West Of West Virginia - Full Documentary 

Born and bred in the Midwest here, but yes, West Virginia pulls on my heart strings as well. Salt of the earth people.

Thank you, Lee!

A lot West Virginians trace their bloodlines back to Great Britain...in fact probably most.Mine came from Belfast and London.

My family is from there. I remember holidays there and it was stunning. Driving through the mountains from Charleston to Lewisburg was a winding voyage with twist and turns on the steep mountains. There were mysterious waterfalls in the crevices of the terrain and snow on the mountains so deep, dad had to stop and put chains on the tires. Once there, we traveled to Maxwelton which was a few miles from Lewisburg. My other grandparents had a home in Ronceverte, again, a few miles from Lewisburg. The Christmases were so magical with warm welcoming hugs and homes with great food. (Country Ham, fried green apples, strawberries from summer.....granny used to take me to the basement where the freezer was full of summer fruit for our visit and hams hanging from the ceiling my grandfather cured. There was always a large pot of boiled custard on the cold back porch that was so delicious it still burns in our memories as kids) . The towns had garlands of lighted Santas and his reindeer hanging from the streetlights. One grandmother had an aluminum Christmas tree with multicolor spotlights shining on it. My other grandmother had a huge REAL tree with big fat lights of different colors strung around it with simple, sweet ornaments and huge amounts of silver tinsel. One warm Christmas Eve, I climbed a pine tree outside, fell and broke my arm (4th grade) I thought it was GREAT! Lol! I am taking my husband there this year to reminisce and visit graves and old stomping grounds. He’s never been there. Take me Home...West Virginia. It looks like Ireland.

You've got a Lithuanian surname though. Greetings from Lithuania.

Amen

They wouldn't know where to start!

I agree. I discovered WV later in life when there on business. The state and people have their own beauty. If I was a younger man, I'd buy lots of real estate. WV is a bargain that will attract many Americans escaping the rat race and expense of the big city.

Just sometimes? Lol west v is a beautiful and depressing wasteland that i can't stop missing for some reason

@@AA-bs3iy It got me too, double A.

You must be disillusioned

Amen. Lyburn wv

Same here brother! Point pleasant wv.

@@lostamericanhistory2536 Fraziers Bottom Putnam County here,Always been my home I love it here and will die here.

@@TheRadulykan oh man not far away at all, small world ! I'm actually out on 87 off baden, my family is all from Putnam co though

Let's Goooo Mountaineers

My wife grew up in Walton West Virginia. She was in high school before they had running water in a new house her Dad built. They got the water down the hill in a little cave like on the stream. Her Dad would work at FMC near Charleston with a daily commute. They had a dairy cow, hogs, chickens and of course the garden. Her Dad died shortly after getting the new house built.

I hope no one else does a documentary on us poor dumb drug ridden hillbillies that way everyone else can stay away and for you Charly call your brother and your dad but don't get flat in WV and ask for help because remember we are on on drugs and alcohol don't figure anyone will have the time too help you friend

@Dmac 740 not a myth then if its the same everywhere

Me and my family grew up around this area it was real and honest it kept you thankful and humble so very glad I grew up here it taught us to appreciate and understand what real life is and to strive to do better to have what you wanted for yourself

@weejams nice rant. you done now?

Fine folks in the hills of WV!

Won't stop talking about losing coal, collect a lot of welfare, and use a lot of opioids 🤔

@@jeep19 the state animal in wva is the jeep cherokee

Amen brother

And make some damn fine moon shine

Amen 🙏

@@jenjaradat6882 And Awoman!

@@chrissibersky4617 in your eyes

@@jenjaradat6882 It's a joke. Search for the "word" and you'll get it.

@@chrissibersky4617 don’t care too

Braxton County born and raised! Now live in Arkansas, this video totally has me homesick now.

@@mitterknight2330 I've lived in Martinsburg my whole life. Years ago, a fella from Braxton County transferred to my work location here in Martinsburg and he was liked by everyone....one of the funniest guys I've ever met. Anyway, he used always tell me that Braxton County was not only the geographical center of the state but ALSO home to the world's largest Dairy Queen, lol. I never did know if he was kidding about that DQ thing or not.....

