Big Stone Gap: Appalachia Coal Town Retooling For the Future

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  • Опубликовано: 21 янв 2025

Комментарии • 113

  • @MountainRoots
    @MountainRoots  Год назад +4

    Thanks for watching! Let me know where I should explore next!!
    Help Me Preserve Appalachian History and its many amazing stories, people, & places by subscribing to this channel!
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    • @BillWhitworth
      @BillWhitworth Год назад +1

      Hopefully you can start moving a little further north and start hitting towns like Pulaski, Buchanan and into the Shenandoah Valley. Or east to Damascus, Galax, Hillsville, Stuart. So many cool small towns!

    • @mr.wilson2127
      @mr.wilson2127 Год назад

      Pennington Gap. Get a hamburger at the 421 diner

  • @MWMPeddyKiller
    @MWMPeddyKiller 8 месяцев назад +4

    This is my daily route for fedex ground. I live in kingsport and have for 30 yrs but Big Stone feels like home everyday when im there. Have thought recently of moving there. Great atmosphere and people. Wouldnt mind raising my kids there. Thanks for the video. I love the overhead pics. I know the addresses for all of them. Love my route.

  • @jeannafields4483
    @jeannafields4483 Год назад +3

    This is exactly where i was born and raised. My father is buried in the big cemetery that you can barely see from the lookout, where you were. This place has changed over just in the last 40 years ive been alive. Its a very tiny place with a ton of history no one even knows about. George Washington was even in this area and Rye Cove when he was 16. There are documents in the library of congress from his diary. Its pretty wild.

  • @pmarcum7146
    @pmarcum7146 4 месяца назад +2

    Wow, what an uplifting, inspirational story! Thank you for showing us the incredible rebirth of Big Stone Gap.

  • @dimbulb23
    @dimbulb23 Год назад +3

    I was born in Appalachia , VA . FYI It's eight state capitals closer to this area than Richmond. Raleigh NC, Columbia, SC, Atlanta, GA, Nashville, TN, Frankford, KY, Charleston, WV, Coumbus, OH and Indianapolis, IN. Whether it's as the crow fly or by Google maps and driving miles.

  • @gregdelaney119
    @gregdelaney119 Год назад +8

    "...our product is our own culture".... I think Bill accurately states the solution to the equation. From what I have learned from your videos, Josh, the people of Appalachia and their heritage bring to the proverbial "table" a genuineness, a strong emphasis on honesty and integrity, and an appreciation of the natural world that create resilience, self-sufficiency, and an ability to adapt to whatever is going on around them. Life need not be glamor and glitz. A good cup of coffee and a tasty sandwich created and offered up by good people willing to talk about life is far more attractive to me than what is considered "cosmopolitan".

  • @StevenMinor-c2w
    @StevenMinor-c2w 8 месяцев назад +2

    My grandfather started out pulling mule coal carts in and out of the mines. When he retired he was superintendent of westmorland coal co trystate division. His name was Felix Minor.

  • @markakira8988
    @markakira8988 Год назад +9

    Please talk about "corn from a jar" in your Appalachia PBS show...and how hilly Appalachia is not ideal for outdoor basketball courts because one bounce off the rim and you're chasing the ball downhill for 1/8 mile.

  • @debroahisaacs2452
    @debroahisaacs2452 Год назад +3

    I love Big Stone Gap. My daughter was born there 47 years ago. My home is just down the road route 58 . Pennington Gap...our family cemetary goes back 7 generations and there are probably relatives i never met.thanx i enjoyed this😊😊

  • @bothtap2663
    @bothtap2663 Год назад +2

    Mr. Smith was a substitute I had a couple of times, he's a really nice dude, he can sit and talk for hours and you'll never get bored

  • @davidabbott7673
    @davidabbott7673 Год назад +4

    Went to First Grade at Appalachia Elementry School in 1960. Then we moved and lived in what was known as "The Southern" near the old Powel Valley H.S. and went to Elementary school 2nd-5th grade at "East Stone Gap" 1961-65 before moving to Indiana. Would like to see videos on Appalachia and East Stone Gap!

  • @darwindurham2803
    @darwindurham2803 11 месяцев назад +2

    Born and raised just outside of BSG. Wonderful memories of the area. Now living in Nashville but I always love seeing those mountains surrounding my little hometown!

  • @rosiemcnaughton9933
    @rosiemcnaughton9933 Год назад +5

    Looks like the people of this town are figuring it out! Beautiful little town with interesting shops. Good that they are preserving their culture.

