Coal Mine Wars

This week on Inside Appalachia, we listen to stories from 2021 that tackle everything from the challenges that came with virtual schooling to using poetry to change public perception.

One hundred years ago, the West Virginia Mine Wars drew to a close as several union organizers were put on trial for treason in the aftermath of the Battle of Blair Mountain.

ATV riders from all over the country are finding the hills and hollers of West Virginia thanks to the Hatfield and McCoy Trail system. As a bonus, they’re also discovering the largely untold stories of the Mine Wars and the Battle of Blair Mountain at the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Blair Mountain. While the anniversary is still weeks away, Sept. 3, organizations and communities in southern West Virginia are already commemorating the centennial.

Inside Appalachia Associate Producer Eric Douglas began his journalism career in Matewan, West Virginia nearly 30 years ago. He recently revisited the…