Coal Camp Kids

Come explore another time and place. The coal camps may have been rough and impoverished but to the kids that grew up there they were wonderful and exciting. These tales range from playing church and bird funerals,to how chewing tobacco and spitting into the creek became one of Roy's best tattle-tale adventures ever. Learn about the Goings on between the churchgoers and the sinners. Find out if Margie's pet chicken, Gladys ended up in chicken heaven or on the dinner table. Follow the adventures of Bonnie's unexpected ride on the back of a hog. Find out what the trickle of water coming out from under the Christmas tree really was. You may be surprised that it really did hurt dad more than the kids when he removed his belt to punish the kids. Learn the real meaning behind David's insistence that 'Pocky mokes". Discover who wins when Raymond tangles with Sally the cat. Experience the itch of Larry's mishap in the woods. Find out why Judy isn't wearing any panties. These tales reveal the good and the bad of what life was really like for the Coal Camp Kids.

Coal Miners from the forties and fifties were a special kind of people. The community of the camps they lived in instilled value and culture that is lacking in today's world. The "Coal Camp Kids" and "Teens" aren't kids any more. Most of them have great grandchildren. "Coal Camp Kids, The End of an Era" catches up with the "Kids" today, and tells how they are passing on their values. The process creates some amusing circumstances. As you read, find out: Who got a phone call from Jesus, why were Bonnie and Margie on a four wheeler, who told David Pittman, "That's how they do it on TV," Why was Ruby Bartley so embarrassed, who thought they might need a good talking to, what did Karen shower everyone with, who got a standing ovation, what did Billie pray for, who is afraid of a thunderstorm, who thinks they would get a rush from a tornado, what got Paula tickled on the elevator, why was Joshua splashing in the tub, and who was interested in Margie's twelve string? Explore the joys and heartaches that fill our everyday lives in the West Virginia Mountains. "The End of an Era" completes the trilogy.

Join this, often humorous, walk down memory lane. Find out: Why an apple rolled down the Isle of the Putney church, If Ed got the point, Where Gobblers Knob is, Who cooked Steves duck, Where did Jody get that prize beagle, What was Jerrys surprise, Why Emmas play was canceled, How David got into such a tight situation, Why did Jesse James get kicked out of school, Who in the world is Pampers, Why did Raymond un-quit, How come Larrys Lincoln was only a two speed, And who Sparky is. We survived, with some wonderful memories. This teenage stuff isnt always easy, but it can be great fun. Teenagers are a strange mixture of hormones, guts and uncertainty. Add in a healthy dose of orneriness, a lot of rock-and-roll, a dance step or two, a few likeminded friends and youll get trouble enough. If however, you throw in, a little coal dust, a swimming hole, a taste of Roys moonshine, a bunch of school skipping, some military service, red blue jeans, Judys bottle of Listerine, and a thick layer of snow and ice, then you have real West Virginia Coal Camp trouble. To say that we grew up poor is an understatement, but dont forget, we grew up in a great country that afforded us luxuries and opportunities that make us seem very wealthy in the eyes of most of the world. For that I am very grateful. Coal Camp Teens werent so different from other teens, or were they? The rich culture of the mines and the hills, blended together to fashion people who were especially strong. No one ever said that teenage years were easy. Sure there were fun times and memories that will be cherished for the rest of our lives. There were also lessons to be learned. Learning lessons is especially hard when you think you already know it all. There is nothing good about a paddling, unless you learn something from it. There is not much good that can be said about war, except when it is necessary to preserves our freedom. In much the same way, the trials and temptations that filled our teenage years are nothing to brag about, except that they made us what we are today. Coal Camp Teens explores the strange world of the teenager. In particular, the teenager growing up in the coal camps of Campbells Creek, West Virginia.

A young girl grows up in the sooty shadow of the coal mines of West Virginia When the whistle blows, Christina knows her father is coming home. Every day he emerges from the pit with his skin caked in coal dust. He’s 50 now and he’s been working in the mines since he was 12 years old. It’s dangerous, backbreaking labor, but he does it because he loves his family. As far as Christina is concerned, there is no job in the world more honorable than digging coal. Danger is always close at hand in the mines. There are cave-ins, explosions, and diseases. But no matter what happens, Christina and her family always stick together. This meticulously researched look at life in a coal camp shows that no matter how dark the pit, love will always shine through.

COAL CAMPWhen two young friends are caught up in the turmoil of changes in the coalfields in the middle of the twentieth century, they take extremely different routes to improving means of extracting coal from the earth--one through mechanization and the other through unionization--and become bitter enemies. But after years of conflicts, getting married and raising children, their friendship is rekindled when they are hopelessly trapped in a mine cave-in. This is the story of coal miners--their lives, loves, hopes, dreams and deaths.

Tucked into a remote canyon in northeastern New Mexico, Sugarite Coal Camp created a true melting pot for mostly immigrant miners slinging picks and shovels. The coal they labored to produce heated homes across several states for decades. In a bountiful place long used by native peoples and then by cattle ranchers, coal mining debuted in Sugarite (Sugar-eet') Canyon in the early 1900s. The St. Louis, Rocky Mountain, and Pacific Company quickly ramped up full-scale mining operations, building an orderly town of sturdy block houses perched upon canyon slopes. A store, school, post office, and clubhouse served camp residents, many hailing from Eastern Europe, Italy, Greece, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Mexico, and even Japan. With the rumble of coal cars as background music, poor mining families lived a rich life making wine, dancing, and playing sports. Today, visitors to Sugarite Canyon State Park tour ghostly remains of the camp, one of the few accessible to the public.

Join this, often humorous, walk down memory lane. Find out: Why an apple rolled down the Isle of the Putney church, If Ed got the point, Where Gobbler's Knob is, Who cooked Steve's duck, Where did Jody get that prize beagle, What was Jerry's surprise, Why Emma's play was canceled, How David got into such a tight situation, Why did Jesse James get kicked out of school, Who in the world is "Pampers," Why did Raymond un-quit, How come Larry's Lincoln was only a two speed, And who Sparky is. We survived, with some wonderful memories. This teenage stuff isn't always easy, but it can be great fun. Teenagers are a strange mixture of hormones, guts and uncertainty. Add in a healthy dose of orneriness, a lot of rock-and-roll, a dance step or two, a few likeminded friends and you'll get trouble enough. If however, you throw in, a little coal dust, a swimming hole, a taste of Roy's moonshine, a bunch of school skipping, some military service, red blue jeans, Judy's bottle of Listerine, and a thick layer of snow and ice, then you have real West Virginia Coal Camp trouble. To say that we grew up poor is an understatement, but don't forget, we grew up in a great country that afforded us luxuries and opportunities that make us seem very wealthy in the eyes of most of the world. For that I am very grateful. "Coal Camp Teens" weren't so different from other teens, or were they? The rich culture of the mines and the hills, blended together to fashion people who were especially strong. No one ever said that teenage years were easy. Sure there were fun times and memories that will be cherished for the rest of our lives. There were also lessons to be learned. Learning lessons is especially hard when you think you already know it all. There is nothing good about a paddling, unless you learn something from it. There is not much good that can be said about war, except when it is necessary to preserves our freedom. In much the same way, the trials and temptations that filled our teenage years are nothing to brag about, except that they made us what we are today. "Coal Camp Teens" explores the strange world of the teenager. In particular, the teenager growing up in the coal camps of Campbell's Creek, West Virginia.