demands all goods to PR be in US-flagged / crewed vessels. Just like Hawaii. Meaning everything costs twice as much. PR is on an economic death spiral of national indentured servitude but we are gluttons for punishment so, there's that. As to the Navy Base (Roosevelt Roads?) Yep, I played high school football against the base HS in the late '70s. It's a lovely place, truth be told. To your last query, we decided we can't retire there. The medical, police, power grid, and other infrastructures have been permanently broken since Hurricane Maria stopped in 2018. There is a heavy "brain drain" of talent as well. All the best teachers, police, and tech minds are all getting recruited state-side. It is unfortunate. It could have been the Singapur of the Caribbean, but instead, it is the squeezable banana for all the bondholders on wall street, and by effect, feeding political capital to both major party PACs in the US. Such is my home. It's pretty terminal at this point. Maybe @PeterSantanello has the time to do a deep dive into the status of Puerto Rico. There are many layers of truths that most Americans either don't know about or just are calloused enough not to care about.
They usually give a pass to the lighter colors. There is a reason blacks don't live out in the counties in WV and VA. There is KKK around and very racist people. You don't want to break down at night on a backroad either. When I was in HS on the activity bus the black people would duck down riding through there, but keep thinking it's super safe and not racist. They've burned crosses in blacks yards moving in the county, beat the shit out of my 7th grade gym teacher who was black. He lasted a year there. KKK flyers will show up randomly. You claim you live on a street, so you don't live out in a holler somewhere where everyone has a confederate flag waving and in the small stores they have a whole wall of confederate shit. Near a town or city is a little different. People will be more accepting, but like I said, don't break down on a backroad 20 mins from your city or town in a holler. Just a dangerous situation for minorities unless you know the holler is cool, which some might be. Some are more redneck than others. You never know if a few racists are driving around getting drunk or night hunting though, so just because it seems safe one day doesn't mean it is another.
I grew up about 30 minutes from Kingwood. I love that area and miss the delicious buckwheat pancakes. Hoping one day to move back in that area. Love Love West Virginia ❤❤❤
@@spicycopper2436 we do as well. It’s actually similar to the mountains where I spent my childhood in Puerto Rico. We love cheat river and the buckwheat pancakes …. Oh man ….. our neighbor makes the best 🙏. Thanks for chimin’ in. We’ll be there in September for a couple of weeks.
The episodes about Appalachia are like a school book that we didn´t know we needed. Watching the clip and then reading the comments is so heartwarming, because people are realising that they had prejudice about places that they´ve never even been to. But through you, Peter, we get to travel there and expand our mind and open our hearts.
Unbeknownst to these wonderful people living without proper Internet and amenities, they´re not missing out on ANYTHING. More and more people are realising that real life is growing your own food, staying off social media (unless for educational purposes, such as this clip), getting out in nature, face to face meetings, and living a simple life without too many materialistic needs. Concepts such as "Capsule wardrobe", "No phone dinners", "Swedish Death Cleaning", "Team no filter" and more are becoming popular, because some of the aftermath of the pandemic is actually good. People getting the time to think, to ponder their lives and realise that they no longer need as much as they thought. And then many realising that they don´t want to support fast fashion and slavery in 3rd world countries.
The more I see the youth stuck in the influencer world, gaming sphere and celebrity following, the more I realise that things are going downhill...fast. Of course, we also need to remember that this is the generation that probably won´t be able to buy their own place, not get a permanent contract etc. So no wonder that they´re numbed out a little.
Where I live, everyday, we get articles about people opting out of marriage and having children (which is understandable in certain ways), not being able to pick up a phone and call people, not being able to make friends outside of social media (like, face to face), suffering from anxiety and not even being able to sit alone at a café. We´re slowly turning into some sort of robots or socially disabled creatures. In Germany, there is now a café, where people go if they want to sit "the old-fashioned way", i.e just talking and no WIFI. Imagine that!
The world today isn´t a very nice place, and that is palpable to most people. So to live like this, in Appalachia, on just 200-300 dollars a month, sounds like freedom to a lot of people watching this.
Amen brother my mother at my age had me and built a house, I can’t even afford my upkeep, using my savings. I wish I will have a choice to live differently.
I am a Native Appalachian Woman from Western NC. It is so nice for you to come to our Appalachian mountains to show our heritage. Thank you .
I am a disabled former female police officer. I was the 3rd female in our whole county to become a officer. I have a AA and BA in Criminal Justice. People in the Appalachian mountains are very smart people. We go to college and we also can live off our land.
Are there Mexicans in tapioca?
BEAUTIFULLY said! A perfect example of who we are with Appalachian roots! My family is from South Western Virginia and Western NC ... I am PROUDLY Appalachian descent!! Beautiful people, beautiful hearts, take care of each other, laugh together, cry together, grieve together, celebrate together, loyal to the lifestyle and the Mountains! And some of the best cooking you will EVER eat!!
Be blessed my friend. Thank you for sharing your words!
@@Stephanie-kt9vhI'm European. I've heard so much about the Appalachian way and it's people. It looks so beautiful and the people are incredible. I visited the US, but wasn't impressed at all. Now I realise I should have concentrated on the Appalachian districts. I love the sense of community and their pride in living there.
@@elizabethgrogan8553 You probably went to New York or Los Angeles or Miami or some other huge city like most Europeans. That's a horrible idea.
@repentandbelieveinJesusChrist1 Quit spamming. Quoting Bible verses on TH-cam isn't going to convert anyone, you moron.
Jimmy is an amazing tour guide and sure does his state proud. Thank you to all of the W.V. residents that so graciously took part in this video and showed us all around.
Thank you, I love WV
He really is- it’s tragic what’s happened to the deep arteries of our country; especially when politicians are all about destroying entire populations with little to no regard for those left in their stead.
I used to travel with my dad as an over the road trucker in the ‘80s, and one stop we made was to a little place in Wytheville, just down a ways from Bluefield. I remember (as a 12-year old, mind you) half mocking the twang in their voice and coming dangerously close to a backhand from dad, who imparted a wise lesson I never forgot.
‘Does it occur to you that they listen to you flapping your jaw and think the same thing? Different areas speak differently and the worst thing you can do is judge someone based on the color of their skin or the twang in their speech; never take differences for weaknesses or you’ll find yourself in a world of trouble.’
We need more love for Jimmy
Thanks Peter. That was a ton of fun. Thanks everyone for all of the positive feedback. ❤
Thank you Jimmy, that’s what I call a great story, thanks !
You did a great job , touring this amazing area.
Coming from Sweden, i would love to visit.
