VERY remote West Virginia town of Dingess - Town of old, lost dreams
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- Опубликовано: 10 сен 2024
- Anyone have access to the house with the cemetery in this? we would love to check it out =)
Here's the link to the history of Dingess tunnel video • Bloody Dingess Tunnel ...
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According to Wikipedia, that house is the last residence structure left of when Dingus was a hopping place.
I have an aunt that has lived in Dingess for many years. I remember as a kid having to go through the Dingess tunnel every time we came to visit. Back then there were no lights in it. Good memories.
The building just after you come out of the tunnel used to be “3-way carry out”. We used to stop there every day on our way home from school for snacks. It was owned by Bob and Gary Wellman.
Dingess is my mothers home place where she was raised so I've spent a lot of time there. Wonderful memories!
It once was a busy, bustling place but after the railroad left it became a ghosttown.
The first place u stopped after coming thru the tunnel ( where the carryout is) is where the train station was. It was one of the most important train stations locally that shipped in goods for the surrounding communities.
My grandparents ( Muncy) owned the General Store in Dingess where they sold everything from needles & thread to restaurant food.
That church was where my family attended.
Behind the post office was my uncle's home place but after his death, they cleared the land to make a park.
Coming from Lenore toward the tunnel, right before you get to the tunnel ( maybe 500 ') you can take the road on the right and go over the mountain if you want to bypass the tunnel.
I remember Ethel and Monroe well.
I grew up at Dingess. My dad and some brothers still live there.
I am from there too. Did you know Fanny Justice? Or Alexander's? Or Shepherds? Or Blairs? Chichs pizza is my cousin Beverly and her husband Robert.
@@robinchaffin8892 me too
My mom is Leal Alexander , Ramona , Olive , Charles. We still have property there. We lived in a quonset hut.
My mother and my father both grew up in Dingess. When you are at the post office the church in the background was where my grandmother several aunts and my uncles funerals where held. I have many memories of the tunnel and those old country roads. I stil have many family members thay live here.
I knew plenty of baisdens. Had a 3rd grade teacher pass away either that last name in the early 90's.
Born, raised and still in the area. I'm actually at Breeden, which is just on the other side of Dingess. I went to Dingess elementary and then to Lenore middle and tug valley high. The middle school and high school buses go through the tunnel daily. And there are times that you can not just look through to see if someone is coming through. Thick Fog settles inside sometimes and you can't see traffic, in those cases, turn down your music, drive slow and blow your horn, while listening for a return horn, coming in on the other end lol. I had the experience, as a 13 year old, of the school bus driver taking an entire bus full of us kids into the tunnel while it was full of burning tires. Black smoke was rolling out the end and traffic stopped lining the edges of the road. Our driver, hung over from bouncing the night before at the tear drop inn, refused to believe that we couldn't get to school and drove in. Got in far enough that the black soot covered the windshield, then tried to back out. He backed I to the side and pulled up about 3 times before deciding to evacuate the bus. We had to exit the back door and walk out in the black smoke, feeling the wall as a guide. I remember feeling along the wall and falling into one of the man holes. When we got to the end, we were put on one of the other busses and sent on to school (over the tunnel), covered in soot, and black streaks coming from our noses from breathing it. My best friend and I called home. I ended up having to go to the Dr a day or so later and was treated for bronchitis. That was about 1990 in the month of October, of course.
The story of her bus getting stuck in the tunnel full of burning tire smoke is definitely true. I watched from my bus as hers went in. Her bus passed mine when they couldn’t see the fire anymore. Her bus driver got stuck in the tunnel so the students walked out and got on my bus for the ride to school.
My family is from West Virginia originally. We were what was called Ulster Scots. I’m an eighth generation American and my 21 year old son is ninth. My family ( two brother) were the first to settle along near sister like which was not named anything at that time. Wheeling
Was one of the last forts and Ohio etc was still unsettled. That was our far west. Samuel fought the British and one of my uncles was at Kings Mtn. My second generation grandfather in America was at fort wheeling and helped settle West Virginia and Ohio. You can look him up. Moses Williamson. Great stuff. Thank you for showing us this. Wonderful. I want to go to Scotland next year to see where my original forefathers came from and try to find records to find other ancestors.
Visiting Scotland would be amazing, we also have ancestry there like so many people
I live in the frozen tundra. I find WV history fascinating. I never knew how rich it's history is. The segment Leo did about mining before regulations especially interesting to me. When Leo said the mountains of WV be were the oldest in the world I got hooked on your channel. It's not only history it's geological history is amazing.
