Pennington Gap, Virginia: Small Town in the Heart of Appalachia

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3 жыл бұрын

Pennington Gap is the largest town in Lee County, Virginia. Lee County is the birthplace of the late gospel singer/preacher Brother Claude Ely. Lee County is also home to the former professional boxer known as "The Pennington Pounder" Barry Audia. Audia fought mainly as a Jr. Middleweight as was once ranked in the top 10 in the world during probably the toughest era to ever compete in that division. The other ranked Jr. Middleweights included Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas "The Hitman" Hearns, Roberto Duran, Wilfred Benitez and John "The Beast" Mugabi. He retired with a 30-5 (18 kos) record.
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Пікірлер: 96

@aaron3157 Жыл бұрын

Just finished the book Demon Copperhead, where this area was central! Thanks for documenting!

@johndavis318 10 ай бұрын

I grew up back there as a young kid. I lived in Woodway VA. My grandfather was the chief of police of Pennington Gap for over 20 years. Lloyd H. Davis Sr. I have not been back there since probably 79. When I grew up there, there were no traffic lights. I think I seen you go by the old drug store in Pennington. They had root beer floats for a Nickel. The first shopping center used to be the old Cas Walkers grocery store where the boxing training was. Brought back some memory lane. Thanks for sharing.

@floydjammer6395 3 жыл бұрын

I live here. I was born in Jonesviille but have lived in Pennington for the past 20 years. lol

@FromTheBiggining 2 жыл бұрын

I am planning in moving to Rose Hill, is there anything I need to know to change my mind? Thanks.

@TheLoadedGoat1963 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the video Shane, you did a great job.

@suzannemccormick5488 3 жыл бұрын

Drove to the library regularly. Thank you.

@mountainfolk2000 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Shane, another great video.

@realappalachia 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks again!

@virginiamartin7312 3 жыл бұрын

Always enjoy the trips you take us on. Thanks and GOD BLESS YOU ALWAYS. Be safe.

@realappalachia 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much, Virginia :)

@mountainman3979 3 жыл бұрын

Kudos sir, not many people remember Barry Audia as the "Pennington Pounder". Just talked to him a couple of weeks ago. He's probably gonna retire from his teaching job in the Lee Co school system in a couple of years. He also coaches golf & he's pretty darn good at that too. The abandoned store where his boxing gym is located was the site of the old Caz Walker store then later a Pay less Mt. You probably know the name of Mr Walker as a wealthy businessman from Knoxville, TN. He had a show called "Farm & Fun Hour" that started back in the 50's. This show is what launched Dolly Parton''s career.

@realappalachia 3 жыл бұрын

I have ran into the old Cas Walker stores in a lot of places, must have been a popular chain. I'm really glad to hear Barry Audia is still doing well. I spoke with him on the phone a 3-4 years ago and he seemed like a great guy still.

@brreed71 11 ай бұрын

It's surprising how often it resembles rural Australia where I grew up. Great video mate.

@realappalachia 11 ай бұрын

Thank you so much, we’d love to visit there someday

@hillofbeans2692 3 жыл бұрын

Love that song! Nice video!

@VidClips858 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the video! About 30 years ago my in-laws lived a few miles down 606, almost to Robbins Chapel. We visited them so often it was like we half lived in Pennington Gap for a while. If I'm not mistaken, I've been to a few auctions in the abandoned store at the beginning.

@edman1015 Жыл бұрын

That shopping center you pulled in to at the beginning of your video used to be the Cass Walker Grocery Store back in the day.

@martystokes 3 жыл бұрын

I went to Pennington High for one year and yes that was the high school back then, I live around Cincinnati now but I am coming back to Pennington for a funeral. Nice video . .....

@douglasriggle9474 3 жыл бұрын

Great to see. My mom, Shirley (Russell) Riggle grew up in Pennington Gap. She lived there with her dad (Roy Neil Russell) and her Aunt, Minnie (Russell) Pannel. It's been a while since I've been there... need to make a visit.

@brightbite 2 жыл бұрын

This is shockingly like North East Kingdom Vermont! Thanks for sharing!

