As someone who lives here I can tell you the younger generations are leaving wv because there’s nothing here for them. Unless you want to do construction or plumbing your out of luck. And recreation is much worse. The drug problems are growing because there’s literally nothing els to do. It’s great for tourists but eventually you get tired of walking trails and camping.
Some of us nerd HARD here. And there are so many writers per capita. I get your point and am nit saying you're wrong, but I think it's more complex. I think trauma and abuse are a bigger factor that most don't want to acknowledge.
I agree I lived in Berkeley county West Virginia for 2 years their trailer parks are full heroin addicts opiates addicts I think that's the biggest piece of s*** that ever come down the pike and I had relatives in the past that were born in West Virginia yeah what the hell happened to the place worthless piece of s*** state
@@stephenmesoros4344 grew up in Berkeley county also tho drug problem and housing has been a huge problem there. Too many people drugged out to have good communities in the inner city
There is plenty to do and that is no excuse. Outsourcing of middle class jobs, corrupt politicians serving industry instead of citizens halted our forward progress which caused economic depression. Couple that with pharmaceutical companies targeting Appalachia with a new non addictive alternative to pain medication, Oxycontin! Treating doctors like car salesman earning a sweet commission. With the new found appetite for drugs it became a hot location for people to traffic drugs to from neighboring big cities to sell at a substantial profit. Other than that, most people are very friendly and hardworking. Driving here isn't stressful because more drivers are courteous than not. It's beautiful and I'm happy it isn't an over populated rat utopia.
I live in PA. I've only driven through WV. I drive to and through West Virginia on purpose. Its beautiful. Never had a bad experience; people've always been kind. Something about it all draws me back time after time
Ik its a bit dark but the abandoned parts of wv have a very unique feeling. Mixed with the natural beauty adds a charm to the culture. Half of the state could be a museum
I've lived in West Virginia my entire life. The state has had so many opportunities throughout the decades, but every one gets actively fought against. Any attempt to do anything other than coal mining is always framed as somehow being destructive to coal mining, so gets fought against. There was an opportunity to get an automotive manufacturing plant (I believe Hyundai but could be remembering wrong) in the state, but when it was discovered that instead of being some kind of 1950s style factory with thousands of jobs it was going to be heavily automated and only offer a couple hundred jobs, the state refused it. There are only around 2000 active coal miners in the state, but the entire state suffers to benefit them. I personally got incalculably lucky growing up and had the opportunity to get into computers in the 90s, and there is a small but tight-knit tech industry here. I keep hope alive that eventually someone will get in office that accepts that they can no longer rely on coal mining (current governor owns a coal company, so that's not happening soon) and starts focusing on education, because going after tech industry seems like a no-brainer. You don't need sprawling factories or infrastructure more difficult than stringing fiber optic lines. But you need an educated base of people to support that, and we've had some of the worst education systems in the country for decades with no sign of any willingness to do anything except make it worse. For now, I work remotely for a company whose HQ is in Texas, my boss is in Chicago, my coworkers are in Costa Rica, India, NYC, SF, etc. At least houses aren't insanely priced here like they are in many other places.
Hi from Madison, WV, the heart of coal country. I've lost so many family members to the mines, yet we still rely so heavily on the money our men make there. There's nothing else for us to do, my uncles can't drive 2+ hours to work and 2+ hours home to work in Charleston, and there's nowhere else to work that'll pay enough to feed a family. The coal mines have stripped my hometown of any and all opportunities outside of coal, but it isn't entirely their fault. The corrupt politicians have been stealing from the people to line their pockets longer than I've been alive and it isn't going to change unless we can shake the people's belief and reliance in the coal mines. I think this decline will inevitably bring good change to WV; once there are no more resources to steal or people to enslave, the corrupt politicians and nasty businesses will leave and open the door for something better to take their place. I can't wait for the younger generations to change our state for the better. I just hope I'm around long enough to see it.
@@theta6802 sounds like the younger generation of West Virginians need to have a "revolution" of sorts and take back the power and essentially, the state, back from the corrupt and power hungry. I live in Kentucky (Cincinnati area) and even though I live in essentially Ohio, I've been all over Kentucky over the years for work, my parents live in Central Kentucky, and I spent about 6 years in Lexington (the 2nd biggest city in the state), and you see corruption and stagnant growth here too. Especially in _Coal Country._ People are so firmly rooted that coal and corrupt politicians will make a comeback/keep their numerous false promises from over the years that they keep overlooking their misery and poor "prospects". I feel like rural Appalachia (Kentucky and West Virginia) both share that characteristic. 20 years behind the rest of the country and the ones that are in power rather keep it that way. Their bank accounts are full, they don't care about the rest who struggle to put food on the table and struggle day in and day out to survive. It's horribly depressing.
@@angiedavis793 I live in Princeton WV, and it is a lot better than 10 years ago as far as the looks of Mercer Street, but for the rest of the county of Mercer it's a sad sight rent as high as 7 or 800 a month for something that is just livable. 450 a month for a trashed singlewide on the side of a cliff or in a flood zone you choose. Then you have 1 or 2 places within 100 miles that can pay you enough to live. Don't even get me started on the drugs down here in the southern part of the state. People getting robbed, houses robbed, there are more people working at stealing from Walmart than actually working there. Any good job has a list of candidates 10 miles long, so you better have never ever, ever had anything against you because that automatically gets you put to the bottom of the pile. Then they wonder why the people are on drugs in the first place, THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WORK that you can actually live on. I could go on for years sorry, I just hate to see how stubborn our leaders are that coal will make a comeback. It might if the world keeps coming apart and we collapse as a country. Who would want that just for coal to come back, some 60- to 70-year-old politician who has his bank account full of coal money and won't live to see the destruction they have caused so many others, that's EXACTLY who!
I live in Harrison County just outside of Clarksburg and there's too much drugs here now and stealing. Its sad. And rent I've seen a 1 bedroom utilities paid for 1200. Crazy
I am a fourth generation coal miner. I have been underground for 20 years I have survived the drops in the mining industry some times by the skin of my teeth. Coal is feast or famine no in between. They cannot make it without coal. Whether for steel or for electricity it has to be mined. Hopefully West Virginians will continue to have a means of supporting their families within the mining industry for years to come.
You should actually stop to visit. WV has so many amazing places, charming towns, and some of the nicest people you will ever meet. New River Gorge NP, Greenbank National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Cranberry Glades, Dolly Sods. So much history. Can you tell I'm proud of my home state?
I remember in the 80's, there were charming little rural towns, dotted throughout WV. Cities always come with problems (I'm from Baltimore, I know.) What's sad to see is the decay; those charming little towns are skeletons of what they used to be. The charm has left...replaced by drug problems and boarded-up homes/businesses...which has spurred people to move elsewhere (which was always happening, but sped up)...and now those charming little towns are full of the people who can't afford to move, or keep up their houses beyond a bare minimum. Times are rough everywhere...but times are especially rough in WV. Which is why I'm always pleasantly, wonderfully surprised that the people are SO kind, so giving. People who are having bad times often 'pass it on' to others. The ones I know, and have met by chance are kindly by nature, even in the face of all the problems that surround them.
I had the pleasure of working in WV for nearly 2 weeks back in 2012 after a particularly bad storm took out power to much of the state (I work for a power utility in NY, and we were called in to help with damage assessment and trouble calls.) I've travelled through most of the lower 48, and I'll maintain that the people I met in West Virginia were the kindest, most generous and welcoming people I've met anywhere in the U-S of A.
That was the June 29th derecho. When I first read about it it was stunning to see just how hard WV was hit given the sparse population density and old power utilities
@@MrLandslide84 Ha! Indeed. We only encountered the hill folks in the first couple of days out there. One place we pulled up in the truck, then slowly backed down the drive while keeping our eyes on the residents...a little spooky. :D
@@tadekw9108 I believe you're correct. We were amazed at the distances some of the power lines were run to serve a couple of customers 5 miles down a holler. Great time driving around there.
Coal made, and kept Appalachia poor. The only thing that left West Virginia faster than the trains loaded with coal was the suitcases loaded with the profits.
@@fashiharz8584The early Coal Barons established what was effectively a feudal economic system; politically corrupt; exploitative; resistant to reform and regulation; and which, now in decline, is wringing the last drops of blood out of surviving population.
Hey man, I was the guy that recognized you in Walmart this past week! Love the content and interestingly enough, I lived the beginning of my life in and around the northern panhandle of WV so this one hits a little closer to home. Keep up the good work
I’ve been to 46 states and travel extensively and have to say WV is one of my top 2 most beautiful scenic states. We vacation there a lot. Life is relaxed there and it gets a bad rap. My Texan wife says she hopes the word never gets out lest it gets discovered.
I grew up in WV. Moved away and I then realized what I had there and moved back. It does get a bad rap. But I kinda like it that way. If you can find a niche here you can live well.
@Unspoken Unfound To each their own....I'd take the year around beauty of out West for Appalachia any day. I also lived in Colorado for 8 years in Nederland,right about Boulder at 9,000 feet.
I was born and raised in West Virginia. My 65 year old father was as well. It’s odd to think of the state as having ever been prosperous though I know that it was. I’m in Huntington and I have to clarify what I mean when I tell people from other parts of the country/world that I live in a city.
It's hard to believe this little coal town I live in used to have businesses all along the main road. The main road used to be longer and the missing half looked like a complete different place. Then in 2 weeks our last coke plant close by is closing down bringing 300+ jobs with it. Our steel mill hasn't been in full operation since the war.
I lived in Huntington most of my life. I’ve moved away a few times but WV has always called me back home. Due to Huntington’s rising crime and drug problems I moved across the bridge to Chesapeake but still live on the mighty Ohio river overlooking St Mary’s and my childhood home.
Haha. I’m from Cabell County but am going to school in Tennessee. One of the things that Huntington has for it is that despite its issues, it is such a nice city to be in. The city feels tight-knit, it’s walkable, and almost everything is local. In Knoxville, there’s a nice downtown but it’s more of an attraction than an actual city. I still feel much much much more rooted in Huntington despite being in Knoxville these days.
I'm currently 17 living in WV, the reason I plan on leaving is mostly because of the lack of opportunities and everyone here resisting any form of change. Everyone is here is so kind, it's a beautiful state and I plan on returning to see family, but I'm unable to see myself thrive in this environment.
Years ago I visited W.V. It is a very beautiful state ,I was at Cass for the train👍😊🚂.. I don't want the state to be considered a tourist trap but I feel if it had attractions like Pigeon Forge T.N. through out the state it could very well improve most peoples lives with all the tourists coming there ( hotels, restaurants, great place for wedding venues, rafting and more.) .I personally am tired of Pigeon Forge I wish there was more places similar to them though out the Eastern U.S. to go.
@@michaelwhismancome to my area where the people are wealthy, well-educated but morally bankrupt! So, to put it bluntly, education has its limitations as well!
As an Ohioan, I visit WV on a regular basis. Great kayaking, hiking, and pepperoni rolls. Along with partially empty downtown areas and poor decaying rural river areas.
@@mountainstateoutdoors7099 He probably means all those small river towns that got isolated when the interstates passed them by. Even the ones that do have immediate highway access are usually struggling just to keep their schools open. If you're not in one of the six burgs that can pass for cites in WV, you're in a dying small town or the boonies proper.
I was born there in '49, left after high school. Visit relatives every 1/2 years. Best thing for WVa (my opinion) is to continue to lose population, expand tourism, and eventually turn the whole state into a vast national park. Get rid of all of the local/county/state politicians, local laws and taxes. Things will calm right down after. Beautiful place. Clear example of what happens when big business has no use for you any longer.
Pocahontas is gods country I have no use for the eastern panhandle but Seneca rocks is gorgeous too I was working at a power plant in Glenn Bernie Maryland and used to pass through Harper Ferry
I was born and raised in WV. I now live in North Carolina. Although, WV has the most breath taking and beautiful sites ….it is a very economically depressed state. People move to other states due to the loss of jobs. How sad it is to watch my home state become desolate. But, in order to survive I and others had to move.
I moved to WV after living 9 years in Chicago. I bought a house in Charleston. Deer are coming to my back yard every evening. I am missing the bicycle trails of Chicago MA. That is why I was looking to buy a house in Morgantown or Fairmont, but did not find a suitable one. WV has positive and negative sides. Not a regular place to live. Very unique.
Check out areas around the Greenbrier River Trail. Lots a nice places to live. Check out Hillsboro, WV and visit the beautiful Pocahontas County where I live.
@Retro_Afterglow thank you. I appreciate your information. My husband wants to move to morgantown next year. I'm a little scared, but looks like we are doing it anyway. I started to learn more and more about this city. Hope this change works for us.
