A Lonesome Appalachian Holler in West Virginia

An Appalachian Holler in West Virginia - McDowell County

This is what we call a holler. This is a West Virginia holler to be more specific. You can usually tell you're in a holler when you look around and see mountains in pretty much every direction; you're on a road with no painted lines; and, a dead giveaway, when you see a dog standing right smack dab in the middle of the road staring at you like you're about to play a game of chicken. A holler has a head and a mouth...it also has plenty of eyes because if you happen to be a stranger driving up or down the holler, someone has more than likely taken notice - an informal neighborhood watch, if you will. If you live in a holler then you probably know every Tom, Dick, and Harry that lives in the holler with you and you're probably kin to more than a few of them. You probably know everybody's business whether you want to or not and they know yours. It seems like every holler has somebody that raises chickens and there's always a rooster crowing to wake you in the morning. A creek almost always runs alongside the road. If you've ever driven up the wrong holler, there's a 99% chance you had to use a stranger's driveway to turn around. It doesn't matter how many times the people that put up the road signs spell it h-o-l-l-o-w, it's a holler - it only makes them look pretentious to spell it that way. You can live in a holler and still holler at someone but that's a story for another day.

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[angelaakers]

You turned around at my grandmothers house. Hers is the white one on the right, last one you see. I've sat on the porch and broke beans, watched the rain come across the mountains, listened to the birds, the creek, and watched deer play in the field. Its such a special place to me. When we visited at Christmas years ago, you could smell the burning coal used to heat the homes as you turned up the road. That smell still brings back good memories. And the head of that holler goes on up a good ways. My aunt lives on out past my grandmothers.

[larryrucker]

Having been born in WV over 70 years ago, I have experienced living in the "holler" and on the "Ridge". The big problem with the "hollers" is that it takes a long time to warm up as the sun only hits you a few hours a day, and when it rains hard everyone worries about flooding. Ice and snow remain much longer through the winter months. The lack of wind keeps the smoke from wood and coal stoves down near the ground level. It would be great to have a little more flat ground for homes and agriculture, yet we stay. I keep asking myself why, but a reasonable answer is never found. Family? Topography? Natural Beauty? The answer is somewhere near and dear, and still I can't find it. I have worked throughout the country, and I keep coming home. I was born here, and I will

[julianhermanubis]

The media often depicts West Virginians in the most unflattering ways, but, in reality, they are some of the nicest people I've ever met.

[dennishardy]

From NZ and travelled the world. One of the best things we ever did was spend several weeks travelling around WV and the Appalachias doing all the little towns side roads and places tourists don't bother going to. It was a very special experience.

[WanderThisWay]

I really appreciate how YouTube has brought people together over the last two years, by allowing folks from across the world to explore places they've never been (or might not even get to go).

[benallen]

I moved to West Virginia 17 years ago and bought a home in a beautiful holler. Lived in Pittsburgh area 4 years and Toledo 2 years prior to moving don't miss those rat races. Love the hills here and mountain streams.

[ronb]

I spent my first 6 1/2 years in Wall, Pa. I lived at the entrance to the holler. I remember once a year everyone would have a picnic at the end of the holler. There was a pipe
coming out of the hill that had ice cold water coming out of it 365 days a would take (glass) jugs every few days and fill them for our drinking water. I also remember sitting in the front yard on a blanket....my mom and I would count the stars.
After college, I went to Los Angeles and spent 35 years in California. Seeing this video reminded me how happy and carefree I was as a child.

[dwolfe]

Born and raised on a hillside just outside of Charleston. Mom and Dad raised three children in a four room shack with a path. We were taught the value of hard work, and to treat people with respect. I am 68 now, have traveled all over the world, and have lived in Richmond, Virginia for the last 30 years. My childhood home and the memories still call to me.

[davidsdiamond]

My mom had a best friend that lived in a holler, when I was a kid, and she was absolutely an amazing woman. We'd go spend a week with this woman and her family every summer and it's a memory I'll never forget. Getting woken up, at 5 or 6 in the morning, to the smell of fresh ground coffee brewing, fresh biscuits baking, and the sound of bacon frying. The men would be on the front porch ratchet jawing with their coffee, then women on the back porch gossiping away in between food prep, and the kids just waking up. I can still see, smell, and almost taste the food. After breakfast, the kids would red up the kitchen, and we would take a walk down the dirt road afterwards. Later in the evening, kin would show up, and they would be a shindig that lasted into the early morning. Man what great memories. I live an hour from WV now and do a lot of shopping and travel to that great state.

[SJ-wghz]

The old “cool building” has been many things. My grandfather had his welding shop behind it eons ago. The building was a combination of an old company store and school. My dad and his older siblings all went to school there as children. I still have a cousin there and the people of Litwar are genuinely good. My grandparents home was leveled many years ago after Granny passed. Thank you for going. Seeing it again brings a flood🥲🥰

[tomraw]

I'm Australian and loved this video of that wonderful hollow. Love the lady's accent. Chuck Yeager, fighter pilot war ace and test pilot and first to break the sound barrier, came from West Virginia and wrote about a relative who lived in a 'holler' where they had to pipe the daylight in.

[LarrySVAS]

Over the years I've traveled the back roads of Venezuela, Colombia and Peru. Viewing how others live their lives is fascinating. And I must say that people in these countries seem happy, friendly and they take pride their homes no matter how poor one might be.

[katygravley]

I was brought up in West Virginia. I could touch a foot hill right off my back porch! In the front we had a foot bridge going over the “crick” to the one lane road. Another foot hill was “smack-cadabbed” right as we would get onto the road! Yes, we had horses come and plow in tiers ! Lots of fun running those hills over 70 years ago! 🙏🙏👑👑🙏🙏👑👑🙏🙏

[georgekelly]

I was born in Beckly, WV, but moved to Florida when I was a baby. I always looked forward to going up to visit the grandma's house literally on the side of a mountain. The cherry trees and the thorny blackberry bushes everywhere is my fondest memory.

[RepublicD]

This might sound weird, but this place reminds me of a typical small neighborhood where I live, in Norway. Same type of narrow roads, small houses (although different style), kept and unkept gardens, down to earth and nice people, but a bit skeptical towards strangers.

[harrietjohnson]

I was raised in a holler in West Virginia and it was dirt and gravel like it still is today. Yes, alot of them are paved now but not all. The people are still the best people in the world.

[joyfullivingwithmeg]

We moved to the beautful hollers of West Virginia from Texas a few months ago.💛🌻 I can honesty say this is the happiest I have ever been and everything I could have ever wanted for my children! The people here are the nicest and so welcoming!

[jb]

I love learning about the hollers!!! I moved to the Lexington, KY area from Chicago about 6 years ago and have been fascinated with eastern KY, Appalachia, and hollers. I love driving around & exploring in eastern KY. Thank you so much for this channel and these videos.

[jlalbee]

My mother's entire family is from West Virginia and I've visited all my life. The family is from the Greenbrier Valley, in and around Lewisburg and the tiny town of Williamsburg, WV. But the family farm, called the "Lazy F" is in a holler outside Trout, WV, up an old creek bed. I absolutely love visiting this place. The most pleasant memories from childhood, as modest as they are, they are the most genuine.

[Hamrik_Oswald]

The twang is just to die for. Love hearing your accent.