This is an expedition to the original and sinister sides of the remote mountain state, telling stories of the hard life of the miners, a sheriff who fights against the opioid epidemic with its thousands of dead, and of an environmental activist and Cherokee Indian who is threatened by powerful corporations. “Wild, Wonderful West Virginia” is what people call their state in the middle of the Appalachian Mountains. But under the idyll hides a black hell: a labyrinth of low tunnels in which miners have to crawl on their hands and knees all day long in the dark. The open conversations with the miners make us understand why lifelong democrats suddenly entrusted their hopes for the future to Donald Trump. “I’m proud to be a hillbilly.” This is a look into America. Forever fascinating, forever puzzling because honestly, it is the land of extremes. Extremely innovative and forward thinking; extremely conservative and well, hillbilly too.
This documentary does NOT reflect the majority of West Virginia or its people. This is ONE small county in our state that is VERY different from all of the others. This documentary has an incredible bias to show West Virginia as poor, drug addicts, crazy religious nuts, or coal miners. The majority of my state and it's people look NOTHING like this.
You should do one on their rotten greedy Manchin. He has been pimpin the people of W. Va since he took office. Before him they chose one of the worst racist in the us so they got just what they deserved. They thought they had one of their good ole boys straight grand cyclops and he kept them poor lol the jokes on you all😝
My father was born and raised in the mountains of WV. Had it not been for WW2 I know he would have became a miner because there were no other options. After he served 4 years in the Army during the war, he re-enlisted and made the military his life. These WV miners are the backbone on the USA, God Bless every single miner and please God look over them.
I'm from Central Florida and know nothing about mining or Appalachia. This documentary touched my heart. It's beautiful to see families loving and supporting one another. People love their homes and their lives, in spite of the danger of the danger and inconvenience of living there. Love and support seems to be the best security that anyone can have no matter where you live.
I stayed in West Virginia twice and drove through the length of the state. Coming from urbanized NJ, this state has become something special to me. Truly wild and wonderful.
its so hard to explane to ppl who have never done hard grim labour that if the firm treats you well and u got a good team your working with it can be great
Born and raised here. Now raising my 2 sons with my wife. Ive traveled a decent amount for a wv boy and enjoyed that very much. It also showed me how special this place is and im glad we stayed here. Im only an hour from Pittsburgh so my area of wv is a bit different than others. But it's still wv and we are very proud. God bless
West Virginia is absolutely beautiful 😍. Its like a hidden gem and reminds me of Oklahoma...another absolutely beautiful state . The good people of WV are straight from the heart. They will do whatever they can to help and support others. My family moved to the WV panhandle in 93 and have been there ever since .....love that place. Thank you for this documentary.
I totally agree with you. I attended college there as a foreign student from Africa in the tri-state area in the 80s and I really loved Wild Wonderful W. Virginia. I moved to Oklahoma City after that and that was and still is another good decision I made.
Hell yeah! Ever see the movie “Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia” awesome flic from few years ago. White is just their family name. Its a true story doc. of a family in a mining town.
@@bobbykibe8693 loli moved to Oklahoma last year ! Soon as I crossed the Red River I knew I was home ! I was instantly reminded of WV. I'm in the rural part of Southern Oklahoma...I fell in love with Oklahoma. I thought WV people were the friendliest people on Earth (super friendly ) , but I believe Oklahoma has West Virginia beat on friendliness.
The struggle is the same whether you live in the inner cities or in the Appalachians, cause we all want a better life for ourselves and our families. Love is the same regardless of the which areas you are from. No need to really have political and ideological fights. I love West Virginia as I love California :)
Having lived in both Southern California and in Huntington - the ONLY thing SoCal had was great weather and the Ocean, Huntington (WV in general) very proud people with a rich and deep history (once one of the wealthiest states many many moons ago) but they suffer from many problems such as many educated residents leave the state or post university they do not stay (such as myself, not native to WV but have extended family there and all over the Ohio valley). All said an done, i would rather be around people from larger cities in WV rather than Berkeley or San Francisco people.
These guys are truly men, my heart rate is climbing from watching these guys in there on their hands and knees..wow they cant even stand up my clostrophobia is going off the tracks just watching, man you guys have my respect :)
I watch the Most Dangerous Roads series and was just saying the other day how they should do an episode about the roads on WV, then today this appears on my feed. Even though I know this isn't about our roads, I'm interested in seeing what they have to say.(I live in the Southwestern part of the state.)
My daddy is from West Virginia- and this such a great insight into the Lives of people who lives in these areas. People forget that we are still humans ourselves
I'm gonna write this in the way I actually talk. It don't matter if ya ain't never lived here..yir still uh mountaineer cuz ur daddy's uh mountaineer. Come on home any time ya want to. Mountain Mama always has her arms wide open.
Just slaves to the dollar. They asked in an old folks home what people regretted the most and most people said working to much not spending enough time with their family which you never get back.
