My first trial was in Elliott County. On future blog give Watts Creek a mention. Im sure youd know if you were related. Im from graysknob, pine branch was were I lived till I was 17 then we moved to Putney. He was my English teacherand a good one at that. Me, my brother and sister went to church every Sundaywe werent allowed to even go to the toilet until after church. your a fuckin mooron ive lived here all my life ,my family pioneered this place ,both sides, why arent u still living here? I saw a little of all of it. I suspect its mostly because they didnt care much for Hustler, at least not publicly. Thank you so much for this, it came at a time when I needed to count my blessings, and being born in Liggett, and raised in Pansy, I truly was blessed. Ishas Smiths 2nd cousin. There are a few folks who left and dont care to ever hear of Harlan again, but thats true of all small towns. If you have a book related to Harlan County and it's people. If its easy, theres nothing better. Harlan County Honestly, it took me years to adapt. WebShe talks about people being beaten or threatened, and houses and families being shot at. I bet I heard them talking about you. Oh, you might go to Garys Lounge and Roller Rink sometimes. The sinister way he talked. Basil was a neighbor of ours when I was a kid, so I know he was Thanks. Coming Down The Cumberland: History of the Maggard Family-- V. N. Bud Phillips 2. We only periodically had a movie theater, the fabulous Margie Grand in Harlan. 6. Mrs Abraham was my Home Ec teacher @Hall High. I plan to continue reading your blog. Hes married married to one of my first cousins for many years. Maybe they never left. My husband has worked in low coal where one had to crawl to get to your section. | Coal Troll's Blog, I stumbled across your blog and enjoyed much. So you see, all of this rambling I have just done is to state the obvious because you have made us sound like we are backwoods, unlearned, in-bred no accounts. Offended by the possiblility that outsiders will use them to measure the intelligence of my people. The strikers made bumper stickers supporting their cause and drove around the community in a truck with loudspeakers to explain their grievances and hopefully gain support. I JUST RAN ACROSS YOUR CONVERSATION AND THOUGHT I WOULD COMMENT ON HARLAN KY. Im sure they knew each other. We live in McCreary Co now, so still SEKY. They might as well have been in different states. I dont get back as often as Id like but always thoroughly enjoy coming back to visit. Ive been gone for 20+ years now. We wore machine guns with semiautomatic carbines. My Mom taught at SE Community College. Entertained by the tendency to call you a mooron and ignorant while not fully grasping the importance of grammar and spelling. Cats and Harlan Countians have 9 lives. I went to Business College, married my daddys cousin (you had to know that was coming didnt you). Maybe they were hoping to see (or experience) some kind of catastrophe. Funny thing is, thats what my kids do, even though they live in a small city with a million things to do. I just said, hey, he was my neighbor. I have more memories of the younger Brittons that are closer to my age. God do I ever remember the Government Cheese and all the other free food provided by the gov. Each letter she wrote me held the news. Whitley County has an interstate so are they still Eastern Kentucky? My Mother, Reba Campbell, was born in Liggett. They just inflict harm. This is where Norma lives, was the reply. My husband is a retired coal miner. Regardless, they came back. There are a couple of places to stay, and theyre okay. I never got a straight story from my parents and possibly they didnt know why or what happened. You have to have mountains, not hills. Born and raised in Cumberland.I live in Florida now loved your article.Proud of my roots! You havent had a grilled cheese sandwich until youve had one made with govment cheese, govment butter and fresh Bunny Bread. Stalwarts, outlanders, pretenders, loathers you left one group out. If its hard, its hopeless. I am definitely proud of my heritage, both generally mountain/Appalachian and Harlan County in particular. I am a faithful Kentucky Basketball fan and follow them year in and year out, through good and bad GO BIG BLUE.. I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN HARLAN,CO. I was just in Harlan County this weekend. Harlan County USAdivides us into two groups: Those that love it and those that hate it. My great granny and grandpa lived in Harlan when they first married but moved to Leslie county. She laughed. I would sometimes go out and spend a month or two with my grandparents and spend some nights with other family members in Harlan and