Visiting ABANDONED Harlan County Kentucky Coal Mining Sites
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- Опубліковано 29 вер 2024
- I visit a few abandoned Harlan County Kentucky coal mining sites in this video. Harlan county was where the Eastern Kentucky coalfield opened up in the early 1900's. I begin my journey in the city of Lynch, which at one point was the largest coal town in America. Afterwards I stop in the community of Totz, KY, where there is still a coal mining operation and quite a bit of old infrastructure. Following that, I drive to the Loyall railyard near Harlan. The Loyall train yard is really something to see from above with a drone. The yard is still in operation, but at a fraction of the scale that it used to be. I finish up my trip in the community of Ages, Kentucky at the abandoned mine site there. Coal hasn't been mined there in years, but all of the machinery still sits there just as it was left. All in all coal is an important part of our heritage in Eastern Kentucky, and I think this video shoes just how reliant our economy became on "black gold." I would encourage everyone to watch the exceptional documentary Harlan County USA for more on this heritage.
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Fantastic footage man. I’d love to keep seeing more
Thanks Ben! Really appreciate it.
What a blessing to see the town my mom was born and raised in, my papaw Edward Mills, her daddy killed in the coal mines in Harlan when she only 11 years old. RIP papaw and now my beloved mother! ❤️🙏
Thanks for your comment. Definitely a tough place to grow up. Subscribe for more!
@@Overexposed1 I subscribed 😊
Thank you so much. Let me know if there is something you would like to see on the channel and I will try to work on it!
@@Overexposed1 my kin are in Knox Co. not far up the road, and your right, hard place to live, but none prettier or with better people.
@@deborahchesser7375 I live in Knox County Currently. I'm a Barbourville guy! Thanks so much for tuning in. I would love it if you'd subscribe. Lots of great Eastern Kentucky content here. my goal is to highlight the positives.
I actually live in ages, one of the places shown in the video, pretty crazy to see it on UA-cam, been and that same place probably 100 times
Very well done...excellent view of a fascinating industry.
Thanks so much, Jack more to come
Thank you for documenting this history before it fades away over time.
You’re welcome! Thanks so much for watching. Subscribe for more!
Great video , beautiful part of the world ! It is so sad that THEY won't replace coal job with other good paying jobs when the coal is gone . There are lots of these old sites in Eastern KY and Southern WV . Thanks for recognizing the coolness Sir .
🙏🏼🇺🇲
Hate to see these operations shut down. I sincerely hope at least some will be reactivated again some day. We could cover the entire state of KY with solar panels and windmills and it wouldn't produce the energy one unit coal train will provide. "Renewable energy" is a pipe dream.
I wonder what environmental impacts happened as a result
There are a bunch of negatives associated with coal mining, but there are some real positives too that don’t get nearly as much publicity. Lots of times coal mining takes land that is mountainous and flattens it. In rural Kentucky, that usually leads to land that can be used later for better economic development. This doesn’t always happen, but the malls or industrial parks that we do have over here are often times on old coal sites.
As someone who loves the outdoors and hiking, I really hate it, but I also recognize that some good does come from it.
Eastern Kentucky sure needs too be cleaned up looks like a junk yard
Obama killed everything off. Get a clue
With Obama’s restrictions, many coal companies had to close down, as a result the steel industry and power plants dependent on it also suffered massive economical hits. Coal companies left, people became jobless & left too. The steel industry was shorted the needed ingredients to make steel (thus driving up the price of steel, automobiles, new construction, etc). What is left is abandoned mines, abandoned cities, and dying economies. Who is going to pay for the clean up, for the buildings to be demolished and the debris to be carried away? The companies that still own the land aren’t doing it. The people left don’t have the funds or the means to do so. So who will?
At one time the Dems could count on votes from the coal areas. Not anymore according to my wife’s family in Logan county WV.
Mining companies suck sobs to don't care about the environment.or the land.
I was born and lived in harlan for 4 yrs. My dad whos passed on. My uncle still lives in the area hauling the last of harlan coal
The TOTZ, KENTUCKY tipple that you show, has been added on to. A separate unloading point had been erected next to the beltline coming from underneath the roadway. A separate belt line runs across the Poor Fork river to the tipple. A separate sizer/crusher has been installed to load coal directly into the coal cars without being washed. A separate belt line of washed coal is still in operation.
I was born and raised in Harlan county in 1979 and I always figured coal would always be around, boy was I wrong! Growing up my father went to work for 25 yr and worked underground the entire time. My brother and I were lucky to have a hard working father who made good money til he passed away. I also put some time in underground but not as long as my father and now coal, especially underground is definitely a thing of the past! Now all our children are having to leave these mountains to find a new life!
I appreciate your comment. Coal has definitely been a double edged sword for Eastern Kentucky.