Just slaves to the dollar. They asked in an old folks home what people regretted the most and most people said working to much not spending enough time with their family which you never get back.
Thank you Free Documentary for showing this part of forgotten America. Heart goes out to these hearty people as half my family heritage comes from McDowell County (Davy and Asco WV)
Have done 4 tours between iraq n Afghanistan and was blown up 3 times.. I would do that all over again before I could do one shift in these mines. Hats off to y’all.
Hi y’all, I’m born and raised in Roane and Kanawha Counties and my Dad is from Minho and Wayne. My Grandpa was a retired miner he died of black lung and emphysema. God Bless West Virginia
Much like the Black people many can’t seem to relate to. These elites do not discriminate in savagery. When you are no longer needed they could care less.
Documentaries like this are eye opening the lady that refused to sale her land to the greedy evil doers is one tough cookie 👍 It's despicable how society treats the less fortunate I have so much respect for the blokes that go into those coal mines over blokes that destroys families by selling drugs.
This documentary does NOT reflect the majority of West Virginia or its people. This is ONE small county in our state that is VERY different from all of the others. This documentary has an incredible bias to show West Virginia as poor, drug addicts, crazy religious nuts, or coal miners. The majority of my state and it's people look NOTHING like this.
@@xBINARYGODx as a West Virginian I think that is a terrible idea. We have enough people already that get addicted to drugs here. Making them legal would just make it that they can use them as much as they want with no consequences. At least now if someone is stinking up my neighborhood with weed they can get arrested and have the weed removed. If it was legal I could not do anything about it.
@Colin Colombo No consequences?? So you seriously believe that the only reason people don't use illegal drugs is because they are illegal? West Virginia's drug problems are WAY worse than in places that have a different approach to addiction than locking people up for being addicts. Marijuana should've been legalized back in the early 70's but instead we've had to keep on losing Reagan's War on Drugs over and over again. What's the definition of insanity again??
I've spent decades camping and hiking and meeting people from West Virginia. Now this is what America is really about. Some the of the friendliest hardest working people you'll ever meet. Truly is wild and wonderful.
I got a different story. My vacation home being constantly vandalized because they didn’t like me buying a part of their mountain. The sheriff doing nothing especially after talking to some kind locals telling me it’s the sheriff’s second cousin doing the dirt. Soooo sold it at a loss while my father laughed telling me , I told you they don’t want our kind up there.
The family love and closeness, sense of pride - living in WV like this IS the "dream".. seriously.. fishing, hunting, gardening/canning and so on - perfection
This looks like the hardest, dangerous, terribly unhealthy and body breaking profession. I appreciate their hard work but want better for these me and their families. I hate to hear them say that they are not smart enough to do anything else. WVa is beautiful and the people are kind and considerate….would love to see more opportunities for these folks.
God bless y’all! I am forever grateful for the coal miners and their sacrifices! We power our home from coal burning power plants! I wish these companies would invest in the safety of the mines, better pay and better safety measures in place! Sending prayers from your neighbor in southern Virginia 🙏🏼
Definite eye opener. Helps understand how people can wildly support things that dont necesarily benefit them long term but keep them fed and alive for now. I bet these folks have never wondered why not be provided other opportunities versus being gas lit to believe coal will be their only sustainment until they pass away from black lung.
@@frankfurtur5531 Do they "it all figured out" im not calling them dumb but imagine having a grit life, a life of working in a COAL MINE 10 hour sifts six days a week earning just enough to "live", a life where many of your friends and family DIE from OVERDOSE, a life where the odds of you being able to change/help your community is impossible and it can even be dangerous for you and loved ones and despit all this you stil try to make best out of bad situation for the sake of the people you love becuase their love is what make you get out of the bed everyday, all i just write is just a normal day in their lifes, needless to say they don´t have alot time/energy to reflect and although while i was typing this i had tears runnig down my face i agree with you its far more easir "sitting in a palace commenting on UA-cam all day" than to be on their shoes for one hour.
@@telmomoreira7616 I don’t believe in can’t. But I do believe it’d take a tremendous amount of courage and understanding to venture out into essentially a whole new world.
In my opinion, Mining has started one of the very difficult jobs because ores are always exposed to the danger of collapsing mines or exposures. On November 17, 1989, a whole shift of 90 miners died in a brown coal mine in Aleksinac, Serbia.
It's so sad to see people living in a natural paradise but living like slaves and embracing that. These are good people. I'm so fortunate I've been able to travel West Virginia and immerse in it a bit, but from thinking that abusing a snake gets you closer to God to just passing off black lung as a "waiting game" is just sad for such good people. If only they knew their power and righteousness, their fortune is all around them. This is the enigma of West Virginia which fascinates so many, such an incredible place.