Bell counties. This film documents the coal miners' strike against the Brookside Mine of the Eastover Mining Company in Harlan County, Kentucky in June, 1973. I believe you will see that I have great affection for Harlan, much more than many of the people who still live there. I have a heavy heavy accent. It was gray and you had to add the coloring to it. .I didnt think to ask them while they were alive. I was born and raised in the suburbs of Detroit but my parents were from Harlan County, my dad born in Holmes Mill growing up in Highsplint, my mother born and raised in Black Mountain eventually leaving and lived in Corbin. Like much of Eastern Kentucky, the population has declined for decades. Nimrod Workman. We went to the movies most weekends and to every football and basketball game. Of course, it doesnt. First, much of what I wrote is tongue in cheek. So so sad to see that head of the Holler non existent now, all overgrown. Ring any bells? We werent eligible for cheese, either, but my Dad would get it anyway! Singing man in the beginning. Therefore, the kids of this county today only have to step out theyre door and into a pool. Alan Creech, such nice thoughts and memories of this beautiful part of God earth that I am proud to call home. Daughter has owned her own business in Harlan for thirty years. I wouldnt trade my life for anyone else. If he is still living can you ask him about any Leonard relatives he know about or put him in touch with me. The result - Harlan County, U.S.A. (1976) - was an astonishingly intimate and passionate work that won the Oscar for Best Documentary and recently was selected as one of twenty-five films by the Library of Congress to be placed on its Film Registry. Sometimes, these people would show up to help us. Whats up with that? My dad grew up in Evarts. I love your wifes Loll great story! Hey, I actually remember the Cliff Hanger (by reputation only), but it was not for my younger crowd. I think we overlapped at Cawood for a year. I also have no desire to change this wonderful region.am I forgiven? If you do so, you wont be called a bigot or a phobe of any type. That is certainly true, but I must say that those unfortunates (if thats what they are) are the in minority.. One hell of a nice fellow. My Grandfather/Grandmother was Floyd/Janie Clark. Just found your blog while attempting to refresh my memory about the name of the theater, the Margie Grand, in Harlan. I have always been proud of being from Cawood in Harlan County. In response to your statement about pretenders, I personally feel Im still a Harlan resident at heart even though I dont live there and dont visit very often. Two Men Are Shot in Kentucky In Incident Laid to Mine The people certainly are of Eastern Kentucky stripe, but they do lack isolation. I lived in Cumberland for 2 years from ~ 1974-1976. There are a lot of Harlan Countians that are very happy to be called just that. A convenient store replaced the gas station and stores. Thank you so much for sharing. Hollywood Bledsoe from the mouth of Cloverlick in HC, once wrote a song about Government Cheese. Basil was a neighbor of ours when I was a kid, so I know he was real. They dont want to sound like Harlan or look like Harlan. Havent lived there since the late 70s, but Harlan is always home. Harlan is tough. You do remember he is my step-daddy?? I feel blessed to have grown up in Harlan, at a time when people actually cared about each other, and would not trade it for anything!! I grew up in Eastern Kentuckyborn and raised as we say. Spent many an evening in Tiny Joes!!!!!!! Its called age, my friend. Basil Collins was Uncle Basil to us. Its nice to remember, though. John, enjoyed your comments. Justified portrays Harlan as a lawless frontier of wanton violence. I am Wayne Middletons daughter. No one from Harlan . I DO HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU ALL, DO ANY OF YOU REMEMBER A LITTLE BLIND MAN THAT USE TO SELL NEWS PAPERS IN THE LOBBY OF THE HARLAN HOSPITAL? They just hang around and complain. Our teeth arent all that bad, although mine arent great. Thanks for the comments. I definitely would NOT have fit in. Great story and oh so true, every word of it. I owned a genteel little social club called THE CLIFFHANGER up on pine mountain, and had some of the finest folks i ever knew as customers, although mostly they considered the Garys crowd a little on the gentler side. Dad was a good friend of Norman Yarboroughs. It has always been home for me. Even though they know whats best for Harlan, we dont really like them. Ive lived a few places in east ky, but never been to Harlan. I am origionally from Atlanta. Of course, theres a downside. An outlander is someone who used to live in