West Virginia

This is part two of a series of pieces of WV history I'm actually proud of; history our residents / voting demographic seem to have completely forgotten.

The Battle of Blair Mountain was the largest labor uprising in United States history and is the largest armed uprising since the American Civil War. The conflict occurred in Logan County, West Virginia, as part of the Coal Wars, a series of early-20th-century labor disputes in Appalachia.

For five days from late August to early September 1921, some 10,000 armed coal miners confronted 3,000 lawmen and strikebreakers (called the Logan Defenders) who were backed by coal mine operators during the miners' attempt to unionize the southwestern West Virginia coalfields when tensions rose between workers and mine management. The battle ended after approximately one million rounds were fired, and the United States Army, represented by the West Virginia Army National Guard led by McDowell County native William Eubanks, intervened by presidential order.

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/19533929

Media Blackout: America’s Poorest Counties Devastated By Catastrophic Flooding | More Perfect Union [12:32]

MATEWAN MASSACRE. In 1920 area miners went on strike to gain recognition of UMWA. On May 19 of the same year, twelve Baldwin–Felts Agency guards came from Bluefield to evict the miners from company houses. As guards left town, they argued with town police chief Sid Hatfield and Mayor Testerman. Shooting of undetermined origins resulted in the deaths of two coal miners, seven agents, and the mayor. None of the 19 men indicted were convicted.

--Historic Marker located off of Main Street in Matewan, WV

Wikipedia Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Matewan

Note: Apologies for the possible double post. I wanted to add an image, but when I did, the embed metadata went all screwy so I just deleted that post and re-created it.

The Battle of Matewan (also known as the Matewan Massacre) was a shootout in the town of Matewan in Mingo County and the Pocahontas Coalfield mining district, in southern West Virginia. It occurred on May 19, 1920 between local coal miners and their allies and the Baldwin–Felts Detective Agency. The dead included the detective agency's founder's two brothers and Matewan's mayor Cabell Testerman, who supported the union.

History

Employed by the Stone Mountain Coal Company, a contingent of the Baldwin–Felts Detective Agency arrived on the No. 29 morning train to evict families that had been living at the Stone Mountain Coal Camp on the outskirts of town. The detectives carried out several evictions before they ate dinner at the Urias Hotel and, upon finishing, they walked toward the train depot to catch the five o'clock train back to Bluefield, West Virginia. As the detectives made their way to the train depot, they were intercepted by Matewan Chief of Police Sid Hatfield, who claimed to have arrest warrants from the Mingo County sheriff. Hatfield, a native of the Tug River Valley, was a supporter of the miners' attempts to organize the UMWA in the southern coalfields of West Virginia. Detective Albert Felts and his brother Lee Felts then produced their own warrant for Sid Hatfield's arrest. Upon inspection, Matewan mayor Cabell Testerman claimed it was fraudulent.

Unbeknownst to the detectives, they had been surrounded by armed miners, who watched intently from the windows, doorways, and roofs of the businesses that lined Mate Street. Accounts vary as to who actually fired the first shot and the ensuing gun battle left seven detectives and three townspeople dead, including the Felts brothers and Testerman. The battle was hailed by miners and their supporters for the number of casualties inflicted on the Baldwin–Felts detectives. This incident, along with events such as the Ludlow Massacre in Colorado six years earlier, marked an important turning point in the battle for miners' rights.

Coal Miners

At the time, the United Mine Workers of America had just elected John L. Lewis as their president. During this period, miners worked long hours in unsafe and dismal working conditions, while being paid low wages. Adding to the hardship was the use of coal scrip by the Stone Mountain Coal Company, because the scrip could only be used for those goods the company sold through their company stores.

A few months before the battle at Matewan, union miners in other parts of the country went on strike, receiving a full 27 percent pay increase for their efforts. Lewis recognized that the area was ripe for change, and planned to organize the coal fields of southern Appalachia. The union sent its top organizers, including the famous Mary Harris "Mother" Jones.