I love the family and sense of community in Appalachia! When one looks back on their life, they will say that that was worth more than any money they ever had! ❤
I have an uncle and some cousins that grew up in a little one room shack in WV. They grew marijuana to survive. I remember riding in the back of a pickup truck with several black trash bags back to St. Louis when I was around 10 yrs old. When we got home my uncle dumped out about 20-30 lbs of weed into the kitchen table and my older brother (age 14) and him began breaking it up. I didn't really know what it was. When I got a little bit older I realized what they were doing, but I grew up smelling it so I just thought it was a normal thing that grown ups did.
Enjoyed watching this and to the sheriff and the lady wondering why the government doesn't help them the answer is simple the government doesn't care about poor people if your not rich or lining their pockets with money your s.o.l on them caring
Thier Senator Joe Manchin is a gaslighting, corrupt Sabatour who stops progress in the Congress. He is a millionaire Coal Barron as well. Should be a conflict of interest.
Former French president François Hollande used to laugh at poor people, saying that those are the people without teeth. This is a well documented story from a book "Merci pour ce moment" written by his ex-girlfriend.
My grandpa one day on his way from the coal mines brought 3 big coal blocks and made a coal man out of it. He has put it out every Christmas since I can remember.
I was in Job Corps in the early 70s in Charleston WV and to this day and have a great love for the state. I was engaged to someone from St. Albans. Such a beautiful state and friendly people.
Interesting documentary. I will say tho I’m Pentecostal but we don’t handle snakes...yeah perfect love cast out all fears...also says in the Bible thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
Switzerland used to be West Virginia, landlocked, a small amount of flat lands for agriculture, impoverished; but Switzerland turned itself into a wealthy nation. Coal is a blessing to West Virginia and it is also a curse.
I’ve been a Trucker since I was 22. I’m 34 now and can relate to these workers in a lot of ways. I don’t have a girlfriend or kids or probably a future. This is all I do and all I know. I’ve seen the country at 65mph and I wonder could i ever do anything else
I grew up in the deep darks without indoor plumbing til I was 14 years old. I had to get out where there was more opportunity. I didn’t want my kids to live like that. I love my home state. I have a lot of WV pride.
I moved to Logan county when I was 15 from Chicago. I’ve lived city life. I’ve lived country life. I can honestly say I will always call west by god Virginia home. Yes, I’m a coal miner. Damn proud of it.
Say what you will about the wonderful state, the people are amazing. The natural beauty is unmatched in the contiguous states. It's a shame that it fell on hard times and with a thud. It should serve as both a cautionary tale to diversify the economy instead of relying heavily on one industry, and a strong lesson for the powers that be to try an attract business and other industries to the state.
Big Salute to Such hard working people, May Jesus Save them all , may the new generation be turned to Jesus. Heartfelt love from the bottom of my heart🎉
Alot of good people in West Virginia and if you ever live there DON'T MOVE. The place gets in your blood and bones and you will always be trying to get back for the rest of your life.
I live in WV and they seemed to have only visited the worst parts and condensed it into a horror movie. and to all the people saying they should be wearing masks, they're supposed to. OSHA does come to this state too.
Also lived there. Grew up there. And they SHOULD show the worst parts. Because the government there has continued to allow those parts to get worse and worse. WV could be great. But highlighting the decent areas (because there aren't any truly GOOD areas) is not helpful ... or interesting, since those decent areas are still stagnant af
@@KentuckyObjectivist I lived in Huntington for 3 years. Theres some good parts, but man the drugs, the overdoses, the murders and crime, it was insane. I enjoyed living there, but I had to get out
West Virginia is beautiful, I would love to visit. I live in Washington State now after I got out of the Army I moved here born and raised in Michigan. But some of my ancestors are from West Virginia, also from Kentucky and Tennessee they were Tobacco Farmers. I will spend hours going through online records and whatever else I can find. The camera roll on my phone is full of pictures and records, I love learning about my family and ancestors. I don’t want them to be forgotten, family is very important. It’s the most important thing in my life.
I lived in Oak Hill when I was young. I have alot of family there. Around the Clayton area. My grandfather was a coal miner and WW2 veteran. Our government turned there backs on WVA along with many other states.
That fella “not worried about the union” is as dumb as the day is long. If that union goes away I can tell him what will happen. #1 You’re paycheck is gonna get smaller. #2 your job is gonna get more dangerous. #3 insurance, retirement, 401k. Gone. Your union does a lot more than what you see.
Real men, real women, traditional family values. All good to see. If you run out of work and are willing to leave, there are construction jobs in Ohio, pick any major city. You have the right work ethic so contractors will be willing to train you.
I’m from the Potomac islands of West Virginia Donald Trump is nothing of what you just explained Donald Trump is all about himself and any money he can get out of you that’s all Donald Trump’s about like I said I’m originally from West Virginia and then the Potomac Highlands things have gotten worse over there
Mike Rowe needs this. wow, imagine building your entire personality and life around coal mining. to the degree when death comes its just part of your universe
Miners in Russia work 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, paid vacations 40 days a year, free healthcare, a school and kindergarten for children, and retirement after 20 years of work. Hello Uncle Sam.