@@matthewlamp3088 I was actually part of the crew that tore the DQ down in Flatwoods, It was replaced with a bank. Def a small world. Humors not lost in the Appalachia’s.

@@mitterknight2330 Hey, thank you for getting back to me...l appreciate that. Yeah, my buddy had a ton of stories about growing up there in Flatwoods and half the time, I wasn't sure whether he was messing with me or not, lol. Take care, sir!

I was born in Braxton county lots of family in Webster county. I love to visit but I dont think I could live there full time

And God bless Hampshire county WV and all the county's in west va 🙏.

Thanks for sharing your story!

Hampshire County has no Walmart and is home to the WV State Schools for the Deaf and Blind. We have tons of apple and peach orchards. It’s beginning to become a retirement community for people from DC and Baltimore. Romney, the county seat is the oldest town in WV. I love living here because my husband has worked at the same flooring store for 25 years and I taught in special education for 20+ years.

Enjoyed your comments. My dad's from Matewan, WV and mom's from Belfry, KY. I have great respect for those folks and having roots there.

West Virginia is absolutely gorgeous I'm looking to move there sometime in the next year people are great the country beautiful

I agree!

No you dont 😊

@Brent Michaud Born and raised in WV . Still live here and always will.

I can listen to them all day.

The old man was my father, oh but I miss him. I love you dad.

We have a lot in common Miss Lambert.

Was it the Tug River?

My grandfather when I was a kid was in the woods hunting in West Virginia and got bitten by a bird that someone brought into the country and let lose some kind of parrot kind of bird not sure what kind for sure but it give him some kind of disease that attack his brain and he was bedridden after that for the rest of his life. Couldn’t talk eat normal food only baby food couldn’t walk nothing. How different things were back in them days now it probably wouldn’t be that easy to bring a bird into this country without being put into quarantine and vet check but not back than. This was in the early 60s. A completely different time. For sure in West Virginia they were still in the caveman days

My family is from Scotts Run, outside of Morgantown... They’re Lambert’s, too! ♥️

@@shannamrichardson I'm a Nicholas co boy. I'm a Vance.

That's exactly what I was thinking as I watched this.

West Virginia people knows how take care of their own. We will survive anything

Absolutely! Country can survive!

Amen!!!

Yes they are

Little Switzerland was one of the nicknames for WV that was taught in school

Doesn’t America have a wonderful history?

Greetings from Charleston WV!!!I would LOVE LOVE LOVE TO VISIT SWITZERLAND... OMG

I have always wanted to visit Switzerland. We had a lot of Swiss people to settle in West Virginia. They had a colony in New Helvatia WVa. I have a nephew that lives in Geneva. He works as a stock broker.

@@catdaddy3302 wonderful and short :=

So glad this video means something to you.

Jeremy Hamrick my grandparents on my moms side were Hamricks from Dunbar, and then Cross Lanes.

Your comments touched me deep inside. For me there is no way to put into words the love and affection and compassion I have towards my beloved family in West Virginia, especially those in McDowell County. And they are my family indeed. God bless you, brother, and your family.

@@brainerdboy1177 and you as well, my friend. You won’t find more humble or kind folks than those in McDowell County.

That's where I am 🙂

I grew up in Wayne county. Crum. In the 60s and 70s I left there and moved to Chicago. I've lived all over and now live in Louisville my. Life was hard but I know how to take care of myself. I can survive with very little

I live in Hamlin West Virginia right now

Originally grew up in Barboursville

@John stephens I am from Wayne county too. I was born in Huntington and raised at crum. I attended crum school until 1974.i quit school and got married at 16.my mom and daddy were George and Shirley Prince. My mil still lives in Genoa. Up on Joel's branch. She and her husband Ford Thompson used to own a bar called THE COUNTRY CLUB. Right below Wayne. Nice to meet you here.

