More often than not, the distant on-lookers do not take the time to learn and more importantly, appreciate, West Virginia's rich history, of which, I personally find the most attractive characteristic of this state, aside from the incredible, mesmerizing beauty that always knocks the wind out of me each time Icatch a glimpse of the leaves changing their shades of green to a breathtaking aesthetic of red, yellow, and orange each fall.Nevertheless, it is the history behind what has pioneered our workforce and our annual income for decades upon decades hat has caught my attention. What is it, you may ask? I'll give you a hint, Matewan. Not to discredit any one's intelligence but in the slight chance that you have not figured out what this blog is about, I'm talking about the prosperous, yet dangerous coal mines! Before enrolling in my Appalachia class, I knew very little about the history West Virginia, but I had an eye-opening experience when my teacher, Joel, popped in a movie, entitled Matewan. The movie struck me deep in my core, made me want to learn more about coal mines, where they started, who founded coal, and many other facts that were completely unknown to me. So, I took intiative and researched these facts, almost all of them being new information for me. Did you know that fifty-three of the fifty-five counties in WV have coal in their landscape, or did you know that Mcdowell County has produced more coal than any other county in this state? I guess I am trying to persade and strike interest in you to want to learn and develope a greater appreciation for WV's history. I know I have a lot more to learn about WV and I am ready and willing.-Leah
3 comments:
That was a good movie, wasn't it? Most people do overlook that West Virginia has a deep history rooted in coal mining and don't realize its significance. Hopefully you'll really enjoy reading Storming Heaven, then; you'll have to let us all know how it is!
I like the history aspect, it is overlooked most of the time. I think this subject needs to be introduced more because many poeple lose what appalachia is about. We need to remember the history, that is what we are built on -todd
The history of West Virginia and its involvement with the coal mines is interesting. It's sort of a tale that a lot of outsiders and even many who live here overlook. I hope you write more as you learn more about it :)
-Eliana
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