Roughly 3000 men signed the union's roster in the spring of 1920. They signed their union cards at the community church, something that they knew could cost them their jobs, and in many cases their homes. The coal companies controlled many aspects of the miners' lives. Stone Mountain Coal Corporation fought back with mass firings, harassment, and evictions.

Town of Matewan

Matewan, founded in 1895, was a small independent town with only a few elected officials. The mayor at the time was Cabell Testerman, and the chief of police was Sid Hatfield. Both refused to succumb to the company's plans and sided with the miners. In turn, the Stone Mountain Coal Corporation hired their own enforcers, the Baldwin–Felts Detective Agency, dubbed the "Baldwin Thugs" by the miners. The coal operators hired them to evict the miners and their families from the company-owned houses. As a result, hundreds of miner families spent the spring of 1920 in tents. The assemblage of tents was known as Stony Mountain Camp Tent Colony.

Battle

On the day of the fight, a group of the Baldwin–Felts enforcers arrived to evict families living at the mountain coal camp, just outside Matewan. The sheriff and his deputy, Fred Burgraff, sensed trouble and met the Baldwin–Felts detectives at the train station. News of the evictions soon spread around the town. When Sid Hatfield approached Felts, Felts served a warrant on Hatfield, which had been issued by Squire R. M. Stafford, a Justice of the Peace of Magnolia District, Mingo County, for the arrest of Hatfield, Bas Ball, Tony Webb and others. The warrant had been directed to Albert C. Felts for execution. Burgraff's son reported that the detectives had sub-machine guns with them in their suitcases.

Hatfield, Burgraff, and Mayor Cabell Testerman met with the detectives on the porch of the Chambers Hardware Store. It was then that Albert Felts fired from his coat pocket, mortally wounding Testerman, and then fired over his shoulder at Sid Hatfield, instantly killing a miner, Tot Tinsley. At this time Sid Hatfield opened fire, killing Albert Felts. When the shooting finally stopped, there were casualties on both sides. Seven Baldwin–Felts detectives were killed, including Albert and Lee Felts. One more detective had been wounded. Two miners were killed: Tinsley and Bob Mullins, who had just been fired for joining the union; both were unarmed. Mayor Testerman died in hospital the next day from his gunshot wound. Four other bystanders were wounded.

Aftermath

Governor John J. Cornwell ordered the state police force to take control of Matewan. Hatfield and his men cooperated, and stacked their arms inside the hardware store. The miners, encouraged by their success in getting the Baldwin–Felts detectives out of Matewan, improved their efforts to organize.

On July 1 the miners' union went on another strike, and widespread violence erupted. Railroad cars were blown up, and strikers were beaten and left to die by the side of the road.

The trial for the miners who killed the seven agents started January 26, 1921, and ended March 19, 1921, with all defendants being acquitted of all charges.

Tom Felts, the last remaining Felts brother, sent undercover operatives to collect evidence to convict Sid Hatfield and his men. When the charges against Hatfield and 22 others for the murder of Albert Felts were dismissed, Baldwin–Felts detectives assassinated Hatfield and his deputy Ed Chambers on August 1, 1921, on the steps of the McDowell County courthouse located in Welch, West Virginia. Of those defendants whose charges were not dismissed, all were acquitted.

Less than a month later, miners from the state gathered in Charleston. They were even more determined to organize the southern coal fields, and began the march to Logan County. Thousands of miners joined them along the way, culminating in what was to become known as the Battle of Blair Mountain.

See Also: Battle of Blair Mountain

I may do another post for Blair Mountain, but it's a good read if you don't want to wait.

MATEWAN MASSACRE. In 1920 area miners went on strike to gain recognition of UMWA. On May 19 of the same year, twelve Baldwin–Felts Agency guards came from Bluefield to evict the miners from company houses. As guards left town, they argued with town police chief Sid Hatfield and Mayor Testerman. Shooting of undetermined origins resulted in the deaths of two coal miners, seven agents, and the mayor. None of the 19 men indicted were convicted.

