Unseen Found Footage From Early Days Of Coal Mining

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 ก.ย. 2022
  • Unseen Found Footage From Early Days Of Coal Mining including Pocahontas Fuel Co. in Virginia and West Virginia - including Boissevain, Itmann & Pocahontas
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ความคิดเห็น • 102

  • @deborahmccartney5694
    @deborahmccartney5694 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    What a wonderful piece of footage of coal mining days gone by. Thank you for sharing Shane and Melody.

  • @robinhaupt9119
    @robinhaupt9119 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    That was some incredible footage. Thank you Shane and Melody.

  • @iloveamerica3917
    @iloveamerica3917 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    This was great old footage. Amazing to see those old buildings in their hayday and then in their present state if still standing when you visit those towns.

  • @Perfectly-Imperfect
    @Perfectly-Imperfect ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Awesome 👏 I’ll always be proud of my heritage. Almost all the men where miners here in southern WV until the last few years.

    • @1940limited
      @1940limited ปีที่แล้ว +2

      You should be. Coal miners were great, hard working people very much unappreciated.

    • @Perfectly-Imperfect
      @Perfectly-Imperfect ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@1940limited Amen..They sure are.

  • @tinacloud5888
    @tinacloud5888 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    My Dad worked in that mine in the 1970’s thanks for the memories . He worked hard for us all his life.

  • @lazarusmesserian8186
    @lazarusmesserian8186 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Thank you for sharing the footage of days gone bye. Those were some awesome tipples. I remember two in the Williamson area that went over the highway and it was inevitable that when you drove underneath you got hit with bits of coal from the conveyer belt. I bet you have folks that remember the N&W mine at Pond Creek that went over US 119 and the Sycamore Coal Company tipple at Chattaroy that went over the highway. Appreciate your shows as always.

    • @gayhendrie84
      @gayhendrie84 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      My father worked for Eastern coal Corp on pond creek black lung got him

  • @davevan8864
    @davevan8864 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I am WV born, family here since it was part of VA. I love the history of WV, warts and all. Lots of bad things happened, people treated poorly etc. But all that made us who we are today. Thanks

  • @clarencewood1363
    @clarencewood1363 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    I liked that footage. Really great part of American history and culture. Pocahontas used to put little coins that said Pocahontas coal in their coal so you always knew who you got their's. Such a cool video

  • @clarkjamieson692
    @clarkjamieson692 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Thanks for sharing poor people scraping a living as many of us are today .🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🥃🥃🇺🇸.

  • @robertcrane6237
    @robertcrane6237 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    y'all outdid yourselves this time. keep it up and thank you

  • @moladhdodhia164
    @moladhdodhia164 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Loved the music,so beautiful, thank you.

  • @GoodbyeKamala2024
    @GoodbyeKamala2024 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Wow, what a great find. I remember my grandpa Clyde and Uncle Jim coming home black as the coal dust and worn out. May they rest in peace, both succumbing to the dreaded black lung. Thanks as always.

  • @debbiecox152
    @debbiecox152 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Amazing footage . My grandpa worked in one of the JenkinJones mines in 1939 when my mom was born,3 of 10 !

  • @bruinsfan8278
    @bruinsfan8278 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    That was real Nice, Love the music! Thanks!

  • @thomastommy1192
    @thomastommy1192 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    For sure one of your better videos. I truly enjoyed it. I will save it always. Where is this Coal Company located? I guess I missed something, lol. Many thumbs up. Thanks for sharing your video. Stay well & safe everyone.

  • @charliepc56
    @charliepc56 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Awesome! Very much history there! Machines used in the mines have been scrapped to the point that there aren't many left for future generations to see. Thanks!

  • @davidkerns723
    @davidkerns723 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Meigs County ohio here. Great music 🎶

  • @stevenww3560
    @stevenww3560 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    I owe my soul to the company store is what is going through my mind right now lol ! The history of the big man owning the little man ! Awesome inspiring yet heart wrenching from all the tough times of these minors fighting from payday to payday!