While it is extremely sad to see a beautiful state like WV have this happen, it is happening to it's neighbors as well. Steel in Pennsylvania, Rubber in Ohio, and Coal in West Virginia. The literal beating heart of the "Rust Belt" in years past. But technology and innovation has moved beyond these elements. They are viewed as something like an 8-Track Player, or a VCR. It's old tech. No one wants to works these jobs anymore, they don't pay as well as they used to (inflation etc), and they are generally seen by the youth as a "dead end job". Where they'll literally end up dead with nothing to show for their work. I'm speaking from my own experience living in Pittsburgh, PA. Many of the older folks here in Pittsburgh, look at the youth and say "just go get a good job in the Steel Mill". But in their next breath, they'll talk about how those "good jobs" aren't so good anymore. Working in the Steel Mill used to be worth it. Not so much anymore. Not much overtime, terrible or non-existent pensions, horrible healthcare, etc. It's a strange stance they have. They try to push the youth into these jobs they KNOW aren't anywhere near as "good" as they used to be, but also realize that those jobs have gone down the toilet with regards to benefits. The youth see these things going on, and thus, they leave for greener pastures somewhere else. Why work shiftwork in a Steel Mill when I can work in Construction, become an Electrician, or simply move away and make more money and get better benefits for my new family? Same thing is happening in the Western, PA over the last 20-30 years. Pittsburgh has great Universities and all (same as WV), but few of those degrees being obtained by the youth can be utilized locally. So they move away. I remember reading an article 20+ years ago about why the young are moving out of Pittsburgh. And it's because they want to work in better paying, higher tech jobs. If we look at Central and North East Ohio today for example, Ohio has decided to change it's direction. They have recently committed and agreed to lease land on the cheap to Intel. They are going to build an absolutely massive Computer Chip Manufacturing Plant east of Columbus, OH. And I know it's hard for the older folks to hear, but THIS is where these dying rust belt states should be investing. Move away from the industry that's losing steam, and put money and effort into partnering with Tech companies to invest in not only future technology, but also their own young people. Backward thinking, and just calling the younger generations "lazy" isn't going to keep them where they are. Most aren't "lazy". They don't see any avenues for them in WV, OH, or PA. The smart ones are going to move away and find a place they can make a good living. Sorry for the long winded rant, but I've been having this discussion with folks in my area for a long time.
Yep. I lived in SW PA when I was a kid not far from the WV border and I remember the old folks saying "just get a good job" in answer to someone asking what they should do. It's insane to us now but back then, all you had to do was know someone to get hired at a mill. And back then it WAS a good job. But "job" is the key term here. Those jobs are not careers and when they go away, which they always do, your left sitting at the local firehall drinking beer wondering what went wrong. So glad mom moved us to Florida when we were young, and away from that dead rust-belt.
I live at the top of wv, been in the tri-state area all my life, and saying you "hit the nail on the head" would be doing you a disservice. I've said basically the same thing to my father and grandfather, 2nd and 3rd generation steel workers. Even after all 3 suffering from cancer, most likely from early exposure to asbestos and God knows what other harmful chemicals found in these places, still say the same things you stated that these older generations are stuck on. It's almost like a prejudicial ideology. If you don't mind, I might even screen shot your reply, and post it on my social, but if I do ill make sure to blur your name out or something. I consider myelf to be pretty articulate (at least for wv standards 🤣) but I couldn't have worded this better. Maybe statements like this are what the older generation needs to hear, like it or not. Thank you
@@scottwilson3642 Yep. All of my family worked at the Clairton Steelworks, and my uncle worked for Bechtel-Bettis. Both of my grandfathers died they year I was born (McKeesport Hospital) and my uncle died from asbestos poisoning when he was only 52. They never knew anything else and were trapped in a time-warp. Those that remain still are, unfortunately 😕
I grew up about 20 min south of Pittsburgh. I basically had to move to get a job in my field. I'm a chemical engineer and didn't want to leave, but there were only 3 companies to apply to... The city has been trying to reinvent itself in the area of medicine, with some success, but they could do so much more. I actually used to work in Morgantown, WV. There is so much potential there because of the university, but it's not being developed.
One example among many of the issues facing West Virginia is the debate about the path electric transmission lines take to cut through the state to reach the power-hungry east coast. No one in WV seemed to realize that GENERATING electricity for the east coast was an option that makes money.
What happened to West Virginia? Wish you had mentioned how large corporations bought the mineral rights for pennies on the dollar. So while there is an abundance of natural resources, they're shipped out of state with minimal investment in the state by those who rake in the massive profits. I grew up in WV, moved to Colorado for about 10 years, & then moved back to WV. It is beautiful, serene, & has relatively little crime. Mileage may vary for urban dwellers, but I live in an out-of-the-way area & don't lock my windows or doors when I go to bed or leave home. Sure, people often say they leave the state looking for jobs. If you want to live in West Virginia, the trick is to pick up a set of skills which are useful here, not ones useful in Chicago or Baltimore. I grew up in coal country, worked for quite a while in the lumber industry, and kept working at myself to earn degrees in land surveying & environmental science. Coal & natural gas extraction is messy work & there is money to be made in reclamation/restoration.
I liken the treatment of WV to the treatment of colonies under an empire. WV and its people were used and abused to satisfy the resource needs of the outsiders, making the outsiders rich in the process. In the end the colony was left hollow and forgotten about. WV has so much potential but so many have negative preconceived notions about WV that they won't visit, let alone invest, to help WV grow into a state with a diverse enough economy to compete.
Yeah, I wasn't really impressed with the complete lack of mention about how big industrial conglomerates and corrupt politicians systematically raped West Virginia. That isn't a statement I make lightly, but sadly it's true. And yet so many people in these comments don't get that, they just think "oh well the coal miners don't want to make things better" as though there's not multi-billion-dollar companies interested in making sure things don't improve for blue-collar workers. As a former West Virginian, I'm quite disappointed.
@@rapidrotation You act like our policy makers in DC had nothing to do with not only WV's demise, but America's. Sorry, but their policies allowed corporations to do what they do.
@@coolbreeze2.0-mortemadfasc13 I never voted for Clinton or Bush to go to DC, so talk to the drones that cannot think for themselves. Also, the last I checked, the Constitution was written so that the general welfare was promoted, not pimped out to the third world.
I am a proud West Virginian from Huntington, but like many others of my generation, I had to leave to find my career. It was a wonderful place to grow up in. I would not trade that experience for the world!
I lived in Berkeley county for 2 years like the man says drugs are taking over disgrace to the white race do not go to Berkeley county it's a damn shame
Huntington is cool... Way better than Charleston. You couldn't pay me to live rural anywhere else in that State. I like choices and opportunities....You're not going to get either if you're not living in a major city.
As a lifetime resident of West Virginia I can say you missed the biggest part of our states problems. Politicians, government leaders from out of state, and government overreach have doomed a lot here. The DEP (Department of Environmental Protection) has a history of being for profit at citizens expense.
The game was based in west Virginia because it's cheaper to design a game vaguely based on a forested area. Also it'would be easier to tie it into the fallout story, because west Virginia in itself is vague to the rest of the world.
I know this is a month old now. I was born and lived in Parkersburg, Wv for 26 years. It breaks my heart what has happened to my home. It's a beautiful state.
Aside from the deserts and canyons of the American southwest and the redwoods of California- as an Italian that emigrated in 2001- the landscapes of West Virginia are the most iconically American sites I’ve ever laid on, and it managed to do so without a single flag or monument.
@Bobby Ratliff You have no idea what your talking about..I have a 2500 sq ft house and my electric bill is 40 bucks a month..To make a statement that coal is the reason wv suffers is the crazyist thing i have ever heard..BTW..my natural gas bill runs about 100 bucks in the winter and 20 in the summer...electric and gas along with property taxes..price of land is one of the cheapest in the USA..
As a native West Virginian, I approve this video! Although there is so much more to the history of the state. I think it's a great lesson for the rest of humanity that 'economic growth' will always have it's downfall. We humans don't need much to live, and even thrive, but capitalism has told us otherwise. The best part of life in WV is the simple things: nature, growing your own food, community. I'm very hesitant to agree with the statement that WV 'needs' more heavy industry/large corporations to be 'successful.' West Virginians are proud of their self sufficiency and we should cultivate more of that. Theres nothing like the feeling of crossing the border into WV, that feeling of FREEDOM!
I’ve done so much traveling through West Virginia, one of my favorite states to drive. It’s beautiful and has so many cool little towns. It’s a shame that it’s dying.
Growing up during the Coal Boom I was too young and ignorant to truly appreciate it. I made more money in the mines 20 years ago then I make now. Even delivering mining parts on emergency order for Joy I made good money. I see the bigger picture but my heart breaks for many including my community I grew up in.
did the idea of improving your education ever cross your mind? You could be making 100k in tech as entry level if you had used your brain and not your back 20 yrs ago.
@@MrSeminole77 tech is extremely over-saturated right now. You would have to know someone or be lucky to get into the 6 figure entry level positions. Then there's the outsourcing and bringing in of foreign workers who would gladly take lower pay for opportunity to move to the US.
There are a ton of us in the tourism, craft beverage, and culinary industry working hard to provide folks an additional reason to come visit our beautiful state. It takes a lot of work, but there's a lot of love behind it.
I’ve moved twice from my home state of WV. Once for 6 years to NH and once to Fla. for 2 years. Came back home both times because of the calm, laid back easy living and great opportunities for buying a really nice house at a fraction of prices to what others states offered. Great state to retire in, but not a great state for young folks fresh out of college , unless they like the outdoors for hunting, fishing, hiking, etc.
WV does have inexpensive housing but, if you're not in a profession, there's little in the way of job opportunities. Also, drug addiction has taken a huge toll and contributed to skyrocketing crime. I used to live in a small town in WV where crime was practically nonexistent...not anymore.
Diana, I and my family grew up in WV, daughter went out of state to college, graduated and moved to FL Lived in FL for 30 years, retired and moved to Hedgesville, WV ~
I love WV. I went to school there and met my future wife there as well. The scenery is something to behold. Two of my favorite places are Blackwater Falls State Park and Dolly Sods. The state Parks are unique in that most of them have very comfortable lodging facilities and is sometimes more luxurious. The state is full of smaller private schools, too. It is a wonderful place to visit and I can sympathize with those living there who are frustrated by the lack of opportunity or at least opportunities that appeal currently to the younger generation. Time will make WV a new haven for people living in the North East and Mid Atlantic states.
Been a few years but blackwater falls and smoke hole caverns were always a welcomed trip. Family is from clarksburg and I miss that wonderful state so much. Cool springs was a great trip too!
I live here in west Virginia. Right by one of the waterfalls that was shown in this video. The tourism market is here, but our politicians continually vote in favor of corporations that ruin the environment. Right now, there is a project that was just approved to clear cut 86,000 square acres of forest, 3,400 of that is in very close proximity to Blackwater Falls. My words do little to change any of this, I've watched my wonderful country home change in just a couple short decades, over ran with the influx of tourists and extraction greed. This is and cannot be my home any longer, what I used to know it as is gone.
@@joseph2832 it’s the upper cheat forest cutting plan, supposedly being done by the forest service. Activists in my area have been asking for an extension for the evaluation period that’s supposed to determine whether it will impact the environment negatively. So far, the requests have been a bust, it’s scheduled to begin this summer.
As for what they are making room for, it’s pretty much just deforestation. There’s no immediate plans for anything that would require such a maneuver. A hydgren hub has been proposed, and the hyper loop, that’s really it.
poor West Virginia. I live in a bordering state and the state has suffered from poor leadership for too long. When a company would rather build across state lines bc of the taxes imposed on businesses throughout the state maybe the state should rethink the strategy. Just saying, I watched a specific shopping center get built up, slowly (very slowly), and before all the spaces were filled the current businesses were already shutting down due to high taxes and poor business.
As I speak I'm driving through West Virginia just coming in to Charleston being a truck driver I've been through a lot of states and West Virginia is definitely in my top five of favorites Besides beautiful scenery and mountains it's the people always down home polite friendly they treat like family West Virginia a place that you can call home
I have watched many videos on West Virginia. Other than the negative comments, the two things mostly said in comments is how beautiful the state is, and how friendly the people are. That tells you something right there.
My father was killed in a mining accident and with all respect to the miners of today I believe in order for west virginia to grow and become better. The mining industry is fading away with nearly only 12,000 working miners. We need to widen our focus toward a more productive and profitable state. We also rely too much on tourism but yet don't want to expand to a more diverse portfolio. We need fresh leadership both here at home and in Washington that doesn't have a special interest paying them more than their elected salary.
When I first came to WV I flew from Chicago to Charleston (Yeager). I was shocked to discover that there is no public transportation of any kind, going to the city. The same is with railroad station. It is kind of in the center of Charleston, but even to get up to the bridge on feet is sort of discouraged by the lacking of a walkway. It feels so unwelcoming. Traveled 2 times to Beckly by train. The station is called Prince. It is about 14 miles away from the city, and not only no public transportation, but also some mobile phone providers do not cover that area. So you are completely stranded. I am sure there are many more stories like this.
It truly is Almost Heaven. Moved away a few times, but I always come back. There is a spirit and atmosphere in these mountains that nothing comes close to. The people here definitely deserve far better than we've been given by society, but what we have in terms of land and quality of life is hard to come by. Both the people and the land are special here.🖤
I was FROM the Pittsburgh ara and moved to the Kingwood WV area. Pittsburgh a great place to be FROM...FAR AWAY FROM! I remember when Morgantown was a really nice small town in the 80s. Now it seems like it is getting way too crowded here too BUT it is still way better tan PA!!!
WV secured a new steel mill, getting ready to start construction. Bought 300 acres in Mason Cty, already donated million dollars to schools. 1000 jobs.