Good job, Jimmy! I live in the Mediterranean and just love leaening about the parts of USA we never get to see or hear about on mass media.
You were such a great host/tour guide Jimmy. Thanks so much for showing us your beautiful neck of the woods and telling us about the truly fascinating history of the mining companies and especially about how the scripts were used to, essentially, enslave the miners. I doubt I would have ever known about that if it weren't for you.
your knowledge was very impressive. Thank you for being his guide and letting us all listen to some people from there
Peter, 68yo woman from Germany here.
Youre one of my fave TH-camrs. You show me the real US, nothing to do w the hysteria from many media.
You have a brilliant personality, I admire you deeply. I wish I could be like you - no judgement, just true empathy.
Thank you for being you! ❤
I've travel all over this country on a motorcycle. West Virginia is by far my favorite. The rural quiet, endless twist and turns and unbelievably hospitable people.
No place like it
I fell in love with it too
I intend on experiencing it first hand 2up style. Our family roots are from there on my momma's side and I couldn't be more proud.
So glad to hear! Welcome back any time!
I'm a Londoner watching this and I can honestly say it's one of the most educational things I've ever found on tube or even on the internet. The legal slavery aspect with its own printed money blows my mind. I'm originally from East London from a breed of rare proud people which has been treated poorly and totally broken so I totally sympathise with you beautiful people.I'm totally in love with the accents and warmth of the people. I've definitely wrote this place on my bucket list. I'm guessing like us here none of this important history is being taught in the schools. I hope everyone gets to see this video and wish you all happiness and health out there.
Another part of this area that isn’t spoken of much are the Coal Mine wars. They were an attempt to get treated with some decency rather that the scandalous exploitation they had to endure. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Virginia_coal_wars
My family settled WV. A separate country was planned for WV called Vandalia and at the Charleston state capitol on memorial day every year we have a Vandalia Day Festival with state Banjo, Mandolin, and Fiddle championships on the grounds around the state capitol. It's a good time and place to visit. Also have a few legal moonshine businesses now they didn't discuss. Can ride over 800 miles of ATV trails on the Hatfield McCoy Trails system. Canam used the trails for durability testing and development because it's difficult terrain..
I grew up in Appalachia with a _thick_ accent. Sadly in our own country the accent is often associated with ignorance so in order to present oneself in a more professional manner people will try to shed the accent and have more of a "generic" american accent. I myself did that (I work in tech), but I always seem to "code switch" when I'm around other southerners.
I’m a New Yorker whom has always been fascinated with West Virginia. My accent isn’t always appreciated either. I lived in London for 17 years. Mostly North London, so I understand your affinity with being judged by accents and where you grew up.
missj, I'am one of those proud people, a cockney born in Mile End, now living in Canada.
I went back to see where I grew up some years back. The pearly kings and Queens where gone, along with road signs in English. Mile End was unrecognizable.
Good luck to you missus!
This is supposed to be the poorest region in the USA but I am looking in awe to the great people, nice houses, beautiful gardens and amazing nature. It's almost impossible to comprehend for someone from an extremely crowded European country how much space, nature and community spirit you have! God bless you all
Poorest region sure but that also means the cost of living is way lower than aurrounding states. A 1.5m$ house in cali would cost 200k there
We have it same in Slovakia. Young people can't leave their parents. 1-room flat costs at least 115 000€ in my town. That is over 9 years of work with average salary without spending anything to afford it.
Oh it is poor but people even the poorest people will find ways to survive but Appalachia also has a serious opioid problem that people aren't aware of but we all know about inner cities and crack though.
@@mionellessi3086, my father is from there. Why not leave for say.....Lithuania? What types of jobs are there.
Check out "Celebrating Appalachia". She's in North Carolina and does videos about her community, food, language, history, etc. Love her videos. ❤
Coming from the UK, this is especially interesting to watch. Very informative and Jimmy was a a fantastic tour guide giving a brilliant local and personal perspective.
I’m a new sub to this channel and look forward to watching more videos
I'm an Aussie, currently living in the UK but boy do I have the urge to pack up, head to WV and leave the world I know behind. I could be very happy there in those hills with those wonderful people.
But then…….maybe not, cob.
to bad it would cost a arm and a leg to be able to move there , but only if you are from a western nation
Much better opportunity just south a few miles in Virginia, where I live, same geology, in the Appalachians, but it's actually established more, like new river valley, there's state college here, and universities, then there's old mixed with new like Radford to Blacksburg where vatech is, everything is close together driving wise, lots of jobs here. You also have an hour drive in all directions and you are where they are looks like, old mining towns
DO IT !!!! leave Europe, this hellhole of wokeness and idiots. I'll do it next year
@@MiladJP you think America is not lost? 😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂
I am a proud Appalachian born and raised in a holler my family had been in for over 200 years. Scotts Irish and mixed Cherokee where a group of us ran to hide from the removal west. Mamaw and papaw didn't have running water, but were the cleanest people you could ever meet. Neither one had beyond a second grade education, both grandmother's went back to school at the age of 68 and 69 and refused to get a GED, they wanted their diploma and they both graduated with just that. Some call us dumb because the lack of book learning, but common sense wise you never met anyone smarter. The hillbillies I grew up around were honest, loyal, loving, and hard working. Making due with what they had. If a man owed you money, they would be there the day before he said he would pay back and thank you for the help. I had to leave for work, but that holler is a part of me everywhere I go and I hope when people meet me, they see what a real hillbilly is, because we have been misrepresented and misunderstood throughout so much of America, and it hurts my heart to think that anyone could talk badly about the people I belong to.
I've met some Appalachian people in the Mountains had never felt the level of Loving Kindness Presence until then . Emotional Awareness is True Wealth .
I've been watching the TV show 'Justified' which takes place in Harlan county and I've been wondering what exactly ment by a "Holler". The context of the show seemed to indicate some sort of trailer park village/town of some sort and I'm glad I now know what a Holler is.
For what it's worth I'm watching this from London UK and I think you come from beautiful people. The fact you have been able to hang onto to your kindness even when tested is a beautiful thing.
@@BestOpinionHaver in outher words a shit hole !
Sorry about the inbreeding.
Appalachia is the one obvious place for Peter to visit, that he hadn't yet done.
I've got high expectations for this one man!
Appalachia and Louisiana. Wanna see some Cajun Country content also.
@brownjatt21 for sure.
@@brownjatt21 oh yeah Cajun Country would be great!!