Harlan. You say that you came here now and then, but if you did you would know that we have many amenities and hotels such as a holiday inn express and a comfort inn. http://www.kentuckytourism.com/places_to_stay/holiday-inn-express/73/ just saying. My parents (James Depew & Thelma Randolph) grew up in Harlan in the late 20s-30s My Grandfather was Bill Randolph, one time police chief, Constable and apparently gun thug for the man. One person wrote that people visiting here didnt have hotels or anywhere to stay unless they stayed with family. It was an old theater whose best days had long past. There are good people and bad people. I found a place to turn around and get back down the road and get my act together. Both our families are made up of longtime coal miners and school teachers. It would occasionally be condemned but re-open at some point. So translation you perhaps do not have no prospect of progress which would mean you do have prospect of progress.. you are right few have paid you such complements. I told him apparently his computer didt speak Hillbilly.I am proud of my head of the holler rasin. We once had a train full of nerve gas pass through Loyall. I wonder why they went to Harlan to get married. I found the search function and found the story. WebSeveral members stabbed a local sheriff when he dragged a woman violently off the road on 28 February 1974. There arent running gun battles anymore like the famed Battle of Evarts many decades ago. One can argue that its always been over-populated what with the chronic high unemployment and high poverty rate. ha! My dad was a teacher at JACHS from 1962 to 1968. I was born in Atlanta and moved here when my step-daddy (forevermore referred to as daddy) and my momma met when he was proudly serving this country.He a handsome young man from the mountainsshe a beautiful divorced young woman with two small children. Harlan WebIn his new introduction to the reissue of Harlan Miners Speak, an on-the-scene report from a panel of writers about the coal strike in Bell and Harlan Counties, John Hennen skillfully explains the precipitating factors of the labor unrest. I got away. John. You brought back a lot of memories. Everything is right on! Youd be surprised how many of us moved here from other places (quite a few from other countries), were welcomed as friends, made our homes here and raised our families here. We outlanders like our Harlan roots. My reply was that he didnt scare me, I am from Harlan, Kentucky! Love love love Harlan County Kentucky and the people. Above all else, it covers the 1930s strikes at the coal mine, which resulted in 11 deaths and earned the area the name Bloody Harlan. But what probably haunts the That bastion of journalism, Hustler Magazine, once listed Harlan (the town) as one the three meanest towns in America. Girl fights were always the best. Harlan Your ignorant, evidently you dont much about Catlettsburg in the early 1900s . I worked with them both at Harlan Appalachian Regional Hospital in the late 60s, early 70s. My mother is Drena Crowder-Leonard. I went to Cumberland College, Austin Peay Univ for my first masters, Trevecca University for my doctorate, second masters, and administrative certification. Were still Harlan Countians. Thanks. 1. A bazillion of cousins to play with..mountains to explore..farm animals to learn about, a total difference than city life on a quiet street just across from Fort McPherson Army Base. Wouldnt trade my youth spent in Harlan County for any other in the world. These are the folks who stayed in Harlan. Again I will say Harlan is a great place to be from but I would not want to live there today. Its county seat is Harlan. Edit. Its too dull. We had our own post office, City Hall and fire station. They were pretty quick to tell you that they were from Harlan. I dont remember Chappells slogan, but I do remember: Thats what I saidBunny Bread! I also remember the 1st grade field trip to Chappells, Bunny Bread and Harlan Ice. So, watch your step. Their isnt anyone who acts the way you have described them in this concoction, Nor is the area the way you have presented it. I was born and raised in Leslie County. I was blessed to have been raised in the mountains. Witness strikebreaker Basil Collins as loathsome a screen villain as fiction ever invented targeting her during a drive-by shooting caught on camera. Thanks for the article. There is a bleak side to Harlan, as anywhere else. Second, my parents lived in Harlan County their entire lives, as have aunts, uncles, cousins and many of my closest friends. Anyway, thanks again. Pingback: My Life in Harlan County | Williams Kilpatrick, PLLC. Even though life was very hard at times, it was filled with family and