    • @1940limited
      @1940limited ปีที่แล้ว

      "I loaded 16 tons of #9 coal and the straw boss said Well bless my soul!" 🙂

  • @talldude5841
    @talldude5841 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Great footage on these long lost times ago. Another source of why these are hard working family oriented lot. Enjoyed the start of the show. Its nice to watch your vids, and forget about everything else. So peaceful and positive. About what years were this footage taken? I would guess the 30's and 40's?

  • @wrennieweir6488
    @wrennieweir6488 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Excellent film footage! What a gem!! The most surprising thing that I caught were the “cozy cottages with all the conveniences”. I bet most were not nearly as nice as pictured by the coal company film. Thanks for sharing 🙂

  • @mikeanderson7165
    @mikeanderson7165 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Absolutely awesome video y’all. Y’all absolutely rock. Thanks for sharing ❤

  • @johnperdue2327
    @johnperdue2327 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Awsome footage ..love old coal history so much. Miss you guys being together tho.

  • @coaldigger1998
    @coaldigger1998 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I love these old films, great video. I grew up in a coal camp near Appalachia Va. Worked 45 years underground and have much respect for these old timers. Thanks.

  • @christiemiles8923
    @christiemiles8923 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I love all your videos. Hope you do alot more. I'm here waiting.

  • @MillerMeteor74
    @MillerMeteor74 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    That's really cool.
    Up here there are open pit sand and gravel mines all over the southern counties of NJ. Back in the late 1700s and early 1800s glass and bog iron were big deals here. Most of our old ghost town sites were company towns, built by the iron and glass companies.
    But yeah, that footage was awesome. Very interesting.

  • @daviddryden8088
    @daviddryden8088 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Am I in railroad heaven? A treasure trove of train history. Amazing footage I have certainly never seen before. Just wow. I can't get the bad taste out of my head over the company store ever since I heard Tennessee Ernie sing about it. 😁 [oh and nice soundtrack Shane]

    • @chubbawubba6959
      @chubbawubba6959 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Glad I was not the only one digging the rare train angle of the video.

    • @kesmarn
      @kesmarn ปีที่แล้ว +2

      "Some people say a man is made outta mud. Poor man's made outta muscle and blood. Muscle and blood and skin and bones. A mind that's weak and a back that's strong." That song definitely did tend to stick with you! (Especially: "One fist of iron. The other of steel. If the right one don't getcha, then the left one will.") They don't write them like that any more!

    • @1940limited
      @1940limited ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I wish there had been some shots of the N&W locomotives.

    • @1940limited
      @1940limited ปีที่แล้ว

      @@kesmarn I like "Workin' In the Coal Mine" by Lee Dorsey. "Man, I'm so tired."

  • @robcrotts
    @robcrotts ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Another great video! Very interesting watch for "us" who know nothing about the process of coal mining.

  • @appalachianqueen8369
    @appalachianqueen8369 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    The Itmann Company Store was built in 1923 and closed in 1928 . It was reopened in 1948. In 1990, it was placed on the National Registry of Historic Places. Today it is in an extreme state of disrepair.

  • @raquellucas2202
    @raquellucas2202 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I’m from south western WV. Lots of coal mines! My Papaw went into the mines ( Logan county WV) at 13, working for scrip! Nobody knows what these men lived through. All of my Uncles, my in-laws worked like this! Would love to see you all do a video on “ coal camps” and how the companies literally owned you. It was as close to slavery as you could get. Love you channel!

  • @danielarmstrong9219
    @danielarmstrong9219 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Nice Find! Thanks for sharing!

  • @joshanderson7358
    @joshanderson7358 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Thanks for sharing.