I’m a surface coal miner for 20 years and I worked 2 years of it underground. I’m 38 years old I love being a West Virginia coal mining man but I dislike making outsiders feel bad for us , we’re West Virginians we know what we signed up for to provide for our families, please keep the outsiders outside . Real men come from west by God Virginia
That's so funny to come across that West by God Virginia we used to call it that when we would go see my grandparents and my mom and dad they lived in Fort Gay
He is one of the most gracious host I have ever witnessed. No matter where he is, he is never judgmental, just reporting. May God bless this man and his family.
Amen
I'm pretty sure he's already said that he doesn't believe in God and when He says; Oh my God", supports that. So having said that... Have you ever read in the Holy Bible about how God does NOT bless non-believers?
@@realemonful🙄
I am first generation out of Appalachia, my father left when he was 25 for Arizona, my grandma had him at 14. The people there are the salt of the earth for the most part. My great grandparents were so unbelievably poor they would have one outfit for a whole year and would get a piece of fruit for Christmas. There were 13 children but 7 died. Thank you for sharing the beautiful parts 💛💛💛
Wow what a story. Would you mind sharing how 7 children died ? That seems an awfully high number, just curious as to why this happens ? Poverty, sickness, coal etc? If that's too personal no worries :)
@modelingmotherhood omg are you pretty. Where you from?😊
why at 14? she was just a kid omg
@@singingflowers7456 historically speaking 14 isn't that young ! In modern times it is.
@@modelingmotherhood no its still young even historically, but times were different back then especially if you were poor & in a rural area
This channel should win an award for the authenticity and content.
I remember going to Appalachia for an outreach program to help build homes. The people we met would put several real construction workers to shame. The ones we met that live in that reagon were able to know who is best for what in the job, and help get us working efficiency. Good people.
Almost Heaven HFH?
The man in the overalls at the restaurant was a wealth of knowledge. I would love to see an entire episode of him giving West Virginia history. I spent my teens and twenties (now in my forties) in West Virginia. I loved it there. The people are great and the history is extremely important to what makes America the greatest nation. I do believe that gentleman in the overalls at the restaurant would make an amazing lecturer. Please revisit. Great video and you have a new subscriber!
And he drinks Guinness!!!...even better!
Natural gas destroyed coal. Coal can't compete against natural gas in the market place. Gas is so much cheaper to produce.
100%
Seriously, he should be a history teacher
That’s the type of guy you could sit on a porch with during a summer evening well into the break of dawn and hear him tell you all about the history of the town you’re sitting in, who’s who of the area along with their family history going back several generations, fueds, and so forth and they be the types of stories you know his dad told him, and his papaw told his dad, and his great-papaw told his papaw, etc. The only type of stories that can live in on in places like Appalachia.
I'm from the UK 🇬🇧 and I grew up in a mining village in the North East and remember the miners strikes of the 80s. Our prime minister at the time sent in hundreds of police and soldiers dressed as cops to fight our parents and grandparents who were striking against the closure of our mines. Mines were the heartbeat of our communities and when the mines closed our villages ended up almost slum like as people moved out and property fell into disrepair.
My heart goes out to these guys ❤️
Arthur Scargill picked the wrong woman to fuck with.
Yeah, but you should mention that most of these mines were state-owned industries that were spending more to extract coal than could be had selling it.
@@The_Ballosorry that has no significance. Fresh industries should have been put in place before closing the mines to enable better quality work for the population, but as you well know Thatcher wanted to destroy the miners union.
@@robertbarbour7017 ...by whom? Do you think the government knows how to invest money that isn't theirs?
@CheekyFutbol333 Not Wrexham, which is in Wales
Rural areas and small towns are so rich with history and character. Hopefully they can save this area.
I don't think there's much way to save it. But as it dies, the old structures will be torn down, and nature will take its course. Homes are still relatively expensive though. I imagine quite a few younger people moved back during Covid and are working from home?
@@catamountmpls but you need coal for electric cars and solar energy if that’s where we’re heading in the future.
@@rsingh2595thats not gonna last long
We have a very old school in my area. I think 6 class rooms and a gym. I dream of it being a meat shop, bakery, creamery and store with a farm to table cafe. The money to restore it is probably more than I can dream of but the employment opportunities for the area I think would be helpful. As far as electric vehicles go, until they greatly improve them, we don't want them in the Oregon Outback. As it is now, it is 30 miles to the nearest gas station. In any direction. We have a large population (of an area of 1000) that live in campers, they can't afford a EV.
@@rsingh2595 Coal is dying. Natural gas is replacing it as a backup. We export a lot of the coal.
I am so grateful I ran across this page. I have sat here for 4 hours. Thoroughly enjoying each and every one of your videos. Very informative. Thank you so much for taking the time for us to enjoy it.
Earned my subscription. As a person from the Appalachia's I really appreciate the respect and eagerness to learn you show the history and culture of the people and area. Hardships breed good people and I think that the people from the heart of Appalachia prove that.
Well said❤❤🎉🎉
Yes It's often people who have the least, give the most! x
This gives so much insight to WV. Thank you! We had stopped in WV while traveling always wanted to visit. Gives us good insight & breaks all the hear say. Thank you
Also just subscribed.
Hardships also bred Nazi’s, historically and today, and we’ve currently got a lot of Appalachian transplants rolling coal on our grandparents, shooting everything that moves, waving guns around & threatening to kill everyone who isn’t just like them in another civil war to prove that. Seems a mixed bag, at best.
Jimmy is doing a great job. I love early when he explained the 60k houses actually didn't go down in price as a result of coal industry leaving but he said "they never went up.". I love this episode. 😊
I’m strangely enthralled by the Appalachia series and can’t wait to see more. This has landed West Virginia on my bucket list of states to visit.
DITTO on “visit” part!
The old school ny father went to in Lynch KY is now a motel. Coal mining museum and mine tours nearby.
Alderson is a cute place to visit. It's where my grandpa grew up. Great people
And Blenko ❤
My family is from weston, it's quite small and has some interesting sights like an old "lunatic asylum" they do tours and I believe some paranormal tours if that's your thing. Elkins has a SPECTACULAR environment with an amazing brewery called big timber that's worth a visit!
I love your channel so much. My grandmother was from Cumberland Gap and Appalachia feels like home to me even tho I’ve not lived there. There’s something about those mountains that tugs at my soul. Every time we visit, I cry on the way home lol. Please keep this channel up! It’s amazing! Thank you!
Shout out to your tour guide, Jimmy! What a joyful person this guy is. He’s talkative, informative, knowledgeable and SO friendly! You couldn’t have found a better person to take you around. Wish you’d have mentioned his name in the description, he deserves at least that much.
Great start to your series. Looking forward to more.