Keep in mind three quarters of the rest of West Virginia is nothing like this. Even us native West Virginians generally avoid the southern coal fields.
My grandpa was a coal miner in WV back before the 50's. I can only imagine how operations were compared to today. He lived to be 90, though, and enjoyed his Salem cigs, too.
My papaw Roy use to play bango sit me on his lap sure do miss those days😭❤️love west Virginia elkview my dad's hometown love west Virginia mountain people ♥️♥️♥️👍💪🇺🇲💯🙏
If you grow up anywhere in the area touching the mountains, you're in appliachia. That goes for PA too. This is how we live and the only way we know how to live.
Thank you the video! I’m from Powhatan Virginia and when I’m struggling I always think there’s a boy couple hours away who could be complaining way more than me
Wow, i though WV was Just full of addicted fentanyl people, i've no idea that there were people like these struggling Day after Day, facing their problems with bravery. You, dear American give a significant example to go on ...without weakness. A Hug from Chile.
My whole family is from West virginia, around the mercer and summers county areas. I was born in Jersey but I was raised in my family's land. I don't see myself as a Jersey boy. I am a west virginian. 🫡
This is an expedition to the original and sinister sides of the remote mountain state, telling stories of the hard life of the miners, a sheriff who fights against the opioid epidemic with its thousands of dead, and of an environmental activist and Cherokee Indian who is threatened by powerful corporations.
“Wild, Wonderful West Virginia” is what people call their state in the middle of the Appalachian Mountains. But under the idyll hides a black hell: a labyrinth of low tunnels in which miners have to crawl on their hands and knees all day long in the dark.
The open conversations with the miners make us understand why lifelong democrats suddenly entrusted their hopes for the future to Donald Trump. “I’m proud to be a hillbilly.” This is a look into America. Forever fascinating, forever puzzling because honestly, it is the land of extremes. Extremely innovative and forward thinking; extremely conservative and well, hillbilly too.
🤩🤩👍
This documentary does NOT reflect the majority of West Virginia or its people. This is ONE small county in our state that is VERY different from all of the others. This documentary has an incredible bias to show West Virginia as poor, drug addicts, crazy religious nuts, or coal miners. The majority of my state and it's people look NOTHING like this.
Typical WV documentary. Go to the mines, snake churches and opioid crisis.
You should do one on their rotten greedy Manchin. He has been pimpin the people of W. Va since he took office. Before him they chose one of the worst racist in the us so they got just what they deserved. They thought they had one of their good ole boys straight grand cyclops and he kept them poor lol the jokes on you all😝
@@Frock1999Lived in WV all my life and can tell you for certain….this does not represent most of our state.
My father was born and raised in the mountains of WV. Had it not been for WW2 I know he would have became a miner because there were no other options. After he served 4 years in the Army during the war, he re-enlisted and made the military his life.
These WV miners are the backbone on the USA, God Bless every single miner and please God look over them.
🖕🏻+🖕🏻= 🇩🇪✌🏻🇺🇸
So you have probably have other family members that worked in the mines?
I'm from Central Florida and know nothing about mining or Appalachia. This documentary touched my heart. It's beautiful to see families loving and supporting one another. People love their homes and their lives, in spite of the danger of the danger and inconvenience of living there. Love and support seems to be the best security that anyone can have no matter where you live.
I grew up near this place and my father was a coal miner. Thanks for showing an honest look at these suffering communities.
What about the natives that were there before these settlers taking over, you ppl won't know sufferings if it smacked you dead in the face
I stayed in West Virginia twice and drove through the length of the state. Coming from urbanized NJ, this state has become something special to me. Truly wild and wonderful.
Certainly a lot of nothing but nature in most of the places
I work In a coal mine in Southern Illinois I love it glad people still like to learn about our work and the respect that we have for our coworkers
I have the tmost respect for all of you! Best wishes from upstate NY!!
@@sierrachoco5271 thanks man it's a rough and dangerous job but someone's gotta do it
its so hard to explane to ppl who have never done hard grim labour that if the firm treats you well and u got a good team your working with it can be great
To Anyone who do this I have the upper most respect son of a uk miner
@jeremypitchford140, are you
Still mining? Thought South Illionios was mined out years ago
Born and raised here. Now raising my 2 sons with my wife. Ive traveled a decent amount for a wv boy and enjoyed that very much. It also showed me how special this place is and im glad we stayed here. Im only an hour from Pittsburgh so my area of wv is a bit different than others. But it's still wv and we are very proud. God bless
Must live in Marion countyWV
@Michael-nx3dy no sir. Ohio and Marshall. Northern Panhandle, about an hour from Pittsburgh.
