Been there a few years back my wife and I. We was enjoying the hayfield and McCoy trails. We are from West Virginia also. We had lunch at the cafe. Great food , real nice people
As a tourist information counselor for WV I took a tour with some fellow counselors twice. The blue house you saw was originally a two story house but a coal operator bought it and had the roof taken off to build a ballroom for his wife. Across from the I T Mann house was a playhouse he built for his kids. When I took the tour a family was living there.
Wow, only a minute into the video and I must comment. The Corner Store is like a real Hallmark channel movie! It is beautiful. Thanks for showing us this place, I can’t believe places like this still exist.
What a piece of wonderful history you just showed. Love it, as always. I love seeing Appalachia in this time of year. Gives it a different perspective.
I just came in from feeding cattle I'm a cattle rancher! I love listening to your wife talk her voice is so soothing I hope you both have a super great blessed Christmas God bless both of you stay safe
So beautiful and the most beautiful host on utube thanks for a wonderful year of videos wishing ya a wonderful Christmas stay safe guys can't wait till next year's stories and tours God bless ya thanks again 🙏
Loved the look of the old store. So historical looking. That's odd about the pepperoni rolls! We've ordered them from a pizza place near Radford University & have gotten them at a Sheetz in VA. We first tried them at Bluefield, WVA at a racetrack. Those were delicious! I LOVED seeing those big older homes! My long ago dream was to buy an older home, furnish it with antiques or furniture that looked like it was made during same era. But sadly, that dream is gone. So sad about the church collapsing. Oh wow! Those homes, buildings & history of them was so nice to hear! Love learning about history of places & people. The old pictures y'all show are so great to see too! Y'all stay safe and God bless!
We just bought that 2-story blue house across the street from the old Bramwell High School! It was neat seeing it in this video! :) We live in SC, but we bought the Bramwell house to fix up for our whole family to use. The contractor just on its renovation yesterday. It’s getting a whole facelift (while also keeping it’s original style, floors, trim, etc). Super excited!
Oh my gosh, Shane I’m surprised you were allowed in the car after asking a question while Melody was eating. LMBO (that look) TRULY hilarious. Thank You to you both for your love of your area.
Funny to see a SMART car (@13:35) in very rural WV.....I owned 2 of them....but no one in WV works on them.....so sold them! Interesting place I have yet to visit. thx
@@realappalachia I love your videos about WV and Virginia. They are so real. I am so glad that you and Melody are doing the videos. It is about time some one appreciated the cultures of the Appalachian Mountains to learn about them and to share the information. Please know that I just tease you about thirdary roads. Please have a wonderful and warm Christmas holiday. If on the road, be safe.
My Grampa was from Lost Creek WV. He lived in an old farm house that we had to park and walk up his driveway to get to. I would love to know if its still there. Do you ever head out that way?
My family is from that area although we move when I was a kid to Ohio. Many worked in the mines, and my cousin was killed on a different shift doing the same maintenance job in the mines as my father which is why my mom made my dad look for a different job. Dads family was from Crumpler and we lived near Windmill gap and I went to a 2 room schoolhouse in the sixties that the building was still there. My father had 12 siblings and my grandmother was a hard worker with taking care of the kids, chickens cow, pigs and beehives. She churned some of the most amazing home make butter. Grandfather Bailey was not so nice but did provide for the family, He was a moonshiner, and sampled too much of his own product. Where we lived used to be in the middle of no where down a dead end road. It is now a major camping area at one the the trail heads for the Hatfield McCoy ATV trails.
I’ve been trying to find out some info on the supposed Bramwell Lake, I’ve lived in this area for years and never knew such a thing existed. I did find the reservoir, it’s off of Reservoir Hollow Road, it seems like it hasn’t been used it awhile. I’m assuming they ditched it once they got city water? There are some walking trails there, but before I try to find it myself I was curious if someone else knew some information about it.
Many of those houses at the end of the video look like houses from way back when that are still standing inNew English. Also, newer houses are built to look like that old style colonial house today.
Hey did y,all get a producer or something ? cause that seemed awful professional in that shop . never ending surprise's with y,all. really, really ,really like the Christmas music.