I wholeheartedly agree! Jimmy’s A #1
Thank you very much. It was fun for sure.
@@jimmyperdue3112 Absolutely! I feel like without you, this your wouldn’t have been nearly as successful. I’m not from the area, but you made me feel like I was. 😊
I think Jimmy is full of shit. Most of what he says is questionable. Find a more accurate guide as you continue your journey.
@@jimmyperdue3112this was an amazing job by you. What a great source of knowledge you were. Glad you’re in the community!
Native Appalachian here! I’m so glad you’re showing how great Appalachia is! I’m on the edge, in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. I really hope you make it out this way! Some of the nicest people you’ll meet!
The Shenandoah Valley is gorgeous. ❤
Great video. This really shows what kind, well-spoken, intelligent people live here and what a beautiful place this is. Helps to show how stereotypes aren’t real.
As an Appalachian myself, I appreciated the way you showed this region, letting the hometowners tell their own story. It's refreshing to see it represented from this perspective. Well done.
Peter, as someone from Pulaski Co. Kentucky I am riveted by your unbiased portrayal of these fascinating people from our region. Thank you for doing what you do. A lot of people aren't brave enough to venture into these places and some people just don't care to get to know us. Keep doing what you're doing. Warmest regards!
My family come from Whitesburg KY and Pound VA. I have watched many documentaries all designed to focus on poverty, drug addiction and no education. This is how freelance videos should be made, talking to good friendly people who love their town and their heritage despite the obstacles. This video causes me to want to visit these towns and people.
Thank you for sharing
My family are from those areas too. I was born in Lynch, parents from Benham and Cumberland area. Grandparents lived in Whitesburg for many years. Can remember going across the mountain to Big Stone Gap for some of the best fresh produce I’ve ever eaten.
I grew up in WV and still call it home. One thing I did not hear mentioned is the tress. Almost all of the trees in Appalachia are new growth. This is because of two things, the first being deforestation which had some impact. The next being a fungus that killed off the American chestnut tree which would grow to be as big as 5-6ft across. 130 years ago the entire area was filled with these trees and they dominated the landscape. Roughly 4 billion trees died, only a few remain now.
Fed a lot of family’s and made people from the hollers a little money by hauling them into town and trading/selling them. I’m from Virginia and my grandpa remembers the American chestnuts demise and it caused a lot of hardship for people who lived off the land. Proud to be an Appalachian, wouldn’t trade it for any other place
I read that they're doing American/Chinese hybrid chestnut trees now because the Chinese one is resistant to the fungus. The scientists have found quite a few pure American chestnuts that apparently developed the ability to resist the fungus so they took those and bred them with the Chinese version. You can even order them via online catalogs those days,
My grandfather has old pictures of some of the white oak trees that were cut in Mingo County. One picture was of a tree stump with 3 mules standing side by side in the middle of it.
The Mingo Oak
@@joeblankenship2360 Mingo County born and raised. I’ve seen several old photos of my great-great-mamaw and great-great-papaw from the early 1890s or maybe it was very very early 1900s standing next to a couple of them on their property down in Naugatuck back up on the mountains where they owned a bunch of property - massive trees. Absolutely beautiful. You could see in the background a few more that were big, but not as massive as the ones in the photos. What is truly fascinating to sit and think about is how long they must have sat there before anyone even noticed them. Hundreds of years of history in that wood now gone.
One look at the photos and you’d think they were out west amongst the redwoods with how big they were.
Such a shame blight overtook them. It’s a neat little bit of history for our state, especially for our southeastern region, that not a lot know about. There’s a dedicated group that goes around the Appalachian region looking for any that are growing to essentially tag and keep eyes on to try and protect.
Great to have the knowledge of the local, Jimmy who had in thorough and direct knowledge of the coal history and the counties.
I loved how he pointed out the house his grandfather had that was once the hospital, and how he pointed out the trainyard area his parents wanted their ashes to be scattered. Shows a love for where they came from and where they want to close their life. Incredibly touching. ❤
That huge grocery bluestone building, altho neglected looked beautiful and still had potential.
That script money to keep the workers and money enslaved in the town is way beyond belief today.
The food at the pub roadhouse looked so delish!
Loved the conversations with the locals at the pub and around. Such insight to how the cogs of life flow there.
Great collab video with Jimmy.
Watching with appreciation,
From Melbourne,
Australia 🌷
I am from Colombia, South America, born and raised here, and as an English teacher I found this video to be very informative and honest about the Appalachia. I will be showing it to my students so they can have an original first hand source of information about this area of the USA. Kudos from Colombia Peter.
tell them all to stay in their own lovely country. leave america alone.
Show them a FAMILY FRIENDLY video about Mardi Gras in Louisiana since it’s that time of the year
I am European and my wife is American and African. I came in 2013 to start my studies and since the begging the narrative was these states were bad, racist. However, after marrying my wife we have traveled around a lot of these states and have found their people to be of the best character and super kind, hospitable. Especially West Virginia, we go there every year to purchase a calf and love the farmers.
And we thank you.
Thanks for visiting
So maybe you have realized how the fake news propaganda conned you, that people are racist. When it’s the fake news people whom are the racists.
My parents and most of my relatives were born and raised in rural Ohio. The majority of the population was white. In my experience, most people would be very nice to the face of anyone who wasn’t white, but behind closed doors was a different story. I heard plenty of old white Appalachian folk spew racism when there were only white people around.
Peter sheds light on parts of America most people would never see otherwise like our urban ghettoes, native reservations, and now Appalachia.
Keep up the great work, kudos from New York City.
In comparison, myself included, many from these mountains would be totally lost in New York. We love our freedom here. It’s the last slice of free America left. Come visit anytime 😎
@@austinblair1463 lol sit down bumpkin your cousin wife is calling
Jimmy is the sweetest! Love his passion for his home town, land, people and the history. Super beautiful soul and people, can’t wait to visit 🙏🏽🌸
My cousin lost his daddy when he was 13, he quit school and went to work in the coal mines of West Virginia in his daddy’s place to feed his younger siblings. When the mine shut down he moved to Tennessee to work at the Carrier Factory. He hunted and grew a large garden, he was a such a productive man with a positive outlook on life.
Most of the coal miners in my area are suffering from something similar to PTSD. Their union was telling them to vote Democrat even as the Democrats were saying they would end coal. Then one day they woke up to hear the mines were closing and their union had left town. I've seen them start talking about politics then realize they were repeating Democrat talking points and literally start crying. It's like everything they ever believed turned out to be a lie.