  • @dancrofford927
    @dancrofford927 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Just an awesome video of a time long gone, and you guys are over 41k subscribers now so wooooooooooooo

  • @beverlyproudfoot583
    @beverlyproudfoot583 ปีที่แล้ว

    Being from Clarksburg, WV, my family didn’t go into the mines. My precious Uncle Beryl was a steam shovel operator for the strip mines. My Grandpa was a steeple Jack. He kept all the coal burning smoke stacks painted and repaired. I love these old videos. Thanks for showing these❤

  • @jameswithrow3666
    @jameswithrow3666 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Good job guys

  • @herdfreak2
    @herdfreak2 ปีที่แล้ว

    I always enjoy seeing what the coal company stores looked like.

  • @tonyhoneyman3693
    @tonyhoneyman3693 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    This is GREAT and SAD 😢 at the same time. To see what was and to know what those places look like now. Thanks for sharing. ❤

  • @sandy89107
    @sandy89107 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Good job with the back and forth banter....even miles apart 😁

  • @kesmarn
    @kesmarn ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Folks who say history is boring have never taken a look at this kind of history. Just great.
    This is terrific footage. I'm so glad you found it.
    It definitely was a film made with an agenda in mind. "The miners' and their families' needs were carefully considered" when the idea of a company store was introduced. (Profiting from the store itself as a business? Why heaven forbid! It never crossed our corporate minds!) Using drills "made the work accurate and easy." Hmmmm... If someone had taken a vote on that among the miners I wonder what the outcome would have been. And the company housing was "cosy." Is that another word for "cramped"?
    I realize that Pocahontas was considered one of the better companies to work for, but the script that implies that the workers would gladly have paid Pocahontas for the privilege of working there seems like a little bit of a stretch.
    Still and all it's a gem of a piece of history and I really enjoyed watching it. And it seems that long distance sass works at least as well as the kind that comes from the passenger seat! Congratulations on breaking through that 40K milestone, Shane and Melody. The best is yet to come! (Later edit: Oops... Just noticed that this included footage from Itmann too, so I have to acknowledge that not all the "agenda" came from the Pocahontas company.)

  • @benlaw4647
    @benlaw4647 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Thanks guys , appreciate this! God bless y'all...🙏❤

  • @nancymahasky2377
    @nancymahasky2377 ปีที่แล้ว

    My grandfather and other relatives worked in the mines of eastern PA--a little town called Jeansville. I imagine the mine was similar to this. Thank you.

  • @Mercyme8934
    @Mercyme8934 ปีที่แล้ว

    Many relatives on my the Turner family side worked very hard in the coal mining industry. The lived simply, grew there food, loved each other and honored elders. Oh I wish I had known them. Grandma my week with you in 85 is true treasured memories Stacy, Virginia

  • @raymartin3527
    @raymartin3527 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Wow, everyone I knew that worked the coal mines around Jolo West Virginia are dead and gone now. Great footage.

  • @ronaldtiracchia2017
    @ronaldtiracchia2017 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Wow. What a great video. The best I've seen in awhile. Thanks to you both

  • @Anita-hs6ko
    @Anita-hs6ko 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

    My son is a coalminer started at age 18 & now he is 33 .He loves working in the mines .

  • @thfield2417
    @thfield2417 ปีที่แล้ว

    Shared with loads of family. Amazing footage. Gives real context to those coal camps that are empty or nearly so today, as we see them in your videos. Thank you!

    • @realappalachia
      @realappalachia  ปีที่แล้ว

      That's awesome, we so appreciate it

  • @dennismullins4930
    @dennismullins4930 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    So many memories. Thanks y’all ☮️

  • @jackiegardner7483
    @jackiegardner7483 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Great video

  • @markberos8028
    @markberos8028 ปีที่แล้ว

    You guys do a great job sure do appreciate all of your videos! Thank you for what you do.