friends and its been fun thinking about them this morning. He had a taxi service called Do me right He was found on the side of the mountain with many bullets in him and his taxi. A miner was If you dont, I cant fault you for that, either. One side was a roller rink. I can relate to alot of it. My older brother and sister were both born at Lynch Hospital. I was raised in Wallins Creek and Cumberland by my Mamaw as a child. The previous mentioned Clarence E. Leonard is my Uncle. People were practically hanging on it. Elected wives president by Lois. Our football coach , Ed Miracle, was shot in the foot playing golf three weeks later . My ancestors settled Smith, hence its name, and Im proud of it being off the grid. Its a nice place. Disability checks. WebSynopsis. Not a native but my ears always perk up when I hear Harlan. Harlan County Ive really enjoyed reading this article. Always. Itd be hard to sneeze and not hit a Creech with the spray. Been back very few times. We know at least one person who has been shot with a gun by someone else or by themselves accidentally. I remember when you had to take a gravel road from Pineville to Loyall when they were building the new 119. Enjoyed the article. Publicado el marzo 4, 2023 por marzo 4, 2023 por I appreciate your comments but must, of course, defend myself. Thats probably why he is disabled now at a a young age. I absolutely LOVE this! Its boring. Bell county baby.We got the mountains here too. Im not from Kentucky saw this blog post through a friends facebook but Ive really enjoyed reading it and the comments! I love your blog, it is a great read. So much that even some locals have a hard time understanding me. I have neglected my research of the Leonards and McKendrick for some time because of my health problems. UMWA itself assisted in larger actions. We were always suspicious of outsiders, especially those offering help. We could tell if you were from Ohio or Michigan or some other exotic place. Unemployment in 2017 was 9.4 percent, far above the national average. I live in Lexington, but always tell people Im from Southeastern Kentucky, Knox Co (not to be confused with just Eastern KY or Knott Co. Well written and interesting. But they dont always leave. I remember an encounter with the business end of a 38 special at the Smith lake boat ramp late one night. Someone told me that the best way to commit suicide was to stand around in Smith and act like youre counting money! So my family got to enjoy it even tho they never lived in Harlan. JACHS did not open until the 66 67 school year. I wonder if youre related to Clarence Leonard who lived near Evarts. Construction on the house beat the power company by a few years. Clarence had one brother Howard P. Leonard and Howard P and his wife Lucille had a son named Clarence Edwin Leonard. Im proud of where Im from and yes my Daddy was a coal miner for a time. There arent any hotels to speak of, really. jack brock ha d 21 dogs and 21 kids, he got kill by a drunk man he was taking home that was about like the earth quake in los ang years ago it was bad , for those who know my grandpa honey bill saylor and my dad and my friend big al ,arnold lee saylor he was a damn good man i miss alot cause he is in all my boys alot i see him every day yours trunly ronnie gene saylor of molus ky aka molus hollow. Hi Julie, Yes I know your mother. The Fuzzy Duck, the Corner and the VFW. I was mostly raised In Floyd Co. KY & did live in Grundy , Va. at one time. I am so grateful to the educators in Harlan who worked so diligently to open our minds, expand our thinking and develop our talents especially in music. There are differences: we`re north east, you`re south east. We just live somewhere else. We know trash when we see it, and Im not talking about garbage pick up. She was one of my favorite. 62 (10) 1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1921. Were you in danger? Myself, Im from Loyall which is three miles from the town of Harlan. You went up 119 to the Loyall turnoff, and youre absolutely right: Any Harlan Countian who turns the corner at Pineville changes languages! I dont live in Harlan now, but Im still a Harlan Countian. We used to be territorial based on our schools. This excludes Boyd, Greenup, Lewis, etc. Im pretty sure I remember Lance. He was actually the son of my aunts husband, so that technically makes him a cousin, but age-wise he was more of my dads generation so that made him an uncle. Greenup is east of Harlan, Ashland is east of Whitesburg, and if Catlettsburg gets any more east it`s going to be West Virginia, are you seriously arguing with the lat/ and longitude? Home; Movies; TV Shows; People. The Harlan County Way | Coal Troll's Blog Everyone I