Life As A West Virginia Coal Miner

[@sherripenning5538]

Thanks so much for this! So many of us have ancestors who were miners. Hard work to support the family. Strong courageous folks.

[@rockycoyote]

Wow, our grandparents were much hardier folks than we are today; they knew how to work hard.

[@donwhaley8238]

They had to in order not to starve

[@kimberlyhatcher7235]

Wow! So many memories! My dad worked in so many of the coal mines. He was a coal miner for 35 years. I lost an uncle in the mines. There was an explosion! Thank you both for this video ❤

[@realappalachia]

Really glad you liked it, Kimberly

[@davemcfarland7709]

Very interesting çoal mine tour. Thanks for sharing this interesting history of Appalachian çoal mining ⛏️. Very well done, keep up the great work of documenting Appalachian life.

[@patriciabogue6811]

Having never been near a coal mine, I found this fascinating. I can’t even imagine how horrible it was to be a miner and how unfairly they were treated. Thank you so much.

[@realappalachia]

Glad you found it educational, Patricia

[@steveevansfloridaoutdoors]

The dog is cool in the video he was ready listing real good, great video

[@realappalachia]

Yes, the dog enjoyed the ride as much S anyone else did lol. Thank you!

[@countryroads4932]

I keep seeing videos from our county!! I hope I run into you all one of these days 😊. Love both of your channels.

[@Lisa1111]

What a tough existence! 🙏🏽 That there pup seems to be paying close attention! Quieter than the little child 😂❤

[@judypierce7028]

Oh, I am so glad that you are visiting the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine. WOW! That is a really exciting thing to do!! I am glad that you are back in WV. Hope you had a great time. Take care.

[@johnnymayo8534]

What a fascinating tour!! I can not imagine working in those conditions! The lab that took the tour was so chill!

[@conradveraguth1392]

I visited this exhibition last summer during my trip to West Virginia. I drove from the southern end of West Virginia, heading north, stopping at as many small towns as I could. It was a very nice drive.

[@joannataylor9118]

My uncle Ross was a coal miner in West Virginia by the Ohio River. I remember as a young girl he would get up at 4 am and not get back until late. He was dirty and so tired. Not many jobs in the hills of WV other than mining ⚒

[@clmar3431]

This was so interesting! Thank you for filming inside the mine. The tour guide was excellent.

[@zxtenn]

AMAZING, only the older people know how hard people worked and never complained!!! Great explanation, even the doggie was interested

[@stevenww3560]

My eastern ancestors were coal.miners and farmers! Then civil war came and of course my great grandfather was drafted after fighting in the war for 4 years above ground he went home and starting farming and refused to go back down in the Mines! He said the one good thing come from the war is he learned what fresh air was ! But a few years later he was diagnosed with black lung being they didn't have oxygen he died soon after! That was in PA!!

[@kesmarn]

If folks only watch one of your WV videos (but I betcha can't stop at one), this one should be #1 on the list. As Melody says, it gives you a whole new appreciation for coal miners, the conditions they worked in, and just how hard the work really was. Many thanks, once again!

[@realappalachia]

Thank you so much

[@Fevebblefester]

My Mother’s family were coal miners in W. Virginia. My Grandfather was a mine Safety Supervisor for the Norfork and Western Railways coal mines for years. Both of my Mothers brothers also worked the mines in WV as well one also being a State Safety Inspector. Some of their children also either mined coal or worked in the industry. Both of my Uncles died from complications of Black Lung. Though not until their 70s’. I am enjoying this vid quite a bit.

[@timrayburn2461]

Great work.Thank you

[@ric698]

Great job with this video. The tour guide was very informative. It does give you an appreciation for all those miners. The hard work conditions, and constant danger. Thank you and Have a blessed week.

[@robinhaupt9119]

Magnificent tour, thank you Shane and Melody.

[@realappalachia]

Thank you, Robin!

[@hello9945]

Thank you Shane and Melody for another excellent video; we appreciate you!

[@realappalachia]

Thank you DW!

[@WavyDavis803]

I’m from South Carolina. Love you guys channel

[@-Tabatha-]

My great grandpa, my PawPaw and my Daddy were all coal miners here in WV. My cousin Todd Hanson wrote a couple books on the Mines here in WV! Fantastic read and great pictures. Many of my childhood memories are of my Dad with a coal covered face, his truck always smelled like coal… and his lunch bucket ❤️

[@crouchb15]

reminds me of one I went to up near Scranton PA

[@peterjhillier7659]

Thanks for sharing you Guys, bet that Air tasted sweet when you came out into the Sunlight.

