'I Owe My Soul To The Company Store': Trapped by Scrip

The scrip system has long been a source of controversy and mystery in the history of coal mining. This video will explain how the system worked, why it worked and how it was used by the coal companies. It was eventually outlawed once and for all but did considerable damage before that took place.

[dlmullins]

Daddy got paid half in scrip in the forties and fifties. I have some old scrip in a drawer here and in the fifties as a kid I found a 50-cent scrip coin someone had dropped. I felt like a King because at ten years old I had never had that much money. My parents asked everyone in the Big Rock area if they had lost it, but nobody claimed it. I treated my friends to a milk shake at the old Big Rock company store. Thanks for the talk.

[greatmusicfan]

I worked with a lady from West Virginia. Her family were miners, daddy, granddaddy, etc. She brought a couple of scrip coins to show us. Very fascinating. She had 2 and her brother had 2. They were saving them to pass down with some of the rest of their family artifacts. She had her dad's helmet with the head lamp, too.❤🇺🇸

[miask]

My husband family were Benham’s from Benham, Ky. I don’t know much about their history though. I believe one of his kin was in politics. But it’s nice to hear that name.😊 You mentioned Rand McNally. They were in Harrisonburg and became Donnelly. I believe, Rand McNally did commercial printing along with road maps. Donnelly printed phone books and other retail type books, I remember a big book sale every year. I did some Christmas shopping there every year. Thank you so much, for teaching us about the history of Appalachia. Love to Melody and the babies!❤

[ParleX]

Thank you for the review, very curious topic! I first heard about the scrip while researching the meaning of the song "Sixteen tons", I even bought some examples for my collection.
You know, we had something like this in Russia in the 1990s. Due to economic crisis and instability, several big companies started to issue their own currency to pay workers. And these "money" could be spent only in the company store.

[Redstagwsmnp]

I have my Grand Father's coal currency. And grocery receipts from late 30's

[MossCottageMarket]

I knew about Scrip from your previous videos but it was really interesting to see it! I'm going to be on the lookout for it at all the flea markets I go to here in VA on the WVA border!

[ronaldtiracchia]

Very interesting topic today. I knew some of this, but a lot I didn’t know. I've learned quite a bit today. I look forward to these videos, and yes, you may have to do a second video. I've checked for script before but I didn’t buy any it's still in the back of my mind, but now it's forefront again. Be well. Enjoy the cd. Maybe Melody will be a convert. My wife likes it.

[kesmarn]

Thanks so much for showing and telling younger generations what the scrip system was all about! The City of Toledo, Ohio used a scrip system during the Great Depression (My parents used to have some of the "tokens" they used, but unfortunately they were thrown out in someone's cleaning frenzy) I agree -- a fascinating story! Do you happen to know, Shane, could you buy alcohol and tobacco at the company store? (I know a lot of folks could brew their own alcohol and grow their own tobacco, but just curious about whether the scrip system could channel wages in the direction of "healthier" purchases?)

[ralphiesmommy]

Such an interesting and important piece of American 🇺🇸 history!! Although, i do feel like it was unfair how they kept the miners in so much debt many of them and their families. And made them shop at their own stores- like recycling the money instead of real wages.

My great grandfather was a coal miner in Wilkes Barre, PA until the Knox mining disaster.

I think Rand McNally also had published many of the text books that i used in school! Definitely makes me wonder if maybe there was some kind of monetary incentive on both sides?

In my own humble opinion i feel like an apology is owed to and reparations should be made to so many of the miners and their families whose lives were directly impacted by unfair treatment. And loss of jobs and misrepresentation in the media, etc. Just my own thoughts.

Really love watching all of your videos on both channels with my family! We watched them on our tv yesterday so we could all watch together. Thank you, Shane!!

[jeremycole]

Very interesting, thanks for showing us that stuff. Got any pics of these stores, aside from that shot you had at the end of this one ? Could a miner place an order for something currently not IN the store, say something Sears or Montgomery Wards had advertised in their catalogs ?

[robertbolt]

Great video people need to know about this. My grandfather and great grandfather got paid in script in McDowell WV before the Union came in. Had to live in a company house and shop at the company store. Rent deducted from pay. They were slaves to the coal company's. That's why I will never visit the coal baron's Houses in Bramwell built by the blood sweat tears and death of miners from McDowell county WV.

[joelaichner]

You loaded 16 tons, what did you get, another day older and deeper in debt