--Historic Marker located off of Main Street in Matewan, WV

Wikipedia Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Matewan

Note: Apologies for the possible double post. I wanted to add an image, but when I did, the embed metadata went all screwy so I just deleted that post and re-created it.

The Battle of Matewan (also known as the Matewan Massacre) was a shootout in the town of Matewan in Mingo County and the Pocahontas Coalfield mining district, in southern West Virginia. It occurred on May 19, 1920 between local coal miners and their allies and the Baldwin–Felts Detective Agency. The dead included the detective agency's founder's two brothers and Matewan's mayor Cabell Testerman, who supported the union.

History

Employed by the Stone Mountain Coal Company, a contingent of the Baldwin–Felts Detective Agency arrived on the No. 29 morning train to evict families that had been living at the Stone Mountain Coal Camp on the outskirts of town. The detectives carried out several evictions before they ate dinner at the Urias Hotel and, upon finishing, they walked toward the train depot to catch the five o'clock train back to Bluefield, West Virginia. As the detectives made their way to the train depot, they were intercepted by Matewan Chief of Police Sid Hatfield, who claimed to have arrest warrants from the Mingo County sheriff. Hatfield, a native of the Tug River Valley, was a supporter of the miners' attempts to organize the UMWA in the southern coalfields of West Virginia. Detective Albert Felts and his brother Lee Felts then produced their own warrant for Sid Hatfield's arrest. Upon inspection, Matewan mayor Cabell Testerman claimed it was fraudulent.

Unbeknownst to the detectives, they had been surrounded by armed miners, who watched intently from the windows, doorways, and roofs of the businesses that lined Mate Street. Accounts vary as to who actually fired the first shot and the ensuing gun battle left seven detectives and three townspeople dead, including the Felts brothers and Testerman. The battle was hailed by miners and their supporters for the number of casualties inflicted on the Baldwin–Felts detectives. This incident, along with events such as the Ludlow Massacre in Colorado six years earlier, marked an important turning point in the battle for miners' rights.

Coal Miners

At the time, the United Mine Workers of America had just elected John L. Lewis as their president. During this period, miners worked long hours in unsafe and dismal working conditions, while being paid low wages. Adding to the hardship was the use of coal scrip by the Stone Mountain Coal Company, because the scrip could only be used for those goods the company sold through their company stores.

A few months before the battle at Matewan, union miners in other parts of the country went on strike, receiving a full 27 percent pay increase for their efforts. Lewis recognized that the area was ripe for change, and planned to organize the coal fields of southern Appalachia. The union sent its top organizers, including the famous Mary Harris "Mother" Jones.

Roughly 3000 men signed the union's roster in the spring of 1920. They signed their union cards at the community church, something that they knew could cost them their jobs, and in many cases their homes. The coal companies controlled many aspects of the miners' lives. Stone Mountain Coal Corporation fought back with mass firings, harassment, and evictions.

Town of Matewan

Matewan, founded in 1895, was a small independent town with only a few elected officials. The mayor at the time was Cabell Testerman, and the chief of police was Sid Hatfield. Both refused to succumb to the company's plans and sided with the miners. In turn, the Stone Mountain Coal Corporation hired their own enforcers, the Baldwin–Felts Detective Agency, dubbed the "Baldwin Thugs" by the miners. The coal operators hired them to evict the miners and their families from the company-owned houses. As a result, hundreds of miner families spent the spring of 1920 in tents. The assemblage of tents was known as Stony Mountain Camp Tent Colony.

Battle

On the day of the fight, a group of the Baldwin–Felts enforcers arrived to evict families living at the mountain coal camp, just outside Matewan. The sheriff and his deputy, Fred Burgraff, sensed trouble and met the Baldwin–Felts detectives at the train station. News of the evictions soon spread around the town. When Sid Hatfield approached Felts, Felts served a warrant on Hatfield, which had been issued by Squire R. M. Stafford, a Justice of the Peace of Magnolia District, Mingo County, for the arrest of Hatfield, Bas Ball, Tony Webb and others. The warrant had been directed to Albert C. Felts for execution. Burgraff's son reported that the detectives had sub-machine guns with them in their suitcases.