K
Thank you!
Where are you guys from
Who made this video
Mingo County has very interesting historical facts.
Under the rail yard in Williamson is a presidential bunker ( I think built during ww1)... there are also a couple bomb shelters in Williamson... the Cinderalla Theater in Williamson has one of, if not THE, largest original movie screens east of the Mississippi River, as well as a balcony due to segregation.
In Williamson stands the Coal House made out of our local Bituminous Coal where Chief Logans statue still stands, as well as the historic Mountaineer Hotel next door.
In Willaimson also... the Memorial Building , which now houses magistrate court, was a famous place... it had a theater and ball room. Many Hollywood stars frequently came to help promote their movies, which is where my grandmother met Clark Gable .
Pres. Kennedy campaigned in Wiliamson ( I'm sure research will have pix).
Beside the Hatfield/McCoy Saga and Bloddy Mingo Mining Wars, Mingo County has a deep rich history.
My grandmother ran a US Post Office in Raven Rock, WV for many many years. The building was smaller than the one in Dingess
Dingess is named after my great great grandfather. It’s wild to look ok at it now. A place for pioneers and dreams that now seems so desolate and hopeless. I would love to see it and the community come back to life!!
I remember when I was growing up and my family would drive up in the mountains or on a curvy road in WV that the driver would honk the horn three times to let other drivers know a car was approaching. I don't know if this is still done or not, but it really helped on a narrow road. I have virtually traveled all over WV, but have not been to Dingess. It is so historic that I am going to add it to my list of places to visit. Dingess is like Paradise in Kentucky. The only thing left of Paradise is a cemetery of a once bustling coal town. As a matter of fact, John Price wrote and recorded a song titled "Paradise." Thank you for the awesome video. Stay safe.
My dad used to sing that song when I was a kid! So many of these old mining towns just disappeared.
@@GabrielMBurke You are right Gabriel these small towns have disappeared. Glad you like "Paradise." Did you know that John Prine passed away a few years ago with COVD?
@Judy Pierce I knew he had passed but I didn't realize he'd had COVID! That's so sad. My daddy was a big fan, but he unfortunately also passed away a few years ago (from a long illness he'd been battling, before COVID hit). Sturgill Simpson does a cover version of "Paradise" though that I think is good!
@@GabrielMBurke I am sorry to hear of your dad's passing. I just lost my sister in December 2022. So sad for my family and yours. My favorite Steven Seagull movie is "Fire Down Under." At the end of the movie when the credits are shown, John Prine sings "Paradise."
I love listening to history from you two. I can't travel so having you two is quite a blessing. Thank you so much.
Thanks for listening
I love learning the history of these often unknown little towns and the families and businesses that once thrived there.
Sketchy tunnel, though 😳🥴
Thanks and God Bless🙏
My wife was born and lived in Dingess WV for 30 years. A coal miners daughter true to bone.
I grew up in Summersville, WV. Went to Concord College. ( University now.) Graduated in 1988 and I don't remember this town. Thank you SO much!!! Appreciate the history of my home state!!!!
Hopefully the Omelet shop in Beckley will jog your memory.
Glad you got the tunnel 👍🏻 been through it several times. I recommend your channel all the time ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Awesome thank you!
This was very interesting little trip. You have so much to explore & tell us about! Thank you Heather & Leo
Quite a tunnel
I went to Dingess a number of times when my family lived in Mingo county in the 60s. Been thru that tunnel a few times. I was about 12 years old the last time I was there. Sad to see how bad the economy got in that part of West Virginia. I left West Virginia in 1980 for a much better job and never went back other than to visit family. Thanks for making the video.
Can’t believe the length of that tunnel in an area in the middle of nowhere. I’m from middle mtn West Virginia. Really in the middle of nowhere and as beautiful as can be. Yes….no surprise the rail road was the one spending the money on that job. Thank you so much. Very interesting.
I’ve lived in West Virginia almost my whole life (I’m 56) and have never heard of Dingess. Very interesting story. Lots of those little bitty post offices all over the state
I would love to know more about the big house on the hill. ❤❤
They used to cut trees down blocking the tunnel on Halloween. Made it hard for anyone to get in.