Big pharma has capitalzed on hurt and sick coal miners as well! It’s been a horrible thing to watch!
My dad was active in the UMWA his whole live. Went to many miners conventions and told me back in the 70s to stay out of the mines. He saw what was going on when the oil companies started buying into the coal industry in the Mid 70s. He told me then it didn't look good for coal in the future and find different a kind of work. Thank God I listened.
Great stuff man! Glad to see someone documenting this stuff. I've been coming up to the coalfields of EK and WV on little weekend trips from home here in SC to photograph these old mining camps and document the last of some of the rail operations in this part of Appalachia. About ten minutes south of Harlan there is a place by both the names of Coalgood and Mary Helen where there is an active mining site that has a company store I believe built in the 30s. Crumbling and surely soon to fall. I highly recommend checking it out. If you're lucky enough to get a train loading coal when you're there you can probably get some killer video. It's such a neat place. Keep it up!
That’s awesome. I find these old sites fascinating. I will definitely check er out. There’s a lot to see over in VA too. I live for little weekend trips! Maybe we will bump into each other one day! Thanks for watching!
My grandma roof bolted there in the 70s. She was hardcore union. She's in the harlan Country USA documentary. Alyce saylor.
My hometown is such a beautiful place. Many of my ancestors worked in those mines.
Interesting video. All silent now.
Like our British mines.✌🏴
We have a few still active, but it isn't many!
@@Overexposed1 all of our deep mines have gone now.
You know bach, if I could I would go back tomorrow. Best job I had and the men second to non.
Thank you for the video! I shot some mine videos in Harlan back in 2019. Beautiful country, great people.
Absolutely. Thanks for watching. Come back soon, I live in these parts.
My dad I think worked for bow valley coal. Does anyone have any info on this mine? He's passed and it was something I never talked to him about.
Keep up the great videos
Thank you so much for uploading this great video, I sooooooo appreciate it!
which side are ya on which side are ya on!
Add this into the cost of coal
This is a shot in the dark:
I happend upon this video while doing more research into my great grandfather. He died in a Harlan mine in 1924. I just found out which mining company not that long ago from a photo of a mamorial with a huge list of names, and years of those who have died in the mines. It was a stroke of luck and work from a family member.
I am trying to find out if information can be found from old records, if so how? His name was Willie Lewis. If you or anyone on here can help, i would be so greatful.
very cool!
Awesome video brother....my family left in the early 50s
Thanks for watching! Subscribe for more eastern Kentucky content.
Good job
Beautiful video it’s our duty as photographers to document a d preserve images of our history for future generations your videos and stills will be seen for generations to come think about the images we have seen over the years
I completely agree with this. My first photo book will be based on that notion as well. Stay tuned!
Lot's of old ghost stories on the coal mine's in Eastern Kentucky. I mean real scary!
No doubt about that! I’m also a public defender - lots of bodies turn up in these old mines!
Home...
Ive recently become fascinated with this history of our country. Great video
Thank you so much. Plenty more on the way. Be sure you are subscribed so you don’t miss anything!
Absolutely awesome video. Subscribed and 👍
Welcome aboard! Awesome and thank you!!
I live in a southern Illinois coal mining area .mining companies or government people are trying restore the land clean up the mess 🤔😬
Is there a vision when mining.clean up the land yes
I notice every mine has a pond. What was the water used for?
Thank you for sharing this. I hope you make a video of the mines in Cawood and Crummies Creek.
I will look into it. Thanks for the tip! Be sure to subscribe so you see my future videos!
Great video! One thing, Totz is still active and runs coal through its washer every day. It used to load trains but they now ship the coal from there down to Dione at their NRG loadout.
NRG of which is actually featured in the video
NRG of which is actually featured in the video!
Thanks for the insight. Super cool.
what is the name of the music?
Great Job. My family lived in Cumberland but my Dad worked in Lynch for years. His last job at Arch Mineral there in Lynch was operating the train engine that is parked there still today. Great Job on the drone footage.
Thanks Ken!
Awesome
Fantastic. Video. I. Will. Share. It. .
Thank you so much, and subscribe for more eastern Kentucky videos!
my dad died in a mine sadly i wont forget him its crazy what can happen
I’m so sorry for your loss. May he Rest In Peace 🙏
This is where my father was born and raised. His father was a farmer. Strong folks from that part of the country. Daniel Boone is part of his blood line.
Keep up the great videos
Thank you Ralph! Plenty more coming!
Hauled over this way a bunch, Harlan, Hazard. As destructive as coal is/was to the environment and lives, it was the only way to make a living.
Exactly right.
Needs too be cleaned up
That's extremely ugly. The coal companies shouldn't be allowed to leave that decaying mess.
They are all over here. It really is an eyesore