@@tonyrmathisah, the Union scapegoat. Those poor coal companies under the evil thumb of Union workers. I've worked in both Union shops and non-Union. I haven't been to a meeting yet that discussed politics. If anything, they're specifically avoided. They do talk about grievances, safety issues, upcoming contract negotiations, events that may be going on, the current local budget, etc.
As far as the Union "up and leaving", that isn't how it works. Unions have to be voted in or dissolved by the workers themselves. Unions don't choose who and how to represent, that's all on the employees.
So your cousin is either very mistaken, or just lying to justify his reason for being laid-off or the company going under.
It never ceases to amaze me how many people will bow to a company for a paycheck. The groveling is pathetic.
@@ElectricBuckeye No, I have had many family members who were members of the UMWA. They never saw any of the benefits that the union promised to give them such as rations. All that stuff went to West Virginia or Kentucky and hardly ever made it to the mines in Southwest Virginia. Not trying to bash the UMWA (as they really helped in WV), but they did not do much of anything for miners in Southwest Virginia. The UMWA also told all their members to vote for the democratic party, they have always said this.
@@ElectricBuckeye
First! I never said anything in defense of the companies.
Second! I posted FACTS about what happened to miners here in Walker and Jefferson County Alabama.
Third! The UMWA openly stated it's support of the Democratic Party for decades.
Forth! The Democratic Party has a history of appointing union officials to government positions. A clear indication that they can have ulterior motives for supporting the party.
Fifth! I never mentioned my cousin. You've mixed up posted in your knee jerk response.
You're repeating the very same political talking points as the miners I mentioned. In your binary mind the world can only be seen in terms of good and evil. The Union being Good. The Company being Evil. Sorry to be the one to burst your bubble but both can be Good or Evil depending on how they treat the workers and in the case I mentioned it was the Union that was evil. The companies for all their flaws aren't responsible what the union's political ALLIES did to the industry.
So take your partisan BS elsewhere. If facts hurt your FEELINGS perhaps you should attack those who created those facts not the messenger who relayed them.
@@hilohilo9539 I've had generations in my family in the UMWA (great-grandfather, grandfather, father). I've never heard anything about rations. Ever. Its always been about pensions and the cradle-to-grave medical coverage. If you're talking about the strike fund, that's primarily on the locals. All the anti-Union rhetoric came about in the 80s with neoliberalism under Reagan. Certainly guys had their own opinion on who to vote for, but that was never something discussed on an official level. Hypothetically, if the national did tell the locals to vote Democrat, thats who historically had always supported Unions and collective-bargaining as a whole in contrast to conservative Republicans and businesses who have traditionally pushed against them or attempted to get them dissolved, citing them as detrimental to a free market and profitability. So could you blame them if they did?
I'm so happy to see you finally make it to our beautiful state. With so many other TH-camrs painting our state in a negative way its great seeing you explore our home with an open mind.
What a great guy Jimmy was to spend his time giving you a tour of his hometown state and giving us a first hand look at how life is in the mountains. Love this kind of content.
he was kool
Brilliant video, I really enjoyed watching. Thanks for the upload from UK.
Born and raised on the eastern side of the state. Seeing this much love for my home is truly beautiful to me. Currently working on a 5 year plan to return home. I am so happy to see this much light shed on the struggles the state has gone through.
If you were actually from there you'd be sickened by some new yorker or californian ruining the place with their presence.
@@frankp7411 they’re coming to bring business to WV. How can this be a bad thing？ Tourism revenue is 150 billions in CA while merely 4.8 billions in WV. What are you talking about?
@@baybay7898 Prime example of why we hate people like you right there.
@@frankp7411Nah
My sister drove up from South Carolina to Ohio a couple weeks ago, she ended up having car issues in WV, which ironically was in a small town like what you see here. Needless to say, she was treated so well by the local people and they helped fix her car, which was the result of one person knowing another.
Had this same thing happen to me when I was driving back to Ohio from rafting on the New River Gorge. My car overheated and I pulled into a very small, mountain town. The gas station was clearly the "hub" of the town with most of the activity going on. So many people, young and old, stopped to see if I was okay and asked if I was okay and needed anything. I really appreciated that sort of kindness a lot. This was May 2021, so just a few years ago.
So true, the people here are the most helpful and generous that I have ever met.
I was alone and my alternator died in the middle of nowhere in WV late at night 100’s of miles from home and I was amazed how great I was treated and my alternator was fixed by a man that was booked up for months and charged me minimally. So thankful!🥰
This Bluefield native thanks you for taking time to visit our beautiful region, helping to dispel some myths & show what Appalachia WV is really like. ❤
It is absolutely beautiful. Be proud bae. I'm from Louisiana & am loving this documentary. ❤
This series about the Appalachians should be seen by all Europeans who have a prejudiced opinion of Americans. They are very down-to-earth, don't just chat about small talk, but talk to you in plain language. But they are nice and even though they are among the poorest people in the USA, they are incredibly generous and will pay your bill.
Should be seen by all Americans too. You be surprised to know how many Americans have traveled the world but only been to tge big American cities, and live in one too. No idea of the real America.
I am german and if I would ever visit the US, I would rather go to a lush rural area and have a talk with locals in a cafe, than going to demonic hellholes like Los Angeles, New York or Las Vegas. I dont want this energy....I want THIS.
European here.
Yes. It's eyes-opening. Americans when abroad (while still mostly nice people) feel different.
We don't judge American people badly, maybe we have views about AMERICAS politics... and politicians.
Like the song said "I sold my soul to the company store". I really feel for these people. They deserve so much better from this country. And they're so friendly. This is the 2nd video I've watched, and I love how you are so respectful of all the people you interact with. I'm subscribing.
Sixteen Tons
Tennessee Ernie Ford
Some people say a man is made outta mud
A poor man's made outta muscle and blood
Muscle and blood and skin and bones
A mind that's a-weak and a back that's strong
You load 16 tons, what do you get?
Another day older and deeper in debt
St. Peter, don't you call me 'cause I can't go
I owe my soul to the company store
I was born one mornin' when the sun didn't shine
I picked up my shovel and I walked to the mine
I loaded 16 tons of number nine coal
And the straw boss said, "Well, a-bless my soul"
You load 16 tons, what do you get?
Another day older and deeper in debt
St. Peter, don't you call me 'cause I can't go
I owe my soul to the company store
I was born one mornin', it was drizzlin' rain
Fightin' and trouble are my middle name
I was raised in the canebrake by an ol' mama lion
Can't no high-toned woman make me walk the line
You load 16 tons, what do you get?
