Bradshaw West Virginia: An Appalachian Coal Town in McDowell County 

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I grew up in Bradshaw/Jolo, but moved to Texas in 1989. I visited home at least once a year. After 32 years, I came back home. There's something about the mountains and the people that make you feel welcome no matter what. Thank you for doing this video to show the beauty of Bradshaw.

That's my hometown. Across from the school is oozly branch road, Bradshaw mountain is where my family is from . God I miss the old days there ..

This was my home when I was young , and it's great that you can record it and place it on youtube thank you for bring home to me.

My grandfather was born and raised in Bradshaw. Heard a lot of stories about his childhood and his family living there as I grew up.

I grew up here as a child I loved it me and my siblings would play in the mountains and streams all day it was great. I still have my family here they are all pretty much the whole town. Hope to visit again soon.

I cannot get over how beautiful these small towns and their surroundings are. Thank you so much for this glimpse into Appalachia.

My mom grew up in Bradshaw and moved out in 1976, its amazing to watch this with her. Thank you for sharing. Subscribed!

Another fine job documenting an area many have called home. Your drone videography is striking as it takes in the beautiful rolling hills of McDowell County.

My Grandfather was born and raised in Bradshaw, birthday 5/4/1906. His father worked in the mines and my grandfather later worked in the mines. He told us stories of how the mine towns worked and the scripts.

drove a company work truck there all the time in the 80s for a construction company out of Bluefield also my sister is a Bradshaw from rocky gap va her late husband s family had a saw mill they sold many loads of mine props in the coal fields KEEP UP THE GREAT VIDEOS

This is my hometown! I still have family in the area, but moved away in 5th grade in the early 2000s. It's such a beautiful area, and I will always be grateful for the magical nature that it provided me in my childhood. I grew up hearing people talk about how busy and alive it was in its prime.

Sure Enjoying Your Shared Journey Here, Many Thanks Josh ! ATB T God Bless

I would love to see you actually go into these homes and do a full documentary on the subjects you record. You have the talent forsure. Much love

I love West Virginia. I live in Maryland/DC area and WV is my escape. But I didn't realize how big it really is. Some day I want to move to WV because of how the places feel.

I get so excited when he does videos about West Virginia

Have you been to Sistersville WV? Once upon a time, a BOOMING oil town where people came in droves to be a part of the $$$$$. Now, sweet Sistersville is very sad and melancholy. It was like Mayberry when I was growing up there, and I dearly loved it! Walking uptown to the barbershop with my Papaw and to the "Five-and-Ten", also often visiting the hardware store where the scent of the wood was glorious! Sistersville General hospital was nothing more than a mere small house. Ah, I miss how it once was. It's still beautiful but has definitely declined. Thanks for all your videos about my home state. Almost Heaven! Take me home country roads. ❤️

I've moved to a little town in Australia (Zeehan, Tasmania) it is so similar to West Virginia , the town, landscape and economy. Silver used to be mined here. The population has shrunk. But a new nickel mine is reinvigorating the economy.

This town is unrecognizable. I remember the old grade school. I need to go make a visit back to this town one day soon. Seems like my dad's first grocery store was in a building that once housed the company store. It's something how time passes and changes things before you realize it. Thanks for doing the video on Bradshaw. Great video. Keep them coming.

Nice, clean little town. You can see the people care about it.

Thanks!

My grandparents lived in Bradshaw until the early 70’s. My grandfather, Herschel Wolfe was a miner at the local mine. My mother attended the school. Find memories. Thanks for the video.

I’m traveling from Charlotte, North Carolina to help with Hometown Trail Days.

I have a cousin who taught school in Bradshaw for 30 some years and still lives there. I can remember a lot of kids from up that way who came to school in Iaeger..I will always remember playing jr. high basketball in all those gymnasiums from Bradshaw to berwind, to war, to anawalt, and all the rest..Those towns were all loaded with great athletes and those venues were always packed for games..

My husband is from McDowell County. They pronounce Bradshaw- Brad chaw. Their dialect is beautiful! Tfs! I need a mountain trip now! Blessings!

Thank you

Thanks

I attended that school in 1961 and 62 it has been years since I was there. Thank you this videos. We lived on up Brashaw creek that was a different time. May our the Lord Jesus bless you brother.

My dad's first coaching job was in Bradshaw in the early 1950. A large black and white photo of his first football team hung in our living room forever. About 5 years ago my sister and I took the picture down to the high school . I thought it would have been neat to have a "name them" contest. My parents loved the people there and kept in touch with many at Christmas. My dad often said that they were hard working and family oriented. Thanks for sharing!

I just love your videos.

Thank you, Josh, for another engaging and informative stop on the journey. I enjoy reading the comments, especially of those for whom these locations are "home". Their pride and the memories shared are inspiring. :)

Best biscuit you ever eat is at sumnaco grocery. Bacon egg and cheese! Cooked homemade. The kindest Best people I've ever knew.

Thanks for sharing.

My grandpa was a coal miner who moved from the hills in 192x something and the county still has less then 400.

I spent a lot of time in Bradshaw. Use to live in Jolo up groundhog holler. There’s an old cemetery up there you should check out. You’d need directions to find it though. Lmk if you’re interested.

