Coalwood, West Virginia (Home of the Rocket Boys)

Рет қаралды 11,984

3 жыл бұрын

March 24, 2021: Coalwood, McDowell County, West Virginia
Video shows remains of the Coalwood High School and Machine Shops of Olga Coal Company. The movie "October Sky" was based on events in this town.

Пікірлер: 44

@wythetrumpet6419 3 жыл бұрын

That was a very moving video for me. I attended the Coalwood School from 1960 to 1969 before moving on to Big Creek High School in War, WV. My Dad worked at the glass Machine Shop until his retirement and I worked as a life guard at the Coalwood Swimming Pool while home from college in the summer of 1974. There are so many wonderful memories. Such wonderful people and school teachers. Coalwood will always be a part of me. Thank you for the great video!

@glendagaskin151 3 ай бұрын

My daddy worked in the coal mines in Coalwood when my older siblings were young. They knew Homer Hickam and my brother went on to work on the first Redstone missle.

@ChristianMartinez-qw5tk Жыл бұрын

I just watched the movie of the rocket boys this is so awesome 🤩

@GaborGubicza 3 жыл бұрын

I just saw October sky again. Such an uplifting movie. Thanks for sharing this video where it took place. Take care

@domwings4329 2 жыл бұрын

It’s always fascinating seeing dilapidated buildings. You can only wonder how it might have been there at its peak.

@AmericanPatriot-bp7cu 2 жыл бұрын

Homer Hickman's dad was the superintendent of the mine, so he ran the town. He managed to raise a good boy. Thanks for the tour.

@stephenbrand5661 2 жыл бұрын

Hickam*

@MuzicGirl73 3 жыл бұрын

I really enjoyed this. The music was also very moving. Thank you for sharing.

@HalkerVeil 2 жыл бұрын

Man these top down shots of the school. I can just see in my mind the time passing through the ages with all the teachers and kids going through the halls and rooms. And knowing Homer was there at one point. I really think I was born in the wrong era.

@WebsterHighlanders 2 жыл бұрын

Homer attended high school at the nearby Big Creek High School, which was destroyed by an arson fire a few years back and torn down.

@HalkerVeil 2 жыл бұрын

Just so people know, there are actually 4 books. Rocket Boys. (Obviously about Homer.) The Coalwood Way. (Takes place at the same time as Rocket Boys with correlation between events, but is more about the town.) Sky of Stone. (Homer returns from college to help out his father, and deal with some other interesting situations going on.) Don't Blow Yourself Up: The Further True Adventures and Travail of the Rocket Boy of October Sky. (Title explains it all.)

@hdmc325 3 ай бұрын

Sky of Stone was written about my grandfather being killed in the mine explosion in 1960.

@FutureRailProductions 8 ай бұрын

I was there earlier this year. This is a great video. Nice work.

@KeyserTheRedBeard 3 жыл бұрын

fascinating content WebsterHighlanders. I crushed that thumbs up on your video. Keep on up the brilliant work.

@altec19 8 ай бұрын

October Sky one of my favorite movies !

@judithhaughtphd9485 Жыл бұрын

Where I went to Muddle School! Was a booming coal town then , as was Caretta-where I was born & raised! A coal miner’s daughter ❤️❤️❤️🙏🙏

@daleadkins2736 11 ай бұрын

I wish some WV philanthropist would invest some $$ in these historic communities and make them destinations on WV tourist trip packages.

@simonjager9259 Жыл бұрын

Bin ich momentan am lesen und bin extrem begeistert.

@RailPreserver2K 3 жыл бұрын

I have the book and the film and love them both

@johnathanlewis2049 2 жыл бұрын

another forgotten coal town left to rot

@austinaubinoe 2 жыл бұрын

It makes me sad, but you have to keep in mind nothing was here until the coal company built all of this stuff.

@mikemiller6628 2 жыл бұрын

Nice vid.

@dwilliamsn2 3 жыл бұрын

Are these days trips or are you staying overnight down South? Amazing footage. Love the music!

@WebsterHighlanders 3 жыл бұрын

day trips

@MarkGrago 8 ай бұрын

There is a row of steps at the back of the school. I wonder what used to be up there on that hill?

@hdmc325 3 ай бұрын

A playground

@robertroderick9076 2 жыл бұрын

Do they let u go in and explore

@WebsterHighlanders 2 жыл бұрын

At the time I visited in March, 2021, there were no signs prohibiting entry (such as no trespassing signs); also, there was no fencing around the structure to indicate entry is prohibited. I do not know if the local Board of Education still owns the property or if it is in private ownership now. Given its deteriorating condition, I was surprised it was so wide open to explore.

@80sDiva 3 жыл бұрын

Was there a fire at the high school?

@WebsterHighlanders 3 жыл бұрын

Mostly from natural deterioration; there were some small fires set by vandals that helped lead to its demise; the Big Creek High School that Homer Hickman went to was destroyed by a fire and then torn down a few years ago; the roof of the Coalwood HS was wood and tar paper, tar covered, and once leaks started the roof began collapsing, along with some of the smaller fires set.

@80sDiva 3 жыл бұрын

@@WebsterHighlanders Thank you!

@carolhardin2087 Жыл бұрын

This was not a high school for very long. When Big Creek High School opened in the 1930s, this became Coalwood Jr. High, grades 1-9 until 1969, when 9th grade started going to Big Creek. There were several fires at the Coalwood School after it closed.

@brysononeal4997 Жыл бұрын

「あなたの動画はとても良いですし、メッセージがた

@robertlake9507 3 жыл бұрын

I don't understand why people want to destroy old buildings.

@T8G27 2 жыл бұрын

Maybe for new space

@jonruehle9186 3 жыл бұрын

Why the brand new roofs on those old buildings?

@WebsterHighlanders 3 жыл бұрын

Preservation by local historians? Not really sure.

@roberts.9342 8 ай бұрын

I was up that way last year when my mom and I visited my aunt and cousin in Squire. I lived in War from 1960 to 1965 before my dad moved us to Florida and the sad part is I never really stayed in touch with that area except to visit my grandparents who lived there for years before moving to Hillsville Va. Nice video, what drone did your use to shoot the aerial shots? I have the DJI Mavic 2 Pro and Zoom and the FPV.

@WebsterHighlanders 8 ай бұрын

That drone video was shot with a DJI Mavic Pro