@@nateg4236 im also about an hour way live in marion COUNTY WV
@@nateg4236My bad im 1 hour 50 min. Don't even know why I thought that been awhile since I've been there I guess
@@Michael-nx3dy was honestly a great guess. The Fairmont area .👍🏼
West Virginia is absolutely beautiful 😍. Its like a hidden gem and reminds me of Oklahoma...another absolutely beautiful state . The good people of WV are straight from the heart. They will do whatever they can to help and support others. My family moved to the WV panhandle in 93 and have been there ever since .....love that place. Thank you for this documentary.
I totally agree with you. I attended college there as a foreign student from Africa in the tri-state area in the 80s and I really loved Wild Wonderful W. Virginia. I moved to Oklahoma City after that and that was and still is another good decision I made.
Hell yeah! Ever see the movie “Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia” awesome flic from few years ago. White is just their family name. Its a true story doc. of a family in a mining town.
@@bobbykibe8693 loli moved to Oklahoma last year ! Soon as I crossed the Red River I knew I was home ! I was instantly reminded of WV. I'm in the rural part of Southern Oklahoma...I fell in love with Oklahoma. I thought WV people were the friendliest people on Earth (super friendly ) , but I believe Oklahoma has West Virginia beat on friendliness.
@@memorysometimers3067 I saw that movie lol...I sure did.
@@DivineByDesignWithDani where in southern Oklahoma?
The struggle is the same whether you live in the inner cities or in the Appalachians, cause we all want a better life for ourselves and our families. Love is the same regardless of the which areas you are from. No need to really have political and ideological fights. I love West Virginia as I love California :)
i am from london and belive me the ppl of this city are cold asf it dose not even feel like the england anymore and i am only 31
Having lived in both Southern California and in Huntington - the ONLY thing SoCal had was great weather and the Ocean, Huntington (WV in general) very proud people with a rich and deep history (once one of the wealthiest states many many moons ago) but they suffer from many problems such as many educated residents leave the state or post university they do not stay (such as myself, not native to WV but have extended family there and all over the Ohio valley). All said an done, i would rather be around people from larger cities in WV rather than Berkeley or San Francisco people.
These guys are truly men, my heart rate is climbing from watching these guys in there on their hands and knees..wow they cant even stand up my clostrophobia is going off the tracks just watching, man you guys have my respect :)
I agree and very true you have my respect 😮amen
I watch the Most Dangerous Roads series and was just saying the other day how they should do an episode about the roads on WV, then today this appears on my feed. Even though I know this isn't about our roads, I'm interested in seeing what they have to say.(I live in the Southwestern part of the state.)
Me to
WV roads are definitely a challenge to haul heavy equipment on
My daddy is from West Virginia- and this such a great insight into the Lives of people who lives in these areas. People forget that we are still humans ourselves
If people think you are not human, they are not human themselves. I've been through WV, nicest people ever. Best wishes from upstate NY!!
I'm gonna write this in the way I actually talk. It don't matter if ya ain't never lived here..yir still uh mountaineer cuz ur daddy's uh mountaineer. Come on home any time ya want to. Mountain Mama always has her arms wide open.
Much respect and gratitude to the ones who worked and still work the mines. Thank you.
Yes, never mind that coal is the absolute worst way to get energy.
@@Highley1958 we didn’t always know.
Hello Kim how are you doing today.
Just slaves to the dollar. They asked in an old folks home what people regretted the most and most people said working to much not spending enough time with their family which you never get back.
Just slaves to the dollar. They asked in an old folks home what people regretted the most and most people said working to much not spending enough time with their family which you never get back.
Thank you Free Documentary for showing this part of forgotten America. Heart goes out to these hearty people as half my family heritage comes from McDowell County (Davy and Asco WV)
Wow....my heart goes out to these communities that are really going through hell...
I agree and very true
Have done 4 tours between iraq n Afghanistan and was blown up 3 times.. I would do that all over again before I could do one shift in these mines. Hats off to y’all.
Hi y’all, I’m born and raised in Roane and Kanawha Counties and my Dad is from Minho and Wayne. My Grandpa was a retired miner he died of black lung and emphysema.
God Bless West Virginia
One of the best Documentaries ever .Thank you
I'm from Kentucky and much like this family, God's people for sure ❤
Much like the Black people many can’t seem to relate to. These elites do not discriminate in savagery. When you are no longer needed they could care less.
Documentaries like this are eye opening the lady that refused to sale her land to the greedy evil doers is one tough cookie 👍
It's despicable how society treats the less fortunate I have so much respect for the blokes that go into those coal mines over blokes that destroys families by selling drugs.
This documentary does NOT reflect the majority of West Virginia or its people. This is ONE small county in our state that is VERY different from all of the others. This documentary has an incredible bias to show West Virginia as poor, drug addicts, crazy religious nuts, or coal miners. The majority of my state and it's people look NOTHING like this.
