Thanks a lot from Germany, I‘ve been to Matewan as an exchange student for a year and graduated in '93. It was a trip down Memory lane to see the old Magnolia High School, the home of the Tigers, and the football field. The tigers were football state champions in their division back than….
"Matewan" is a great movie by John Sayles and his book on making that film, "Thinking in Pictures", is the best book about independent movie-making yet written.
I drove a delivery truck into Matewan from 1987 to 1992. Haven't been back since even though I live in McDowell County. I hardly recognize it! Thanks for a glance at the "new" Matewan.
Been watching history of West Virginia. This was interresting. Most my family ancestors were from Logan West Virginia and Mingo and Pike Kentukey; and other cities. Some spread out to Ohio. My pawpaw Mounts was a coal miner. Many others farmers.
I’m so glad you’re doing this. I had no idea about a lot of the history in this area. I love your storytelling style. It’s mind blowing you can still see the bullet holes in that building!! Keep em’ coming! These are great!!!
BTW if you are driving out of WV into Ky at Matewan you might want a different road if driving a motor home or pulling a trailer as the roads are extremely narrow with no shoulders. Ok in a car however. Been there.
Like to see back roads (county leading into black diamond Virginia Then the history along the way of those counties and history of black diamond Virginia.I believe the road once was coal mining road between Kentucky and Virginia.
Thank you for the video. I am always interested in the history and was born in Buchanan county, Virginia which isn't too far from Mingo county, WV. My grandpaw also worked there in the coal mines of Mingo county about the time this all happened. I just subscribed to your channel and wish you all the luck in your videos. Thanks again for the history.
My grandparents lived in Clay county, Kentucky most of their lives, but had family involved in that union battle.. I remember hearing my grandmother talking about it...
A great video. This town and its people have really withstood many hardships. The people in these neck of the woods really have a resilience with all they have suffered and continue to suffer. I love to look at old towns and hear their histoy. Thanks for sharing their story.
Gonna go there in June 2024 and ride the motorcycle/atv trails that zigzag through the different towns in that beautiful part of the country. Cant hardly wait.Love the old school vibe.
I'm glad I found your channel. My mom's side of the family is from Covel and Princeton. They were all coal miners and unfortunately they all died young because of black lung. Keep up the great videos. Looking forward to the next one.
From summers county and ran that territory delivering railroaders to there trains and my dad had a cousin Jimmy Costa that was actually in the movie buitiful land and some of the nicest poeple as long as ur nice to them and some great food they know how to cook mtn soul food I was raised on it
I've only watched a couple episodes of the Appalachia series and am really enjoying them. One observation/opinion though. When you show us things, your camera angles are often such that we can't get a feel for what the building/or site really looks like. Either the angles are too sharp, or the shots are too close up, making it hard to see. For example, in this video, the school was shot from far away and at an angle that you can't really see what the building looks like. Just my two cents. Great videos though!
In 65 I was with friends and family so we were camping close to Beckley and went to an amphitheatre for a hatfield and mccoy theatre outdoors really enjoyed it. Thank you so much for the historical tour of these off the beaten path. I love the mountains and I love history
Interesting video. I work for Coca-Cola and have to deliver to the Giovanni's and Dollar General in that area every Wednesday. Always have wondered what that side of Matewan looks like. Can't exactly get in there with a semi lol.
Another superior chronicle of some southern WV lore and its often bloody past. I have some tidbits concerning the Baldwin detective agency you might find interesting sometimes…
I appreciate the videos you take and you do a great job with the commentary. I enjoy seeing these towns on video, but with no disrespect I'm glad I didn't grow up in one of them. They just seem so poor with so few jobs there these days. You're doing a great job telling the history of these places.
Anyone watching this should look for the 2 disc d.v.d. series staring Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton, titled Hatfields and McCoys. I have the set, it's excellent. God bless brother!
If you do get up Cabin Creek all the way up just past the site of Kayford, which is now totally gone, check out the Stanley Heirs Park and their stand against Mountain Top Removal
If you get south of Charleston take a drive up Cabin Creek. My Daddy was born and raised at Kayford he is now 90 and lives in England which is were my mother was from. I shared your videos with him and we both enjoy them very much. Garland Stamper
Hey there, MR. Like the vid. I used to live in NOVA, inside the beltway, and would go to the eastern panhandle of WV to a horse racing track in Charles Town. Loved it out there. Wish I could live there. Would also go to the northern panhandle, to cumberland, for another track when I traveled back and forth from IN to see my family. Beautiful state, as well as VA, and KY.
I love the mountains, was there 1968. community named Dingess in Mingo county. good people. i fell in love with the mountains and left part of my heart there,
I lived in Sprigg, attended Magnolia High in Matewan, went into the Army July 1955.... The downtown area looks about the same, but the rest is pretty much unrecognizable, even the train station have been relocated. Even so, it's still the town where I went to the movies and encountered my childhood buddies and friends... The flood wall was constructed after the 1977 floods. A wall was also constructed around Williamson.... My mother's house, in Sprigg, was washed away and destroyed... along with many others.
Hey man this is James Johnson out of Indiana my dad lived in sprig when he was a boy Thomas Johnson his dad name was Orville Johnson and my other grandpa was named Ted Norman and Betsy Norman
@@JamesJohnson-gw1yi Hi James.... I knew both your Dad (we called him Tommy) and Granddad Orville. They lived on the hillside just above Willards' beer-garden there in Sprigg.
My hometown of Martin, KY was also a depot town. Such an rich history with much of it now gone. While I left there many years ago, I still follow its change.
Great video Mountain Roots. Now for the backstory. I was part of the Corps team that built the floodwall in the 80’s and the team that developed the graphics cast into the floodwall. We had help from a talented consultant and the art teacher at the high school that you showed,(we built that floodwall and designed the graphics also). That part that you missed was walking the trail on the outside of the floodwall to see the history of Matewan inscribed into the wall. Also missed the new housing area up Mate Creek that was constructed to relocate homes out of the floodplain after the 1977 flood. Great place to visit and eat.
Cool little town. There's an imaginary line in the town surrounding the church. You can't have alcohol within 300ft so you can't build a bar inside that line. Kinda dumb. That town could boom because of the trail system but my guess is that local Gov doesn't have the entrepreneurial foresight to make such decisions.
Been here many times from Williamson while riding the trails. Love the locals and the trail system, some of the nicest folks you will ever meet.........This whole area is steeped in history and interesting places from the past.
As usual, great footage and edifying commentary. This entire area, to the extent that I have seen it in these videos, is just lovely as far as the natural settings are concerned!
I just had to watch this video again. It does have alot of fascinating but sad history. It looks like a pretty town. Good to hear they are thriving somewhat through their atv tourism.
Old matewan was a lot different than the matewan of today! The matewan of today is more or less just a big museum! Used to be a lively little town. When going into town on the West Virginia side you use to have to drive under a railroad bridge, all gone now and most of the town with it! I loved the old days.
This is my hometown and where I've lived most of my life. Sadly, the locals have pretty much been forgotten about and all the town cares about is the tourists that come through. It's not the same anymore and none of the money goes back into the community. Drugs have overrun it.