I just shifted to west virginia from india and i love the state because the people are very friendly and welcoming and i feel luke a lot of people should consider calling the state home especially during online work
I was born and raised in Parkersburg. Lived there until I was 18 when college and career lead me to leave. I'm 35 now and though I never see myself ever returning, It's a beautiful state and it will always hold a place in my heart.
I have to say, I'm not really impressed. As a former West Virginian, who left precisely because there's no real opportunity if you aren't going to college or working for a coal mine/pharma company, this video did a fair enough job covering the "what", but completely failed to tell "why", and the prejudice in this comment section is only making things worse. Almost no mention of how industrial conglomerates systematically raped and destroyed WV in the early/mid 20th century. The state used to be covered in absolutely massive old-growth forest that was logged into oblivion, and land/mineral rights were sold for pennies on the dollar, because people needed to put food on the table. Look at pictures of the state from the 1920s, and tell me that West Virginia wasn't pillaged for her natural resources, her people subjugated at the mercy of faceless corporations. There was no mention of how the coal companies paid workers in company scrip, which was only valid at the company store (Listen to Ernie Ford's 16 Tons) so people couldn't even get ahead in life by mining coal, but there was no other option at the time. Big industry has had a stranglehold on the state for almost two centuries, making it nearly impossible for other opportunities to arise. And then there's the sickening amount of people in these comments talking down on miners and West Virginians for opposing alternative industries, not realizing that these people know better than anyone how bad things are for them in WV. But when your politicians are bought out and the only proposed alternatives for miners have been coding jobs and the like, is it really surprising? Computer science is basically the complete opposite of coal mining, you're telling me it's a surprise that these miners don't want to sit at a desk all day trying to make a function work, assuming they even understand it? Not to talk down on anyone's intelligence, but when your life is centered around mining coal, generally you don't really focus on academics. And speaking as someone who personally knows many coal miners, most of them know things could be better, but for them it's still good money and it would be far too costly to return to college and get a degree that may or may not get them a better job than they have now. It sucks, but it makes sense.
Were you expecting a thorough documentary on WV in a 4 minute video? Seems illogical. Much of what you complained about would be valid for many other locations as well. Yup, trees were harvested. Got it. People sold mineral rights for far less than they were worth. You're right! Now find me a state where that didn't happen. As to the company scrip thing, that seems completely irrelevant to the video.
@@baronblackdragon9078 Not sure what you commented for. Perhaps give it another go when you are able to form a sentence instead of replying like you're a cartoon character. Or just skip it. I'd suggest the latter.
@@baronblackdragon9078 I don't disagree with your statement. My earlier reply to the OP did not imply nor state that corruption should be ignored. Not to put too fine a point on it, but you completely failed to grasp my simple point that the OP clearly expected a deep-dive into all of WV's issues, calamities, and problems past and present.......in a 4 minute video. Unreasonable expectations.
My family were early settlers in what is now Dunbar, WV. They first moved to the area around 1806. I still feel that WV is my home although I live in Kentucky due to a teaching position. I love WV and spend every Thanksgiving in one of the state parks. People don't know what they are missing - the natural beauty!
I lived with a friend who had a house in Dunbar yrs ago, waterfront property. One day I was out doing yardwork n looked up and saw the dang Mississippi Queen going down the river. I had no idea that boat took tours all the way to Charleston. Fascinating. My brother used to make jokes that the fish in the Kanawha were deformed with two heads-referring to the nuclear plant. Idk about that, but I do know he caught a lot of fish using cheesedogs down by the Dunbar bridge. 🤠😅
@@msavina9129 I probably know where you friend lived in Dunbar. There was a time when I was growing up that people could not eat the fish in the Kanawha River due to pollution from Carbide. The plant made Xerox that is used in radiators and before EPA just dumped the waste into the river. I can remember two fish kills caused by the pollution. The odor was so bad that many people thought they were going to have to move out of their homes temporarily. Thanks goodness for EPA. There is no long a danger from Carbide.
@@judypierce7028 I google earthed it. He lived on Gillespie Drive. I can say that bc he sold the house and moved back to Beckley. It was a nice lil area, the neighbors were great. That’s good they cleaned it up. I think I recall him saying it was safe to eat one fish per week, that was back in 2000. He caught and released. 🙂
As a West Virginian I just wish we could get to a manufacturing point of somewhere more like/at least South Carolina. We have few manufacturing plants, but we could thrive on manufacturing, we have the land, just not the want. There’s too much reliance on coal that we’ve not allowed our economy further beyond coal…
It's a boomer mentality. They had close to 3 decades to figure out how to open their email and they still don't know how to open their emails. It's not a matter of lack of know how but a matter of them not wanting to learn. The Boomers who've been running the state refuse to allow their states to be anything but coal mining. It's not a matter of lack of opportunities but it's a matter of them rejecting those opportunities. They'll gladly allow the work-from-home tech bros bid their house price up past affordability for the locals, but hell will freeze over before they allow economic base of the state change. Only way you get avoid that mentality is to move away from it. There are plenty of people who would ban a magical cure for cancer pill purely because they watched somebody they knew go through Chemo and still die.
WV was doomed ever since it broke away from Virginia. It has always suffered from its own geographic isolation. I've never been but it looks gorgeous, and I would love to visit someday.
I’ve lived in WV my entire life and the problem is the reliance on coal then no where to turn after coal died off then a huge drug problem the opioid epidemic hit this state hard. There are very few good paying jobs so there’s no reason for people to stay here. Housing costs went through the roof while the pay stagnated.
@@Christoph-sd3zi deregulate the industry. Or promote clean coal tech. Not using the resource is not a viable option. We can't afford not to. the rest of the world sure as hell is not practicing the madness that we are. China is bringing a new coal fired power plant on line every month. so us shutting down plants is not helping anything.
Well done video. My family were farmers in WV and moved to Massillon, OH for jobs in the steel mills, which are all gone now. Massillon is definitely a forgotten place 😁. WV is one of the most beautiful places in this country.
@@The_OneManCrowd , too bad Massillon Football is nearly forgotten as well. Used to be you could go anywhere in this country and mention Massillon and people knew what that meant. Today, you are hard pressed to meet anyone that has ever heard of Massillon or Canton.
@@mikieme6907 The only reason I know that is because I did an internship 23 years ago with a guy from there and when his family came to visit us, they brought us Massillon Tigers gym shirts and shorts. All I remember is "Fuck McKinley!" LOL 😆
My family has been in West Virginia longer than it’s been West Virginia(I currently live in Florida, but my roots are still there) and as beautiful as it is, there’s nothing to do there. The mountains make it hard to build, there’s not much in the way of infrastructure, towns 5 miles away might as well be on the Moon at times, and the economy can’t sustain growth there under its current state. I’d love to see it bounce back, but I’m at a loss as to how to do it
Tourism jobs don't pay shit,they did the the same thing in the iron mining industry areas in the lake Superior region,only ppl who make out in the tourism field are the owners,not the worker's
I'm from SC and I bought a house in rural southern WV (Fayette County) because the cost of property here is becoming expensive. The area is beautiful but the house was trashed. There was needles and other drug paraphernalia laying all over the house. Drugs are becoming a problem here in SC as well. I cleaned it up and fixed up the house. Looks like a cute little cabin in the mountains now. Everyone I've talked to there so far is sweet as pie. I go there on a regular basis and plan to move there in next few years. Its quiet and cozy, my kind place.
The Interstate System highways and Appalacian corridor highways have transformed the state's highway system, perhaps more than any other state. The state used to be infamous for the winding, slow 2-lane highways that handled those routes before 1960. Now it is crisscrossed by modern 4-lane highways.
WV has three types of highways: primary, secondary, and thirdary. Thirdary roads are those that look like cow paths where a driver must honk his horn if he/she is going around a curve. I am not joking. The slow 2 lane highways you mentioned are secondary.
I am sorry, but I meant to give you an example of a thirdary road - Cigarette Holler. It is a one lane road that winds back into the mountains. When turning off on Cigarette Holler Road from the main highway, it is paved, but after 1/2 it becomes a cow path. It is not paved. It is not even a dirt road.
I dont know where you are getting all this information, but I was born and raised in WV and I can tell you first hand that the beauty aspect of WV is being destroyed by strip mining companies. Where I live are 0 jobs availible, 0 businesses and what little we do have is taken by the Government who back these strip mining/logging companies. Today, there is very little beautiful about WV unless your looking at a politicians home and then its only his backyard that is unaffected by the outcome of his greed.
I attempted to live in West Virgina years ago but moved shortly after as WV didn’t really have many opportunities as others in the comments have mentioned.
@Forgotten Places : How do you think the Virgin Hyperloop having a main hub in WV will affect the population and economy? 13,000 jobs were promised originally, but Virgin is wavering from the original tourist transportation plans and seemingly shifting focus to cargo and throughput infrastructure through supply chain.
I plan to add to that declining population in 3 or 4 years when I retire. The state had 64,000 coal mine jobs in 1970 it's down to 12,000 now yet state leaders believe coal is still king and will rise again. Few opportunities with good paying jobs unless you go into the medical profession or be a lawyer. You are pretty much stuck with retail or restaurant jobs. It's why the state is hemorrhaging population. I know, I have lived here my entire 58 years.
@@julm7744 I couldn't agree more. There are areas that are just as beautiful as the Great Smoky Mountains. But until coal ceases to be an energy option. The state will hang all it's hopes on it. The states politicians are all bought and paid for by the coal lobby. And I say this coming from a coal mining family. Mining jobs might be great paying now but growing up in the 60's and 70's they weren't , many times we barely got by. Most mining families weren't even what I would call middle class.
honestly west virginia seems like a great state to retire to if you dont mind the cold and live somewhere near a decent hospital (morgantown is probably the best bet there)
Low cost of living is about the only positive here. Unfortunately medical becomes more important as you age, like with me. A border town like you mentioned close to a bigger city might work. You could be in Pittsburgh, Washington or Columbus in less than 2 hours.
@@UserName-ts3sp Southern WV near KY border where I am from is the pits. Nothing there and not close to anything. It now looks like a rural version of Detroit. Watch some of those abandoned Detroit videos on You Tube, looks very similiar.
@@sknowman1424 I am from Northern Kentucky but went to South Willamson Kentucky which I'm sure you know is right across from Willamson WV. People there were the the most friendly and outgoing bunch of folks I've seen.
My family is from West Virginia and I've spent a great deal of my earlier life there in the 70's. I still go there 3 or 4 times a year. What you said is very accurate. I see the proof all the time. As a kid I remember always seeing coal trucks everywhere. You couldn't go anywhere without passing them or getting stuck driving behind one. Now, It has been several years since I even seen one. This migration to and from any location has always happened in every state/city or community throughout man's history all over the world. The important thing is that the leaders of that state/city or community has to be proactive and be willing to change with the times. It's a sad fact that the leadership in West Virginia has failed to do this for the past 150 years. But the most important thing that I want to say is that the state of West Virginia's greatest asset is it's people. Honest, caring, and some of the hardest working people in our country live in West Virginia. They say that home is where your heart is, well my heart has been in W.Va my whole life and now that I'm getting close to retirement, my heart wants me to go home.
Honestly, WV could be used to teach a college level course on "how not to manage an economy". They rely too heavily on coal and REFUSE to do anything different, even though coal is becoming a less and less important resource
I enjoy a peaceful life and love nature; i do love doing things like Welding, plumbing, and Car repairs; and honestly i'm considering moving to WV. If you have any advice, i'm open.
@@Marandal Everything is old and need of fixing in WV. My son hasn't moved into his first home...starter...and was already hit with a $8000 bill to replace clay sewer lines under his property. He'll be shopping for a second opinion. Cars are old here too....there are some still on the road from the mid-80s...in Fairmont in particular. Sounds like WV might be a good fit. We love it here...came from DC area in '97 thinking to stay 10 years max....rest is history. Retiring in 2 yrs.
My whole family left West Virginia over 20 years ago, everything was taxed, they literally flew over and found a seam of coal burried deep under our house and wanted to tax us for it. they even tried to tax our furniture. there's no jobs in west Virginia and anything that's not coal gets ran out of the state. you can't get a job and if you have anything at all you have to pay a yearly tax.
Like every industry, it has its time and then one must adapt. We all should support funding for higher education and job training so any area can move on to new industries. WV and Mi are perfect examples.
There are no new industries that can replace coal. You only think there are. Must be the shitty education you got that has given you such notions. If what you believed was true then Germany wouldn't be strip mining for lignite like they do. Which is the dirtiest form of energy known to Man. But it's also the best thing they got. They'd kill for the coal seams in West Virginia.
Same thing that is happening to Louisiana, and other states (lumber, minerals, oil & gas, etc). An economy based on resource extraction doesn’t work once the resources run out/become non-viable to extract. Once it’s over, corporations hightail it in their own best interest. Which happens to not be in the best interest of the folks who worked for them and the folks who made their livelihood there. What’s happened to WV is unfortunate. Although it was never particularly set up for success given it’s incredibly tough terrain. It’s a lovely state and I love visiting every summer to visit family & hike the lovely state & national parks. Thank you Big Jim! Let’s get corridor H done!!