"destroys families by selling drugs." all drugs should be legal and taxed - could grow a metric ton of pot all over Appalachia, just as one example.
@@xBINARYGODx as a West Virginian I think that is a terrible idea. We have enough people already that get addicted to drugs here. Making them legal would just make it that they can use them as much as they want with no consequences. At least now if someone is stinking up my neighborhood with weed they can get arrested and have the weed removed. If it was legal I could not do anything about it.
@Colin Colombo No consequences?? So you seriously believe that the only reason people don't use illegal drugs is because they are illegal? West Virginia's drug problems are WAY worse than in places that have a different approach to addiction than locking people up for being addicts. Marijuana should've been legalized back in the early 70's but instead we've had to keep on losing Reagan's War on Drugs over and over again. What's the definition of insanity again??
@@colincolombo2095 The pot helps people sleep and is a natural plant and does not cause health problems like Big Pharma.
Team Kenya 🇰🇪 represented and following 👏👏👏👏
Haki watu wangu mko all over the internet. LOL!
Fascinating and interesting and informative, thoroughly enjoyed watching this documentary. Bless you all. 🌹
I lived in WV when I attended WVSU. My grandparents live there. It’s a special place and these guys are true American heroes.
I've spent decades camping and hiking and meeting people from West Virginia. Now this is what America is really about. Some the of the friendliest hardest working people you'll ever meet. Truly is wild and wonderful.
I got a different story. My vacation home being constantly vandalized because they didn’t like me buying a part of their mountain. The sheriff doing nothing especially after talking to some kind locals telling me it’s the sheriff’s second cousin doing the dirt. Soooo sold it at a loss while my father laughed telling me , I told you they don’t want our kind up there.
Fantastic look at these God fearing people. God bless them all, Many thanks for posting.
Love this documentary! Love free documentary! You all do a fantastic job!
The family love and closeness, sense of pride - living in WV like this IS the "dream".. seriously.. fishing, hunting, gardening/canning and so on - perfection
Pieces of history we never learned in school.
I love Wild wonderful West Virginia! I love going to visit my kinfolk there.
You should!
Love West Virginia!!!
Greatest people!!!
I live in southern West Virginia. Born and raised. I've tried living in NC, Florida, philly pa. And I always came back home to the mountains.
There's nothing better than a good looking west Virginian woman with an accent.
This looks like the hardest, dangerous, terribly unhealthy and body breaking profession. I appreciate their hard work but want better for these me and their families. I hate to hear them say that they are not smart enough to do anything else. WVa is beautiful and the people are kind and considerate….would love to see more opportunities for these folks.
God bless y’all! I am forever grateful for the coal miners and their sacrifices! We power our home from coal burning power plants! I wish these companies would invest in the safety of the mines, better pay and better safety measures in place! Sending prayers from your neighbor in southern Virginia 🙏🏼
I really wanted the snake to bite the fatty, poor snake.
I have a huge amount of respect for the miners and their families.
Definite eye opener. Helps understand how people can wildly support things that dont necesarily benefit them long term but keep them fed and alive for now. I bet these folks have never wondered why not be provided other opportunities versus being gas lit to believe coal will be their only sustainment until they pass away from black lung.
@@frankfurtur5531 Do they "it all figured out" im not calling them dumb but imagine having a grit life, a life of working in a COAL MINE 10 hour sifts six days a week earning just enough to "live", a life where many of your friends and family DIE from OVERDOSE, a life where the odds of you being able to change/help your community is impossible and it can even be dangerous for you and loved ones and despit all this you stil try to make best out of bad situation for the sake of the people you love becuase their love is what make you get out of the bed everyday, all i just write is just a normal day in their lifes, needless to say they don´t have alot time/energy to reflect and although while i was typing this i had tears runnig down my face i agree with you its far more easir "sitting in a palace commenting on UA-cam all day" than to be on their shoes for one hour.
It’s the same in deep Appalachia as it is in the inner city. Opportunities are elsewhere and it’s a move which most don’t want to make.
@@x27off or can´t.
@@telmomoreira7616 I don’t believe in can’t. But I do believe it’d take a tremendous amount of courage and understanding to venture out into essentially a whole new world.
@@x27off "It’s the same in deep Appalachia as it is in the inner city"
How many squirrel´s can one hunt in Central Park N.Y?
In my opinion, Mining has started one of the very difficult jobs because ores are always exposed to the danger of collapsing mines or exposures.
On November 17, 1989, a whole shift of 90 miners died in a brown coal mine in Aleksinac, Serbia.
Did the mine collapse on them?
29 died in April 2010 in WV
It's so sad to see people living in a natural paradise but living like slaves and embracing that. These are good people. I'm so fortunate I've been able to travel West Virginia and immerse in it a bit, but from thinking that abusing a snake gets you closer to God to just passing off black lung as a "waiting game" is just sad for such good people. If only they knew their power and righteousness, their fortune is all around them. This is the enigma of West Virginia which fascinates so many, such an incredible place.