Thank you Diane for your story. I can honestly say that I too am hoping for you to see Papa Nash in Heaven again one day. It might sound weird but it isn't. My grandparents were from Italy and I moved to the South almost 40 years ago and trust me, I wasn't always accepted. I'm hoping and praying to one day soon move North to W.V., find a nice Christian lady and spend my days riding my Harley through GOD'S COUNTRY. Again, thank you, and may GOD BLESS you and yours. SARGE. 🇺🇸

In North central WV. Many Italians moved here. We live in Clarksburg I married into an Italian family. Many Italian restaurants and family names around here.

Glad you enjoyed it. It is a special place.

Me too brother.Pineville

Me too! I grew up in Glen Rodgers then Pineville for a few years!

Me too! I grew up in Glen Rodgers then Pineville for a few years! One of my favorite places though is up on Bud mountain! Bud mountain is where my mom was raised and still have a lot of family up there but it's a place that always fills my heart!

Tonya Simerly 8

Glad you enjoyed it!

You must not have lived far from my family.

@@ProfessorDan Hearing about taking the train to and from high school makes it sound like your dad/granddad lived up Blue Creek. I wasn't too far, at least as the crow flies. Driving in West Virginia, 4 miles as the crow flies can be 45 minutes away.

From Nicholas county born and raised here still here live like this most of my life

My family was the Parkins out of Kanawha co. There was alot of us then . still is a few remaining was wondering if you've heard of that last name...

I'm originally from Putnam County. I've lived in Ohio for the last 30 plus years because of work. Miss it dearly. Great place to grow up.

Thanks, Beverly! You have a great story too.

So many share similar stories. Glad you like the video!

Glad the video brings back those thoughts for you.

Me as well... running wild on my great grandpas farm...there was an old barn, a creek, lots of great stuff! His workhorse Dolly was the best babysitter anyone could ever have... I remember SO much♥️🥰🙋‼️

My grandparents and parents also from Ivydale and Wallback

Oh, I wish my dad were still alive, I'm sure he would have known your family. He grew up in Big Otter and we had family in Ivydale. After I was born we lived with my Grandparents in Big Otter while my dad went to college. They fixed up the cellar house and that's where we stayed. I live in Georgia now and tried to move back to Wva in 2019, but couldn't find a job that pays what I make here.

Cass is beautiful! We live in southern WV but visit Pocahontas county often and love going to Cass!

Cities and Suburbs from Nashua, NH. Also a mill town!

Hey thanks for this. I'll check that out.

@Daymmm Of course not. Wouldn't want to live with the peasants that you barely pay to make you rich.

It's not stopping, either. AI replacing drivers, robots replacing warehouse workers. construction & restaurant work will be about the only options left. We either succumb to mass poverty ala Appalachia, or we institute UBI. Those are the options.

Glad you enjoyed it!

My family from Buchanan

What an incredible history you have. It means so much for you to share your sentiments. Thanks for commenting!

Thanks for sharing!

I am the 5th generation on my mamaw side and our family land been in the family well over 100 years. It will be in our family for the next 100 years.

That was a very good way to put it, and that's was the sense I got from all the comments from the people who once lived in WV, they wanted to stay, but just couldn't, torn away, by a need to survive, but yearned to be back where there most fondest memories of life, and love of there family were, kinda sad!

I couldn't help but tear up over this comment.

My mom was born and raised in Richwood family of 12 brothers and sisters my grandpa and some uncles work in the coal mines I really like hearing these stories reminds me of the stories my mom and grandma told me when I was a child

That's awesome!

Glad you enjoyed it!

Agreed! Maybe even make it a monthly thing. I'd dig that.

Rennick, WV

I just humbled by the depictions and stories of these simple people love the mountains and nature but am from new Ort Trump 2020

Thank you all for your comments I love the mountains of West Virginia!

Humble friendly down to earth hard working people of West Virginia thank you!,

Yes sir I grew up in Kanawha co. I left in 1975 .but have been back a handful of times to visit family.. Something about w.Virginia that pulls at my heart strings. Love the ppl and the mountains .. God bless w.Virginia

I'm from WV also. Growing up we learned the 3Rs. Readin, Rritin and Rithmatic. Lol. It was a joke that was said for decades. Good times.😢

I'll need to check it out.