Another day older and deeper in debt
St. Peter, don't you call me 'cause I can't go
I owe my soul to the company store
If you see me comin', better step aside
A lotta men didn't, a lotta men died
One fist of iron, the other of steel
If the right one don't get you
Then the left one will
You load 16 tons, what do you get?
Another day older and deeper in debt
St. Peter, don't you call me 'cause I can't go
I owe my soul to the company store
I always tell my fellow Europeans when visiting America to not waste time in New York, Los Angeles or Las Vegas and instead explore the other great states. I from the UK and I visited Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho, Kentucky and Tennessee and the people I met in these states are some of the best people I have ever met coupled with the absolutely beyond beautiful nature and scenery.
Yeah, big metropolitan areas are just a theme park, like everywhere else on the globe.
@@Drax514 Sorry, but today's NYC is awful.. I live 30 mins across the Hudson in Jersey and as I youngster, I would go into the City because it was thriving, nicer people, lots to do, etc.. Today as an adult, I wanted my kids to experience NYC so after many years not being there, I took my kids to the Highline, just to give them a little taste of the NYC and let me tell you, people have gotten more rude, saw crime happen right in front of us, garbage all over the sidewalks and traffic was just terrible... that's just some of the issues... and oh yeah, let's not forget the rats the size of toy dogs... My kids can go on their own if they want now that they are driving... me? I would not step foot in that city if you paid me.
@PeaceDweller thank you! It aggravates me to know end that people visit the US go to the places you named and think that's the US when it couldn't be further from the truth. I prefer to call them the cesspools of America.
True, although those places are a MUST to go see as a tourist. Yeah it's all nonsense, and is just "Bright Lights" but it's incredible people watching to go down to LA, or in NYC lol. And Las Vegas is a sight in itself. But I do agree with you, if I were telling someone what to do on a Vacation to America would be to visit Miami, Orlando Florida, you can practically get a feel for "LA" or Cali in a sense, and then travel North to go visit the mountains. It would be an incredible vacation, seeing both the crazy, luxurious city life, and you also get to see the beautiful backbone of the country aka the sticks.
NYC sure, but New York is also home to the largest state park in the continental United States. The Adirondacks are around 6 million acres (3 times larger than Yellowstone) of pure beauty that take up about 1/5th of the state. The Adirondacks during the peak of fall is unlike anything you will ever see in your life, the mix of colors as the trees begin to drop their leaves is beautiful. Climb a mountain and take a look, the view just doesn’t end. Definitely recommend it to anyone who’s put New York off for any reason.
"It's hard to take a West Virginian out of West Virginia", that is a very true statement. I grew up in McDowell County and moved to Texas when I was 18. As great as Texas is, there is something about these mountains and people that brought me back. I moved back after 32 years away. Thank you for being so kind and respectful. We get a bad rap and so many don't see the true nature of this place or the people in it.
it's definitely cheaper than Texas
that must be it.
so true, i was born and raised in boone county in a 200 yr old log cabin, i moved to indiana in 1980, but WV will always be the home i yearn for
@@jamesmitch9792 It is is some ways, but I still love both places.
@@southernfury01 People who have never experienced living here can't relate. It is a much slower pace, but that's what I love about it.
I am from Brazil, leaving in WV for more than 10 years as a missionary. I love everything about here. It feels home 💚 Thank Peter for bring up the reality and beautiful of WV!
My grandfather was a coal miner over here in England until they closed them down in the 80s, the factories soon followed. Lots of people lost their livelihoods. My grandfather was wheelchair bound in his later life due to his work. Hard working, good people. Its nice to see how similar people can be whilst being so far apart. Great content as always Peter
I am not an American, nor I live in America and it warms my heart to see these hard working proud people of Appalachia.
God bless them.
Where u from exactly?
My oh my! The best hour and a bit I've spent on TH-cam for a long, long time. Thank you. It's strange how someone from another country - the UK - can be drawn into another place, its problems, its hopes and fears. Yet I found it somehow life-affirming and uplifting. How natural were all the people, especially in the bar and all did W. Virginia proud. Thanks again.
As a flat-lander from a strange place surrounded by cornfields…..I’m in awe of hills. I appreciate these videos. Thank you.
Goodness Peter, you have me transfixed on these Appalachian videos! The people, the history, the scenery, the hospitality and brutal juxtaposition between the blessing of coal and the greed of corporations, and neglect and outright hostilities from US Gvmt. You have me intrigued and I appreciate the gracious candour of the folks you interviewed - I wouldn't want to be prejudged either. They don't deserve that disrespect. As the man said, they powered America's progress. They deserve recognition and respect for that. I'm Canadian and I'm definitely putting West Virginia on my bucket list. ✌
There's a movie with James Earl Jones called Matewan (1987) about the conflict between the coal miners and the government.
I could not have said it better!
@@D33Lux Thank you, I'll look it up.
I really enjoyed listening to the guy who drove you around. What a genuine human 👏🏼👏🏼
That’s my Jimmy! :) He’s the best ❤
Thank you so much.
Jimmy was an awesome individual! Having a girlfriend west of Atlanta (I used to live in Gainesville, GA!) will sure pull at his heartstrings! Maybe they can figure out a way to do 6 months a year in each place! ♥️
@@shaanarisley343 maybe so! :) I’m actually from there, too. ;)
European here. I was lucky enough to be able to thru hike the Appalachian Trail. The people are THE BEST. Most generous, down to earth folks one can imagine. So often they would feed us hikers. It really restores ones faith in humanity. And the way they are portrayed by mainstream culture and the media lead to my awakening.
Once you understand who controls the mainstream media it's all very clear.
I've gone down the rabbit hole watching these videos and it's been surprising just how nice these people have been when you talk to them. They are comfortable with their life and don't worry about much else it seems.
That company store was a homeless shelter when I was in high school. Thank you Peter for showing the world that WVians deserve respect just like everyone else.
Wow, this was a rare TH-cam gem, thanks for doing it. Coal miners are the heart of America. The epitome of underrated and under appreciated. They work themselves to the bone knowing damn well it's going to shave many years off their lives but it's what allows America to thrive the way it has. Unsung heroes. The people alone are what makes living in the south something to strongly consider. I've lived around the world from Cali to Saudi Arabia to Spain and now Texas, with many places in between where vacationing is concerned, and there is nothing like a down home southerner (parts of southern Italy are comparable but still not quite on this level). Just the best people. Hard working, loyal, welcoming and warm. One thing I've learned from bouncing around the planet, environment is everything. Culture, is everything. It will make or break your mental heath and view of the world.