In south part of WV Mingo County not too far from Logan. A few roads and a few hollers my wife was born and lived in dingess for 30 years. She still has family there
I find tunnels a little unnerving but that one was down right creepy. Keep the great videos coming Leo and Heather
Thank you! Will do!
Got to be haunted
Wow.. Great video! Love history. Is it possible for a part two? Scenery is beautiful! Thank you.
Possibly! Thanks
I got a tour from my home in Alabama without getting up, thank you. This was extremely enjoyable.
Thanks so much 😊
My third grade teacher,Maxine Dingess lived in that house! Loved her and Dingess
Oh? Interesting
I love the stories of the towns and rail roads. Five generations of my family worked on the L&N.
WOW Dingess had a bigger post office than what I had growing up in Washington.
Awesome to see you two out enjoying the weather , such interesting stories you find and bring us into, Excellent Job, Keep Up the Good Work .❤
Thank you! Will do!
What a beautiful day. The sky was so blue & cloudless. You take it us to some very cool places. I saw the tunnel video but enjoyed seeing the tunnel again. Such a shame that a thriving area in what seems to be not a long period of time is gone. I wonder if someone at the post office would know what that bldg was. Having lived in several extremely small towns I have found post office in them to be a wealth of information my curiosity is now stirred. I hope someone sends you info.
Good idea, thanks Kim
WOW its so strange seeing what other people think of my hometown! I dont see it that way at all lol. I understand why it might seem "remote" but we are just 20 mins away from Walmart, Kroger etc... (Logan) I could tell you so much about DIngess. My grandmother owned the property that the post office sits on until just a couple years ago. She owned one of the boarding houses that was also apparently a brothel. Thats where she lived from the time i was born to not that many years ago and i spent MANY nights there.. Yeah, save to say its haunted. She has also told me some scary stories. The store outside of the tunnel has been shut down at least 25 years. Im 35 and i remember going there when i was a kid. We have 2 gas stations as well as a resturant on Dingess. We have also have Dingess Grade School.
Its remote compared to most medium to bigger cities, which is why people are fascinated with it I guess. We live in Williamson. Even there is pretty strange compared to other cities I've lived. Only one delivery place, no 24 hour vet, no real entertainment. But it's also why I like it.
Mrs Dingess lived in that old Victorian, she was a school teacher for a long long time. I remember her still subbing when I was in Grade school.
I lived in West Virginia all my life. Never heard of Dingess, but I been called one. You dingess
My dad grew up less than a mile from the tunnel 👍
Love the work you both do keep it up
Thanks so much!
That tunnel was creepy. We might have to check it out when we visit in June. I love all your videos, so much history. Thank you for your hard work bringing these stories to life.
I have walked through that tunnel at night before there were lights
I've been through there 1,000 times or more. (I'm from Dingess) not scary at all lol 😂
@@LesleyCanterbury22 I walked that tunnel at 3 am in 1995. I heard there are dead Indians slaves Chinese slaves and black slaves buried in the walls
@@LesleyCanterbury22 hey! It's Paul!
You seen the infamous British horror film "Eden Lake" (2008) yet? If some American production company ever decides to remake it Stateside (surprised one hasn't by now!) Dingess would be a good place to shoot it!
Im from Mercer County....a few counties east of Mingo county......in my 41 years living in West Virginia i never heard of this tunnel or town. There is a similar tunnel coming out of Davy WV.....in Mcdowell County. Great video👍
Thanks for watching!
America is beautiful all over. Different, but still unbelievable stunning.
I love looking at America, never been, from UK myself.
Your page just recently popped up on my page. Im so glad I have really enjoyed all the places y’all take us. Love the history lessons.
Awesome! Thank you!
This is the kind of place where I wish I now lived.
Hello from Saint John New Brunswick Canada.
I love the videos and info ..Great history lesson.Beautiful area you live in .Keep them coming
Being teenagers, my husband and I have ridden our bikes from Lenore thru the Dingess tunnel many times. And this was before the lights were installed, and it was so wet that there was constant water dripping through the walls of the tunnel. In the summer, it was the only place where you could get free air conditioning.
I watch a lot of RUclips videos and you are making great videos, it will just take a little time for your video's to grow and get out there , keep up the great work
I appreciate that!
