The Widen Film Project - A West Virginia Coal Mining Town Documentary
Vložit
- čas přidán 13. 08. 2020
- 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. - Hudba
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.
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 .
My grandfather John Potasnik was a coal miner in Widen, My grandma and he raised 8 children in that holler
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...
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.
@@jenmb2679 You need to do your research and quit trolling this video.. such an ass
good content Chris Stockwell. I shattered the thumbs up on your video. Keep on up the first-rate work.
Really liked this . Any link to the music at the end? It’s very soothing.
Merry Christmas to all and best of health.
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
My mom was in Widen and my grandfather was a coal miner
Raised
Love West Virginia…👍
I was here yesterday
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
Brave men
My great grandmother was from widen was Elsie Leone Smith.
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 😂
Wow the poor people building this country and they had more respect
THIS DUDD AINT READY FOR PRIME TIME,,,,,,,,,,,,,NO WAY !
Widen was named after an old girlfriend of mine. She was a widen.
19:10 "They're going to make you one and write asshole of the town on it and you'll get it every month" 🤣
I'm the grandson of Robert Kirby Chapman and Idà Jane Dawson Chapman.
Would like to hear from you.
Clay county Ivydale West Virginia
What does the "widen" mean
It's a place?
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%
WHAT THEY SAID!
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?
@ og jenny What group do you think formed the UNION? COAL MINERS!!! 🤦🏼♀️
Fj
Oh, i know why this has little views. Even the captions didnt help
Id like to know the questions because these people are all over the place
"If you had a job and so forth, you had a job"
Makes no sense and has nothing to do with behavior expectations
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.
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.
Trump gonna bring back coal if he has time
This "expert" wasnt even born yet
They are all over the place. Bad editing