At its peak, nearly 100,000 people lived in southern West Virginia’s McDowell County. Today less than 20,000 people live there. Here are 24 photos that show what life used to be like there.
1. Sunday school in Welch in 1946.
National Archives/Public Domain
2. Cables Mine in 1946
National Archives/Public Domain
3. Capels Mine in September 1938
Library of Congress/Public Domain
4. The company store in Capels
Library of Congress/Public Domain
5. A miner from Poland in Capels, 1938
Library of Congress/Public Domain
6. Carrying timber into the Gilliam mine, 1946
National Archives/Public Domain
7. Houses near the Bradshaw mine in 1946
National Archives/Public Domain
8. A coal miner’s house in Bradshaw, August 1946
National Archives/Public Domain
9. Going into the Gary mine, 1946
National Archives/Public Domain
10. The child of a miner in Panther, August 1946
National Archives/Public Domain
11. The company store in Gary
National Archives/Public Domain
12. Houses by the Exeter Mine near Welch, 1946
National Archives/Public Domain
13. Company houses in Mohegan
National Archives/Public Domain
14. A foreman in the Gary mines sits in his living room.
National Archives/Public Domain
15. Inside the company store at Gary
National Archives/Public Domain
16. Going to a baseball game in Welch
National Archives/Public Domain
17. Two young girls relaxing in Bradshaw.
National Archives/Public Domain
18. Miners ready for work in Gary
National Archives/Public Domain
19. A mother and daughter at home in Bradshaw
National Archives/Public Domain
20. Another family at home in Gilliam
National Archives/Public Domain
21. Making dinner in Panther
National Archives/Public Domain
22. Sitting on a porch swing in Panther
National Archives/Public Domain
23. Going to lunch in the once bustling Welch
National Archives/Public Domain
24. Saturday afternoon in Welch
National Archives/Public Domain
