Announcing a new public monument project in the West Virginia coalfields…
“We’re developing a series of community-created public monuments within the rural Appalachian landscape that memorialize a history that was explicitly removed from educational curricula and that rarely appeared in history books. Why was this dramatic story suppressed? Because it was critical lived example of the power of cross-racial, multi-ethnic solidarity.
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Building on the momentum of the Battle of Blair Mountain Centennial, the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum is proud to announce a new public monument project!
Although mountain-side machine-gun bunkers, grave markers, and remnants of company towns remain, the footprints of the Miners’ 50-Mile March that culminated in the Battle of Blair Mountain in 1921, its stories, and its contribution to American history are virtually invisible today. Courage in the Hollers will memorialize the Battle of Blair Mountain and celebrate the collective efforts of the multiethnic, multiracial working-class army that stood up against oppression, and left an indelible mark on American history.
The Museum and its partners have co-created permanent monuments in the rural landscape where this significant event took place, honoring the contributions unionist miners made to not only West Virginia history but to American history.
The project’s first phase, funded by generous grants from Monument Lab and the West Virginia Humanities Council, is focused on the communities of Marmet and Clothier/Sharples, often considered the beginning and end points of the Miners’ March. Working in close collaboration with both communities, these monuments are being co-created to tell the people’s story in an inclusive, truthful, and respectful way.
Find out more about the entire arc of our process, from the first community meetings to the finished monuments, in this visual project narrative!
The West Virginia Mine Wars Museum is proud to be one of ten organizations working in Monument Lab’s Re:Generation project. This cohort was selected through a far-reaching open call conducted by Monument Lab in 2021, which brought in hundreds of applications from every state, most territories, and numerous tribal communities.
Our project partners in Courage include the International United Mine Workers of America, UMWA Local 1440, the West Virginia Humanities Council, and the Berea College Appalachian Center.
Read more about all of the incredible projects in the Re:Generation cohort over at Monument Lab!
News About Courage In The Hollers:
.30-30 casings found at Crooked Creek area of Battle of Blair Mountain battlefield, discovered during archeological surveys in 2006.