I love the family and sense of community in Appalachia! When one looks back on their life, they will say that that was worth more than any money they ever had! ❤
I have an uncle and some cousins that grew up in a little one room shack in WV. They grew marijuana to survive. I remember riding in the back of a pickup truck with several black trash bags back to St. Louis when I was around 10 yrs old. When we got home my uncle dumped out about 20-30 lbs of weed into the kitchen table and my older brother (age 14) and him began breaking it up. I didn't really know what it was. When I got a little bit older I realized what they were doing, but I grew up smelling it so I just thought it was a normal thing that grown ups did.
Bird Flapper...
W. Virginia grown weed? Never heard of that.
How long ago was this?
Enjoyed watching this and to the sheriff and the lady wondering why the government doesn't help them the answer is simple the government doesn't care about poor people if your not rich or lining their pockets with money your s.o.l on them caring
But thing is this not happnig in some dirt poor country its happing in the U.S!
Thier Senator Joe Manchin is a gaslighting, corrupt Sabatour who stops progress in the Congress. He is a millionaire Coal Barron as well. Should be a conflict of interest.
vote for trash get treated like trash
Former French president François Hollande used to laugh at poor people, saying that those are the people without teeth. This is a well documented story from a book "Merci pour ce moment" written by his ex-girlfriend.
They also don’t care if you’re white.
West Virginia is such a fun state to drive through. Spectacular landscape
Make a wrong turn and you'll run into cannibals!
@@ketankshukla🙄
Apparently inbreeding is still a thing. Those hill people have nothing and very limited options including sexual partners
My grandpa one day on his way from the coal mines brought 3 big coal blocks and made a coal man out of it. He has put it out every Christmas since I can remember.
Loves this. It really opened my eyes about a way of life that I never really knew about
I was in Job Corps in the early 70s in Charleston WV and to this day and have a great love for the state. I was engaged to someone from St. Albans. Such a beautiful state and friendly people.
Mining is one of the worst jobs in the known universe. these men are heroes in their own right
Interesting documentary. I will say tho I’m Pentecostal but we don’t handle snakes...yeah perfect love cast out all fears...also says in the Bible thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
it says a lot you guys fortunately ignore.
Good morning congratulations for the work!!
Hey, I'll tell you what!! Bless these guy's all the way down from Galveston, TX with much LOVE!
Switzerland used to be West Virginia, landlocked, a small amount of flat lands for agriculture, impoverished; but Switzerland turned itself into a wealthy nation. Coal is a blessing to West Virginia and it is also a curse.
Respect to those miners and respect to this channel
I’ve been a Trucker since I was 22. I’m 34 now and can relate to these workers in a lot of ways. I don’t have a girlfriend or kids or probably a future. This is all I do and all I know. I’ve seen the country at 65mph and I wonder could i ever do anything else
I grew up in the deep darks without indoor plumbing til I was 14 years old. I had to get out where there was more opportunity. I didn’t want my kids to live like that. I love my home state. I have a lot of WV pride.
6 days a week working 10/hr days underground is insane!!
I moved to Logan county when I was 15 from Chicago. I’ve lived city life. I’ve lived country life. I can honestly say I will always call west by god Virginia home. Yes, I’m a coal miner. Damn proud of it.
The heart of America. I love these folks. Too bad the companies dont!
West Virginia is the rectum of America.
Say what you will about the wonderful state, the people are amazing. The natural beauty is unmatched in the contiguous states. It's a shame that it fell on hard times and with a thud. It should serve as both a cautionary tale to diversify the economy instead of relying heavily on one industry, and a strong lesson for the powers that be to try an attract business and other industries to the state.
I love these hard-working great Americans
best documentary on youtube!!!
Big Salute to Such hard working people, May Jesus Save them all , may the new generation be turned to Jesus. Heartfelt love from the bottom of my heart🎉
Alot of good people in West Virginia and if you ever live there DON'T MOVE. The place gets in your blood and bones and you will always be trying to get back for the rest of your life.
I live in WV and they seemed to have only visited the worst parts and condensed it into a horror movie. and to all the people saying they should be wearing masks, they're supposed to. OSHA does come to this state too.
Also lived there. Grew up there. And they SHOULD show the worst parts. Because the government there has continued to allow those parts to get worse and worse.
WV could be great.
But highlighting the decent areas (because there aren't any truly GOOD areas) is not helpful ... or interesting, since those decent areas are still stagnant af
Wouldnt that be MSHA?
@@KentuckyObjectivist I lived in Huntington for 3 years. Theres some good parts, but man the drugs, the overdoses, the murders and crime, it was insane. I enjoyed living there, but I had to get out
West Virginia is beautiful, I would love to visit. I live in Washington State now after I got out of the Army I moved here born and raised in Michigan. But some of my ancestors are from West Virginia, also from Kentucky and Tennessee they were Tobacco Farmers. I will spend hours going through online records and whatever else I can find. The camera roll on my phone is full of pictures and records, I love learning about my family and ancestors. I don’t want them to be forgotten, family is very important. It’s the most important thing in my life.