Hatfield, Burgraff, and Mayor Cabell Testerman met with the detectives on the porch of the Chambers Hardware Store. It was then that Albert Felts fired from his coat pocket, mortally wounding Testerman, and then fired over his shoulder at Sid Hatfield, instantly killing a miner, Tot Tinsley. At this time Sid Hatfield opened fire, killing Albert Felts. When the shooting finally stopped, there were casualties on both sides. Seven Baldwin–Felts detectives were killed, including Albert and Lee Felts. One more detective had been wounded. Two miners were killed: Tinsley and Bob Mullins, who had just been fired for joining the union; both were unarmed. Mayor Testerman died in hospital the next day from his gunshot wound. Four other bystanders were wounded.

Aftermath

Governor John J. Cornwell ordered the state police force to take control of Matewan. Hatfield and his men cooperated, and stacked their arms inside the hardware store. The miners, encouraged by their success in getting the Baldwin–Felts detectives out of Matewan, improved their efforts to organize.

On July 1 the miners' union went on another strike, and widespread violence erupted. Railroad cars were blown up, and strikers were beaten and left to die by the side of the road.

The trial for the miners who killed the seven agents started January 26, 1921, and ended March 19, 1921, with all defendants being acquitted of all charges.

Tom Felts, the last remaining Felts brother, sent undercover operatives to collect evidence to convict Sid Hatfield and his men. When the charges against Hatfield and 22 others for the murder of Albert Felts were dismissed, Baldwin–Felts detectives assassinated Hatfield and his deputy Ed Chambers on August 1, 1921, on the steps of the McDowell County courthouse located in Welch, West Virginia. Of those defendants whose charges were not dismissed, all were acquitted.

Less than a month later, miners from the state gathered in Charleston. They were even more determined to organize the southern coal fields, and began the march to Logan County. Thousands of miners joined them along the way, culminating in what was to become known as the Battle of Blair Mountain.

See Also: Battle of Blair Mountain

I may do another post for Blair Mountain, but it's a good read if you don't want to wait.

They've been flying these obnoxious-ass Ospreys all goddamned week. Right overhead, residential area. Windows shaking all damn day.

You'd think we'd get a respite when they have to stop to refuel? Think again. They do live refueling of these, so this shit is non-stop.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WCHS) — West Virginia exports more coal to China than any other state and some producers have expressed serious concerns over a potential trade war.

Countermeasures to President Donald Trump's 10% tariff have some West Virginia coal producers on edge as China fired back with a 15% tariff on coal imports.

The Mountain State exports about 6 million tons of coal to China each year, making up roughly half of all U.S. coal exports to China.

"They could have a dramatic impact. They could evolve to the point where even furloughs of mining operations are considered, " West Virginia Coal Association president Chris Hamilton said.

CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) – Hundreds of West Virginians are raising their voices against President Donald Trump’s administration’s actions since his return to office.

On Wednesday, groups across the country hosted protests at every U.S. state capitol, including Charleston. It was a part of the “50 Protests, 50 States, 1 Day” initiative.

Chuck Ricks is one of a couple hundred protestors to gather at the WV State Capitol Building speaking out against Trump and West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey.

“Both in Washington and in Charleston, the rights of women, all people, the rights of immigrants, everybody are being attacked by our own government,” Ricks said.

Nevaeh Oliveras attended alongside her sisters, crying out against a series of executive orders signed by President Trump since the start of his second term. That includes a crackdown on illegal immigration, a rollback on transgender rights, and more.

“I’m scared for my family. I’m scared as a woman. I’m scared for my LGBTQ friends. I think everything is at risk of being taken away, and it’s dangerous,” Oliveras said.

Protesters say they will only continue to raise their voices for themselves and their families.

