This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
Struggle and Pride in Appalachian Mountain Lives
In a Virginia coal camp and nearby West Virginia hollows, youths like Karen and Johnny Runyon face poverty and limited opportunity amid government programs that feel distant. Residents resist stereotypes, cherish mountain traditions, rely on hard work in mining or decline, and resent strip mining’s scars while seeking a future beyond the shadows of the Appalachians.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
H. P
Karen
Houeh Creek Hollow
West
Virginia
Johnny ‘Runyon
Mikes
Flamingo
Johnny
Karet
Appalachian Regional Development Act
Appalachia
Brendan Jo Neeley
Brenda Jo
M Robert
Tarbaby) Humbert