It's somewhat a sad state of affairs in this rural area where my Grandparents live. Once a bustling leader in the lucrative coal industry, West Virginia is home to Mt. Hope which once provided something like 1/5 of all the states coal. Without dragging this drab story of devastating natural destruction on and on, I wanted to briefly document in my own words what I've learned. I was eager to seek information out for myself why this and other Appalachian communities are continuing to have negative economic and population shifts.
It seems that the first halt in major mining and distribution occurred during the Great Depression. Only to be further decreased by WWII, which followed shortly after the economy started to regain its momentum the industry shrinked in size tremendously. By the 1960's, roughly 1/3 of southern West Virginia's population moved in search of work as coal was seen as out of date. It's interesting to me to see so many homes and buildings abandoned. Below are some structures I documented earlier today.
This first photo shows a home that was demolished, leaving only the chimney standing. There are many of lots like this. Abandoned buildings house unwanted vagabonds and are simply eye sores that add to the downfall of the community.
<--Notice here how vegetation and the elements can quickly over-run a home.
<--Notice here how vegetation and the elements can quickly over-run a home. It seems like a beautiful location where if someone were so willing, they could grow/hunt their own food and enjoy fresh air and true seperations of seasons. If anybody understands the lure of the city it's me, trust. But it's just a shame to see first-hand the degredation of these communities.