Recent (10 years) Mountaineer, this a great place to move to if you messed up on your retirement. Low cost of living and housing made it possible for us to retire. So far neither of us have worked in WV, had to travel to VA for that. If we stayed in Massachusetts we would have worked till we dropped. There seems to be a big issue here with lay abouts. The state's willingness to cut off it's nose to spite it face when it comes to federal dollars flowing to anyone that might be milking the system, is hurting not helping this state..
The WV state income tax sucks for us - 6%! My parents retired to Knoxville TN and they pay no income tax and dirt cheap real estate tax on a nice house.
@@AB-py6jl It's not as good as Massachusetts or Virginia ... the doctors and Hospitals are good ... lower level staffing not so much. When my dad went in the hospital he wasn't given his Parkinson medicine, because it was prescribed by a specialist. We had some real battles with some of the office staff trying to get things done. You have to be your own advocate
I live in WV, The eastern panhandle may be the counties that save WV in the end. I've always said that we need to invest in solar energy, hemp farms, and tourism to stay afloat. I'm also a real estate agent and I must say even if there is a decline in population I see many people buying cabins and secondary homes in WV for vacations and weekend getaway.
EP is being ruined by growth tho. Not in jobs, but in poor infrastructure plans for development. 2-3 decades of unmitigated growth have gutted Berkeley and Jefferson counties. Now we get taxed for water runoff, because contractors were not hel responsible in the first place.. Townhouses everywhere, and those are just future "projects" Spring Mills will be a ghetto in next 10 yrs by its overuse of them even.
@@JustB904 Berkeley will suffer in infrastructure more than Jefferson. Jefferson has some growth but not the amount that is in Berkeley. It's actually a reason why I'm going to be moving from Berkeley to Jefferson because I feel it's going to get really crowded in the next 5 years.
I'm an E.P. resident who has been saying that since the 1980's . I can't get over how for just 100- 300 jobs the city ,county , & state governments let corporations ruin the state , take out resources ,& not pay enough taxes on it to support WV. We should have an economy similar to VA , but definitely don't & at this rate won't.
Hey do you know where the thumbnail picture was taken from? We found a very old picture in our family photos that looks like it was taken from the exact same spot. Id love to know where it is
With remote work becoming more common, I see a bright future for WV and other areas of Appalachia. People from all over will flock to capture its natural beauty and low cost of living while still be able to work their jobs that in the past were only confined to more urban areas. It's already happening - parts of the eastern panhandle even before remote work became a thing have become commuter areas for Washington and Baltimore. The potential downfall would be more rapid homogenization (which really, has been taking place for years) and the dwindling of its unique culture. But otherwise, things should look up as the cost of living spirals out of control, especially in Eastern metro areas.
The cost of living is not that low here. It should be. When rent is $1600.00 and wages are shit, it’s not very cost effective to live here anymore. Remote workers? People here are barely literate. 🤷🏻♀️
Until companies realize that remote workers are doing this and adjust their wages to match your living locations instead of your work locations. Oh wait, they have already noticed and it's already happening. As for the Eastern Panhandle of WV, that's considered DC Metro and fed jobs have a 31.5% wage adjustment tacked onto it.
I remember passing through West Virginia on a Amtrak coming from Army AIT in FT.LEE ,VA and I can say it was hands down the most beautiful state I’ve ever been in .
The youth may be leaving in search of more opportunity, but retires, especially those who grew up there, often return to spend their remaining years in the state they loved. I am one of those.
WV is such a beautiful state. They need a few products/services and education and people would flock there. Wonderful people. Beautiful scenery. Lovely weather.
Love my state. I came back after serving. Nothing like looking at my beautiful mountains, watching the wonderful wildlife. Military and veterans don’t pay state taxes!😁 My family goes back to the 1820’s.
What happened to WV is what happens when the local government is run by old rich families who protect their interests (e.g. coal) even if it means that the entire state will suffer. This happens all the time in third world countries run by corrupt despots. Sadly, this situation is not limited to WV. Many other states are the same sad situation.
Our population actually increased last year, probably for the first year in my life, because so many remote workers moved here during the "pandemic." People realized they could still enjoy their big city salary while living in our scenery. And that salary goes a lot farther here with lower property values.
For now. Companies have caught on to this fact and are adjusting their pay based off of where you live and not where you "work". For example, the federal government has a Locality Pay Adjustment based off of what metropolitan area you are close to because it costs more to live in these areas. However, that same government is still talking about changing that adjustment based off of the employees living location and not their work location. So if you worked for a fed. dept. in DC but lived in Cabell County, WV, you won't get your 31.5% wage adjustment. It's now only 16.2%. So that big city salary isn't as much as they thought it was.
You realize as tech replaces people there'll be new forms of income, it's not just gonna be "tech replaced everyone so now there's no way to make money ever again"
I grew up in Wheeling, the state's first capital. In the local restaurants, there are pictures framed on the walls of the streets that were filled with people once before and now they are nothing but streets for cars to travel on. We used to be right up there with cities like NYC, but we are stuck in the past.
@@Christoph-sd3zi to me, I am leaving the state because it doesn't provide any opportunities that I would be really into career-wise. I absolutely adore wheelings history because I study history myself, but wheeling specifically needs to preserve the cities history while also moving on and modernizing. It would bring a lot more people in.
In all my 58+ years, living in four states, I've never lived more than 60 miles from West Virginia. Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia...go figure. I'm most familiar with the Northern Panhandle. It really may as well be Western Pennsylvania or Southeastern Ohio. The Northern Panhandle gave it's name to the Pennsylvania Railroad line that ran from Pittsburgh through Columbus and Indianapolis to St. Louis. Most of that was abandoned by Conrail. Wheeling and Weirton have seen industry shut down and leave over the past nearly half century, just like it's neighbors in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Weirton has a great ribs restaurant, DJs. Oglebay Resort near Wheeling has an awesome Christmas lights display.
West Virginia is such an incredible state. It’s so beautiful! I had a good friend that had family who lived there and every year we’d go there for a week or two. The family was so incredibly inviting. Also the surrounding neighbors were so nice. I remember walking around looking for turtles and other things eating blackberries off the bushes. People would pull over and ask if you were ok or see if you need help. I’d love to go back again!
Big oil/gas boom in the last 10 years prior to the coof. Though sadly much of it never employed people of the state. It's absurd the number of trucks with Texas new mexico or one of the Dakota's you see here now. This has also done a number on the natural Beauty.
Have you been to other states? Because West Virginia really is a shitty state. The reputation is deserved. Can't even maintain its roads. It's embarrassing.
As WV native, it's because there's diddly squat to do. The drug problem only gets worse and the only reason the town I live in is growing is because there's a train that goes to DC throughout the week, so people who are employed in DC don't have to live in DC and pay DC prices. There are some people like myself who are opening more recreational businesses so that there's more to do, but right now it's primarily restaurants and bars.
My entire family is from WV. I lived in VA for a few years and moved back to WV. I went to college at Shepherd College in the early to mid 90's. I went to school with a fair few people from out of state and more than you would think from overseas. You would not believe how many of those people have said that the time that they lived here was the best of their lives and many have moved here. Most live on the edges of the state and work in Maryland, Virginia, or DC. 3 of my friends from overseas have become US citizens and have moved to the eastern panhandle of WV. They all work in MD, VA, or DC. Everyone of them said they loved this place so much that when they went back home they hated home and missed WV more than they has ever thought possible. My one friend was here at college from Japan. He told me when he moved back here after being back in Japan for 2 years that "I had a place in my heart that was empty for a long time. My mother asked me why I was so sad to be home. I told her I dud not feel at home anymore. She asked me what would help me feel at home? I told her I did not think I would feel at home again unless I went back.". He and his mother and sister came here in 1998 on vacation. They moved here a year later. His mother said she felt a connection to this area that felt like her connection to their home in Japan. They are all still here.
Massachusetts resident here, I love looking for out of state license plates in my state, and when I was younger, I used to see West Virginia plates a fair amount. Ever since I got back into looking for plates, I haven’t seen a West Virginia plate, not once. I don’t even think I’ve seen one in over a year, and I’ve even seen an Alaska fairly recently if that says something.
@Forgotten Places, The decline of WV's coal industry is because of the high sulfur content in the area. Sulfur isn't good for forging iron that the steel mills won't accept it. The coal fired power plants that are also declining; won't take sulfur coal to prevent acid rain events. As it makes water toxic to all forms of life and recovery last a very long time. I felt the video needs a footnote on that.
Yeah. MARC tried thar about 15 yrs ago. Extending service past Martinsburg to Hancock. The people in Montgomery and PG County, MD threw a fit. Plus, CSX hates having to deal with passenger trains.
WV will ALWAYS be my home!! I was born in and raised in Bluefield, actually, Bluewell. I lived in Montgomery for 20 years. I left WV in late 2019 and moved to PA, and it's nothing like my WV, to me, the most beautiful state there is. The people are amazing in WV, can't find people like that anywhere else. I hear John Denver at least once a week, and brings tears to my eyes...I cannot wait to go home.❤️
I was born in West Virginia myself and I'm gonna have to say we don't all hate the state and think it's poor and wanna leave. There are so many people attached to this land and there's plenty of wealth. There are mansions and mountain top escapes. Resorts you can go to. It's not as bad as google makes it sound. And you rarely ever meet coal miner's these days. The times I have met them I was proud to be in their presence. This is a beautiful state with enough for a lot of us.
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
As someone who lives here I can tell you the younger generations are leaving wv because there’s nothing here for them. Unless you want to do construction or plumbing your out of luck. And recreation is much worse. The drug problems are growing because there’s literally nothing els to do. It’s great for tourists but eventually you get tired of walking trails and camping.
Some of us nerd HARD here. And there are so many writers per capita. I get your point and am nit saying you're wrong, but I think it's more complex. I think trauma and abuse are a bigger factor that most don't want to acknowledge.
I'm just a random viewer from the UK but we're experiencing the exact same phenomenon here in northeast Scotland.
I agree I lived in Berkeley county West Virginia for 2 years their trailer parks are full heroin addicts opiates addicts I think that's the biggest piece of s*** that ever come down the pike and I had relatives in the past that were born in West Virginia yeah what the hell happened to the place worthless piece of s*** state
@@stephenmesoros4344 grew up in Berkeley county also tho drug problem and housing has been a huge problem there. Too many people drugged out to have good communities in the inner city
There is plenty to do and that is no excuse. Outsourcing of middle class jobs, corrupt politicians serving industry instead of citizens halted our forward progress which caused economic depression. Couple that with pharmaceutical companies targeting Appalachia with a new non addictive alternative to pain medication, Oxycontin! Treating doctors like car salesman earning a sweet commission. With the new found appetite for drugs it became a hot location for people to traffic drugs to from neighboring big cities to sell at a substantial profit. Other than that, most people are very friendly and hardworking. Driving here isn't stressful because more drivers are courteous than not. It's beautiful and I'm happy it isn't an over populated rat utopia.
I live in PA. I've only driven through WV. I drive to and through West Virginia on purpose. Its beautiful. Never had a bad experience; people've always been kind. Something about it all draws me back time after time
Thank you from a native ...😁🙋♀️👍
FYI, they leave the part of the mountain that is visible from the road. Otherwise they're hollow shells.
Take me hooooome
Are you from west PA?
@@nugsymalone1247 PA Wilds. Allegheny National Forest
Ik its a bit dark but the abandoned parts of wv have a very unique feeling. Mixed with the natural beauty adds a charm to the culture. Half of the state could be a museum
Or be turned into a nature reserve, there's plenty of small animals in the states that could use repopulating.
@@notjimpickens7928 I would so love it if that happened. Too many feral cats and dogs in the area too.
I've lived in West Virginia my entire life. The state has had so many opportunities throughout the decades, but every one gets actively fought against. Any attempt to do anything other than coal mining is always framed as somehow being destructive to coal mining, so gets fought against. There was an opportunity to get an automotive manufacturing plant (I believe Hyundai but could be remembering wrong) in the state, but when it was discovered that instead of being some kind of 1950s style factory with thousands of jobs it was going to be heavily automated and only offer a couple hundred jobs, the state refused it. There are only around 2000 active coal miners in the state, but the entire state suffers to benefit them. I personally got incalculably lucky growing up and had the opportunity to get into computers in the 90s, and there is a small but tight-knit tech industry here. I keep hope alive that eventually someone will get in office that accepts that they can no longer rely on coal mining (current governor owns a coal company, so that's not happening soon) and starts focusing on education, because going after tech industry seems like a no-brainer. You don't need sprawling factories or infrastructure more difficult than stringing fiber optic lines. But you need an educated base of people to support that, and we've had some of the worst education systems in the country for decades with no sign of any willingness to do anything except make it worse. For now, I work remotely for a company whose HQ is in Texas, my boss is in Chicago, my coworkers are in Costa Rica, India, NYC, SF, etc. At least houses aren't insanely priced here like they are in many other places.
Hi from Madison, WV, the heart of coal country. I've lost so many family members to the mines, yet we still rely so heavily on the money our men make there. There's nothing else for us to do, my uncles can't drive 2+ hours to work and 2+ hours home to work in Charleston, and there's nowhere else to work that'll pay enough to feed a family. The coal mines have stripped my hometown of any and all opportunities outside of coal, but it isn't entirely their fault. The corrupt politicians have been stealing from the people to line their pockets longer than I've been alive and it isn't going to change unless we can shake the people's belief and reliance in the coal mines. I think this decline will inevitably bring good change to WV; once there are no more resources to steal or people to enslave, the corrupt politicians and nasty businesses will leave and open the door for something better to take their place. I can't wait for the younger generations to change our state for the better. I just hope I'm around long enough to see it.