@paulastahl7227 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for doing these videos Shane. I am fascinated by these towns! Sad to see so many of them losing population and economy

@realappalachia 3 жыл бұрын

thanks for watching, Paula, really glad you enjoy them :)

@ethanmuse1507 2 жыл бұрын

I live here

@Darth_Opie Жыл бұрын

My old middle school. It was the old high school before lee high in ben hur. I grew up there.

@teresadalton741 3 жыл бұрын

I'd love to see a video on Jonesville. We used to do a War Between the States reenactment there (Battle of Jonesville). I rode cavalry (disguised as a man, ha!) with my future husband, who supplied the horses. Great times and a wonderful event.

@realappalachia 3 жыл бұрын

I'd like to see video of that lol. I have footage of Jonesville but there were a few problems in editing it that have been hard to overcome so far. It is definitely on the hit list. I hope I can salvage what I have. Thanks for the suggestion.

@Holddreamstight 6 ай бұрын

Bro it sucks here I hate lee high 😭😭😭😭😭

@donaldmilhoan6379 3 жыл бұрын

Beautiful town with the mountains, the fog hitting the mountains so nicely

@ethanmuse1507 2 жыл бұрын

I live here

@tribecca626 3 жыл бұрын

Another great video 🚐 Stay safe and God bless 😊

@realappalachia 3 жыл бұрын

thank you so much, Becca :)

@BonnieDragonKat 3 жыл бұрын

I love Johnny's version. Pennington is my daddy's hometown. I am also related to the Ely's. Thank you for the video!

@realappalachia 3 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

@edman1015 Жыл бұрын

That Baptist Church on the right is very old. I went there back in the 50s.

@wandablevins9477 Жыл бұрын

I LOVE MY HOME TOWN!!

@edman1015 Жыл бұрын

We used to have to go to Jonesville to get our school books.

@debbieepperly3821 3 жыл бұрын

So glad to see a video on Pennington Gap! My niece & nephew-in-law moved there a few months ago. They are both Methodist Ministers but are at different churches. I just wonder if the Methodist Church you passed was where one of them minister! I've never got to visit them or the churches they pastor, so this was really nice! They live on Leigh Avenue. Thanks so so much for this video! Now I have a general idea of where they live! I remember that song, too! You have same kinda luck as my hubby. He pulled over at an old drive-in restaurant to call me from his cell phone. He had run thru "skunk" coming thru Radford. A cop pulled in & asked him if everything was OK, hubby said yes, he was just calling his wife. The cop walked to his cruiser, then came back to hubby & asked him to please get out of the car because he smelled POT! Cop had to call a cop from Radford to be there to watch him search our car! Hubby & the other cop just stood & talked while the other cop messed our car up big time! He finally came over to Larry & other cop, telling them he didn't find anything but a strong skunk smell. He sorta apologized, the other cop shook his head & left! Lawd have mercy!!! Stay safe & hope you're not in the middle of this bad weather! God bless & protect you always!

@realappalachia 3 жыл бұрын

wow, what a wild story lol. The police have given me a few hassles through the years. One made me get out of my car and walk around it so he could show me the tread on my tires. I hope that was the church your niece and nephew-in-law minister.

@debbieepperly3821 3 жыл бұрын

@@realappalachia Hey Shane! Talked with my niece Wednesday by text & found out my nephew-in-law, John, is pastor of the First United Methodist Church you passed! My niece, Maria, is pastor of a Methodist Church in Jonesville, which I think you mentioned in this video. Gonna watch it again! Just thought I'd let you know! God bless!

@charlesjackson6694 3 жыл бұрын

You are correct that the current middle school was the former Pennington Gap High School. There’s still one other high school in Lee County, Thomas Walker High School in Ewing, which was not consolidated into Lee High. I graduated from Thomas Walker HS in 1983. Go Pioneers!

@realappalachia 3 жыл бұрын

Good ol' Thomas Walker

@megankempton1390 8 ай бұрын

My Mammaw and Pappaw’s house across from the high school ❤❤

@mistylong5043 Жыл бұрын

Enjoyed your video. My family on my dads side is from there. The Parsons, Longs, Cooper,Kirk

@johnboat8766 Жыл бұрын

Are the coopers up around the st Charles area?