[@greatmusicfan57]

Neat tour. Thank you for sharing it.🙏💕👍

[@johnnykoba_on_the_road]

Def wanna go there next time I’m in WV! Why do people take kids on these tours. Kid wouldn’t shut up

[@chubs1701]

Thank y'all for a great tour and video ❤ it

[@kevinb9327]

Awesome! Thank you.

[@kickthecan6253]

😂 groovy - cool - fantastic - marvelous - splendid 😅

[@B-and-O-Operator-Fairmont]

I toured the mine with a group in the spring of 2010 not long after the Upper Big Branch disaster. Our guide offered some opinions on what went wrong at UBB. What got me most was how stale the air was inside the mine. I didn't really realize it until we got back outside.

[@fluteloops22]

My great uncle worked in the mines in Beckley!

[@danalynch8889]

I've been there 1993 while visiting relatives, I took my 10 year cousin and it was fun.

[@davidnewman9244]

Hello from England.Hard life down there. thanks.

[@mikeb2777]

This is a great place to visit. Lots to see and going into the mine in a coal car is very cool. Next I want to get to Portal 31 in KY and also their museum.

[@gailrepsniw517]

On their belly's, with a candle to light their way as they dig out the coal by hand. That is hard work.

[@40lennie]

Excellent! Just like being there!

[@christophersadler2930]

I live just a few miles up the road from here. My son and I were considering going to this park today but ended up going to Grandview National Park.

[@lmcwill0502]

Watching you both , we plan a road trip through that area , so you are giving us tips on what to see . So many little towns and communities in those parts I am looking forward to seeing

[@realappalachia]

That’s fantastic, hope you have safe travels

[@Karen-bt6lh]

That was a wonderful informative mine tour. Makes you really see how dangerous it was and is. I have been to several caverns and a mine tour before. Being claustrophobic I am so glad when the tour is over and back outside. 😅

[@lmaolmoo4147]

Coal mines today are a lot different than this but on move crew the work is still incredibly hard. Now most of your physical labor comes from building stoppings, building belt lines, and dragging and hanging cable. I work 10+ hours 6 days a week and we don’t take lunch or get breaks on move nights.

[@secretvirginia]

Definitely need to check this out

[@brittanyN94]

I'd love to go here one day!! Love learning my heritage

[@michaelbragg6903]

Visit the Mine Wars Museum in Matewan if you can. It tells the history of the two mine wars in West Virginia and has items from that period including the Battle of Blair Mountain.

[@ThisHomeschoolingAdventure]

I may add this place to our list.

[@SpookyAppalachia]

Oh cool my wife has been a few times for work to do research. There's also a few good haunted places in Beckly.

[@realappalachia]

That would be a cool place to do research

[@walterlangston4484]

This place is not far from my house live the next county over

[@herdfreak2]

Nice!

[@tommyboggs22]

Mining coal sure is a lot different today than it was back then

[@johnmarshall8021]

This I can tell you… had 2 uncles and grandfather who worked in West Virginia coal mines… 2 passed away from black lung

[@sandy89107]

I glad you two filmed this....I don't think I would like that ride 😅

[@rogercarroll2551]

Whew ! I sure am glad to get out of there !

[@josiahrickens4556]

Melody where's tht tram go?

[@navydogsadventures3500]

Lots of dangers doing that work. Brave people!

[@wizzardofpaws2420]

It actually looks like fun. I would have a hard time if it took a long time.

[@realappalachia]

It lasts about 40 minutes or so but it is fun

[@jeremycole3008]

Pretty neat

[@StevenMinor-c2w]

My couisans live and work in Beckly. There names r minor.

[@Animefruba]

Isn't most coal mining now mountain top removal you should show video on that

[@izzysparks618]

You had the comment off on the inbred family so I came here 😂 no one said the all people from WV are all inbred nor dose it make it 100% false saying it never happened in rule WV ether-way that family and their family tree which all family trees are public records and the video of them explaining their family tree double first cousins had kids their kids had kids so they are inbred sure their surroundings income and poor public schooling all play into this as well with that being said this man comes and helps these people care for them and is making sure they are being taken care of mind you that no one understands their situation they have been in and the life they have lived this man by the grace of god is showing the world how god children have been treaded and we as god children should shed light on the situation and help them live the remanded of there lives with a little love and kindness they are inbred it is not their fault nor will it ever be with the hand they got handed and the life they live with the help of god and god children (the public) they will live in a kinder loving world and shed light on what happened back in the days of rule WV god bless y’all and everything u have going on in life this is not for hate just to shed light on how no one was being rude and saying everyone from WV are like that but how it did happen in the past do to certain situations god bless y’all

[@stitch2499]

I remember when my Pappaw got the Black Lung.😢. He got a cash settlement.. not much. God bless all the coal miners and family...