We like that its called Bloody Harlanby some folks even though that name is based upon events which occurred 70 years ago. They have cousins or in-laws or remote ancestors who hailed from the mountains. I was in Harlan last October, visiting my aunt that still lives there and yes, my sister and I had a lovely stay at the Comfort Inn! Only if were talking to another Harlan Countian would we narrow the description to the town. In Atlanta, some of the New Yorkers that worked with me at the ad agency used to continually ask me where I was from just to hear me say it. Went to JACHS then moved to Indiana an I havent went home in a long time. My Dad was a coal miner, was on oxygen from 2007 until 2010. Honestly, it took me years to adapt. We mispronounce light, fight, white and night. A few notes: The qualifications for Eastern Kentucky status include: I hail from Harlan County, the Eastern Kentuckiest of all counties. I definitely would NOT have fit in. Born and raised in Cumberland.I live in Florida now loved your article.Proud of my roots! Never mind. Take care. The folks in Brookside were surely Harlan Countians as was the chief gun thug, Basil Collins. My Aunt Pauline is 95 now and still lives there. I was born in Pineville, Ky but grew up in Pathfork. Most OUTSIDE THE COUNTY shopping, doctors visits, etc were in Tennessee 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 passed away in 2013. his wife, jan, passed back in february of this year. In Harlan County, tensions were high between the striking miners in Kentucky and the mine owners. My Mom and grandparents are gone now but I have always continued to visit with relatives in Harlan every summer. Ive really enjoyed reading this article. Didnt know him well, but I remember him. I spent at least a week during the summer vacation every year growing up visiting the Harlan area and family enjoying every visit which included rail road tracks and slate dumps on one side of house and the Cumberland River on the other side all residing in a big holler off HWY 38. I went to Cumberland College, Austin Peay Univ for my first masters, Trevecca University for my doctorate, second masters, and administrative certification. Oh, you might go to Garys Lounge and Roller Rink sometimes. Were isolated. My name is Julie Crowder-Ward. I was rather disappointed to read all about my competition Garys Lounge. WebShe talks about people being beaten or threatened, and houses and families being shot at. Basil Collins; Did you know. My much loved step daddy moved us to his hometown after he was discharged from the Army. Hollywood Bledsoe from the mouth of Cloverlick in HC, once wrote a song about Government Cheese. My first trial was in Elliott County. I appreciate all commentspositive and negative. the Ackley Hotel in Harlan until he retired and moved back to Cumberland. Now, people in Carter County pretty much sound like us, but they have that Interstate. THIS is just funny. Then we moved up on Park Hill in Loyall. Why? They pity Harlan. I was one of the Hensley girls that lived on the strawberry farm. We were poor and I will say very poor. | Coal Troll's Blog, My Life in Harlan County | Williams Kilpatrick, PLLC. LO It will always be home., Thanks. Loyallalso had a theaterthe Roadenuntil I was about 6 years old. A man that loved Welcome to Harlan County! I attended LoyallElementary and Junior High and James A. Cawood High School. I raised my daughter hereBTW she has owned a successful swimming pool and fence company here for 35 yrs. 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. I-64 runs through Montgomery, Bath, Rowan and Carter Counties. Lynch had a skating rink when I was a teenager. Tons of great memories and good friends. Me, my brother and sister went to church every Sundaywe werent allowed to even go to the toilet until after church. Geelong. Most of them have never even been to Ky let alone Harlan. Thanks for the kind comments. The wrong side of the tracks to the town school crowd of the 1960s. Nothing came easy for Dad but he never complained. I have never been to a Harlan County Bears football game, but I have been told that the team enters the field to Brad Paisleys You will never leave Harlan alive song. Again, they are excluded because of lack of isolation. Then, they can come back and pay admission to see where they used to live. Im pretty sure Lanes Cliffhanger was in the old Mount Aire building. U take car cuz. We liked him! I know that area well. Just curious, if you struggled with the inclusion of Whitley county..what was your rationale for the inclusion of mccreary county? Do you think either one of these fits into your family. And should I know you? 