What are the primary occupations of the current Bramwell residents? It would take a very nice income/savings account to maintain those impressive homes no matter what shape the local economy is in. Also it wouldn't surprise me to see many of these coal camp towns to spring back to life in a lesser form than their heyday. When all of the projected electric cars hit the road nothing will help generate electricity like good old coal.
@@americanfamilyheatingair8260 No disrespect meant toward your citizens or your town. I also looked at Bramwell from the satellite view and followed the "Real Appalachia" video closely. There were plenty of houses, many of them were fine homes. What I didn't see was commerce and industry to support the citizens of your community. It was just an honest question. As Shane replied above, possibly many of the towns folk drive to other cities to work.
Now that you have done Bramwell which used to be the richest town in the entire US with more millionaires per Capita than any other town in America where the coal Barons gravitated maybe you can do the OTHER Real Appalachia ,in the counties with the horrendous sewage and water disaster and while your at it cover the abondoned coal company towns and how the Barons controlled literally everything,even by not paying the minors in actual currency. There was even a minor in one of the coal towns who was an actual slave before he was a minor and said he knows what it feels like to be a slave and he felt like a slave while working and living in the coal company towns.
The homes and lifestyle is real interesting. Are these men immoral greedy tyrants who oppress miners? Are they the ones who founded company stores and whimsically risked the miners lives? I hear the life of a mining mule was regarded more highly than the miners who prepared the load of coal. A foreman would be fired if a mule died but if a miner dies...oh well.
About that pepperoni roll @ban” in VA... there’s actually a mennonite bakery in Floyd, VA that makes something very much like a pepperoni roll although they don’t call it that.Just one more thing to justify a trip to Floyd!
Hey Shane and Melody 🤟 thanks for the download, Shane please correct me if I am wrong but I was under the misapprehension that pepperoni is a cured meat sausage, Here in Florida, where I live I call up the pizza place an order of pizza, I can also order pizza rolls of course they're pepperoni rolls, truly this is the first time I heard that they were illegal in Virginia, would you consider that maybe it was a state rivalry that brought this law into practice? And I have another question what year was it done made it illegal, I mean? Thanks for the hard work and the beautiful video to you and Melody Merry Christmas!!!
Pepperoni is indeed a cured meat sausage so few people can understand why they're illegal when things like Hot Pockets aren't and they are made very similarly. I am not sure when that happened in Virginia but the USDA in1987 was going to have pepperoni roll bakeries reclassified as meat packing plants and it would have put pretty much all places making them out of business but, fortunately, the good folks in WV fought back and it didn't take place. Merry Christmas to you too!
Dare anyone to have an exceptional meal eating out in West Virginia. Can't be done! Applebees, Outback, Crackerbarrel, etc. are at the very top of their food chain.
I long time ago, I lived near Martinsburg. The Mexican restaurant there had real Mexican Ice cream. With dough that was deep fried. It was fantastic! Amy’s? No idea if it is still there.
Something out of a Hallmark movie! Those wonderful old homes have character, secret hiding places, and huge rooms!
Enjoyed this my brother attended Bramwell school in the 1950s, we girls went to Montcalm WV
A fun History of the area. Beautiful at Christmas too.
Been there a few years back my wife and I. We was enjoying the hayfield and McCoy trails. We are from West Virginia also. We had lunch at the cafe. Great food , real nice people
Seeing this makes me homesick grew up there
It’s a wonderful town
What a beautiful small town!
we totally agree
Wow just love those houses an their history thanks guys for sharing .
Glad you enjoyed it, Mike
That sure is a neat place. Y’all have a Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas to you too!
As a tourist information counselor for WV I took a tour with some fellow counselors twice. The blue house you saw was originally a two story house but a coal operator bought it and had the roof taken off to build a ballroom for his wife. Across from the I T Mann house was a playhouse he built for his kids. When I took the tour a family was living there.
How interesting!
Wow, only a minute into the video and I must comment. The Corner Store is like a real Hallmark channel movie! It is beautiful. Thanks for showing us this place, I can’t believe places like this still exist.