@@theta6802 sounds like the younger generation of West Virginians need to have a "revolution" of sorts and take back the power and essentially, the state, back from the corrupt and power hungry.
I live in Kentucky (Cincinnati area) and even though I live in essentially Ohio, I've been all over Kentucky over the years for work, my parents live in Central Kentucky, and I spent about 6 years in Lexington (the 2nd biggest city in the state), and you see corruption and stagnant growth here too.
Especially in _Coal Country._ People are so firmly rooted that coal and corrupt politicians will make a comeback/keep their numerous false promises from over the years that they keep overlooking their misery and poor "prospects".
I feel like rural Appalachia (Kentucky and West Virginia) both share that characteristic. 20 years behind the rest of the country and the ones that are in power rather keep it that way. Their bank accounts are full, they don't care about the rest who struggle to put food on the table and struggle day in and day out to survive.
It's horribly depressing.
I think the rental prices are too high now. I moved back here in 2014 and I love my state! Most beautiful place to live
@@angiedavis793 I live in Princeton WV, and it is a lot better than 10 years ago as far as the looks of Mercer Street, but for the rest of the county of Mercer it's a sad sight rent as high as 7 or 800 a month for something that is just livable. 450 a month for a trashed singlewide on the side of a cliff or in a flood zone you choose. Then you have 1 or 2 places within 100 miles that can pay you enough to live. Don't even get me started on the drugs down here in the southern part of the state. People getting robbed, houses robbed, there are more people working at stealing from Walmart than actually working there. Any good job has a list of candidates 10 miles long, so you better have never ever, ever had anything against you because that automatically gets you put to the bottom of the pile. Then they wonder why the people are on drugs in the first place, THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WORK that you can actually live on. I could go on for years sorry, I just hate to see how stubborn our leaders are that coal will make a comeback. It might if the world keeps coming apart and we collapse as a country. Who would want that just for coal to come back, some 60- to 70-year-old politician who has his bank account full of coal money and won't live to see the destruction they have caused so many others, that's EXACTLY who!
I live in Harrison County just outside of Clarksburg and there's too much drugs here now and stealing. Its sad. And rent I've seen a 1 bedroom utilities paid for 1200. Crazy
One of the most beautiful states I’ve ever passed through.
I am a fourth generation coal miner. I have been underground for 20 years I have survived the drops in the mining industry some times by the skin of my teeth. Coal is feast or famine no in between. They cannot make it without coal. Whether for steel or for electricity it has to be mined. Hopefully West Virginians will continue to have a means of supporting their families within the mining industry for years to come.
You should actually stop to visit. WV has so many amazing places, charming towns, and some of the nicest people you will ever meet. New River Gorge NP, Greenbank National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Cranberry Glades, Dolly Sods. So much history. Can you tell I'm proud of my home state?
@@amyporter5765 and rednecks
Me too
Stop and stay a while
I remember in the 80's, there were charming little rural towns, dotted throughout WV. Cities always come with problems (I'm from Baltimore, I know.) What's sad to see is the decay; those charming little towns are skeletons of what they used to be. The charm has left...replaced by drug problems and boarded-up homes/businesses...which has spurred people to move elsewhere (which was always happening, but sped up)...and now those charming little towns are full of the people who can't afford to move, or keep up their houses beyond a bare minimum. Times are rough everywhere...but times are especially rough in WV. Which is why I'm always pleasantly, wonderfully surprised that the people are SO kind, so giving. People who are having bad times often 'pass it on' to others. The ones I know, and have met by chance are kindly by nature, even in the face of all the problems that surround them.
Times are rough for us common folk but the rich are raping and killing more than ever. We are destined to fail.
I had the pleasure of working in WV for nearly 2 weeks back in 2012 after a particularly bad storm took out power to much of the state (I work for a power utility in NY, and we were called in to help with damage assessment and trouble calls.) I've travelled through most of the lower 48, and I'll maintain that the people I met in West Virginia were the kindest, most generous and welcoming people I've met anywhere in the U-S of A.
They are, unless you get the weird hill folks that wanna fight you driving by lol. But its 99% good.
That was the June 29th derecho. When I first read about it it was stunning to see just how hard WV was hit given the sparse population density and old power utilities
@@MrLandslide84 Ha! Indeed. We only encountered the hill folks in the first couple of days out there. One place we pulled up in the truck, then slowly backed down the drive while keeping our eyes on the residents...a little spooky. :D
@@tadekw9108 I believe you're correct. We were amazed at the distances some of the power lines were run to serve a couple of customers 5 miles down a holler. Great time driving around there.
That was the derecho. It kicked our asses. My family lost power AND water for over a week!
Coal made, and kept Appalachia poor. The only thing that left West Virginia faster than the trains loaded with coal was the suitcases loaded with the profits.
How did coal made them poor?
@@fashiharz8584The early Coal Barons established what was effectively a feudal economic system; politically corrupt; exploitative; resistant to reform and regulation; and which, now in decline, is wringing the last drops of blood out of surviving population.
The Coal needs to be repatriated to the surface so that it can resume its natural function in the Eco-system and help the planet heal...
@@scottbilger9294 It's in decline because DC put it there artificially. That's socialism bud.
@@bobhabib7662 Yeah, 'cuz nothing says socialism like corporate exploitation.
Hey man, I was the guy that recognized you in Walmart this past week! Love the content and interestingly enough, I lived the beginning of my life in and around the northern panhandle of WV so this one hits a little closer to home. Keep up the good work
Ok wallmart man.
@@ThisIsGoogle Ok McDonald's man
Did you recognize him from his voice alone?
I’ve been to 46 states and travel extensively and have to say WV is one of my top 2 most beautiful scenic states. We vacation there a lot. Life is relaxed there and it gets a bad rap. My Texan wife says she hopes the word never gets out lest it gets discovered.
I grew up in WV. Moved away and I then realized what I had there and moved back. It does get a bad rap. But I kinda like it that way.
If you can find a niche here you can live well.
Are you High?
Every State out West has West Virginia beat on beauty..
Top 2??????????
WV might just be top 1
@@teddylong2167 steel and concrete damn sure isnt more beautiful than WV....the bullshit you see on whites of wv isnt the whole state bud
@Unspoken Unfound To each their own....I'd take the year around beauty of out West for Appalachia any day.
I also lived in Colorado for 8 years in Nederland,right about Boulder at 9,000 feet.
I was born and raised in West Virginia. My 65 year old father was as well. It’s odd to think of the state as having ever been prosperous though I know that it was. I’m in Huntington and I have to clarify what I mean when I tell people from other parts of the country/world that I live in a city.
It's nice to know it's not just me.
Sup Matthew it's Rocco lol
It's hard to believe this little coal town I live in used to have businesses all along the main road. The main road used to be longer and the missing half looked like a complete different place. Then in 2 weeks our last coke plant close by is closing down bringing 300+ jobs with it. Our steel mill hasn't been in full operation since the war.
I lived in Huntington most of my life. I’ve moved away a few times but WV has always called me back home. Due to Huntington’s rising crime and drug problems I moved across the bridge to Chesapeake but still live on the mighty Ohio river overlooking St Mary’s and my childhood home.
Haha. I’m from Cabell County but am going to school in Tennessee. One of the things that Huntington has for it is that despite its issues, it is such a nice city to be in. The city feels tight-knit, it’s walkable, and almost everything is local. In Knoxville, there’s a nice downtown but it’s more of an attraction than an actual city. I still feel much much much more rooted in Huntington despite being in Knoxville these days.
I'm currently 17 living in WV, the reason I plan on leaving is mostly because of the lack of opportunities and everyone here resisting any form of change. Everyone is here is so kind, it's a beautiful state and I plan on returning to see family, but I'm unable to see myself thrive in this environment.
In West Virginia, education and wealth is a sin. There is nothing holy about poverty.
Years ago I visited W.V. It is a very beautiful state ,I was at Cass for the train👍😊🚂.. I don't want the state to be considered a tourist trap but I feel if it had attractions like Pigeon Forge T.N. through out the state it could very well improve most peoples lives with all the tourists coming there ( hotels, restaurants, great place for wedding venues, rafting and more.) .I personally am tired of Pigeon Forge I wish there was more places similar to them though out the Eastern U.S. to go.
@@michaelwhismancome to my area where the people are wealthy, well-educated but morally bankrupt! So, to put it bluntly, education has its limitations as well!
Hi bro can you help me get citizenship of US ???
As an Ohioan, I visit WV on a regular basis. Great kayaking, hiking, and pepperoni rolls. Along with partially empty downtown areas and poor decaying rural river areas.
Damn ol buckeye, and wdym by decaying rural river areas
The only thing that seperates a hillbilly from an asshole is the Ohio River.
@@davidryan834 hahahaha as a West Virginian ive heard that alot growing up.
@@mountainstateoutdoors7099 He probably means all those small river towns that got isolated when the interstates passed them by. Even the ones that do have immediate highway access are usually struggling just to keep their schools open. If you're not in one of the six burgs that can pass for cites in WV, you're in a dying small town or the boonies proper.
Pepperoni rolls! Haha you know exactly what's up
I was born there in '49, left after high school. Visit relatives every 1/2 years. Best thing for WVa (my opinion) is to continue to lose population, expand tourism, and eventually turn the whole state into a vast national park. Get rid of all of the local/county/state politicians, local laws and taxes. Things will calm right down after. Beautiful place. Clear example of what happens when big business has no use for you any longer.
One of my favorite places to visit is Harpers Ferry and that area. So much history, so many natural and man made treasurers...
I was there last spring, so crowded i couldnt get a parking space lol
Ya gotta arrive in Harpers Ferry before dawn.
Best place in the state is Hawks nest or the town of hinton if u enjoy mountains and rivers
We use to go to harpers ferry for field trips lol
Pocahontas is gods country I have no use for the eastern panhandle but Seneca rocks is gorgeous too I was working at a power plant in Glenn Bernie Maryland and used to pass through Harper Ferry
I was born and raised in WV. I now live in North Carolina. Although, WV has the most breath taking and beautiful sites ….it is a very economically depressed state. People move to other states due to the loss of jobs. How sad it is to watch my home state become desolate. But, in order to survive I and others had to move.
I moved to WV after living 9 years in Chicago. I bought a house in Charleston. Deer are coming to my back yard every evening. I am missing the bicycle trails of Chicago MA. That is why I was looking to buy a house in Morgantown or Fairmont, but did not find a suitable one. WV has positive and negative sides. Not a regular place to live. Very unique.
Do yourself a favor and move out of Charleston and go get a place in ripely you’ll be a lot happier
Charleston and Huntington were voted the most depressing cities in the nation. Morgantown would be a huge difference.
Check out areas around the Greenbrier River Trail. Lots a nice places to live. Check out Hillsboro, WV and visit the beautiful Pocahontas County where I live.
Howdy from Seebert too!
@Retro_Afterglow thank you. I appreciate your information. My husband wants to move to morgantown next year. I'm a little scared, but looks like we are doing it anyway. I started to learn more and more about this city. Hope this change works for us.
While it is extremely sad to see a beautiful state like WV have this happen, it is happening to it's neighbors as well. Steel in Pennsylvania, Rubber in Ohio, and Coal in West Virginia. The literal beating heart of the "Rust Belt" in years past.
But technology and innovation has moved beyond these elements. They are viewed as something like an 8-Track Player, or a VCR. It's old tech. No one wants to works these jobs anymore, they don't pay as well as they used to (inflation etc), and they are generally seen by the youth as a "dead end job". Where they'll literally end up dead with nothing to show for their work.
I'm speaking from my own experience living in Pittsburgh, PA. Many of the older folks here in Pittsburgh, look at the youth and say "just go get a good job in the Steel Mill". But in their next breath, they'll talk about how those "good jobs" aren't so good anymore. Working in the Steel Mill used to be worth it. Not so much anymore. Not much overtime, terrible or non-existent pensions, horrible healthcare, etc. It's a strange stance they have. They try to push the youth into these jobs they KNOW aren't anywhere near as "good" as they used to be, but also realize that those jobs have gone down the toilet with regards to benefits. The youth see these things going on, and thus, they leave for greener pastures somewhere else. Why work shiftwork in a Steel Mill when I can work in Construction, become an Electrician, or simply move away and make more money and get better benefits for my new family?
Same thing is happening in the Western, PA over the last 20-30 years. Pittsburgh has great Universities and all (same as WV), but few of those degrees being obtained by the youth can be utilized locally. So they move away. I remember reading an article 20+ years ago about why the young are moving out of Pittsburgh. And it's because they want to work in better paying, higher tech jobs.
If we look at Central and North East Ohio today for example, Ohio has decided to change it's direction. They have recently committed and agreed to lease land on the cheap to Intel. They are going to build an absolutely massive Computer Chip Manufacturing Plant east of Columbus, OH. And I know it's hard for the older folks to hear, but THIS is where these dying rust belt states should be investing. Move away from the industry that's losing steam, and put money and effort into partnering with Tech companies to invest in not only future technology, but also their own young people.