knew (including my family) ate government cheesethe best cheese ever. Loyallhad a school, a railroad yard, one stop light, a movie theater (at one time), the Corner Store (a genuinesoda shop), a gas station, a barber and a couple of stores. Thanks for the reads I have read most of your blogs. I not THAT old! Very proud of my heritage. Born and raised as you said in Lynch You pretty much hit the nail on the head.. great write-up. No as in stop, do not, negative, etc and nothin slang for nothing not anything; no single thing; having no prospect of progress; of no value; not at all. No one should have to make a livin working between 2 rocks. I am sure he is talking about when he grew up and how times were then I am from Harlan live here now .I loved the article and havent read anything disrespectful . I was born in Harlan County, Louellen specifically, but moved away when I was little due to my dad being in the Navy. Grew up in Loyall. Im surprised I didnt end up with some kind of lung disease. I live in Lexington now as well have since 1990. I know it well. Geelong. Im from Tennessee (save your boos for later, lol) and grew up in a very small, rural town with a lot of off the grid inhabitants. They tease me that my accent changes when I cross the county line going back home :-). WebHarlan County U.S.A. 8.2. Interview with Lois Scott, August 27, 1986 SPOKEdb . Whitley County is troublesome. We got spanked when we needed itdidnt hurt us one bit but sure made us better kids growing up and better adults today. Never mind. My Dad and his six siblings were all raised in Evarts. Happy to be an Outlander! Weve been in the Lexington area since then, but we still say back home when we are talking about Neon and Jenkins. Nothing will get a hard-working coal miner or school teacher fired up like a discussion about those drawing a check. Thats how it was when I was a kid, and it hasnt changed. My dad spent much of childhood there in the 30s. Honestly, I laughed out loud, because it was so venomous. My dad and papa were both coal miners for blue diamond mining for years. I graduated from Cumberland High School in 1975. I didnt like a lot of your article, some of it is accurate. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Loved this! He told me if I stayed there I would either be an alcoholic, like him to survive, or I would end up dead. Charles Leonard Birmingham, AL. Town is flooded with people. This, so they say, makes them mountain people. They dont like being from Harlan. We knew Jimmy Meeks very well. We hung out at Denny Rays, Kens and I cant remember the drive in on the road to Loyall?? In that regard, Harlan is Small Town, USA. The first of the month is a big time in Harlan. To add to my previous comment above, my other Grandfather was Elijah Depew (nicknamed Lidge? You mustve been a good student, John. We were just there in July , I love going back to visit. A mouthy little man like me finds out the hard way that bad is good, but big is better. I happened across this blog through a friend. why dont u come back?i know why ,because it is to political and if your not a doctor or a lawyer or have plenty of money ,you aint shit yeah the mountains are nice and this is a beautiful place, but if you aint in the click you aint shit and thats the way it really is you just like the bloody harlan shit and it makes you look BADASS to tell people your from here .your a joke dude and quit livin off a place that you evidentally really no nothin about ..post this DUMBASS . He lived there with his wife my Aunt Hazel and their children Laura Jean, Stanley and Mickey. (LogOut/ inside lacrosse schedule; bradley county 911 active incidents; dodgers home run seats menu; what happened to brittany on the jeff kuhner show. The name of the area now came to be because the truckers that hauled from the mill just refrerred to it as Holmes Mill! We have mountains all around us. | Coal Troll's Blog, My Life in Harlan County | Williams Kilpatrick, PLLC. Although its closer to Hazard than Harlan, I would reply, Bean Patch Holler on Irishman Creek! They loved it! Brought back alot of memories. Very funny (and true). There are people who will pretend to be from Harlan or any place else in Eastern Kentucky. Were also the last of a breedand this applies to all of Appalachia. Ruby did you know a family named Clark? Everywhere I go here in Ohio I run into people from Harlan or people who have relatives from there and some still living there. When I was young, the Government Cheese truck looked like a scene from an African relief mission. It was a Best Western when it was first built. It will always be home to me. Jenny, I worked in Harlan Co. in the 90s on the railroad and worked with a Saylor but cant