@darleneboone7064 Жыл бұрын

Related to all of them Parsons Cooper Kirk I was born and raised in Lee co VA my mother grandma was married to a Kirk and i.dpne rese

@peanutcampbell 2 жыл бұрын

Most of my family was born in Pennington Gap’s Hospital 🙂

@cck817 2 жыл бұрын

Loved seeing this. Suggestion. Check out pronunciation of names before filming.

@raymatthews4319 3 жыл бұрын

Have you done a video on Trammel, Va. or the McClure area? We drove through there on the way to Ralph Stanley's festival in 1973.

@realappalachia 3 жыл бұрын

I have some great video of the company store in Trammel but have to go back for more to finish it up

@mikefannon6994 3 жыл бұрын

Question : was there a trail or road through Pennington Gap for which it was named? Or just US 58? Did you ever eat at the Country Boy in Big Stone Gap? Used to eat there when I was a kid. Uncle John and Aunt Mary took me there for ice cream in John's TR3. Beginning of my love for sports cars. Thanks Shane

@realappalachia 3 жыл бұрын

I'm not sure about the trail question. I never ate at the Country Boy but that sounds right up my alley, I wish it was still there.

@jackiemyers747 Жыл бұрын

Daniel boon went on trails near the river on 58. His son was killed by Indians near Stickleyville. Born in pennington.

@nancyrodney4637 2 жыл бұрын

The old shopping center used to be Casual Walkers store

@samcook1545 3 жыл бұрын

Remotely related story about Lee County… Several years ago I met a lawyer from there who started his own bank called the farmers and miners bank Because he had difficulty getting other state chartered banks to give him loans. His business card had a map of the nine state capitals that are closer to Lee County then Richmond.

@realappalachia 3 жыл бұрын

I used to have encounters with Farmers and Miners when I was in banking, I had no idea about that backstory but it makes sense bc they were super aggressive to make loans lol

@mountainman3979 3 жыл бұрын

The lawyer was probably Ronnie Montgomery. He still has a practice in Jonesville.

@Pepperboy555 3 жыл бұрын

My forefathers lived in Pennington Gap region. There is a house there called the Milbourn house I believe.

@johnhartley4721 3 жыл бұрын

The first Christian church is were my mother and father were married. The site where the Lee bank and trust is where the first high school was. My father Lowell Hartley graduated from there and my mother Ruth Hartley graduated from the now middle school. Brings back memories!

@realappalachia 3 жыл бұрын

The First Christian Church must hold some special place in your family.

@ashleysmith9051 Жыл бұрын

I worked with the county fair, this is one of the places we were for a week, when we arrived my fellow carnies told me "whatever you do, don't drink the water here, the people here aren't right, and they think its something to do with the water." I noticed people would be talking to me (working in a game nooth) and they would sometimes just randomly stop in the middle of a sentence and just stare blankly for a few minutes... weird... there was just a lot of just strange behavior from the locals..... idk so.e government experiment on people, whatsoever it was was In the water apparently

@nickieallen3228 Жыл бұрын

Is the old store still there

@carolynkeith8041 2 жыл бұрын

I was hoping to see Lee county Hosp..and cops were doing road check last time I came thru there too

@shellyfields7106 3 жыл бұрын

I grew up there n the middle school was the old high school

@bryanbowermaster2597 3 жыл бұрын

...was there in 1972.

@edman1015 Жыл бұрын

Yes that was the old Hich School

@walterlangston4253 3 жыл бұрын

about a year ago was filming the old rail yard in the coal camp of raleigh when some one on a dirt bike stop next to seconds later was sourond by cops after talking for a mint thay told me to go get in my car and leave tuns out that the man on the dirt bike was running from them and gave up were I was filming

@realappalachia 3 жыл бұрын

dang, sounds like he threw you under the bus

@edman1015 Жыл бұрын

Before McDonnold's and Hardies there was only a Mutt and Jeff's Drive-In.

@frankdelph6677 25 күн бұрын

There was a Mom and Pop restaurant in the middle of town,I visited quite often, can't remember the name,on the right side towards Jonesville, does anyone know the name.Good country food.

@edman1015 Жыл бұрын

There used to be an elementry school where Lee Bank and Trust is now or somewhere close there.

@darleneboone7064 Жыл бұрын

Yes your right and the lunch room was on top of the hill and and the play ground was concrete and bus pick up was on side road.

