Yessir. Another cool moment for me at least is "hey theres my cousin!" :)

Spot on. I always thought if I ever won the big lottery like that big 1 billion one id build something there. A start. Wouldnt fix anything, but a start. There was once talk of a textile (sock) factory, a few other smaller ones since, but nothing came of it. I always shouted about tourism but that didnt go anywhere either. Lots of rugged wilderness, trails, even kingdom come park nearby. Hell the AT isnt too terribly far. Probably too far but still. Place needs a refocus and advertising. Its hard to see my old neighborhood gone on google earth. Our house is still there but isnt in the best shape. Im never going to be gone because practically an entire side of resthaven is family. Always going back.

Funny how that works isnt it. Same said for oil.

Before it is lost yeah. Ive been doing the same. Talking to my dad a lot and recording it. He doesnt have much time left.

Chevrolet coal camp for us. Do you know which was for him?

Once the mines closing and the rerouting if the river were done, there wasnt much left, and it descended into what it is today. It needs a renaissance

Almost all the towns were. Benham, lynch, evarts, brookside, eac of those hollers had a coal tipple in it when I was a kid

I grew up in harlan. My grandfathers worked those mines in the early 1900s from seven years old. It was not a happy time. My parents were born in the coal camps in the 40s. Further, the strikes in the 70s, shown in the movie harlan county usa, have people in it who remember the war. Excellent topic to research, write an essay, and bring again to the forefront. Bloody Harlan should never be forgotten. Harlan always had rebels. Courthouse was burned down around seven times.