  • @sstephens2175
    @sstephens2175 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Both of my papaws were coal miners. My mom was the youngest of 10. Her dad was born in 1896. He passed away in 1968. I was born in 1970. After my husband got out of the military in 2000 we moved back to West Virginia for him to attend college with his GI Bill. Around 2002 I was sitting in the allergy doctors waiting room. I struck up a conversation with an old man and woman sitting there. He said they were from Logan. The doctor was in Huntington. I said to him, “my papaw used to work in the mines in Logan.” He said, “what was his name?” I said, “ Johnny Watts, but you wouldn’t know him, because he’s been dead since 68’ and was retired with black lung long before that.” He said, “I knew your papaw. He used to board with my family, and he would take me squirrel hunting.” He proceeded to describe him and the family. I said, “that was him.” I was blown away. What were the chances of me ever randomly meeting someone who knew my papaw? The man knew him when he was but a young boy. I enjoyed talking to them so much. They gave me their address, but with two young kids I never did make it that far, and then we moved to New Mexico. I sure wish I would have went to visit them, and seem their old pictures. What a blast from the past that would have been. I really enjoyed your video. 😊

    • @moladhdodhia164
      @moladhdodhia164 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Great story.

    • @hopebrowning6300
      @hopebrowning6300 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Wow great story.,You can't mail them letters to see how they are doing etc?

  • @1940limited
    @1940limited ปีที่แล้ว

    Wow! That was amazing archival footage. What an industry! Interesting how the small wagon loads were moved around by switchback and cogs in the middle of the track. I see a lot of miners smoking. As if they didn't get enough fumes down there!

  • @johns294
    @johns294 ปีที่แล้ว

    That was some awesome footage!!! Wow . I am obsessed with coal mining for a reason I’m not even sure of . Nice to see the real deal and try to imagine the way it was back then . Tough guys and real danger ✌🏼

  • @kevinadkins2299
    @kevinadkins2299 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Love this video, I had 2 uncles who were coal miners... you guys dica great job on tour videos... keep it up..

  • @countryboyscooter3402
    @countryboyscooter3402 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    Russell County native. My father mined coal for over 20 yrs much of it was for Pittston Coal/Clinch Field Coal he finished mining coal in Kentucky. He went on to teach Miner health and safety among various other industrial trades. I'm proud to be the son of a Coal Miner!

  • @drwhatever7103
    @drwhatever7103 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Yes....good stuff... y'all need to come...and I'm not sure if u have...to the new river gorge....so many coal mines were there and still ruins remain...including Henry ford's mine...and I'll even take u under that tiny little bridge on the catwalk 876 ft in the air .aka ..new river gorge bridge. 😁

  • @accousticdecay
    @accousticdecay ปีที่แล้ว

    My grandfather and great-grandfather worked in the mines east of Charleston, WV 100+ years ago. My other grandfather worked in a mine farther north, and was killed in an explosion.

  • @larryshort4796
    @larryshort4796 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I wish my father, George H. Short, had been able to see this when he was alive. We could have talked for hours reliving his experiences in the mines.

    • @realappalachia
      @realappalachia  ปีที่แล้ว +1

      That sure would have been a blessing

  • @1940limited
    @1940limited ปีที่แล้ว

    The closest I ever came to this industry was running the charge car over the coke ovens at Allied Chemical's Ashland, KY plant in 1972. It was hot, dirty business, but fascinating at the same time. We worked 12 hour shifts. The fumes were incredible. Still, I'm glad I got to do it.

  • @Desert-Tan-Whiskey
    @Desert-Tan-Whiskey ปีที่แล้ว

    I really enjoyed this video👍👍👍

  • @lenettedaugherty287
    @lenettedaugherty287 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Hello, my Grandfather died of black lung from mineing . Rockcreek WVA.🤔😖🤨🤗

  • @walterlangston4484
    @walterlangston4484 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I wish I had the money to restore the it man company store

  • @judithhaughtphd9485
    @judithhaughtphd9485 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Lived this in Caretta, WVa Was a coal miner’s daughter ❤️❤️

  • @harrywest2780
    @harrywest2780 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Very nice

  • @seahalk1
    @seahalk1 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Dad worked in Northfork in the 50s

  • @larrycounce4509
    @larrycounce4509 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    WOW