“I hope that when I’m dead and gone, I hope someone will tell them that grandpa was here fighting for the rights that they should have,” [Ricks] said.

Sorry for posting this almost last minute, but last I looked, there wasn't any mention of WV (which sadly didn't surprise me).

• Time: Noon
• Place: Capitol lawn on the river side

...protestors will gather on the Capitol lawn on the river side at noon and let attendees tell their story of why they are against Project 2025

Edit: I'm curious what kind of turnout this had. Haven't seen any reports in the news yet. Unfortunately couldn't attend since I'm an hour away, it's on a weekday, and didn't even know there would be any participation in WV until early this morning.

Edit 2: https://www.wowktv.com/news/we-are-being-attacked-protesters-gather-at-west-virginia-capitol-against-trump-morrisey/

The article doesn't list a number, but it does say "hundreds" were in attendance, so that's far beyond what I expected. Wish I could have been there.

Cross-posted from "Caving in Trout Cave, West Virginia" by @m_[email protected] in [email protected]

Cross-posted from "West Virginia native Emily Calandrelli becomes 100th woman in space" by @[email protected] in [email protected]

Blue Origin’s New Shepherd vehicle launched into space Friday morning with Morgantown native Emily Calandrelli on board.

Calandrelli was the biggest name on board, known for her science programs “Emily’s Wonder Lab” on Netflix and “Emily’s Science Lab” on YouTube. West Virginians also know her as an ambassador for the state. She’s from Morgantown and graduated from West Virginia University before furthering her education at MIT.

She is the 100th woman to travel to space and among the first from West Virginia.

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/13805380

with Google's assault on Invidious leaving it inoperable, consider watching this video with FreeTube, a nifty open source program that lets you watch youtube videos privately!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Dooley

LOGAN COUNTY, W.Va. (WVVA) - A family’s pet kangaroo was on the loose in Logan County this morning.

The kangaroo slowed traffic on Mud Fork Road in Verdunville according to one of the drivers on his way to work.

“I was driving to work, and we had five cars in front of us that stopped in the middle of the road,” said Noah Manns. " I was trying to look around and see what the holdup was, and when I was able to get into view, I saw a kangaroo hopping up the road.”

When the kangaroo had finally moved off the road, Manns was able to get photos of it.

Manns did not contact law enforcement because he knew the owners, who had bought the animal as a baby.

“I called my friend, and she immediately got ahold of the owners,” said Manns.

The kangaroo was caught and is now back home with its family.

The Governor of West Virginia defaulted on his loan and now he’s blaming the Democrats.

The Greenbrier Hotel, an iconic West Virginia landmark that was once the site of the Congressional nuclear bunker, is for sale to the highest bidder. The reason? West Virginia Governor Jim Justice defaulted on the loan.

The world learned the Greenbrier was for sale after the people holding the bag for the loan put a legal advertisement in the West Virginia Daily News. The notice said that anyone who wants the hotel complex and the grounds will be buying it as is, are responsible for the substantial back taxes, and will have to have cash in hand on the day of sale.

“The undersigned Substitute Trustee will sell the real estate described in the Deed of Trust, at a public auction on August 27, 2024 at 2 p.m. to the highest bidder at the front door of the Courthouse of said County of Greenbrier, in Lewisburg, West Virginia,” the notice said.

Justice, who is in the midst of a run for the Senate, blamed Democrats for his fumbling of the loan. Justice bought the Greenbrier in 2009 after the hotel went bankrupt and it’s been a headache ever since. JPMorgan Chase lent Justice $142 million for the property in 2014. According to a statement from the governor, the two parties had been negotiating a reduction of the debt since 2021.

JPMorgan sold the debt to Beltway Capital in July. The new owners immediately called in the loan.

“ANOTHER POLITICAL STUNT BY THE DEMOCRAT MACHINE,” the Governor’s statement read in all caps. “In recent days, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon’s staunch ties to the Democrat party and his support for the Biden-Harris administration and continued control of the Senate by the Democrats have been well documented. This political stunt is just the latest of several rounds of attacks on Governor Justice and his businesses for political gain.”