Josh, thank you for the Bradshaw video. brings back a lot of memories. All of us "kids" went to the old Bradshaw junior high, came down from Paynesville where we all grew up. Bradshaw, like Paynesville, Iaeger ,etc,, all have changed so very much...worse now than ever. Thank you.

If you haven’t been you should really go see goshen pass Virginia very beautiful.

Great video. I grew up here in the 1950's and it was a thriving place with great memories. My Dad was a coal miner for 40 years. My first goal was to leave the area and avoid coal mining. It eventually killed everyone it touched but it was the way of life in McDowell county. So sad to see your home town descend into it's current condition. This video is wonderful since I have not seen Bradshaw since the mid 1970's.

Very informative

I really appreciate this content. I have a special place in my heart for this area of the country and I absolutely love watching these videos. I am a hillbilly at heart so I can completely understand what these small towns have gone through.

Josh! Another great video. The link between War to Bradshaw and all the small communities between is historic. For example, English WV was McDowell County's first county seat! It use to have a Deskin's Supermarket and Dry Goods store a theater and so much more. Thank you once again for an awesome video of my home county.

Aw Bradshaw! Mom’s old stomping grounds!!! Love hearing about this place and seeing your videos of it. Wish I could have seen it back in the day though. I bet that was really something. Great video!

I’ve watched a handful of your videos and have enjoyed every, single one!! These towns in Appalachia come to life in such interesting fashion because of your insight and love for the area. I will continue catching up on the series but I’m wondering if you’ve ever ventured down to eastern Tennessee to show those areas? Take care and thanks for sharing the great work!!

It’s always a good time traveling to these Appalachian towns with you! Love hearing all of the history🤎 You’re doing a PHENOMENAL job, Josh!! Keep up the great work 😁

Excellent video! Thanks and will be viewing your other videos soon.

Thanks MR❤️

I really enjoy your videos, history and of all the towns you guide us through in McDowell Co. I was lucky enough to spend time motorcycling this beautiful area this summer. For a motorcyclist, this area is simply stunning. The people are so friendly, history is remarkable. Roads are full of corners, gas is plentiful. McDowell County is the tip of the iceberg for a motorcycling and offroading area. Thank you for sharing your travels.

This little town reminds me of Lynch, Kentucky another coal mining camp town ! At one time Lynch had over 20,000 people and now well, it has dwindled down to hardly nothing ! I was there on a mission trip in 2003 and I just fell in love with that little town !! I've been back a couple of times !!! There are countless other little gems of a town scattered all throughout those beautiful Appalachian mountains, really love the videos Josh, they rekindle fond memories of long ago, thank you my friend !!

I'm loving all these videos of the small towns in WV. Some of those places really do make you feel like you are in another world. I don't know if this is on your radar, but have you thought about going over to Point Pleasants, WV?

Bartley and "Bear Town" had huge coal mining facilities.

Went through there several years ago on the way to a nearby city known as WV's southernmost city, War. Not much there any more.

Thank you for a glimpse of what Bradshaw looks like today. Seeing those beautiful mountains makes me a little homesick but I know it’s cold there hahaha so I will stay here in the Philippines a few more months before I visit home again.

I delivered Coca Cola in Bradshaw while I worked for the company from 1978 to 1986. And delivered for National Linen in Bradshaw from 1987 until all my accounts there closed in the early 2000s even though I worked that job until 2020. Bradshaw Pharmacy that you showed was one of these. It closed when Rite Aid came to town, bought out the owner, and hired him to work for them. Now they're gone. Hard to believe you could still buy a new Chevy or Ford in Bradshaw into the 1990s! Another great video Josh.

Thanks bud 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Would love to see the millions of jobs come back to this country, let alone west virginia.

I’ve been living in Virginia for almost 40 years, but southern WV is home.

My daddy was from Gassaway

If there's an ATV driving in the middle of a small Appalachian town, there's a decent chance it qualifies for a Mountain Roots episode. Wow @ two theatres and a taxi service. Bench at 2:28 might be an Ultraplay brand. I installed many of those in one of my jobs.

I remember being a little kid in the 70’s and going to a bar and pool hall a distant uncle owned. They had to sit us on the pool table so we could roll the balls in the pockets. They would give us rolls of nickels to play the pinball machines. Had to stand on a chair for that. I don’t remember exactly where it was but I know it backed up to the river.

Any place in McDowell County is of interest to me. Try Grundy, Va also

Looks like a nice clean town compared to most of Southern WV.

Wikipedia says this town only had 337 people as of 2010.

They should put solar panels all over those mountain tops and sell the energy to electric companies. Instead of cutting the tops off the mountains so the hollers and valleys can flood.....put the panels up instead.

I moved from there in 1987. Drugheads and lazy people on SSI checks are the majority left there now. Some good hard working folks left...but not many. Very sad depressing place now.😞

I’m just wondering why people that work remote in tech aren’t moving to towns like this to build nice houses cheap and bring their wealthy people for start business that are ran by websites lol these old coal mining towns are perfect and so much cheaper than how they are doing it in the west coast states like COL, WY, and Dakotas

Check out Mingo County

The true home of the ATOMIC MISSLE AGENCY-- Homer H. & The Rocket Boys Watch the movie OCTOBER SKY

Beautiful, but depressing to drive thru towns in Appalachian these days🥺

A good place to retire to?

Chattaroy

chattaroy

We need not worry about the aging population Govt have taken care of that with the COVID vaccine.

Thanks!

chattaroy