remember his first name. One guy said we were like Indians who left the reservation. Among this crowd are those that my father called off the grid. He said we had a sub-culture of people so far off the creek that they werent plugged in to the modern world. NOTE TO SELF: Dont move to Ages,Ky,Home of Brookside Mine, during a strike. miners in this county AND other states. My mom grew up in Cutshin, my dad was from Martins Fork, they met at The Court Cafe. The ones who love it love the depiction of rough and ready union brothers and sisters ready to wage war with the coal company thugs. I left a long time ago and went back to live there once for a few years. Im pretty sure Lanes Cliffhanger was in the old Mount Aire building. We are made to known about his death on September 16, 2020. You hit home with many of your comments being born and raised in Eastern Kentucky, Sandy Hook, Elliott County to be exact. After all no one I know would go north of the Ky border to see. The wrong side of the tracks to the town school crowd of the 1960s. I have many good friends I have met through the Hall High Gamecock web site. The other side was the Lounge, a long, narrow open room with a dance floor. For instance, threats didnt faze me. Although I left Harlan County in 1968, and grew up in Florida, I am still proud to say, I am from Harlan County! It reeked of Pine Sol. I lived in Harlan and Loyall. Dont say we are not eastern Kentuckians because we dont speak your slang, or live the life that people from harlin county do. The original Mount Aire Motel was on Pine Mountain, and it burned down in the 70s. I know you as a Harlan Countain and also as a fine person. I was about 11-12 and I remember we played outside constantly. My friends still tell me you can take the girl out of Eastern Kentucky, but you cant take the Eastern Kentucky out of the girl. He was the hardest worker I have ever known. Basil Collins is recorded in slow motion firing a gun at the camera while members of the strikebreakers beat Ms. Kopple and her crew. Barbara Kopple Reflects I was born and raised in Harlan, KY a lil place called Sunshine. He was a clerk there. My grandfolks, originally from Johnson Ct. lived up at the end of a holler. Harlan County, U.S.A. The Revealer Sherry Jones Hall. Really enjoyed the article. Check out some of my other posts. Welcome to Harlan County! Basil Collins; Did you know. John I cant believe you didnt even mention the no nothin about. What do you suppose that would translate into? Why? I dont need tattoos, i have scars. My Mom was a nurse at the hospital there (where I was born in 66). Ben Joe Harris disarmed the guy so that it would be a fair fight. My cousin posted the link on Facebook and I have not been able to move till finishing the read. I grew up in Sunshine too. We liked him! A few notes: The qualifications for Eastern Kentucky status include: I hail from Harlan County, the Eastern Kentuckiest of all counties. I was in her class the day JFK was shot in Dallas. Others leave to find better opportunities. I own a piece of railroad track on the Rhea Straight. The culture you describe in Harlan is very similar to Leadville-only the accents are different-except for my dadhe never lost his. Doris, do I know you? The menacing Although we certainly werent poor, Government Cheese is excellent, and my Dad would get us a block whenever he could. Good old Mikes drive in, where one of Harlan Countys finest young men threatened me with a belt when I stepped in to defend a younger friend. I am a badass.. Some escape, but most dont. Once you push too far north, you get out of the mountains, and we have to exclude you. My little brother had a knife pulled on him at Cawood. The only tv stations the antenna could pick up were out of knoxville We laugh at them but let them have their fun. I enjoyed your blog ..I too left Harlan to find work ..I recently got turned down for a job doing private duty nurses aide for a new client because I was from Harlan ..The job interview started out very well until she ask where I was from I had an accent 24 years later I still have that accent I think she was worried I was packing a gun..to funny ..love my Harlan county roots ..from Wallins.. ..Oh yeah agree with everyone loved that Gov, cheese. That hurts everyone. I respect ALL coal miners. SOMEONE MENTIONED SMITH. Personal details. Did you live here? Im not sure where you found this, but most folks realize that some of it is tongue-in-cheek. I was born, raised and still live in Pike County. That is perhaps because I hail from off the grid (Smith). Yes. Yes, Big_O,, I remember the man you asked about. My dad was one of them, outside Tommy Lees barbershop.
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