The Greenbrier is a historic landmark whose history is woven into the fabric of America. The sulfur spring water in the land has been a destination for those seeking relaxation and healing since the late 1700s. In the 1950s, Washington excavated huge chunks of the land and dug out a bunker that Congress would use in the event of a full-scale nuclear war.

The bunker is still there and tourists can walk its narrow corridors and see the bunk beds senators and congresspeople would have slept on if a war had broken out. There’s a fake Rose Garden room for press conferences, a make-shift Senate chamber, and exercise bikes outfitted with ashtrays.

Bethesda created a nearly 1-to-1 copy of the Greenbrier in its video game Fallout 76, which is set in a post-apocalyptic West Virginia. Ahead of the launch of the game, Bethesda held a large press event at the Greenbrier and threw a party in the bunker.

Now that historic landmark is up for sale, despite full-throated pushback from Justice. “Let me be clear that the Greenbrier will not be sold, and the Justice family will take all necessary action to ensure that there will not be any adverse impact on their ownership of the Greenbrier or the Greenbrier’s operations and the ability of the Greenbrier to continue to provide world-class service for its guests will be uninterrupted” Bob Wolford, an attorney working on behalf of the Justice family, said in a statement.

National coverage

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/9476352

This kind of debt likely means that he's for sale, which is not great when it comes to public officials

I've only had some localized high water, but co-worker just posted to group chat that authorities are advising people in his area to seek higher ground.

Stay safe. Turn around, don't drown!

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) - It has been two weeks since a U-Haul crashed into the Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association. What remains is a giant hole in the building covered by tarp. And the inside where that hole sits is still a daily reminder of that chaotic day.

“Its been kind of a learning process. We are trying to see what works and what doesn’t work,” said Angie Gillenwater, Community Engagement Manager at KCHA. “We know that there’s definitely a long journey ahead of us, there’s a lot of gray area a lot of I don’t knows right now.”

In terms of what’s next, Gillenwater said the rebuilding process is expected to be a long one, with about $100,000 worth of damages and repairs. But she said since the accident they have been able to raise about $60,000 from the community.

“We’re looking at about a month of operating at half capacity, a month of having a hole in the side of he building. Hopefully once that month is up, three to four weeks once that’s up, we should be putting pieces back into the building, putting our pieces back together and rebuilding.”

And looking ahead -- it’s out with the old and in with the new

“We want to keep that momentum going of getting animals out of here and getting them into homes. Like I said, we do know there is a long journey ahead. We are prepared for any type of news ahead of us, good bad great, great news. Whatever it is, we are prepared and we know that we are going to come out on top of this, possibly even stronger than we were before,” Gillenwater said.

Around 10:45 this morning, every device in my house was screeching with a NWS tornado warning. Considering it was almost noon and getting very, very dark out, I ushered the dogs down to the basement and grabbed my laptop (I work from home).

My area was pretty lucky and didn't get much damage (power was flashing like a strobe light but ultimately stayed on).

This all went down like 90 minutes ago, so I've only got some preliminary photos from local news and ones my friends sent.

And, yay, another strong storm forecast to come through around 3:30.

Tree demolishes a car

Billboard blows down in Ona, damaging nearby homes

Tractor trailer knocked over on the road in Cabell County

Trees down all through South Hills.

A facade blew off a building in Charleston

A billboard leveled in Kanawha City

Utility lines heavily damaged in Dunbar

Sam's Club door frame blown in in Southridge

Tree knocked down traffic lights on Kanawha Blvd

Many, many trees down in 5th Street Hill

This asshole (yeah, it's a little guy, but we typically don't get many tornadoes here)

Phone blowing up with tornado warning alerts, sirens blaring outside.

Currently chilling in the basement with the dogs waiting for this to blow over.

Update: Worst of it seems to have passed.