It is a fantastic place to experience
West Virginians preserve History very well
Has anyone mentioned that you two are getting pretty good at this? Riding with you two is almost as good as going there myself!
Thanks for riding with us, Alvan
@@realappalachia Truly my pleasure...
Definitely 1 of favorite places to eat. Elvis burger
we'll have to try that one next time
Very nice indeed🇺🇸😎
I love all your videos Shane and Melody, but this one was extra special! Thanks so much guys!
So glad you enjoyed it, Brenda, thanks for the feedback :)
BEAUTIFUL
What a piece of wonderful history you just showed. Love it, as always. I love seeing Appalachia in this time of year. Gives it a different perspective.
Glad you enjoyed it, there is something special about this time of year for sure
I just came in from feeding cattle I'm a cattle rancher! I love listening to your wife talk her voice is so soothing I hope you both have a super great blessed Christmas God bless both of you stay safe
That was one beautiful building with its original built in display cases an that tin ceiling is stunning
Thank youll for doing another history video I really enjoy these
So beautiful and the most beautiful host on utube thanks for a wonderful year of videos wishing ya a wonderful Christmas stay safe guys can't wait till next year's stories and tours God bless ya thanks again 🙏
Thank you and God bless you too
We send luv from Tucson Arizona and Mexico
thanks so much!
Great job of covering the some of the highlights of Bramwell.
Thank ya, Tony
I’m in Bradshaw, WV right now on a NC a mission trip!
much needed in that area, thanks for making that trip
@@realappalachia Yes you got that right!
Loved the look of the old store. So historical looking. That's odd about the pepperoni rolls! We've ordered them from a pizza place near Radford University & have gotten them at a Sheetz in VA. We first tried them at Bluefield, WVA at a racetrack. Those were delicious! I LOVED seeing those big older homes! My long ago dream was to buy an older home, furnish it with antiques or furniture that looked like it was made during same era. But sadly, that dream is gone. So sad about the church collapsing. Oh wow! Those homes, buildings & history of them was so nice to hear! Love learning about history of places & people. The old pictures y'all show are so great to see too! Y'all stay safe and God bless!
Thanks so much and God bless you too
@@realappalachia , I like the church and the homes with the retaining walls. I remember my hometown when I see these hilly places.
Yes
What a shame that the church collapsed .
Another great video! Merry Christmas to you both!
Merry Christmas to you too! Thanks so much
Thank you , we enjoyed the tour.
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching.
Wonderful video, thank you. The homes are beautiful.
thank you!
We just bought that 2-story blue house across the street from the old Bramwell High School! It was neat seeing it in this video! :) We live in SC, but we bought the Bramwell house to fix up for our whole family to use. The contractor just on its renovation yesterday. It’s getting a whole facelift (while also keeping it’s original style, floors, trim, etc). Super excited!
@@Lisahbj that’s fantastic, congratulations and hope it’s everything you hope it will be
@@realappalachiathank you!
How exciting! Glad you're preserving this magnificent history! Old doesn't=bad! These old places are amazing!❤
Very well done ! Very enjoyable.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Love the houses
how cute y'all was sitting in the corner by the Christmas Tree. LOL
I live in Kentucky and my family is from Letcher/Knott county line. I enjoy your videos 👍
awesome, love those counties. I got snowed in at Hindman one night a few years back.
My favorite place to visit
it is right up there for us too, we love Bramwell
Oh my gosh, Shane I’m surprised you were allowed in the car after asking a question while Melody was eating. LMBO (that look) TRULY hilarious. Thank You to you both for your love of your area.
Yeah, thankfully the milkshake cooled her temper off lol
Could you somehow increase the sound volume on your end? Very hard to hear. Otherwise great.
we are working on it, been a longtime problem we are trying to fix
@@realappalachia thanks!
I can't read lips, so there wasn't much use in watching the video.
Funny to see a SMART car (@13:35) in very rural WV.....I owned 2 of them....but no one in WV works on them.....so sold them! Interesting place I have yet to visit. thx
It's the mayor's car
I like the seats.