When I was little , the tunnel had no asphalt or lights.lots of potholes and mud. You should have driven 1 mile or 2 in each direction and shown the houses. I still own property there. Tunnel was so cool to see. I'm going there on Wednesday. I'm so exited
Hello my name is Bill Meade and my dad grew up less than a mile from the tunnel and mom was from mudfork they both have passed on im a buckeye but still have family on the other side of the mountain and I was reading the comments and saw yours about owning land there and was wandering if you were interested in selling some of it I've been looking for a piece of ground somewhere in and around the area to buy and put a place on to live out my days I've always loved it down there ever since I was a kid I would come and spend two weeks with my grandma on summer vacation from school, even if you don't want to sell I would love to talk to you to see if you might know any of my family take care 😉
@billmeade9029 Luis Meade father , Joy Meade went to school with my mom Leal Alexander. She said she thought Joy married a guy who worked at Charlie Whites garage.
@gregory129 I don't know them but I could be related some way I'm a jr so my dad's name is Bill or William Meade but he went by our middle name Fred except where he worked his older brother was named Raymond (Ray) and younger brother's name was Neil ,and a sister named Irene, they had some others that died as children but I don't know their names
@billmeade9029 my mom says Irene was real pretty and went to school with my dad, Howard Blair from Laurel creek and a friend Lois Mullins. We have a Pic from Irene's c l ass at our other house. My uncle was named Charles Samuel Alexander they called him Fuz. We lived in the round house called a quonset hut. My mom went to school with Neil Meade at Dingess grade school.
Lol, I think the name Dingus is in the Old Testament. As kids, we used to call each other that when we did something dumb.
That's so fun 😊
There's a "Dorcus" in the Book of Acts, but no Dingus
@@karentrimmer oh right 🤣🤣🤣 Dorcus, not Dingus
It’s Dingess. Not Dingus. Lol
We said doofus
3 way carry out was a beer joint/convenient store. I think it shut down when I was in junior high in the 90s
LOVE THIS CHANNEL, I love history, glad I found your channel. Thank you
Glad you enjoy it!
I remember when my dad owned the Sears franchise store in Logan, I worked for him in the early 90's delivering appliances, made many a trip to dingess, and several other places u guys have been, Lenore, and such.
Good little video enjoy watching you and Heather good day sunny no hills to climb and no thrones lol😊
Haha true! Thank you
Very interesting and educational. You both made an excellent presentation - thank you for creating this!
Thanks again for the field trip
I'm a resident of Dingess wva, my mother's family the Porters, helped establish that town, life here is slow and we still take care of each other, you mess with one of us and you have to deal with the whole town
The 3 Way Carry out has been closed for years. Bob Wellman owned it it closed in the late 80’s maybe early 90’s.
Would surely liked to have seen those places in there hay day😔
Very cool trip. That one lane tunnel would make someone nervous going through. I did like that post office. It's very different. You should have walked up to that house and roamed around to see what was inside. Maybe next video. Take care, Leo and Heather.
you have such great history right where you live! we live in iowa where nothing cool happened, ever.
Haha this made us giggle. Iowa is the food capital 😁
Thanks for the tour……back in time!
I have drove coal truck .. In the 80s... Live in Wayne now.. Thanks for sharing ..
Thanks for watching!
Just found your channel and I’m hooked
The old Victorian 2 story house belonged to family friends, Paul and Maxine Dingess. We lived across the road from this house, and my mother and Maxine were best friends. Maxine was a teacher at the Dingess Grade School, where I attended until the eighth grade. "Uncle Paul " ran one of the two remaining general grocery stores in the area (I believe this building has been torn down already). Paul and Maxine did not have any children, but they raised her nephew, Paul, and put him thru high school.
Signed,
a Dingess native born in 1951.
Thank you ☺️
The big pink house next to the cemetery belongs to my sister. And the big house when you past the post office with the pond in the front belonged to my dad and now she lives there. Many summers and holidays I have spent there. Even though I wasn't raised there it will always feel like home. All my family is from here and Mingo and Logan County.
There also used to be a little house next to the big pink one not sure if it is still there but my mother lived there as a child when Maxine dingess lived in the big pink house.
Is it possible to visit the pink house?
That's the old three way carry out . Lord it was 30 years ago I was buy beer there or Wallace's gas station. Where does the time go.