Backward thinking, and just calling the younger generations "lazy" isn't going to keep them where they are. Most aren't "lazy". They don't see any avenues for them in WV, OH, or PA. The smart ones are going to move away and find a place they can make a good living.
Sorry for the long winded rant, but I've been having this discussion with folks in my area for a long time.
Yep. I lived in SW PA when I was a kid not far from the WV border and I remember the old folks saying "just get a good job" in answer to someone asking what they should do. It's insane to us now but back then, all you had to do was know someone to get hired at a mill. And back then it WAS a good job. But "job" is the key term here. Those jobs are not careers and when they go away, which they always do, your left sitting at the local firehall drinking beer wondering what went wrong. So glad mom moved us to Florida when we were young, and away from that dead rust-belt.
De-industrialization is a hell of a force
I live at the top of wv, been in the tri-state area all my life, and saying you "hit the nail on the head" would be doing you a disservice. I've said basically the same thing to my father and grandfather, 2nd and 3rd generation steel workers. Even after all 3 suffering from cancer, most likely from early exposure to asbestos and God knows what other harmful chemicals found in these places, still say the same things you stated that these older generations are stuck on. It's almost like a prejudicial ideology. If you don't mind, I might even screen shot your reply, and post it on my social, but if I do ill make sure to blur your name out or something. I consider myelf to be pretty articulate (at least for wv standards 🤣) but I couldn't have worded this better. Maybe statements like this are what the older generation needs to hear, like it or not. Thank you
@@scottwilson3642 Yep. All of my family worked at the Clairton Steelworks, and my uncle worked for Bechtel-Bettis. Both of my grandfathers died they year I was born (McKeesport Hospital) and my uncle died from asbestos poisoning when he was only 52. They never knew anything else and were trapped in a time-warp. Those that remain still are, unfortunately 😕
I grew up about 20 min south of Pittsburgh. I basically had to move to get a job in my field. I'm a chemical engineer and didn't want to leave, but there were only 3 companies to apply to...
The city has been trying to reinvent itself in the area of medicine, with some success, but they could do so much more.
I actually used to work in Morgantown, WV. There is so much potential there because of the university, but it's not being developed.
One example among many of the issues facing West Virginia is the debate about the path electric transmission lines take to cut through the state to reach the power-hungry east coast. No one in WV seemed to realize that GENERATING electricity for the east coast was an option that makes money.
What happened to West Virginia? Wish you had mentioned how large corporations bought the mineral rights for pennies on the dollar. So while there is an abundance of natural resources, they're shipped out of state with minimal investment in the state by those who rake in the massive profits.
I grew up in WV, moved to Colorado for about 10 years, & then moved back to WV. It is beautiful, serene, & has relatively little crime. Mileage may vary for urban dwellers, but I live in an out-of-the-way area & don't lock my windows or doors when I go to bed or leave home.
Sure, people often say they leave the state looking for jobs. If you want to live in West Virginia, the trick is to pick up a set of skills which are useful here, not ones useful in Chicago or Baltimore. I grew up in coal country, worked for quite a while in the lumber industry, and kept working at myself to earn degrees in land surveying & environmental science. Coal & natural gas extraction is messy work & there is money to be made in reclamation/restoration.
I liken the treatment of WV to the treatment of colonies under an empire. WV and its people were used and abused to satisfy the resource needs of the outsiders, making the outsiders rich in the process. In the end the colony was left hollow and forgotten about.
WV has so much potential but so many have negative preconceived notions about WV that they won't visit, let alone invest, to help WV grow into a state with a diverse enough economy to compete.
Yeah, I wasn't really impressed with the complete lack of mention about how big industrial conglomerates and corrupt politicians systematically raped West Virginia. That isn't a statement I make lightly, but sadly it's true. And yet so many people in these comments don't get that, they just think "oh well the coal miners don't want to make things better" as though there's not multi-billion-dollar companies interested in making sure things don't improve for blue-collar workers.
As a former West Virginian, I'm quite disappointed.
@@rapidrotation You act like our policy makers in DC had nothing to do with not only WV's demise, but America's. Sorry, but their policies allowed corporations to do what they do.
@@bobhabib7662 How’d they get to DC? Who sent them? The same people screaming about “communism” and “socialism.”
@@coolbreeze2.0-mortemadfasc13 I never voted for Clinton or Bush to go to DC, so talk to the drones that cannot think for themselves.
Also, the last I checked, the Constitution was written so that the general welfare was promoted, not pimped out to the third world.
I am a proud West Virginian from Huntington, but like many others of my generation, I had to leave to find my career. It was a wonderful place to grow up in. I would not trade that experience for the world!
I'm from the same area. Its became very bad now😭 drugs are slowly taking over our little town
I lived in Berkeley county for 2 years like the man says drugs are taking over disgrace to the white race do not go to Berkeley county it's a damn shame
And here we go🙄
Huntington is cool...
Way better than Charleston.
You couldn't pay me to live rural anywhere else in that State.
I like choices and opportunities....You're not going to get either if you're not living in a major city.
People love to hate the king city
As a lifetime resident of West Virginia I can say you missed the biggest part of our states problems. Politicians, government leaders from out of state, and government overreach have doomed a lot here. The DEP (Department of Environmental Protection) has a history of being for profit at citizens expense.
Unelected beurocrats taking over for profit
Candy Box Politics
If Fallout 76 wasn't so buggy, it would've helped West Virginia's economy 😢
Trust me the hype in the state was real, then died a sad death.
The game was made in West Virginia?
@@c-dogg9188 the map is basically WV... Appalacia.
@@c-dogg9188 that was literally the selling point of the game
The game was based in west Virginia because it's cheaper to design a game vaguely based on a forested area. Also it'would be easier to tie it into the fallout story, because west Virginia in itself is vague to the rest of the world.
I know this is a month old now. I was born and lived in Parkersburg, Wv for 26 years. It breaks my heart what has happened to my home. It's a beautiful state.
Aside from the deserts and canyons of the American southwest and the redwoods of California- as an Italian that emigrated in 2001- the landscapes of West Virginia are the most iconically American sites I’ve ever laid on, and it managed to do so without a single flag or monument.
I left the state after living there most of my life. COAL has been a curse on the state.
What?...WV coal has powered the whole East Coast for 100 years
@Bobby Ratliff You have no idea what your talking about..I have a 2500 sq ft house and my electric bill is 40 bucks a month..To make a statement that coal is the reason wv suffers is the crazyist thing i have ever heard..BTW..my natural gas bill runs about 100 bucks in the winter and 20 in the summer...electric and gas along with property taxes..price of land is one of the cheapest in the USA..
As a native West Virginian, I approve this video! Although there is so much more to the history of the state. I think it's a great lesson for the rest of humanity that 'economic growth' will always have it's downfall. We humans don't need much to live, and even thrive, but capitalism has told us otherwise. The best part of life in WV is the simple things: nature, growing your own food, community. I'm very hesitant to agree with the statement that WV 'needs' more heavy industry/large corporations to be 'successful.' West Virginians are proud of their self sufficiency and we should cultivate more of that. Theres nothing like the feeling of crossing the border into WV, that feeling of FREEDOM!
I’ve done so much traveling through West Virginia, one of my favorite states to drive. It’s beautiful and has so many cool little towns. It’s a shame that it’s dying.
Brutal. Such a beautiful part of the country. I hope they can revitalize themselves in the future
Growing up during the Coal Boom I was too young and ignorant to truly appreciate it. I made more money in the mines 20 years ago then I make now. Even delivering mining parts on emergency order for Joy I made good money. I see the bigger picture but my heart breaks for many including my community I grew up in.
did the idea of improving your education ever cross your mind? You could be making 100k in tech as entry level if you had used your brain and not your back 20 yrs ago.
@@MrSeminole77 great idea smartass ! But the Army paid for a 4 year degree almost 20 years ago
@@MrSeminole77 you can keep from starving by eating your degree when the “tech jobs” get outsourced or replaced by algorithms
@@MrSeminole77 What a stupid comment. There are probably more technical degrees needed to sell technical equipment than in some metro urban areas.
@@MrSeminole77 tech is extremely over-saturated right now. You would have to know someone or be lucky to get into the 6 figure entry level positions. Then there's the outsourcing and bringing in of foreign workers who would gladly take lower pay for opportunity to move to the US.
Wow! Is it gone? Come to think of it, I haven’t seen it on the map recently.
Yea!! Can’t believe they demolished it back in ‘07 and built a parking lot.
We are still here, dude
Upstate NY would actually believe you. They don't know, WV is not in Virginia.
It’s crazy people think West Virginia isn’t it’s own state
Mountaintop removal still happens there, so….
There are a ton of us in the tourism, craft beverage, and culinary industry working hard to provide folks an additional reason to come visit our beautiful state. It takes a lot of work, but there's a lot of love behind it.
I’ve moved twice from my home state of WV. Once for 6 years to NH and once to Fla. for 2 years. Came back home both times because of the calm, laid back easy living and great opportunities for buying a really nice house at a fraction of prices to what others states offered. Great state to retire in, but not a great state for young folks fresh out of college , unless they like the outdoors for hunting, fishing, hiking, etc.
WV does have inexpensive housing but, if you're not in a profession, there's little in the way of job opportunities. Also, drug addiction has taken a huge toll and contributed to skyrocketing crime. I used to live in a small town in WV where crime was practically nonexistent...not anymore.
Diana, I and my family grew up in WV, daughter went out of state to college, graduated and moved to FL Lived in FL for 30 years, retired and moved to Hedgesville, WV ~
I love WV. I went to school there and met my future wife there as well. The scenery is something to behold. Two of my favorite places are Blackwater Falls State Park and Dolly Sods. The state Parks are unique in that most of them have very comfortable lodging facilities and is sometimes more luxurious. The state is full of smaller private schools, too. It is a wonderful place to visit and I can sympathize with those living there who are frustrated by the lack of opportunity or at least opportunities that appeal currently to the younger generation. Time will make WV a new haven for people living in the North East and Mid Atlantic states.
Been a few years but blackwater falls and smoke hole caverns were always a welcomed trip. Family is from clarksburg and I miss that wonderful state so much.
Cool springs was a great trip too!
Dolly Sods is my favorite place in West Virginia.
I live here in west Virginia. Right by one of the waterfalls that was shown in this video. The tourism market is here, but our politicians continually vote in favor of corporations that ruin the environment. Right now, there is a project that was just approved to clear cut 86,000 square acres of forest, 3,400 of that is in very close proximity to Blackwater Falls. My words do little to change any of this, I've watched my wonderful country home change in just a couple short decades, over ran with the influx of tourists and extraction greed. This is and cannot be my home any longer, what I used to know it as is gone.
Heard the damn governor owns a mining company. That is simply in your face corruption.💯
Can’t find any info about this project online? They would be cutting down 10% of West Virginia forest, what are they making room for?
@@joseph2832 it’s the upper cheat forest cutting plan, supposedly being done by the forest service. Activists in my area have been asking for an extension for the evaluation period that’s supposed to determine whether it will impact the environment negatively. So far, the requests have been a bust, it’s scheduled to begin this summer.
As for what they are making room for, it’s pretty much just deforestation. There’s no immediate plans for anything that would require such a maneuver. A hydgren hub has been proposed, and the hyper loop, that’s really it.
poor West Virginia. I live in a bordering state and the state has suffered from poor leadership for too long. When a company would rather build across state lines bc of the taxes imposed on businesses throughout the state maybe the state should rethink the strategy. Just saying, I watched a specific shopping center get built up, slowly (very slowly), and before all the spaces were filled the current businesses were already shutting down due to high taxes and poor business.
Seneca rocks is absolutely beautiful. Especially in the winter. Ive gone ice climbing there multiple times. So much fun#
As I speak I'm driving through West Virginia just coming in to Charleston being a truck driver I've been through a lot of states and West Virginia is definitely in my top five of favorites
Besides beautiful scenery and mountains it's the people always down home polite friendly they treat like family
West Virginia a place that you can call home
I have watched many videos on West Virginia. Other than the negative comments, the two things mostly said in comments is how beautiful the state is, and how friendly the people are. That tells you something right there.
Having always lived in southern West Virginia I cannot imagine living anywhere else.
Hi from Madison!
@@theta6802 Hello from Mount Hope.
Hello from Fayette County
Howdy.. from Big Ugly
@@fredmiller694 No way, I was born and raised on Big Ugly Creek rd.! What a small world.
My father was killed in a mining accident and with all respect to the miners of today I believe in order for west virginia to grow and become better. The mining industry is fading away with nearly only 12,000 working miners. We need to widen our focus toward a more productive and profitable state. We also rely too much on tourism but yet don't want to expand to a more diverse portfolio. We need fresh leadership both here at home and in Washington that doesn't have a special interest paying them more than their elected salary.
When I first came to WV I flew from Chicago to Charleston (Yeager). I was shocked to discover that there is no public transportation of any kind, going to the city. The same is with railroad station. It is kind of in the center of Charleston, but even to get up to the bridge on feet is sort of discouraged by the lacking of a walkway. It feels so unwelcoming. Traveled 2 times to Beckly by train. The station is called Prince. It is about 14 miles away from the city, and not only no public transportation, but also some mobile phone providers do not cover that area. So you are completely stranded. I am sure there are many more stories like this.