My favorite video
perfect, keep going on. How often does snow fall in winter?
Food looked yummy! Blue house was so nice!
It was!
Bramwell is a beautiful part of the State of WV. Glad you were able to visit it Shane an Melody. Thank you. Stay off thirdary roads!!
We always try to follow your advice lol
@@realappalachia I love your videos about WV and Virginia. They are so real. I am so glad that you and Melody are doing the videos. It is about time some one appreciated the cultures of the Appalachian Mountains to learn about them and to share the information. Please know that I just tease you about thirdary roads. Please have a wonderful and warm Christmas holiday. If on the road, be safe.
@@judypierce7028 oh, yes, we enjoy the teasing because we give each other a hard time too lol. Thank you!
What a wonderful store! I’d love to see it! Only six hours away
Worth the trip
If you haven’t been to Itmann The massive company store building is still there. I actually made from the same blue stone from around Branwell
I am dying to see the store in person
Do they still do home tours here? I would live to see in them and the high school I love old places like this
My Grampa was from Lost Creek WV. He lived in an old farm house that we had to park and walk up his driveway to get to. I would love to know if its still there. Do you ever head out that way?
we haven't been there yet
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for watching!
I’d love to see Bramwell
You haven't missed nothing
have you two ever cruised the blue ridge parkway...all 469 miles of it? lot of history there. 52 years to complete it
Havent had the chance to drive the entire thing yet but that is a must at some point
My family is from that area although we move when I was a kid to Ohio. Many worked in the mines, and my cousin was killed on a different shift doing the same maintenance job in the mines as my father which is why my mom made my dad look for a different job. Dads family was from Crumpler and we lived near Windmill gap and I went to a 2 room schoolhouse in the sixties that the building was still there. My father had 12 siblings and my grandmother was a hard worker with taking care of the kids, chickens cow, pigs and beehives. She churned some of the most amazing home make butter. Grandfather Bailey was not so nice but did provide for the family, He was a moonshiner, and sampled too much of his own product. Where we lived used to be in the middle of no where down a dead end road. It is now a major camping area at one the the trail heads for the Hatfield McCoy ATV trails.
great memories, thanks for sharing
I’ve been trying to find out some info on the supposed Bramwell Lake, I’ve lived in this area for years and never knew such a thing existed. I did find the reservoir, it’s off of Reservoir Hollow Road, it seems like it hasn’t been used it awhile. I’m assuming they ditched it once they got city water? There are some walking trails there, but before I try to find it myself I was curious if someone else knew some information about it.
Thanks for that. Definitely an interesting town. Are the houses whose stories you tell are something like museums or do they belong to someone?
They are still private residences these days
Many of those houses at the end of the video look like houses from way back when that are still standing inNew English. Also, newer houses are built to look like that old style colonial house today.
thats crazy richest place there long ago in the usa, never knew or heard that
Show the houses within 2000 feet that is falling down....sad but true.
Street Preached there once, Very cute lil town.. Shane is the food good there?
It is great at the Corner Shop - always aces
Wow
My mother attended Bramwell School in the thirties
Do you have a video of Brurkes Garden . Might be a good subject.
It is on the hit list. Did a video from there 3 or 4 years on the old channel but way past due for another visit
Don’t know how that extra r got in there.
How far is this from Bristol? Have you checked out the Wautauga Valley rail cars in Jonesborough TN. Melody do you have your own channel.
it is a couple of hours-ish from Bristol. Melody doesn't have her own channel at this point.
Pepperoni rolls are LEGAL in Virginia!
Hey did y,all get a producer or something ? cause that seemed awful professional in that shop . never ending surprise's with y,all. really, really ,really like the Christmas music.
thank you...We had more time to work on this one than we usually do lol
Went to school there
👍👍
BACK IN THE 7OS U COULD'NT GET A SEAT THERE IT WAS SO CROWDED DID U DO A BLOG ON BLUEFIELD W VA?.,
I think Ohio just recently allowed pepperoni rolls.
that's great because I love them
dose this mean that taking pepperoni rolls in Virginia on the Appalachian trail I will be in trouble lol
Ha, I think you're good
I didn't quite follow one point; did a church building collapse? If it was still in use, who was the congregation?
yes, an older church that was no longer being used collapsed very recently
do you ever run across any old fashioned hardware stores in that area still in business like they were years ago?
on very rare occasions we do but not often at all
What are the primary occupations of the current Bramwell residents? It would take a very nice income/savings account to maintain those impressive homes no matter what shape the local economy is in.
