In the 1930s, the hills of West Virginia were filled with coal towns owned entirely by mining companies. These companies built long rows of identical houses along the mountainsides for the miners and their families. These wooden shacks usually lacked indoor plumbing and had thin walls that offered little protection against the cold mountain winters. The coal companies deducted the cost of rent directly from the miners’ paychecks before the men even saw their money. This system meant that the wealth paid to laborers quickly returned to the owners.
Daily life centered around the company store. Miners did not always receive their pay in United States dollars. Instead, they often received “scrip,” which was private currency valid only at the company’s own shop. The prices at these stores were much higher than those in independent towns. Families had to buy their groceries, clothes, and mining tools there because they had no other transport to reach cheaper markets. This created a cycle of debt that made it nearly impossible for families to save money or leave the camp. Many miners ended each month owing the company more than they had earned.
The work inside the mines was physically demanding and extremely dangerous. Men spent ten to twelve hours a day in dark, narrow tunnels lit only by small lamps on their helmets. They used pickaxes and shovels to load tons of coal into rail cars. The air stayed thick with coal dust, which caused chronic lung diseases and made breathing a struggle. Explosions and cave-ins were constant threats that the workers faced on every shift.
Women and children worked hard to ensure the family survived the harsh conditions. Mothers managed large gardens and raised chickens or pigs to supplement the food purchased at the store. Children often helped by carrying water from communal pumps or gathering scraps of coal for the kitchen stove. Every member of the family contributed to their survival while the mine owners gained massive profits from the coal.
