Barthell Coal Camp | Kentucky Life | KET 

My mother moved to McCreary County in 1938 as a missionary to the coal miner children. My dad sang in a quartet called the Blue Heron quartet. His picture is in the outdoor museum but I guess if it's closed, there's no access to it now. Daddy was also the elementary school principal at Whitley City and he and mother started the first boy scout troop. I go back to the area every few years to reconnect. I hope someone brings it back to life.

My father was born and raised in the Williamsburg hollers. My grandmother was at the Bon Jellico coal camp, my grandfather, great grandfather, and other family members were miners in the Bon Jellico mine. Being born and raised in Philadelphia PA I find my Appalachian hillbilly coal mining ancestors very interesting.

Wish it was open today as we were driving through. We did find another way to see it…😁

We took the Big South Fork scenic railway and I think this is where we ended up. Interesting place. The coal mines we have in Saskatchewan Canada are open pit Lignite coal.

My Great grandfather Kenneth Ledbetter worked in that coal mine in the 30's -50's

A tough life of toil we don't know we are born today everything is easy and virtually no physical work out

My family was coalminer

It wasn't all good ..kicking widows out with their kids....no home .....my Grandmother