Also it wouldn't surprise me to see many of these coal camp towns to spring back to life in a lesser form than their heyday. When all of the projected electric cars hit the road nothing will help generate electricity like good old coal.
They work in various industries and some are retired. Bramwell isnt too far from Bluefield and Princeton and there's some work in those towns
We work regular jobs, just like everyone else.
@@americanfamilyheatingair8260 No disrespect meant toward your citizens or your town. I also looked at Bramwell from the satellite view and followed the "Real Appalachia" video closely. There were plenty of houses, many of them were fine homes. What I didn't see was commerce and industry to support the citizens of your community. It was just an honest question. As Shane replied above, possibly many of the towns folk drive to other cities to work.
Now that you have done Bramwell which used to be the richest town in the entire US with more millionaires per Capita than any other town in America where the coal Barons gravitated maybe you can do the OTHER Real Appalachia ,in the counties with the horrendous sewage and water disaster and while your at it cover the abondoned coal company towns and how the Barons controlled literally everything,even by not paying the minors in actual currency. There was even a minor in one of the coal towns who was an actual slave before he was a minor and said he knows what it feels like to be a slave and he felt like a slave while working and living in the coal company towns.
The homes and lifestyle is real interesting. Are these men immoral greedy tyrants who oppress miners? Are they the ones who founded company stores and whimsically risked the miners lives? I hear the life of a mining mule was regarded more highly than the miners who prepared the load of coal. A foreman would be fired if a mule died but if a miner dies...oh well.
Hi guy's nice video Always have a very merry Christmas and I'm still looking for a wife lol from a swell from a small town take care
merry Christmas
About that pepperoni roll @ban” in VA... there’s actually a mennonite bakery in Floyd, VA that makes something very much like a pepperoni roll although they don’t call it that.Just one more thing to justify a trip to Floyd!
We are wayyyy overdue for a trip to Floyd
Hey Shane and Melody 🤟 thanks for the download, Shane please correct me if I am wrong but I was under the misapprehension that pepperoni is a cured meat sausage, Here in Florida, where I live I call up the pizza place an order of pizza, I can also order pizza rolls of course they're pepperoni rolls, truly this is the first time I heard that they were illegal in Virginia, would you consider that maybe it was a state rivalry that brought this law into practice? And I have another question what year was it done made it illegal, I mean? Thanks for the hard work and the beautiful video to you and Melody Merry Christmas!!!
Pepperoni is indeed a cured meat sausage so few people can understand why they're illegal when things like Hot Pockets aren't and they are made very similarly. I am not sure when that happened in Virginia but the USDA in1987 was going to have pepperoni roll bakeries reclassified as meat packing plants and it would have put pretty much all places making them out of business but, fortunately, the good folks in WV fought back and it didn't take place. Merry Christmas to you too!
@@realappalachia thank you for answering my questions.
Merry Christmas to you guys an everyone I know an the people that know Of me caveman
In those towns is property expensive
no, it is actually very affordable
Melody you said you may not be here next time during the video...are you leaving the show? Hope not.
No worries! I’m here to stay! 😊 - Melody
@@realappalachia Great! Maybe I misunderstood Melody. I did enjoy this video...very much!
Love watching you Melody!
found A abandoned train in Hinton
I bet that was something to see
Can hardly hear yall.
Dare anyone to have an exceptional meal eating out in West Virginia. Can't be done! Applebees, Outback, Crackerbarrel, etc. are at the very top of their food chain.
I long time ago, I lived near Martinsburg. The Mexican restaurant there had real Mexican Ice cream. With dough that was deep fried. It was fantastic! Amy’s? No idea if it is still there.