It truly is Almost Heaven. Moved away a few times, but I always come back. There is a spirit and atmosphere in these mountains that nothing comes close to. The people here definitely deserve far better than we've been given by society, but what we have in terms of land and quality of life is hard to come by. Both the people and the land are special here.🖤
I was FROM the Pittsburgh ara and moved to the Kingwood WV area. Pittsburgh a great place to be FROM...FAR AWAY FROM! I remember when Morgantown was a really nice small town in the 80s. Now it seems like it is getting way too crowded here too BUT it is still way better tan PA!!!
WV secured a new steel mill, getting ready to start construction. Bought 300 acres in Mason Cty, already donated million dollars to schools. 1000 jobs.
I just shifted to west virginia from india and i love the state because the people are very friendly and welcoming and i feel luke a lot of people should consider calling the state home especially during online work
Welcome to the Mountain State!
Charleston has a pretty sizable Indian community. They even have a cultural center.
I was born and raised in Parkersburg. Lived there until I was 18 when college and career lead me to leave. I'm 35 now and though I never see myself ever returning, It's a beautiful state and it will always hold a place in my heart.
you will after Brandon destroys the rest of the country and WV becomes one of the few states left that are safe and FREE.
Thanks for covering my state. We’re honest people just trying to get by. I think this is a great representation of that. Go Herd!
I have to say, I'm not really impressed. As a former West Virginian, who left precisely because there's no real opportunity if you aren't going to college or working for a coal mine/pharma company, this video did a fair enough job covering the "what", but completely failed to tell "why", and the prejudice in this comment section is only making things worse.
Almost no mention of how industrial conglomerates systematically raped and destroyed WV in the early/mid 20th century. The state used to be covered in absolutely massive old-growth forest that was logged into oblivion, and land/mineral rights were sold for pennies on the dollar, because people needed to put food on the table. Look at pictures of the state from the 1920s, and tell me that West Virginia wasn't pillaged for her natural resources, her people subjugated at the mercy of faceless corporations.
There was no mention of how the coal companies paid workers in company scrip, which was only valid at the company store (Listen to Ernie Ford's 16 Tons) so people couldn't even get ahead in life by mining coal, but there was no other option at the time. Big industry has had a stranglehold on the state for almost two centuries, making it nearly impossible for other opportunities to arise.
And then there's the sickening amount of people in these comments talking down on miners and West Virginians for opposing alternative industries, not realizing that these people know better than anyone how bad things are for them in WV. But when your politicians are bought out and the only proposed alternatives for miners have been coding jobs and the like, is it really surprising? Computer science is basically the complete opposite of coal mining, you're telling me it's a surprise that these miners don't want to sit at a desk all day trying to make a function work, assuming they even understand it? Not to talk down on anyone's intelligence, but when your life is centered around mining coal, generally you don't really focus on academics.
And speaking as someone who personally knows many coal miners, most of them know things could be better, but for them it's still good money and it would be far too costly to return to college and get a degree that may or may not get them a better job than they have now. It sucks, but it makes sense.
Were you expecting a thorough documentary on WV in a 4 minute video? Seems illogical. Much of what you complained about would be valid for many other locations as well. Yup, trees were harvested. Got it. People sold mineral rights for far less than they were worth. You're right! Now find me a state where that didn't happen. As to the company scrip thing, that seems completely irrelevant to the video.
@@j.joseph5353 ???
@@baronblackdragon9078 Not sure what you commented for. Perhaps give it another go when you are able to form a sentence instead of replying like you're a cartoon character. Or just skip it. I'd suggest the latter.
@@j.joseph5353 it’s just that just cause corruption happens all over the country doesn’t mean we can ignore it because it’s in West Virginia
@@baronblackdragon9078 I don't disagree with your statement. My earlier reply to the OP did not imply nor state that corruption should be ignored. Not to put too fine a point on it, but you completely failed to grasp my simple point that the OP clearly expected a deep-dive into all of WV's issues, calamities, and problems past and present.......in a 4 minute video. Unreasonable expectations.
My family were early settlers in what is now Dunbar, WV. They first moved to the area around 1806. I still feel that WV is my home although I live in Kentucky due to a teaching position. I love WV and spend every Thanksgiving in one of the state parks. People don't know what they are missing - the natural beauty!
My father was born and raised in Dunbar. Sadly he passed in 2020. I'm an original native myself. Plan on going back when I retire.
I was born and raised in Vermont. We live in St Albans, WV and love the beauty and life style here I will never go back to Vermont
I lived with a friend who had a house in Dunbar yrs ago, waterfront property. One day I was out doing yardwork n looked up and saw the dang Mississippi Queen going down the river. I had no idea that boat took tours all the way to Charleston. Fascinating.
My brother used to make jokes that the fish in the Kanawha were deformed with two heads-referring to the nuclear plant. Idk about that, but I do know he caught a lot of fish using cheesedogs down by the Dunbar bridge. 🤠😅
@@msavina9129 I probably know where you friend lived in Dunbar. There was a time when I was growing up that people could not eat the fish in the Kanawha River due to pollution from Carbide. The plant made Xerox that is used in radiators and before EPA just dumped the waste into the river. I can remember two fish kills caused by the pollution. The odor was so bad that many people thought they were going to have to move out of their homes temporarily. Thanks goodness for EPA. There is no long a danger from Carbide.
@@judypierce7028
I google earthed it. He lived on Gillespie Drive. I can say that bc he sold the house and moved back to Beckley. It was a nice lil area, the neighbors were great.
That’s good they cleaned it up. I think I recall him saying it was safe to eat one fish per week, that was back in 2000. He caught and released.
🙂
As a West Virginian I just wish we could get to a manufacturing point of somewhere more like/at least South Carolina. We have few manufacturing plants, but we could thrive on manufacturing, we have the land, just not the want. There’s too much reliance on coal that we’ve not allowed our economy further beyond coal…
It's a boomer mentality. They had close to 3 decades to figure out how to open their email and they still don't know how to open their emails. It's not a matter of lack of know how but a matter of them not wanting to learn.
The Boomers who've been running the state refuse to allow their states to be anything but coal mining. It's not a matter of lack of opportunities but it's a matter of them rejecting those opportunities. They'll gladly allow the work-from-home tech bros bid their house price up past affordability for the locals, but hell will freeze over before they allow economic base of the state change.
Only way you get avoid that mentality is to move away from it. There are plenty of people who would ban a magical cure for cancer pill purely because they watched somebody they knew go through Chemo and still die.
WV was doomed ever since it broke away from Virginia. It has always suffered from its own geographic isolation. I've never been but it looks gorgeous, and I would love to visit someday.
I’ve lived in WV my entire life and the problem is the reliance on coal then no where to turn after coal died off then a huge drug problem the opioid epidemic hit this state hard. There are very few good paying jobs so there’s no reason for people to stay here. Housing costs went through the roof while the pay stagnated.
Why did coal die off? There's enough coal in West Virginia to power the whole planet for 100 years.
Emissions Regulations from the Federal Government and NatGas-fired electric plants have replaced a lot of coal plants.
@@Christoph-sd3zi deregulate the industry. Or promote clean coal tech. Not using the resource is not a viable option. We can't afford not to. the rest of the world sure as hell is not practicing the madness that we are. China is bringing a new coal fired power plant on line every month. so us shutting down plants is not helping anything.
Well done video. My family were farmers in WV and moved to Massillon, OH for jobs in the steel mills, which are all gone now. Massillon is definitely a forgotten place 😁. WV is one of the most beautiful places in this country.
Massillon Tigers Football rules!!!
@@The_OneManCrowd , too bad Massillon Football is nearly forgotten as well. Used to be you could go anywhere in this country and mention Massillon and people knew what that meant. Today, you are hard pressed to meet anyone that has ever heard of Massillon or Canton.
@@mikieme6907 The only reason I know that is because I did an internship 23 years ago with a guy from there and when his family came to visit us, they brought us Massillon Tigers gym shirts and shorts. All I remember is "Fuck McKinley!" LOL 😆
@@The_OneManCrowd 🤣, aka Can’twin McKinley
My family has been in West Virginia longer than it’s been West Virginia(I currently live in Florida, but my roots are still there) and as beautiful as it is, there’s nothing to do there. The mountains make it hard to build, there’s not much in the way of infrastructure, towns 5 miles away might as well be on the Moon at times, and the economy can’t sustain growth there under its current state. I’d love to see it bounce back, but I’m at a loss as to how to do it
Tourism jobs don't pay shit,they did the the same thing in the iron mining industry areas in the lake Superior region,only ppl who make out in the tourism field are the owners,not the worker's
I'm from SC and I bought a house in rural southern WV (Fayette County) because the cost of property here is becoming expensive. The area is beautiful but the house was trashed. There was needles and other drug paraphernalia laying all over the house. Drugs are becoming a problem here in SC as well. I cleaned it up and fixed up the house. Looks like a cute little cabin in the mountains now. Everyone I've talked to there so far is sweet as pie. I go there on a regular basis and plan to move there in next few years. Its quiet and cozy, my kind place.
The Interstate System highways and Appalacian corridor highways have transformed the state's highway system, perhaps more than any other state.
The state used to be infamous for the winding, slow 2-lane highways that handled those routes before 1960. Now it is crisscrossed by modern 4-lane highways.
WV has three types of highways: primary, secondary, and thirdary. Thirdary roads are those that look like cow paths where a driver must honk his horn if he/she is going around a curve. I am not joking. The slow 2 lane highways you mentioned are secondary.
I am sorry, but I meant to give you an example of a thirdary road - Cigarette Holler. It is a one lane road that winds back into the mountains. When turning off on Cigarette Holler Road from the main highway, it is paved, but after 1/2 it becomes a cow path. It is not paved. It is not even a dirt road.
I dont know where you are getting all this information, but I was born and raised in WV and I can tell you first hand that the beauty aspect of WV is being destroyed by strip mining companies. Where I live are 0 jobs availible, 0 businesses and what little we do have is taken by the Government who back these strip mining/logging companies. Today, there is very little beautiful about WV unless your looking at a politicians home and then its only his backyard that is unaffected by the outcome of his greed.
I attempted to live in West Virgina years ago but moved shortly after as WV didn’t really have many opportunities as others in the comments have mentioned.
@Forgotten Places : How do you think the Virgin Hyperloop having a main hub in WV will affect the population and economy? 13,000 jobs were promised originally, but Virgin is wavering from the original tourist transportation plans and seemingly shifting focus to cargo and throughput infrastructure through supply chain.
I plan to add to that declining population in 3 or 4 years when I retire. The state had 64,000 coal mine jobs in 1970 it's down to 12,000 now yet state leaders believe coal is still king and will rise again. Few opportunities with good paying jobs unless you go into the medical profession or be a lawyer. You are pretty much stuck with retail or restaurant jobs. It's why the state is hemorrhaging population. I know, I have lived here my entire 58 years.
@@julm7744 I couldn't agree more. There are areas that are just as beautiful as the Great Smoky Mountains. But until coal ceases to be an energy option. The state will hang all it's hopes on it. The states politicians are all bought and paid for by the coal lobby. And I say this coming from a coal mining family. Mining jobs might be great paying now but growing up in the 60's and 70's they weren't ,
many times we barely got by. Most mining families weren't even what I would call middle class.
honestly west virginia seems like a great state to retire to if you dont mind the cold and live somewhere near a decent hospital (morgantown is probably the best bet there)
Low cost of living is about the only positive here. Unfortunately medical becomes more important as you age, like with me. A border town like you mentioned close to a bigger city might work. You could be in Pittsburgh, Washington or Columbus in less than 2 hours.
@@UserName-ts3sp Southern WV near KY border where I am from is the pits. Nothing there and not close to anything. It now looks like a rural version of Detroit. Watch some of those abandoned Detroit videos on You Tube, looks very similiar.
@@sknowman1424 I am from Northern Kentucky but went to South Willamson Kentucky which I'm sure you know is right across from Willamson WV. People there were the the most friendly and outgoing bunch of folks I've seen.
I was born and raised in West Virginia. I had to move away to Nevada last year and it kills me. I absolutely miss my home state.
My family is from West Virginia and I've spent a great deal of my earlier life there in the 70's. I still go there 3 or 4 times a year. What you said is very accurate. I see the proof all the time. As a kid I remember always seeing coal trucks everywhere. You couldn't go anywhere without passing them or getting stuck driving behind one. Now, It has been several years since I even seen one. This migration to and from any location has always happened in every state/city or community throughout man's history all over the world. The important thing is that the leaders of that state/city or community has to be proactive and be willing to change with the times. It's a sad fact that the leadership in West Virginia has failed to do this for the past 150 years. But the most important thing that I want to say is that the state of West Virginia's greatest asset is it's people. Honest, caring, and some of the hardest working people in our country live in West Virginia. They say that home is where your heart is, well my heart has been in W.Va my whole life and now that I'm getting close to retirement, my heart wants me to go home.
Honestly, WV could be used to teach a college level course on "how not to manage an economy". They rely too heavily on coal and REFUSE to do anything different, even though coal is becoming a less and less important resource
I enjoy a peaceful life and love nature; i do love doing things like Welding, plumbing, and Car repairs;
and honestly i'm considering moving to WV.
If you have any advice, i'm open.