    • @MountainRoots
      @MountainRoots  Год назад +1

      Indeed they are, and I could FEEL it while there!

    • @Vaxxedhole
      @Vaxxedhole Год назад +1

      It should be kept a little town. My hometown used to be a quiet small town. Now, outsiders keep pouring in by the endless hordes and changing everything and not for the better.

    • @MountainRoots
      @MountainRoots  Год назад

      @@Vaxxedhole what town?

    • @rosiemcnaughton9933
      @rosiemcnaughton9933 Год назад

      @@Vaxxedhole Understood!

    • @theflamingeagle572
      @theflamingeagle572 Год назад

      ​@@VaxxedholeBut you also don't want your town to start dying because everything will die with it you ding dong

  • @greatmusicfan57
    @greatmusicfan57 Год назад +2

    Packaging a rich and a very American culture is a great way to start. Looks like with the eateries, music, retail, and history Big Stone Gap is rollin along into the future.🇺🇸💕👍

  • @itsrosiegaming9071
    @itsrosiegaming9071 Год назад +2

    Bill is such an amazing man, he’s a teacher aswell at our high school, I love to sit and listen to him talk he teaches us a lot about this place, I’m so thankful to call this town home

  • @BillWhitworth
    @BillWhitworth Год назад +4

    I love to fish and kayak the Powell River, so I visit BSG several times a year. Watching it transform over the past 10 years or so has been amazing - especially as H said since Covid. I would make the 2 hour drive now just for the scenery and the dining experience at Curklins and 404.

  • @meglange3595
    @meglange3595 Год назад +7

    Well done Josh. Since you first started you've shown a continuous progression, moving forward in leaps and bounds. Glad I've been along for the ride 😊👍.
    The opening scene of the valley is indeed stunning. I so appreciate that the town seems to be emphasizing, in part, the musical heritage of the area. I've been watching some videos lately of the organizations that are spreading thru Appalachia to assist the young people in learning and carrying on the traditional music. Seems to me that the mountains are nurturing and caring for their own, more so than anywhere else. Truly a blessing.
    Take care and may the road be good to you. 🥰

    • @MountainRoots
      @MountainRoots  Год назад +1

      Music is a major part of and arises from the life experiences of living in these mountains. Thanks so much for watching & sharing!

  • @gregpajasons
    @gregpajasons Год назад

    So nice to hear that famous narrator’s voice again.

  • @kendeel7474
    @kendeel7474 Год назад +5

    That Bill from Montana strikes me as a bright, knowledgeable fellow who is a living compendium of local folklore and history; looking forward to the extended interview with him. Also, your videography just keeps improving! Kudos.

    • @kendeel7474
      @kendeel7474 Год назад +2

      I think Bill hit upon the key to the future; “Our culture is our product.”

    • @gregdelaney119
      @gregdelaney119 Год назад +2

      I concur with your view of Josh's product as improving. This episode seems to me to be at another level altogether!

  • @CaffeinatedCatLady
    @CaffeinatedCatLady Год назад +1

    My family is from Exeter a little Holler just down the road from Big Stone Gap ❤ there's not a more beautiful place I've ever seen, my Dad is buried in East stone

  • @louisfryzel4618
    @louisfryzel4618 Год назад +2

    Couple things: The present Visitor Center served as the set for the diner in the movie and some of the booths used in the film are still there (or were). The last time I visited Big Stone Gap was to go to Bullitt Park in late 1988 when I drove down more than 200 miles to see the state's No. 1 ranked and unbeaten Strasburg team lose 21-20 in overtime to the Jonesville Bulldogs, which had only a 5-5 regular season record. The next year Jonesville High was converted into a middle school as five high schools were consolidated into one school.

  • @dmitrytitenko1277
    @dmitrytitenko1277 Год назад +2

    Однозначно лайк привет из России спасибо за выпуск..слежу!

  • @willpatrick8706
    @willpatrick8706 Год назад +2

    This is a very beautiful and clean looking area. Thanks for the view.

    • @MountainRoots
      @MountainRoots  Год назад +1

      It truly is! Thanks for watching & sharing!!

  • @michaelhager2846
    @michaelhager2846 Год назад +2

    Loved the pipestem school house 🏠 video, love and generosity of country folk 💓

  • @_HHHolll
    @_HHHolll Год назад +1

    WOOO MR SMITH IS MY FAVORITE SUBSTITUTE TEACHER GO MR SMITH

  • @dr.green.
    @dr.green. Год назад +2

    H.William Smith was my substitute teacher a couple of times, probably one of the best individuals you could have interviewed. He has an infinite amount of stories

  • @anastash7900
    @anastash7900 5 месяцев назад

    By Stone Gap… I remember those books by Adriana! Some great reading there.