Having grown up deep in appalachia (western NC) and descended from a long line of people who were born, lived, and died in appalachia, I regularly forget what a different culture it is from what a lot of people know. It's nice to see the culture celebrated for what it is.
celebrated, but not exploited, erased, or tinkered with. We know how to survive in ways that have been forgotten by the bigger populace. The kind of social mobility that's being injected into modern American society would be like introducing a foreign parasite to a *relatively* pristine environment.
Howdy from Avery Co.
@@25oxendine When the zombie apocalypse happens, those people will be just fine.
@@pittmanfh ...but will the next generation?
I just bought an old farm in West Virginia from the 1780s. I can say without question that the people in West Virginia have hearts of gold. I feel so grateful and really humbled to be living here.
As a welder in WV I can safely say its sad and beautiful at the same time thanks for actually coming and talking to people man
I agree, kind of bittersweet. Beautiful ppl and area.
i find the area to look gorgeous .. the people make it even better .. wish i could visit 1 day
Please keep making these videos. So many Americans have no idea that this culture exists and needs to be remembered as well as celebrated! Me and my wife are native Texans and the people in this area had us feeling at home
Peter, this was wonderful. Do you know what I was reminded of watching this video (not from WVA): How smart and completely unpresuming most of the people were. The guy with the overalls in the pub. Reminds me of the people I was surrounded by growing up . . . low-key, intelligent, sharp, hard-working, going through life with character and simplicity and character and warmth. Thank you, can't wait to watch the next in the series.
I agree. Such great people I met there.
The guy in the overalls was very interesting to listen to he knew his stuff
@@PeterSantenello Yet you only scraped the surface. Appalachia has so many different areas and each one have a slightly different feel and touch.
I live down near Charleston and it's a different experience of Applalachia.
@@allycbythesea7937 Yes, didn't he? But he wasn't boastful in his demeanor. If you work/worked in "corporate," you'll know what I mean 😵💫. No, not this guy, he just low-key explained things in a way that said, "I'm secure in who I am and in my intelligence."
I'm brazilian, and i am absolutely obsessed with Appalachia. Though I've never been, everything in this video seems like home to me, and these marvellous people interest me to no end! It has been my dream for a decade now to go hiking in the Appalachian mountains, and as a young single latina I've got scared away from doing it a couple times now, but i will do it. Thank you for this amazing video!
Man Peter you deserve some type of recognition award from the academy of something. I love the stories of experience those men shared. They are so valuable and real! Thank you Peter!
The Scottish Highlands and the Appalachians are the same mountain range, once connected as the Central Pangean Mountains. Remnants of this massive mountain range include the Appalachian Mountains of North America, the Little Atlas of Morocco, Ireland, the Scottish Highlands, and part of Greenland and Scandinavia.
Wow! Super interesting. Thanks!
Interesting, especially considering how many Scots-Irish settled in Appalachia.
Thanks for sharing this information. I'm from Appalachia, WV and I didn't know this. Awesome ❤
@@dangerdan2592 for an other example. Ohio what's hilly and has a lot of plains to farm has the highest hungarian population and to be honest it does make sense. Its the same thing. I get why people move to similar areas after immigration
So in way, my Scottish and Irish ancestors ended up back where they started lmao.. That's crazy, I can't believe I'm just now finding out about this..
Honestly, I'm sure I've heard of this before but just forgot lol..
What a great episode. I'm born and raised in Massachusetts and had only cursory knowledge of Appalachia. It's such a shame so much of the history of this country is being lost to time. Thank you for what you do and the knowledge you bring. It is appreciated.
It’s not being lost. West Virginians know their history very well and pass it on to their children. Every Appalachian child can cite their family line for four generations or more on each side and talk for hours about the important events in their family’s history. It’s just that the stereotypes keep muddying the waters for those outside the region. Long live Massachusetts.
My Pappaw and my Great Uncles grew up on Miners $cript, many of them dying in the mines as well, or later from black lung, but my Mammaw worked at a store very similar to that in your video when she was young. Some coal towns also had little theaters in them... When i come'n visit, we still go to the outdoor theater, there in Grandview, as they live near, (Beckley), also with many neat little miner homes down in the hollers, to go'n sight see. So many neat attractions and so much history there, the Coal Miner Train-Tours are an absolute must, along with the tram and the New River Gorge, for those visiting... been going there since i was 3 yrs old, and now in my 40's and have had the privilege to take my own kids, some years back. I'm told many of the Coal Mining Company's also have buried drums of that script, all around... 🤔hmmm, never really thought about it till watching your video, but now understand, why they needed to depose of the "Coal $crit" and make it more'r less go away...😏 dirty dirty dogs.. Was pretty much slavery.. at least a heck of a monopoly... Also sad to see what's happened to WV small towns, have personally had family members fall into "what the town now has to offer" there after the mines closed down😔and many places i enjoyed as a child, now gone, demolished, leaving barely a trace behind. I live in FL now, but IMO, WV is still one of the purdiest places on the face of this Earth.
Peter, you are the man. Thank you so much for highlighting a forgotten area of our country.
I love that it’s also highlighting the fact that the people there are really good folks, because it is further proof that it isn’t poverty that causes a demographic to be crime ridden, like the propaganda tells us. That’s the difference between Appalachia, which is literally the poorest white area in the entire country, and places like Chicago, Baltimore, etc..
We like it forgotten.
My mom grew up in Stephenson and went to Mullens High School. She grew up poor and her daddy worked in the mines. She moved away when she married my dad but we went back to WV every summer. It is one of the most beautiful places in this country. Thank you for sharing this wonderful state.
I grew up in South Carolina and have a lot of respect for Appalachian people. They are the epitome of what hard work and sacrifice means.
I'm from Australia, but West Virginia has always been one of my favourite states. It's an absolutely gorgeous place, I've spent many many an hour on google earth pin-pointing towns of interest to me (Some that you even visited, went through in this video) I love the houses, architecture and small backwoods towns, and the nature aspect too, the mountains and forests are just breathtaking, and this video really shows it off.
So thank you Peter for this awesome journey.
As someone who was born and raised in West Virginia and who still lives here, I love seeing our state being represented in a non-judgemental light. Do we have issues here? Of course we do. But everywhere as issues, they might just be different issues.
I would choose to live here everyday. I love my state and my people and I am proud to say I am from West Virginia.
