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From Bustling Mines to Quiet Streets: Van Lear, Kentucky
In the heart of Johnson County, Kentucky, lies Van Lear, a once bustling coal camp.
Waterfalls, Abandonments and Ithaca
In 2016, I embarked on a journey of self-reinvention, turning my attention to the Finger Lakes after enduring a challenging period in Cleveland, Ohio.
Winding Gulf Churches
Mining in the Winding Gulf coalfield of West Virginia began in the early 1900s, producing low-volatile smokeless coal, including metallurgical coal suitable for use in steel making. Mining was centered on the thick Beckley seam until it was economically exhausted by the 1950s, and the Pocahontas seam until the late 1980s.
But after the coal seams were exhausted, these coal camps were all but abandoned and today, only a few reminders of this booming era remain.
I was pretty excited to come across two notable churches in the Winding Gulf that are still extant.