For Your Research…
Thirty years ago, scholarship was sparse on the Mine Wars era. Today, the Museum is extremely proud to promote accessible resources related to the era of the Mine Wars and the miners’ little-known struggle for justice in the coalfields of West Virginia. We’ve curated a collection of research and resources to aid you in your exploration of this history. We will continue scanning the landscape for new resources, and we invite you to share your stories and memories with us.
Jump to: Recommended Books | Websites | Museum on YouTube | Recommended Videos
Oral Histories
If you can’t find what you’re looking for here, we may know the answer! Contact us about research questions here.
Recommended Books:
Most of these titles are available directly from us online through our Museum Shop.
We also maintain an museum reference library with over 300 titles. You can browse an up-to-date catalog of our library here. Books can be referenced on-site, but we don’t lend them out, sorry!
Websites:
As well as the reading available at each of the websites below, the West Virginia Humanities Council has compiled this list of Labor History articles available at the West Virginia Encyclopedia.
West Virginia Mine Wars Museum on YouTube:
Check out these videos from our Mine Wars Forum interview series and more on our
YouTube channel!
Recommended Videos:
Oral Histories:
Oral Histories were collected in the making of the film Even the Heavens Weep, and can be found here at the West Virginia State Archives.
The Matewan Oral History Project of 1989-90 interviewed Matewan residents about their family’s experience living in the southern coalfields of West Virginia. Copies of the transcripts can be found here at the West Virginia State Archives website. Recordings are available at the Matewan Depot and Replica Center in Matewan, WV.
Edie Street Belcher Bostic (PDF) talks about her father, who worked in the Hawk’s Nest Tunnel and died of silicosis in 1932 when Edie was 3. Transcript provided by the West Virginia Folklife Program.
An 1972 oral history interview with Price Williams who was a teacher at Cabin Creek High School during the Paint Creek-Cabin Creek Coal Strike in 1912. The interview was conducted by Dr. Ken Bailey. The original interview can be found in the collection of the West Virginia State Archives.
Frank Brooks was born in Fayette County, WV, and grew up in Carter County, KY, in the early 1900s. He attended a one room school house through the third grade. Mr. Brooks began working in coal mines with his father in Borderland, WV, when he was 13 years old.
Born in Louisa, KY, Bob Chapman grew up on Homemade Holler in the coal community of McVeigh, KY. His father worked for the Eastern Coal Corporation as an explosions miner. Mr. Chapman discusses a typical day in a coal community and the class system within this community.
Helena Venturino Howell was born on September 19, 1913. Her father emigrated from Italy to Brooklyn, New York, at the age of 16. Her mother immigrated to Williamson, WV, with Mrs. Howell’s older sister in 1912. Mrs. Howell’s family lived in neighborhood in Williamson comprised primarily of Italians. During her interview, Mrs. Howell discusses her mother’s arrival to Williamson, WV, and the Italian community in Williamson.
We created this video in lieu of our Grand Reopening for May 16, 2020. This tour is guided by the townspeople who have worked tirelessly over the years to preserve this proud working people's history. Follow us along, and we'll take you around to hidden sites related to the Battle of Matewan and the West Virginia Mine Wars.