This is wild. I wonder how many of us posting here might be related, or at the least, had ancestors who knew each other.

My family surnames from that area are Bryant, Bird, Baute, and Alred. I know several were coal miners and lived in both Evarts and Red Ash (75 miles away.)

My 2nd Great Grandfather Baute was the manager for a railroad, but also liked his alcohol a bit too much. They told him he needed to choose between drinking and his job. He chose the booze. After that, he worked in the coal mines. He'd bring his children with him to work, as their eyes were better at seeing in the dark. He became a widower in 1906 with 12 children to take care of. I can't imagine how hard that must have been.

None of what happened in this essay got passed down to me -- I need to speak to my mom and aunts and uncles about it -- maybe they're aware of some family stories.