Hidden History of the New River Gorge: From Coal Boomtowns to National Park скачать в хорошем качестве

Hidden History of the New River Gorge: From Coal Boomtowns to National Park

Despite the name, the New River Gorge is home to one of the oldest rivers in the world. The stunning views you'll find along the gorge are driven by a prehistoric river that first begins in the mountains of North Carolina then meanders through Virginia and finally spills into West Virginia where it helps form the Kanawha River. The beauty of the New River Gorge National Park & Preserve may now grab the most attention, but underneath the shiny top layer, there's a rich history of coal mining that not only helped towns below come to be, but also helped shape cities across America. "For a period of time, this was fueling America. It went to the cities. It went to the steel mills,” David Sibray, historian and publisher of West Virginia Explorer Magazine, said. “It went for use in the war – certainly in World War I and even in World War II. So America was fueled by this coal." But it took a while before this boom happened. "One of the problems about this part of Southern West Virginia is that the terrain was so difficult,” Sibray said. “I mean, nobody really lived here. A few people – Alfred Beckley – had a little settlement up in Beckleyville. Fayetteville was a little courthouse town, but few people lived here.” With a way in now, and many jobs available in the late 1800's, tens of thousands of people flocked to the gorge. Towns like Thurmond seemingly appeared out of nowhere overnight with a rich diversity of people. "First you had southern Blacks who came in. There were Virginian Blacks who had come in later - but first, there was a group out of the Deep South coming in after the Civil War looking for work,” Sibray said. “There were Poles who came in. Lots of Italians. Italian Masons came in. Almost all the groups that you would find represented in Europe who were looking for work. Irish, lots of Irish railroad workers who came through. There were also a lot of Lebanese folk who tended to be shopkeepers, cobblers – they came in. The area was just suddenly flooded with people from all different walks of life." This New River Gorge coal was especially sought after. "This was something called smokeless coal,” Sibray said. “This coal was not only easy to mine, but it was easy to work with and created less pollution. So it was very desirable in steel making at the time." Some well-known names also had their stake in West Virginia coal. "Henry Ford developed mines here. Rather than buying coal from miners or from mining companies, he eventually decided ‘why am I doing that? Why don't I buy mines here, and mine it myself,’” Sibray said. “It went to all cities up north, as far as I know. I mean, again, where coal was needed, this is where it was coming out." Eventually, the coal mining reached its peak in the New River Gorge. "By the 1940s and 1950s after the Second World War, things began to plateau. A lot of the coal had been extracted already or had become difficult to get to,” Sibray said. “The boomtown period was over, but then we had something that was spectacular in the minds of some people, and it's why this ghost town is so popular. Now you come to the gorge, and in the middle of these forests are these big stone structures and brick structures, and tourists are attracted to those. So that's a big part of tourism in the new national park." Those remains are a sign of a once thriving industry that helped make America what it is today. _________________________________________ For the latest local and national news, visit our website: https://wchstv.com/ Sign up for our newsletter: https://wchstv.com/sign-up Follow WCHS-TV on social media: Facebook:   / eyewitnessnewscharleston   Twitter:   / wchs8fox11​   Instagram:   / wchs8fox11