West Virginia is American’s best kept secret, it’s the best!
West Virginia is great for automotive connoisseurs. Long curvy roads, nice roads, idyllic during the autumn season.
I lived in Oak Hill when I was young. I have alot of family there. Around the Clayton area. My grandfather was a coal miner and WW2 veteran. Our government turned there backs on WVA along with many other states.
I love watching these type documentaries. Very good job on this one. Very good. 👍
Excellent documentary!
That fella “not worried about the union” is as dumb as the day is long.
If that union goes away I can tell him what will happen.
#1 You’re paycheck is gonna get smaller.
#2 your job is gonna get more dangerous.
#3 insurance, retirement, 401k. Gone.
Your union does a lot more than what you see.
Awesome as always
Love from guyana 🇬🇾🇬🇾🇬🇾🇬🇾
My neighbor died in the knox mine disaster along w many other good men. My grandfather escaped thank god. Its hard livin.
I get sick to my stomach watching these men in the small ceiling mine....no way I could do that....they are brave men....or crazy?
Madness
Man this is sad and hard to see these young men killing themselves slaves for a dollar.
We are mountaineers to the core !! I love my home in these mountains
I FREAKING LOVE THIS CHANNEL
Real men, real women, traditional family values. All good to see. If you run out of work and are willing to leave, there are construction jobs in Ohio, pick any major city. You have the right work ethic so contractors will be willing to train you.
I’m from the Potomac islands of West Virginia Donald Trump is nothing of what you just explained Donald Trump is all about himself and any money he can get out of you that’s all Donald Trump’s about like I said I’m originally from West Virginia and then the Potomac Highlands things have gotten worse over there
I am in the Bay Area California and MANY of us were TRUMP people!!! I mean MANY 🗽🗽🗽
Hopefully 🙏 he will return 🗽🗽🗽
I CAN’T AVOID IT
I FALL IN LOVE OF THIS CHANNEL
Mike Rowe needs this. wow, imagine building your entire personality and life around coal mining. to the degree when death comes its just part of your universe
Miners in Russia work 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, paid vacations 40 days a year, free healthcare, a school and kindergarten for children, and retirement after 20 years of work. Hello Uncle Sam.
Hahah joke of the day goes to you sir.
Tell me more about how beautiful and fair life in Russia is...
American mines offer good benefits. Great pay too. I’ve worked every nine in wva almost.
Never been to West Virginia but my great grandparents came from Marshall County would love to go one day
Hello Sheila how are you doing today.
A very very hard life but a place u can live a peaceful life like it supposed to god bless u young man n ur wife n child ❤️ u all Philip
Love West Virginia ! Wonderful people. 🧡🧡🧡
Almost heaven... West Virginia....Blue Ridge mountain........ country road take home to the place I belongs .....
Keep in mind three quarters of the rest of West Virginia is nothing like this. Even us native West Virginians generally avoid the southern coal fields.
28.2.2022.First class and excellent. Thanks for sharing.
Awesome documentary!!!
As a coal miner i enjoy seeing documentaries like this showing what we really deal with
My grandpa was a coal miner in WV back before the 50's. I can only imagine how operations were compared to today. He lived to be 90, though, and enjoyed his Salem cigs, too.
My papaw Roy use to play bango sit me on his lap sure do miss those days😭❤️love west Virginia elkview my dad's hometown love west Virginia mountain people ♥️♥️♥️👍💪🇺🇲💯🙏
Found this very interesting documentary Miners are a special breed of hardworking people Cheers from Linda in Australia 🍹😊👏
Thank you.and bless you.
The food 🥘 looks really great 👍 I was raised on that kind of food.
A great video and may God continue to bless all the families in this video
Does the snake handler milk the snakes?
If you grow up anywhere in the area touching the mountains, you're in appliachia. That goes for PA too. This is how we live and the only way we know how to live.
Most of these Appalachia communities keep it in the family if you know what I mean.
not true lmao get outta here with your stereotypes
it s quite obvious
Excellent video!!!!
Thank you the video! I’m from Powhatan Virginia and when I’m struggling I always think there’s a boy couple hours away who could be complaining way more than me
Southern WV has a lot in common with the Native peoples in South Dakota.
Wow, i though WV was Just full of addicted fentanyl people, i've no idea that there were people like these struggling Day after Day, facing their problems with bravery. You, dear American give a significant example to go on ...without weakness. A Hug from Chile.
My whole family is from West virginia, around the mercer and summers county areas. I was born in Jersey but I was raised in my family's land. I don't see myself as a Jersey boy. I am a west virginian. 🫡
You will worrie about a union when you go to retire and don’t have a medical card when you retire