@@Marandal Everything is old and need of fixing in WV. My son hasn't moved into his first home...starter...and was already hit with a $8000 bill to replace clay sewer lines under his property. He'll be shopping for a second opinion. Cars are old here too....there are some still on the road from the mid-80s...in Fairmont in particular. Sounds like WV might be a good fit. We love it here...came from DC area in '97 thinking to stay 10 years max....rest is history. Retiring in 2 yrs.
My whole family left West Virginia over 20 years ago, everything was taxed, they literally flew over and found a seam of coal burried deep under our house and wanted to tax us for it. they even tried to tax our furniture. there's no jobs in west Virginia and anything that's not coal gets ran out of the state. you can't get a job and if you have anything at all you have to pay a yearly tax.
Like every industry, it has its time and then one must adapt. We all should support funding for higher education and job training so any area can move on to new industries. WV and Mi are perfect examples.
There are no new industries that can replace coal. You only think there are. Must be the shitty education you got that has given you such notions. If what you believed was true then Germany wouldn't be strip mining for lignite like they do. Which is the dirtiest form of energy known to Man. But it's also the best thing they got. They'd kill for the coal seams in West Virginia.
Does anyone know if Clarksburg is pictured at 1:15? Looks like it if you were driving East on 50 looking at your left hand side.
Same thing that is happening to Louisiana, and other states (lumber, minerals, oil & gas, etc). An economy based on resource extraction doesn’t work once the resources run out/become non-viable to extract. Once it’s over, corporations hightail it in their own best interest. Which happens to not be in the best interest of the folks who worked for them and the folks who made their livelihood there.
What’s happened to WV is unfortunate. Although it was never particularly set up for success given it’s incredibly tough terrain. It’s a lovely state and I love visiting every summer to visit family & hike the lovely state & national parks.
Thank you Big Jim! Let’s get corridor H done!!
What’s the name of the song playing at the beginning? I recognize it I just can’t place it.
Blue mountains
Recent (10 years) Mountaineer, this a great place to move to if you messed up on your retirement. Low cost of living and housing made it possible for us to retire. So far neither of us have worked in WV, had to travel to VA for that. If we stayed in Massachusetts we would have worked till we dropped. There seems to be a big issue here with lay abouts. The state's willingness to cut off it's nose to spite it face when it comes to federal dollars flowing to anyone that might be milking the system, is hurting not helping this state..
The WV state income tax sucks for us - 6%! My parents retired to Knoxville TN and they pay no income tax and dirt cheap real estate tax on a nice house.
@@Christoph-sd3zi I've only paid state income tax when I went back to work. When it's just SS + Pension ...nothing
Very interesting. How is the quality of healthcare you are getting?
@@AB-py6jl It's not as good as Massachusetts or Virginia ... the doctors and Hospitals are good ... lower level staffing not so much. When my dad went in the hospital he wasn't given his Parkinson medicine, because it was prescribed by a specialist. We had some real battles with some of the office staff trying to get things done. You have to be your own advocate
@@Inseparable724365 Thanks for your honestly.
where are the rail road bridges in the thumbnail located ?
I live in WV, The eastern panhandle may be the counties that save WV in the end. I've always said that we need to invest in solar energy, hemp farms, and tourism to stay afloat. I'm also a real estate agent and I must say even if there is a decline in population I see many people buying cabins and secondary homes in WV for vacations and weekend getaway.
EP is being ruined by growth tho. Not in jobs, but in poor infrastructure plans for development. 2-3 decades of unmitigated growth have gutted Berkeley and Jefferson counties. Now we get taxed for water runoff, because contractors were not hel responsible in the first place.. Townhouses everywhere, and those are just future "projects" Spring Mills will be a ghetto in next 10 yrs by its overuse of them even.
@@JustB904 Berkeley will suffer in infrastructure more than Jefferson. Jefferson has some growth but not the amount that is in Berkeley. It's actually a reason why I'm going to be moving from Berkeley to Jefferson because I feel it's going to get really crowded in the next 5 years.
I'm an E.P. resident who has been saying that since the 1980's . I can't get over how for just 100- 300 jobs the city ,county , & state governments let corporations ruin the state , take out resources ,& not pay enough taxes on it to support WV. We should have an economy similar to VA , but definitely don't & at this rate won't.
Hey do you know where the thumbnail picture was taken from? We found a very old picture in our family photos that looks like it was taken from the exact same spot. Id love to know where it is
With remote work becoming more common, I see a bright future for WV and other areas of Appalachia. People from all over will flock to capture its natural beauty and low cost of living while still be able to work their jobs that in the past were only confined to more urban areas. It's already happening - parts of the eastern panhandle even before remote work became a thing have become commuter areas for Washington and Baltimore. The potential downfall would be more rapid homogenization (which really, has been taking place for years) and the dwindling of its unique culture. But otherwise, things should look up as the cost of living spirals out of control, especially in Eastern metro areas.
The I81 Corridor (albeit only 26 miles in WV) has EXPLODED in population in the last 20 years.
The cost of living is not that low here. It should be. When rent is $1600.00 and wages are shit, it’s not very cost effective to live here anymore. Remote workers? People here are barely literate. 🤷🏻♀️
@@wvmom2727 high taxes to
Are you serious ? Move there so you can live with ignorant opioid addicts. Don’t think so.
Until companies realize that remote workers are doing this and adjust their wages to match your living locations instead of your work locations. Oh wait, they have already noticed and it's already happening. As for the Eastern Panhandle of WV, that's considered DC Metro and fed jobs have a 31.5% wage adjustment tacked onto it.
Music in 2:40 ?
I remember passing through West Virginia on a Amtrak coming from Army AIT in FT.LEE ,VA and I can say it was hands down the most beautiful state I’ve ever been in .
The youth may be leaving in search of more opportunity, but retires, especially those who grew up there, often return to spend their remaining years in the state they loved. I am one of those.
WV is such a beautiful state. They need a few products/services and education and people would flock there. Wonderful people. Beautiful scenery. Lovely weather.
To be fair Cass is one of the few towns that survived ironically it's thanks to the very logging railroad that helped build and sustain it
Love my state. I came back after serving. Nothing like looking at my beautiful mountains, watching the wonderful wildlife. Military and veterans don’t pay state taxes!😁 My family goes back to the 1820’s.
If you're not on active duty you pay taxes.
@@Racistobama I didn’t pay taxes on AD!
What happened to WV is what happens when the local government is run by old rich families who protect their interests (e.g. coal) even if it means that the entire state will suffer. This happens all the time in third world countries run by corrupt despots. Sadly, this situation is not limited to WV. Many other states are the same sad situation.
Our population actually increased last year, probably for the first year in my life, because so many remote workers moved here during the "pandemic." People realized they could still enjoy their big city salary while living in our scenery. And that salary goes a lot farther here with lower property values.
Exaclty right. many states have lost population. Several have gained.
For now. Companies have caught on to this fact and are adjusting their pay based off of where you live and not where you "work". For example, the federal government has a Locality Pay Adjustment based off of what metropolitan area you are close to because it costs more to live in these areas. However, that same government is still talking about changing that adjustment based off of the employees living location and not their work location. So if you worked for a fed. dept. in DC but lived in Cabell County, WV, you won't get your 31.5% wage adjustment. It's now only 16.2%. So that big city salary isn't as much as they thought it was.
What happened to it? Last time we went east, it was right where it’s supposed to be between OH & VA.
A good example why industry should provide employment.
When technology replaces jobs, everyone looses.
You realize as tech replaces people there'll be new forms of income, it's not just gonna be "tech replaced everyone so now there's no way to make money ever again"
Loses.
I grew up in Wheeling, the state's first capital. In the local restaurants, there are pictures framed on the walls of the streets that were filled with people once before and now they are nothing but streets for cars to travel on. We used to be right up there with cities like NYC, but we are stuck in the past.
It would be nice to think that once the old timers pass on the youth will take over but the youth is having their own problems
@@Christoph-sd3zi to me, I am leaving the state because it doesn't provide any opportunities that I would be really into career-wise. I absolutely adore wheelings history because I study history myself, but wheeling specifically needs to preserve the cities history while also moving on and modernizing. It would bring a lot more people in.
In all my 58+ years, living in four states, I've never lived more than 60 miles from West Virginia. Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia...go figure.
I'm most familiar with the Northern Panhandle. It really may as well be Western Pennsylvania or Southeastern Ohio.
The Northern Panhandle gave it's name to the Pennsylvania Railroad line that ran from Pittsburgh through Columbus and Indianapolis to St. Louis. Most of that was abandoned by Conrail.
Wheeling and Weirton have seen industry shut down and leave over the past nearly half century, just like it's neighbors in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Weirton has a great ribs restaurant, DJs. Oglebay Resort near Wheeling has an awesome Christmas lights display.
West Virginia is such an incredible state. It’s so beautiful! I had a good friend that had family who lived there and every year we’d go there for a week or two. The family was so incredibly inviting. Also the surrounding neighbors were so nice. I remember walking around looking for turtles and other things eating blackberries off the bushes. People would pull over and ask if you were ok or see if you need help. I’d love to go back again!
Big oil/gas boom in the last 10 years prior to the coof. Though sadly much of it never employed people of the state. It's absurd the number of trucks with Texas new mexico or one of the Dakota's you see here now.
This has also done a number on the natural Beauty.
Been a West Virginian on and off for 27 years. Beautiful state with some of the nicest people you'll ever meet.
As a student at WVU, it’s sad to see the bad reputation that this state gets
Have you been to other states? Because West Virginia really is a shitty state. The reputation is deserved. Can't even maintain its roads. It's embarrassing.
My grandmother lived in Logan. She passed away on January 29th this year at 5:25 pm...
We were robbed by gas and coal companies, kept other industry out so there would be a workforce for them, but it’s finally changing
I have left WV 28 years ago and I thank GOD for getting me out of that Devil Den
I love my state, I hate how it’s been taken advantage of at the expense of the people though. Coal has made and kept everyone poor
As WV native, it's because there's diddly squat to do. The drug problem only gets worse and the only reason the town I live in is growing is because there's a train that goes to DC throughout the week, so people who are employed in DC don't have to live in DC and pay DC prices. There are some people like myself who are opening more recreational businesses so that there's more to do, but right now it's primarily restaurants and bars.
My entire family is from WV. I lived in VA for a few years and moved back to WV. I went to college at Shepherd College in the early to mid 90's. I went to school with a fair few people from out of state and more than you would think from overseas. You would not believe how many of those people have said that the time that they lived here was the best of their lives and many have moved here. Most live on the edges of the state and work in Maryland, Virginia, or DC. 3 of my friends from overseas have become US citizens and have moved to the eastern panhandle of WV. They all work in MD, VA, or DC. Everyone of them said they loved this place so much that when they went back home they hated home and missed WV more than they has ever thought possible. My one friend was here at college from Japan. He told me when he moved back here after being back in Japan for 2 years that "I had a place in my heart that was empty for a long time. My mother asked me why I was so sad to be home. I told her I dud not feel at home anymore. She asked me what would help me feel at home? I told her I did not think I would feel at home again unless I went back.". He and his mother and sister came here in 1998 on vacation. They moved here a year later. His mother said she felt a connection to this area that felt like her connection to their home in Japan. They are all still here.
Massachusetts resident here, I love looking for out of state license plates in my state, and when I was younger, I used to see West Virginia plates a fair amount. Ever since I got back into looking for plates, I haven’t seen a West Virginia plate, not once. I don’t even think I’ve seen one in over a year, and I’ve even seen an Alaska fairly recently if that says something.
It's also flipped from being one of the bluest states in the country into one of the reddest states in the country in the last 25 years.
we like it that way.
When Democrats actually supported unions.
@Forgotten Places, The decline of WV's coal industry is because of the high sulfur content in the area. Sulfur isn't good for forging iron that the steel mills won't accept it. The coal fired power plants that are also declining; won't take sulfur coal to prevent acid rain events. As it makes water toxic to all forms of life and recovery last a very long time. I felt the video needs a footnote on that.
WV needs to expand passenger rail so folks can live in the state and still commute to larger cities to the east and west
Yeah. MARC tried thar about 15 yrs ago. Extending service past Martinsburg to Hancock. The people in Montgomery and PG County, MD threw a fit. Plus, CSX hates having to deal with passenger trains.
WV will ALWAYS be my home!! I was born in and raised in Bluefield, actually, Bluewell. I lived in Montgomery for 20 years. I left WV in late 2019 and moved to PA, and it's nothing like my WV, to me, the most beautiful state there is. The people are amazing in WV, can't find people like that anywhere else. I hear John Denver at least once a week, and brings tears to my eyes...I cannot wait to go home.❤️
I was born in West Virginia myself and I'm gonna have to say we don't all hate the state and think it's poor and wanna leave. There are so many people attached to this land and there's plenty of wealth. There are mansions and mountain top escapes. Resorts you can go to. It's not as bad as google makes it sound. And you rarely ever meet coal miner's these days. The times I have met them I was proud to be in their presence. This is a beautiful state with enough for a lot of us.
🎯👍👍Couldn't have said it better myself! I totally agree.
Why are you people so proud of being ignorant and uneducated?
WV is an underrated state to visit. We used to go camping there all the time when I lived back east. It's beautiful.