The Widen Film Project - A West Virginia Coal Mining Town Documentary

No video

The Widen Film Project - A West Virginia Coal Mining Town Documentary

Рет қаралды 53,418

Күн бұрын

Life in Widen, WV, the famous company town built by J.G. Bradley who was a national and state coal mining leader. Includes the 1952 U.M.W.A. strike.
Charleston filmmaker Kelley Thompson was hired in 2006 by the Central Appalachia
Empowerment Zone to interview Clay Countians, filming their memories. He found that
many recalled life in Widen, the famous company town built by J.G. Bradley who was a
national and state coal mining leader. He also learned about the 1952 U.M.W.A. strike at
Widen. He interviewed William C. Blizzard, son of the union leader Bill Blizzard, Gordon
Simmons, president of the WV Labor History Assn. and others about the strike. (Julia Baker
wrote ―Up Molasses Mountain‖ based on her father’s memories of the time.) The film covers
other areas including the Buffalo Creek & Gauley Railroad, and sports history with legendary
coach Bobby Stover.

Пікірлер: 48

@JohnBrown-ip5wg Жыл бұрын

I lived there from about 1954 to 1960 my Dad’s name was Truman M. Brown we lived in a house on Braxton street . We moved over to Strange Creek in 1960 went to first and second grade at Widen . Days I will never forget.

@derekgantt6140 Жыл бұрын

Touching the heart of America..I wanted to know..how we really felt.. historical ways..I remember where I grew up .at .here in Philadelphia..we had coal heating..keep it warm .put those ashes out. 1953 to 1960 those were the days..coal bins..and coal yards..such an experience. Made me think about children of West Virginia and steel mill towns and coal towns.. people were poor.but neighbors..across town..milk men made home delivery s..such an rural city..still...such an dreaded time change..old days and good days..working families.abandon coal mills ..mining communities..can teach us still .

@aquariusrizing 3 жыл бұрын

Fascinating. Thank you. I have spent a good deal of my life rolling up and down the Appalachians, looking for songs, art, herbal traditions and stories most of all. I have friends who are still in their hollows- or came in the 70's, to get 'back to the land'- from Ivy League schools, lol. But they learned and stuck it out. It makes me sad that life is so hard. The mountains are so spectacular it stands to reason that there'd be a toll to pay to get to live amongst the splendor. This is beautiful footage- thank you. The music at the end made me cry- the trees...

@rolandcoluzzi4479 Жыл бұрын

My grandfather John Potasnik was a coal miner in Widen, My grandma and he raised 8 children in that holler

@Newton14alan 3 жыл бұрын

Well done and informative. Many thanks from this old Mountaineer! P.S. -- I grew up in The 60's & 70's, and, in MY hometown, they were STILL giving out pints of whiskey for your vote (I don't recall anyone offering cash money). I LOVE West Virginia, but we've had a long & illustrious history with dirty politics, to be sure.

@Bluidbirdie 3 жыл бұрын

@@jenmb2679 You need to do your research and quit trolling this video.. such an ass

@KeyserTheRedBeard 3 жыл бұрын

good content Chris Stockwell. I shattered the thumbs up on your video. Keep on up the first-rate work.

@kge420 Жыл бұрын

Really liked this . Any link to the music at the end? It’s very soothing. Merry Christmas to all and best of health.

@larry9290 Жыл бұрын

I growed up just a cross the mountain in a little town called Tioga I miss the days gone by life is way to fast now

@paulettari976 3 жыл бұрын

I spent a lot of time in Widen back in late 70's . We were sales agents for the company that was mining in the area

@kellymurphy6642 Ай бұрын

I find it so interesting to see how different it is mining in WV compared to my ggrandfters mining the anthracite coal region of NEPA Not the actual process if mining but the communities and where the people came from and the working conditions. Correct me if I am wrong. My ggfathers worked when the Molly Maguires were doing their thing. Sounds like the conditions for the miners were somewhat better for West Virginians than miners in anthracite region. Again correct me if I’m wrong I’m just now watching all the WV coal videos after watching the ones from Northest PA

@lisabossone6027 3 жыл бұрын

My mom was in Widen and my grandfather was a coal miner

@lisabossone6027 3 жыл бұрын

Raised

@charliehenderson38 9 ай бұрын

Love West Virginia…👍

@Roadtripmik 10 ай бұрын

I was here yesterday

@jarrellneriahshamah5394 3 жыл бұрын

Brave men

@blackdogtowingandrepair9177 Жыл бұрын

My great grandmother was from widen was Elsie Leone Smith.

@grizzwald1979 Жыл бұрын

I'm a Caldwell from eastern KY. My entire family were either miners or haulers. My grandpa owned one of the largest coal hauling companies in Hazzard hyden areas and his brother Zack owned the other .men lost their lives trying to take that work .they lost 😂

@michelelelliott9804 6 ай бұрын

Wow the poor people building this country and they had more respect

@jamesanonymous2343 3 жыл бұрын

THIS DUDD AINT READY FOR PRIME TIME,,,,,,,,,,,,,NO WAY !

@bigal25938 Жыл бұрын

Widen was named after an old girlfriend of mine. She was a widen.

@cderolph Жыл бұрын

19:10 "They're going to make you one and write asshole of the town on it and you'll get it every month" 🤣

@michaeldaniels1162 Жыл бұрын

I'm the grandson of Robert Kirby Chapman and Idà Jane Dawson Chapman. Would like to hear from you.

@michaeldaniels1162 Жыл бұрын

Clay county Ivydale West Virginia

@jamesanonymous2343 2 жыл бұрын

WHEN YOU TURN ON A HISTORY DOC. YOU INTEND TO WATCH, AND IT STARTS OUT SOME GUY PICKING AWAY AT A GUITAR,YOU CAN BET, IT'S ALL HASBEENS, 100%

@jenmb2679 3 жыл бұрын

What does the "widen" mean

@daniellerau3465 3 жыл бұрын

It's a place?

@johncook2506 3 жыл бұрын

@jenmb2679 3 жыл бұрын

60 years later and still dont know it it was illegal? Why is it so difficult for these people to organise any kind of groups?

@Perfectly-Imperfect 3 жыл бұрын

@ og jenny What group do you think formed the UNION? COAL MINERS!!! 🤦🏼‍♀️

@jenmb2679 3 жыл бұрын

"If you had a job and so forth, you had a job" Makes no sense and has nothing to do with behavior expectations

@dgrub 3 жыл бұрын

Why are you posting so many comments? Couldn't you squeeze all of your uneducated complaints and questions in one post? Anyways, you can't judge history by today's standards or morals. You have to study up and recognize the political and economic landscape these people lived in. If you can't do that then this will never make sense and you'll end up confused and frustrated, like how you currently come off. They lived in a time of change, from wholly independent to a changing mass industrial society that restricted independence. At that point you took what you could get and we're happy to have it.

@larrymurphy3877 3 жыл бұрын

When you hear someone talking and they start that and so forth over and over you know that person knows nothin a bout the subject.

@jenmb2679 3 жыл бұрын

Oh, i know why this has little views. Even the captions didnt help