  • @magnamanv45
    @magnamanv45 Год назад +1

    Please don't stop[ doing these videos.

  • @zackbostic1599
    @zackbostic1599 6 месяцев назад

    My family the crumleys and dickinsons are all from appalachia va loved this as I've never been there grandmother moved meet my grandfather from greenbrier co wv and went to Huntington WV and that's when I came along

  • @carolgiglio263
    @carolgiglio263 Год назад +1

    I'M FROM THE JERSEY SHORE. I LOVE YOUR AREA!!!!!!!! THAT'S ALL I HAVE SAY. GREAT AREA!!!!!!!!!!

  • @leonardh8269
    @leonardh8269 Год назад +1

    what a great guy....this is a good story and a place to visit...i just started planning my trip to Clarksburg WV weekend of 9th of june....cant wait to get my pepperoni rolls and pepper rings....Tomaro's Bakery is 1 of my first stop.....after seeing family

  • @averywells5104
    @averywells5104 Год назад +1

    Mr. Smith 🙏🙏🙏🙏

  • @BenjaminBaker29
    @BenjaminBaker29 Год назад +1

    I sure love my town!

  • @lizmoderzinsky3661
    @lizmoderzinsky3661 Год назад +1

    Thanks for my suggestion to do Big Stone Gap!!!!!!!!!!

  • @arniegreenberg2719
    @arniegreenberg2719 Год назад +1

    I love to hear about success stories such as in Big Stone Gap.

  • @Gillespiegrooms
    @Gillespiegrooms Год назад +1

    Well what a fascinating area, with a very interesting history and people!

  • @letstalktruecrime01
    @letstalktruecrime01 Год назад +1

    i love bsg. i visit there whenever i can. 404 cafe and creamery is fantastic and i love the coal fired pizza at good times as well. it is a lovely town and i love all of the powell valley. this is from a kentucky girl.

  • @Tinaleann_
    @Tinaleann_ Год назад +1

    I live veryyyy close to BSG. They have a great restaurant called Curklins!

  • @westvirginianlivin9871
    @westvirginianlivin9871 Год назад +1

    Can't wait to see Bills interview. Josh your videos have me wanting to get to some of these towns with our little rag tag youtube operation. Excellent work Sir.

  • @Ol_Scrump
    @Ol_Scrump Год назад +1

    Thank you for the great video. This is the town I've always lived in and it makes me happy to see you talk about it, you also taught me some things I didn't even know about it.

  • @kimking3466
    @kimking3466 Год назад +1

    Just found your channel. My great grandmother was born in Big Stone Gap, and I have wanted to visit there for years. Thanks for your great video!

  • @StevenMinor-c2w
    @StevenMinor-c2w 8 месяцев назад +1

    I graduated from Powell valley highschool in 1968.

  • @colleenford5398
    @colleenford5398 Год назад +1

    Hi Josh.....thank you for these videos. I'm originally from Northern Virginia, I have a deep deep love of my home state. I have always wanted to be able to just drive around to the southern part of the state. I hope you keep doing these! My sister lives in Norton, I had a nephew that lived in Pound and a niece in Saltville.

    • @CharlesAtwell-or7bm
      @CharlesAtwell-or7bm Год назад

      You really need to get out of northern Va. the state does not end at Roanoake! There’s a lot to see and do down here, I live in Ceres, Va. near Saltville. Come see us!

  • @Ginger2020
    @Ginger2020 Год назад +1

    My MIL’s home town! I miss The Mutual!

  • @sandydeel-xw4fn
    @sandydeel-xw4fn Год назад +1

    Great Video! I really enjoyed it. It was very captivating. The quality, drone footage, landscapes and music are great in this video. This town has alot of great history and sounds like alot going for it. Almost like they heard what H Bill said. They should have him on some revitalizing committee. Loved hearing him talk. Seems like he has a heart for that area. I will definitely be looking forward to hearing him in your upcoming Storyteller channel. This is a town I would love to visit. The shops look interesting and especially the coffee shop. Well done. Keep these great videos coming!

  • @wbrianna27
    @wbrianna27 Год назад +1

    Loved it! Oohhh cannot wait for more. Josh you are amazing in how and what you do. keep em coming mate

  • @jameswadlow549
    @jameswadlow549 Год назад +1

    Interesting place. I'm making it my business to visit sometime soon. I enjoy your videos quite a bit. Keep up the good work.