@edman1015 Жыл бұрын

@@darleneboone7064 Yes I remember the lunch room behind the main part of the school. Thanks for the memories.

@miketaylor5212 2 жыл бұрын

i left lee county in 78 after graduation there were no fast food places in the whole county.

@dallas3546 3 жыл бұрын

I'll tell him you said hi

@mitchevans1692 3 жыл бұрын

Hi Shane I enjoy your videos but they seem to lack basic information that I think most people would like such as population, year the town was founded, where the name originated. I would also be more interested in the older buildings than current businesses. I do enjoy your vids and am a subscriber so I mean this comment as constructive to make your channel grow. Live long and prosper...

@realappalachia 3 жыл бұрын

I appreciate the feedback, always great to hear from someone who truly tries to make it better. This video, like approximately 1 of every 3 or 4 videos I post here lately, dates back a year or two. I was totally mailing it in at the time (I'm guessing that is pretty obvious) because I had no clue how popular some of the videos would end up being then on the old channel. I was actually using the videos as a teaser to drive traffic to my blog at the time through Facebook. In hindsight, that was probably one of the dumbest things I've ever done (and that is saying a lot lol). All of a sudden, the videos started hitting at a level I never imagined and I started getting a lot of feedback like yours (except usually involving profanity and without good intentions lol). It is part of the reason my newer videos - like the Jenkins, KY video are almost 30 minutes long. I want to come a little closer to doing them justice. Now that some of the videos have some age on them and I can see how much things have changed since I've started doing them, I realize how much more I need to do to make them better. I know this is WAY too much of an explanation but, long story less long, I'm hoping that after the older ones I feel compelled to upload here bc of the fact I might not get back to the town, etc. run their course in a couple of months that there will be more consistency and better quality. I invested in better cameras and audio also that should show a big improvement long term. Thanks again and if you read all of this, God bless you for having the patience of Job lol.

@mitchevans1692 3 жыл бұрын

@@realappalachia thanks for the reply, I understand now, I read somewhere that a person has to make x amount of bad videos to make y amount of good vids before they can make great vids, you will find a formula that works for you.

@realappalachia 3 жыл бұрын

@@mitchevans1692 I totally agree with that sentiment, some were so bad there's no way I'll ever repost them lol. Thank you.

@mitchevans1692 3 жыл бұрын

@@realappalachia I believe you could also branch out from the tour type videos and do videos on the music of Appalachia, there's a rich history of music from that part of America.

@realappalachia 3 жыл бұрын

@@mitchevans1692 that is definitely something good to consider. My partner in The Appalachian Project, is still working on the niche for his channel so I will see if that is something he would like to tackle.

@joanofarc9438 3 жыл бұрын

Food City.I wonder if it is the same Food City's that are in Phoenix Az owned by Eddy Basha his grocery store for poor people.His middle class stores are Basha's and rich people grocery stores A.J.'s fins foods.

@realappalachia 3 жыл бұрын

No, this Food City is regional to the southeastern part of the US

@panther-bt9wn 2 жыл бұрын

He is my teacher

@edman1015 Жыл бұрын

The Lee Theater used to sell good Hot Dogs while watching movies.

@nickieallen3228 Жыл бұрын

My grandmother's father was supposedly a big deal back then

@kimberliadams7589 3 жыл бұрын

I think you left out all the methods heads

@Countrygirl08261 Жыл бұрын

I know Jonesville and Pennington Were high schoolers

@budkeegan6927 3 жыл бұрын

Mind the (Pennington) Gap!

@dancrofford927 3 жыл бұрын

Darn cool video Shane, but um you gotta clean that bird shit off your windshield, lol

@realappalachia 3 жыл бұрын

Maybe that isnt from a bird...ok, ok, ok, of course it's from a bird lol

@nancyrodney4637 2 жыл бұрын

Cas walker. Typo

@scottsetchfield6729 3 жыл бұрын

Cool video, but the cops searched your car for no reason?

@realappalachia 3 жыл бұрын

He didnt really search it, just "inquired" as to my jug. Frankly, I'm lucky he didnt catch me on the right day, not sure what they'd do if they bust you with the stuff, never been caught