“Early Mining Voices”
What was life like one hundred years ago for coal mining families in Tucker County, WV?
Let’s find out!
On Saturday, November 2, 2024, more than 200 people came to the beautiful Blackwater Falls State Park to hear rare recordings and re-enact interviews with early West Virginia mining families.
Until now, these stories, preserved on reels of magnetic tape and stored in an archive, have been unknown and unheard. Now, West Virginia University students are transcribing the interviews. Community members are bringing the dramatic “Early Mining Voices” to life in a series of public programs!
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Check out this “Early Mining Voices” YouTube highlight video below!
West Virginia History Comes to Life!
Early Mining Voices has received financial support from the West Virginia Humanities Council, the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area, and supporters of Friends of Blackwater. Valued partners include the Tucker County Historical Society, the WVU West Virginia and Regional History Center, ArtSpring, Cottrill’s Opera House, and the Highlands History and Education Project.
Art: (Top) Graphic by Cheyenne Elswick. (Bottom) by Caroline Murphy created in honor of the West Virginia Humanities Council’s 50th anniversary year 2024. Used by permission.