  • @stevelhamon2031
    @stevelhamon2031 Год назад

    My family lived there for a long time. Back to the 18s. A trailer park now sits where my great grandmother’s house once stood. Sad face. Moor was the name.

  • @redshorse
    @redshorse Год назад +1

    Excellent !

  • @getoutwithrockandsherri
    @getoutwithrockandsherri Год назад +1

    Great information! Thanks for sharing!

  • @youngbull0010
    @youngbull0010 Год назад +1

    I eventually joined you on your RUclips channel..👍🏿
    Hantz Robert Dumoza

  • @dalegooch4616
    @dalegooch4616 Год назад +1

    Once again well done. Very interesting and informative with a personal touch and feel to it.

  • @ironhorse7588
    @ironhorse7588 Год назад +1

    Great video 👍🙏🇺🇸

  • @jcfc8197
    @jcfc8197 Год назад +1

    My family’s been in BSG since the late 1800’s.

  • @lanacampbell-moore6686
    @lanacampbell-moore6686 Год назад +1

    Thanks MR❤

  • @debroahisaacs2452
    @debroahisaacs2452 Год назад +2

    I love Big Stone Gap....my daughter was born there. My home is just down hiway 58....Pennington Gap Virginia. All my ancestors are miners farmers and Cherokee and Scottish. I love who I am and where I come from.

  • @sandroglaser5047
    @sandroglaser5047 Год назад +1

    Really good bro!

  • @codydeboard1991
    @codydeboard1991 Год назад +1

    Hey love the videos! Huge fan! If your back in the Kentucky area you should look up Rockcastle Ky Where i was born and raised and still live here currently! there a lot Appalachian history were part of the Daniel Boone National Park and Boone trace! We also have Historic music venue Renfro Valley with a lot of history behind it! And next door to Renfro is The Kentucky Music Hall a Fame! Where all Kentucky Artists are honor and recognized! Thank you for all the amazing videos you do!!

    • @MountainRoots
      @MountainRoots  Год назад +1

      Thanks for the suggestion! Appreciate you watching 😁

  • @jerryloradrifter
    @jerryloradrifter Год назад +1

    Beautifully made video sir! Your blend of music with crispy dialogue is so well blended with stunning visuals. Love the interview with H.
    Your main footage looks amazing sir! Are you shooting Canon or Sony?

    • @MountainRoots
      @MountainRoots  Год назад

      Thank you very much, glad you enjoyed it! Oh, and neither of those 😉

  • @oliverb.6332
    @oliverb.6332 Год назад +1

    Nice videos man 🖤 can you show some coal mines in your next videos? Greetings from the coal pot "ruhr valley" in germany

  • @clarencethompson-zb6yy
    @clarencethompson-zb6yy 6 месяцев назад

    Big stone whey Rastology interview dey?can't find it nowhere, what a Gwaaan, need a Repost king, truth be Told, The World is Watching, make a Repost

  • @krissy0894
    @krissy0894 Год назад +1

    Born & raised in BSG.

    • @theflamingeagle572
      @theflamingeagle572 Год назад

      In my opinion Norton is better and is extremely underrated.

  • @sampadgett892
    @sampadgett892 Год назад +1

    My substitute teacher on this thing😂😂

  • @troybingham6426
    @troybingham6426 Год назад +1

    Is there a good place to stay in Big Stone Gap?

    • @MountainRoots
      @MountainRoots  Год назад

      Several! I enjoy the Air B&Bs I've stayed in.

    • @krissy0894
      @krissy0894 Год назад +1

      We have a Quality Inn hotel too.

    • @Beachlover2024
      @Beachlover2024 3 месяца назад

      @@krissy0894is the area ok for black people ? I ask because I am black and thinking about relocating there to Big stone Gap

  • @fearlessshadow5856
    @fearlessshadow5856 Год назад +1

    I'll always be a Appalachia Bulldog, might as well say I have two home towns

  • @colleenford5398
    @colleenford5398 Год назад +1

    Oops...I now live in Elizabethton TN

  • @justinboggs6213
    @justinboggs6213 Год назад

    Poor bullit park used to be fun for the kids now its just a few swings.

    • @krissy0894
      @krissy0894 Год назад

      The splash pad is pretty popular.

  • @GenXican84
    @GenXican84 Год назад

    Soooo,.tourism...gotta do..watch'ya gotta do..

    • @MountainRoots
      @MountainRoots  Год назад

      Would love to hear your ideas!

    • @luxitos2867
      @luxitos2867 Год назад

      Hope you like the outdoors cuz that's all there really is here.