The Coal Town System

West Virginia coal operators built small, company-owned towns for their miners to live in. The coal towns were almost always unincorporated; there were no elected officials, no independent police forces. Owners hired private detective agencies to watch over their workforce. Company towns were also untethered from the free market competition owners usually championed.

"The Mine Wars" premieres January 26, 2016 on American Experience PBS.

[IrishAnnie]

My mother was born and raised in a coal town. She said the coal company treated the people very well. (The Page Coal Company). They were generous with resources and treated the workers well. My grandparents had a nice home with three “drops” which was and electric cord dropped in certain rooms. Their home was $15 a month. They had a “drop” in the kitchen, bathroom, living room, and two bedrooms. Grandpa worked as a butcher in the company store. The town was segregated. A sweet black woman knocked on their door needing work. Her husband and son were killed in a coal mining accident, and she needed work. My grandmother and grandfather loved her and she worked with them for 17 years. My mother, who was 5 years old, was so in love with her, she stuck to her like gum. I remember mom visiting as an adult when I was 10 years old. They were both were crying in each other’s arms they were so happy to see one another. Her name was Edna Saunders. The family loved her so much…..then had to move. She was family to them.

[AdmiralBison]

“16 tons and what do you get, another day older and deeper in debt....”

A few tech corporations are bringing this back in the form of corporate municipalities where you live, work and buy everything from the “company store”. The more things change the more they stay the same....only cleaner but the grind is still there.

[Scummingbird]

I grew up a ways outside of coal country in Kentucky, but my ancestors come from there. Lately I've been learning about the exploitation of my people in earnest, after hearing about the evil of the coal companies my whole life. Words can't accurately describe how evil they were, nor can they describe how strong the Appalachian people are.

[jsmcguireIII]

My Grandaddy worked for the coal company during the Battle of Blair Mountain. He got his children educated and OUT of WV - and the rest is fortunate history.

[steamgent]

This was true in some places in the early years of industry but not later. Miners unionized, towns became incorporated, schools were built. Not much different than living in a prosperous town today.

[nicky]

These practices had practically ended in the anthracite fields of Pennsylvania by 1900, but continued in other areas, notably most of West Virginia, Kentucky, etc.

The town I'm from was a mining town, but, from I remember, it was one of the first towns here where miners independently owned their own homes; my great grandfather purchased a lot (as most others did) and built a house, then my grandfather did the same. According to the property records, this was right around the Strike of 1902.

[samland]

Amazon wants to bring company towns back

[nietzschesghost]

"Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go, I owe my soul to the company store."

[hannah]

It’s crazy how this is happening in 2021

[greyfang]

Hello Nevada, funny seeing you all the way back here!

[richardvaiciulis]

I worked for a big Ivy league university hospital. They used this business model to setup their health insurance for employees.

[glendagaskin]

My daddy moved my mom and my brother and sister to Coalwood WV. My sister recmemberd often the days.

[Mascotal]

Young people these days have no clue what could be.

[florabamabear]

“I MUST be the funniest and most original commenter ever. Let me grace these beings with a comment about Amazon. Edgy, yet measured. Perfections.”

[snapdragon]

I can't believe this country tolerated fellow citizens being treated so poorly for so long. The government should have stepped in and done something long before it go so bad.

[marcusreeves]

Kinda reminds me how Facebook & Google though

[andrewkitchenuk]

I was brought up in a coal town in Yorkshire, England in the 1950s and was destined to follow generations down the pit. At 16 I left and went working casual labour in France picking grapes, veg etc, still hard work but at least I was in the fresh air and well fed. To this day I don't understand why anyone would choose to go underground just to earn money.

[bgm]

Get ready because this is coming back.

[davidjanson]

They thought coal would be King for ever.

[Bat_Boy]

I feel their pain...my internet connection is slow. 😂