  • @billmeade9029
    @billmeade9029 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Very cool to see, do you know what year this was filmed? Forgive me if It said and i missed it my cat thinks he a dog and constantly wants in my lap and blocked my view a couple times for a second lol😉

  • @Zathrian451
    @Zathrian451 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    coal miners are very lucky...they actually have two families... wish I could of experienced it myself

  • @franknielsen3562
    @franknielsen3562 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I started in the coal mines in 1971. This was all before modern mining started taking over, but I can remember jumping on a motor headed to the bottom, so we didn’t have to walk out. One time a fellow miner fell off the motor and was run over by that motor. We were sent home, because they thought he was dead, but to our surprise he survived, but was permanently injured for the rest of his life. The miners usually all took a shift off when someone was killed in the mine, but you wer’ent paid for that day.

    • @realappalachia
      @realappalachia  5 หลายเดือนก่อน

      It’s hard to imagine for a lot of people just how rough it really was back then.

  • @patriciabogue6811
    @patriciabogue6811 ปีที่แล้ว

    Very interesting.

  • @johnnymayo8534
    @johnnymayo8534 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Awesome piece of history!

  • @petegregory517
    @petegregory517 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Be great to know what the various machines were called.

  • @Jeff-xf7uv
    @Jeff-xf7uv ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Great video that’s back when men were men.

  • @kindnessmakesmesmile6583
    @kindnessmakesmesmile6583 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Just wondering how much coal mining is done now, compared to back in that time?

    • @chubbawubba6959
      @chubbawubba6959 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Being from a heavy coal area, Shane or Melody may know much more than I do. I want to speculate that maybe 10 to 15% from the glory years at best. Again I could be way off and if anything it would be less in my view. Cheers

    • @appalachianqueen8369
      @appalachianqueen8369 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@chubbawubba6959 I think your 10%-15% estimate is fairly accurate. Coal production in the Appalachian Coal Basin peaked in 1997 @476.8 million tons. In 2021, production was around 41 million tons.

    • @chubbawubba6959
      @chubbawubba6959 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@appalachianqueen8369 Thank you for the clarification.

    • @1940limited
      @1940limited ปีที่แล้ว

      @@appalachianqueen8369 WV did over 80 million tons in 2021 and is projected to do almost 90 million in 2022. Much of it is for export to India. The industry's still going.

  • @kathrynralli4557
    @kathrynralli4557 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

    "Electric drills make it accurate and easy". Wow, 6:20....

  • @navydogsadventures3500
    @navydogsadventures3500 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Sad to see this American culture going away. Probably a stupid question but how did it get the name? Also you ever work in a coal mine Shane?

  • @ruthdoyle9085
    @ruthdoyle9085 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

    We want to see the basement of the Itman company store…

  • @m.c.master4622
    @m.c.master4622 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    What an amazing piece of coal company propaganda!!

    • @1940limited
      @1940limited ปีที่แล้ว

      Yes, I don't think the cottages were all that cozy. Lose your job and you lost the house pronto.

  • @boknows3841
    @boknows3841 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Propaganda, my grandfather was paid a pickle a car to load coal with a shovel and his back and arms. You didn't dare break up the big lumps and he better heap the coal in the car and somehow it still only managed to weigh 2000,lbs and the weigh master pay came out of your pay not the company.
    Cozy cottage huh l never heard anyone call a company house cozy.

  • @chubbawubba6959
    @chubbawubba6959 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Just finished watching and very cool, thanks so much for sharing the hidden little gem you two have come across. Have a great weekend and safe travels.
    Shane damnit Boy! Do you not know to tell the cop you have explosive diarrhea? That has gotten me out 3 tickets in last 10 years and my girlfriend once! Crazy but it works. Usually last thing they want is a mess, just saying. 🤣

    • @1940limited
      @1940limited ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Nice to know other peopel can suffer from that. If you don't get to a bathroom quickly, you're in trouble!