West Virginia is beautiful and so are her People!!❤️
" everywhere has issues" So true, i live in Philly and the fentanyl just ruined this place! don't get me wrong it was always a rough city, but the people were always GREAT imo, but now its just unrecognizable. when you walk down these block all you see is the people strung out on that shit, and if you go in early morning before the sun rises the sight is scary those folks that are struggling really look like zombies, they are the real walking dead! and no one cares everyone is just cold and matter a fact about it. its like we lost our humanity here, those people are still our brothers and sisters at the end of the day...With that said i wish all of you in West Virginia the very best!
@@origintrackz5235Your comment is quite sad. Heartbreaking.
You probably have a lot less issues than California!
@@soulight77 California is significantly diversified & bigger and more complex than that of WV. Lump all problems into sum. No doubt CA got way more issues. No policy satisfies every one. Ca embraces a large influx of people including those from WV continuously
Peter I just commented on your next long Appalachia video, about my family and the area they were from in WV. Then I find this video and you are in my family's hometown. My maternal Grandfather owned the gas station at the corner of Valley and WV-10/Arista Mountain Rd in Matoaka, WV. I'm not sure if it was still there, but there was a huge swordfish on the back wall with a glove hanging out of its mouth. That store was my favorite place on this entire planet and I never, ever have been able to pass it without crying.
My whole family lives in a small holler near there called "Weyanoke" and there is still so much of my family there today. Thank you, again, for this video too. This one really brought tears to my eyes. This place holds such a special place in my heart, and in the history of this Country. Nobody ever knows Matoaka when I say it, and I can't explain how nice it is to see this video getting the exposure it is and that name being spoken. Matoaka is such a beautiful name, and was another name for the famous Pocahontas.
This is a breathtakingly beautiful area. I am absolutely in love. The lush green of the forest , the deep blue of the sky, the wide horizons, fantastic. And the old brick houses really add to the scenery.
It’s truly stunning!
Peter. I'm an old truck driver. I've never got the deep dive of all these places I've been to. Your channel is the ultimate history channel. The real deal. The truth. The experience. 💯 keep it up! I've watched a bunch totally addicted.
Loving this series so much . As an Australian I have zero knowledge of these regions and feel privileged to get a glimpse into this part of the world via such a kind and respectful presenter. Thank you for bringing this series to us Peter .
as someone from kentucky i'd say these are kind of puff pieces. place is a dumpster fire. i got the fuck out. there's a reason young people with either the means or ability usually get the fuck out. at least the folks who don't end up as junkies or in prison.
Shit, as an American from up North this is just as foreign to me.
Same for me in the u.k , fascinating content, and for some strange reason if I was to go to the states I would love to go there .
As a WV Studies teacher and native of WV, it truly surprises me of the ignorance of people who have no idea of how receptive and friendly we are in Appalachia and WV.
If you could choose, which areas in WV would you want to live?
I have never visited WV , but hope to someday get a chance to visit it and meet some of it's great people and to enjoy it's fantastic beauty ... WV rocks !
blame Deliverance.
When we were there a friendly person took our truck and was in the middle of removing the parts to help us out when we got the truck back. My guess is they were going to polish them for us...
Peace be upon you, David.
You're a West Virginia Studies teacher?! Wow! And a native of WV too!
Have you thought of starting your own TH-cam channel sharing your knowledge and insights about WV??? Do think about it.
Also, which underrated places in WV would you recommend to someone to visit?
My family is from West Virginia and I can say that without a doubt WV is one of the most underrated states as far as beauty and the people. I love going to visit them and seeing the natural beauty of the land
Really enjoying the videos, especially the ones about the Amish, the Mormons and, of course, Titus
This is the best understanding and tour of Appalachia I have ever seen. I knew what it basically was, but not explained and toured like Peter Santenello. Excellent job Peter.
Thank you! Thank Jimmy!
That was the best documentary on Appalachians in West Virginia I’ve ever seen! It’s the only documentary which actually gets to know the people who live there. I’m originally from east Tennessee, and have always been proud my Appalachian origins.
And I was totally stoked seeing the Hatfield McCoy trail segment. That’s some free living out in those outlaw trail areas!
Great job! 👍
I live in New Zealand in a remote country town which is basically the last stop to the wild East Coast. I've also lived in cities. It seems pretty universal that country folk tend to be very similar. Very down to Earth and friendly. Just wholesome good people who like a good talk, a drink or two, keen to have a laugh and just mostly relaxed but will work hard and play even harder. I love living with these type of people. I find cities to be a paradox. Fully surrounded by people but little to no real connection with each other in a meaningful way. Give me the country life any day!
Sort of like the "Weld" of NZ from 800 Words !!
Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain mama
Take me home, country roads
Great Stuff Peter.... Reminds me of Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations". The way you treat everyone with such respect, you get the very best out of them in the interviews.
My parents are from West Virginia and raised us in Pa. They have taken us back to their hometowns as kids, and visited their relatives and their stories of life there are fascinating. I am 53 and raised my kids in the San Francisco Bay Area and although beautiful in its own way, I sometimes fantasize about moving to some remote area like where my parents are from because life seems so much simpler. People are kinder and the pace is slower. Ppl here would never strike up a conversation with a stranger and the tech industry/Silicon Valley residents are the antithesis of down to earth. It’s pretty insufferable. Love this video and hearing from these people.
I'm from rural KY. We're far from our mountain cousins but we grew up the same in many ways. There is only one group left in America that can be openly picked on. Thank you for doing what you do and treat people with respect and conversing with people with an open mind. This is why I keep coming back to your videos.... and come on down to Kentucky.... we'll show you a good time down here too!
Where do you live? My daughter lives in Calloway county, between Mayfield and Murray. Her daddy and I want to move to far western Kentucky, near her. It's hard to find an inexpensive house rental anymore, online. She's disabled and wants us to move down so badly. We're on social security and live in Chicagoland.
Any tips?
Only one group of people that can be openly picked on, you must be talking about the gays, hell people are still passing laws against them......
Being from the North East of France, we have in a way the same problems after the closure of the coal mines approximately twenty years ago. The same causes lead to the same effects. I feel these people.
Great video, very touching.
Same in north east england as well
Yeah, it fucking sucks. But the fact that everyone just clings to coal drags out the pain. There's plenty of ways to help the region, but ain't gunna vote for it because they're convinced its hippy communist shit, instead vote for some grifter who promises to bring back the mines even though that shit is never going to happen due to economic forces and advances in technology making it less viable, then that grifter just gives tax breaks to the bosses and CEOs and slashes all the welfare programs that are keeping out of work folks afloat.
I LOVE your Appalachia documentaries. You are so good at putting a human face on these lovely people who’ve been given short shrift for far too long. You are never condescending. I love your guy in this video. Can’t get enough of his accent. Keep doing a great job! Thank you.