I just watched this video and I really enjoyed it. It was great and y'all are cute! Good job and thank you so much
can't give much history behind the town but can give the history behind the name dingess. dingess is a subsect of the family name dingus. a jacob dingus moved from germany to jamestown virginia in the early 1600's. some where down the line some of the dingus family name got mispelled and the name dingess was born. i am a direct desendent of the dingus family from that area. kentucky, west virginia, virginia and tenn. my grandfather worked in those coal mines. as so did his father that died in a coal mine in 1908. i'm also related to the phillips family in the area. this is apart of my family history i never knew exsisted. so i thank you for sharing it
Very cool thank you!
@@thehillbillyfiles thought i would share that bit of history since there a lot of places that are historical to the dingus family in that area you might encounter.
You will find the friendliest people in southern wv. grew up in logan county and llive in ky now.
I think my wife holds her breath when we go through there great video again thanks
Haha that's a long time to hold 😂
Enjoyed your video. Look forward to seeing the next one. Thank you.
Thanks for watching!
I love watching your adventures.
Thank you
There’s so much more to Dingess. There’s another tunnel at the other end that’s smaller and when you pass it and go through to Breeden and pass it there’s the beautiful cabwaylingo park .
We already did the park , thanks for watching
Bob Wellman's carry out. Good man, easy to talk to.
He was Often called the mayor of Dingess.
I grew up there, and I'm 54 now. I'm happy to answer any questions.
That's my brother's church, Mt. Hope, there by the post office, and another church, Trace Church of God, sits where the old elementary school used to be before it was burned down when I was in 3rd grade.
20 years from now West Virginia will be the place to live. Beautiful state and cheap. If you’re looking to make money invest in property in West Virginia.
My Hometown!
The building is Bob well man’s t3 way carry out. It shut down in the late 80s
love your site, know all almost word for word all vids. takes me to a good place when watchig. by the way im from up north and just love the way leo talks lol
That is awesome! Thank you
Very well done. Thank you.
Our pleasure!
Been wanting to ride my sxs through that tunnel
Love see Canada in the background 😆❤🇨🇦
I am from New Martinsville, WV.
Lil' bitty post office 😂 Love it 🤗
And that’s why the post office can’t make money
Beautiful countryside. I guess if you want a very quiet town to live in, this is it! You call this a ghost 👻 town, I saw one or two cars. Just how many people live here?
Thank you very much for a very informative video, Leo and Heather. Take care.
Thanks Michael ☺️
@@thehillbillyfiles You are very much welcome!
@@michaelbedinger4121 More live there than you thunk. Probably 5 or 10k
Loved your little trip to Dingess.
Glad you enjoyed it
Some very nice people in Dingess. I don't understand why they got such bad name. Lights in tunnel Woo!! I never seen lights in that tunnel!! I took Coal Tks through tunnel & endloaders excavators countless times. I worked & got a bunch friends are in The Dingess family. Signs & All. !!.Place changed a lot from my last trip through that very nice town.
Pretty good I guess from someone from Marlinton WV now. People always was very nice to myself.
Appears that was a Coal Mac failure.
I see the exit signs on 77 for several of the towns you have featured in your videos on my way to Lashmeet WV from Michigan. Dingess is one of them. I'll have your history stories to think about to my destination.
Very cool!
Used to vote at the 3 way carry out.
Hi Leo and Heather from Boone County WV 👋 I like watching your history videos 👍😎
Glad you like them!
that you guys for a great video in history have a great day
Thanks! You too!
Omg I haven't seen alot of these places in years good days back in the day
I love your stuff,the rumor up here in Washington State that jonsee Hatfield and I think cap Hatfield stayed for a while by where I live.
Thank you! I wouldn't doubt it, they traveled a lot
The smallest Post Office i've personally saw in WV is Napier. Basically a shed. WV is the best state.
Interesting place! Wonderful old house
Thank you
The tunnel was amazing
Wonderful trip!
The former Governor of West Virginia who was born at Dingess was Okey L. Patteson. He was governor from 1949 to 1953. When he was very young he and his family moved to Mount Hope in Fayette County.
He's buried in oak hill cemetery, we couldn't find him
I don’t know the exact number of lights in the tunnel, but 5.5 million dollars seems a little high to me. Does it have its own transmission station? Lol
Ahhh. The Dingess Tunnel. I heard there are Chinese and American Indians buried in the walls of the tunnel.
I've heard that
The house you was looking at used to be owned by my friend Amber Spaulding
So interesting. I love your videos.
Thank you!
Fun metal detecting sites!
That was awesome! Thanks.
😮
South Dakota also has the one lane tunnels to drive through, they weren't built for cars and dingbat drivers lol