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. Just found your blog while attempting to refresh my memory about the name of the theater, the Margie Grand, in Harlan. I knew that truly dangerous people dont threaten much. Enjoyed the article. Im on the state Corrections Commission, so Ive seen her name. Again I will say Harlan is a great place to be from but I would not want to live there today. Its a kind of mountain street cred. It well deserves its Academy Award, and 1990 inclusion in But my Harlan upbringing gave me my core values. Thanks for the kind words. We live in McCreary Co now, so still SEKY. My little brother had a knife pulled on him at Cawood. We like people to think wed kill them for some trivial reason. Of course you have to wash it all down with whole milk from Chappells Dairy! You talked funny. His first feature film was Harlan County U.S.A. (1976, as Himself - mine foreman). She always bought some, even though she was never sure if doing so was legal. Harlan County is not on the way to anywhere. A miner was It was the best of times, it was the worst of times . Absolutely loved this!! If we didnt know them, well they were at the wrong house. There are a lot of Harlan Countians that are very happy to be called just that. For instance, threats didnt faze me. He was a clerk there. Youve made me think about Harlan all day today and its been a good day. I once met a police officer who worked in the State Police in Harlan, he visibly tensed when I said I was from Harlan, went ashen when I said I was from Smith, and excused himself when I said I was a Middleton. No one from Harlan . No Holiday Inn Express, Hampton Inn, etc. We wore machine guns with semiautomatic carbines. In fairness, many went to both joints. Whatever happened to Basil Collins Wiki User 2009-04-27 11:24:22 Study now See answer (1) Best Answer Copy Basil is currently burning eternally within the 7th Fun read. . Each letter she wrote me held the news. My maternal grandparents grew up in Black Star coal camp and Papaw taught at Hall High. Some escape, but most dont. Garys was a fun place. I try to go back a couple times a year, for nostalgia as much as bagging those elusive, scarce birds. Love the article. A convenient store replaced the gas station and stores. I lived in Harlan for many years just ended up there one day and loved it and stayed I was not born or raised there just lived Place is wonderfull Im 25 so I would love to go back I call it home I feel home there I moved bout a year ago to Indiana. Spent many an evening in Tiny Joes!!!!!!! I never got a straight story from my parents and possibly they didnt know why or what happened. Crow Drums 70 (CHS). My brother and I thought we had died and gone to Heaven. We hung out at Denny Rays, Kens and I cant remember the drive in on the road to Loyall?? A rural county of 27,000, Harlan Countys average household income is about $29,000. Harlan County, U.S.A. is not a traditional documentary in any sense of the word. Thanks. I went back through my Ancestry.com files and I found 2: Clarence Leonard, born 24 May 1914, Walker County, AL and died 27 July 1985 at Corbin, KY, it shows he had no wife or children, and his father was John D. Leonard and his mother was Jeanette McKendrick Leonard. They lived near Dionne along the river there. Rarely is an Eastern Kentucky county a destination. Good to hear from you. Were also the last of a breedand this applies to all of Appalachia. There are people who will pretend to be from Harlan or any place else in Eastern Kentucky. I had friends in Pathfork. I didnt know, but thats before my time. But you also are basically running down the place you were born. Loved your blog and thought it to be an accurate description. Stalwarts, outlanders, pretenders, loathers you left one group out. Whitley County has an interstate so are they still Eastern Kentucky? I graduated from Cumberland High School in 1975. E Hudson. 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 . TO JIM CONNOR, jimmy c morgan lives in the big town of sawbriar, near wallins creek. Being 60yrs old now, I am very proud of my ancestors and family heritage. Now, dont confuse Harlan County with the town of Harlan, our county seat. WebA coal miner silhouetted and barely visible in the darkness of a coal mine calls out a warning three times, fire-in-the-hole, the words all run together melodiously, letting all know hes about to detonate an explosion.So begins HARLAN COUNTY USA, 1976, 104 minutes Directed by Barbara Kopple, Winner Academy Award for Best Feature Documentary 1976. Help me out with what category to look at to fi the hitchhiking story. WebBooks About Harlan County Kentucky Books I purchased and own. 62 (10) 1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1921. They arent isolated enough. I graduated in 1964. It has been both fascinating and sad as well to learn so much about the history, struggles, strength and resilience of the Harlan countians. Your ignorant, evidently you dont much about Catlettsburg in the early 1900s . Coal mining runs in cycles. That is perhaps because I hail from off the grid (Smith). I not THAT old! Its still pretty much the same. It used to be called Klondike many years ago. 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. You havent had a grilled cheese sandwich until youve had one made with govment cheese, govment butter and fresh Bunny Bread. I lived in Rio Vista until I was 12. My parents married in Harlan County in 1949. My great aunt Alafair lived there till she died and her beauty shop was still there, run by one of daughters the last time I was there. I remember when you had to take a gravel road from Pineville to Loyall when they were building the new 119. She laughed. God do I ever remember the Government Cheese and all the other free food provided by the gov. Always. Next, everyone is not here because we cant escape. Thats righttheyll pretend. Hi aurea, Ive helped ur grand paw make many many gallons of moonshine just over the hill from ur mom n dads house. Sheriff of Hanrlan County. Pingback: Hometown Loyall-ty | Coal Troll's Blog. Pingback: ALL ABOARD THE NERVE GAS TRAIN! Where you from?..Pike Countylol. Were originally from Letcher County and had to leave in 1995 due to the coal mines shutdown. I cant read some of these posts because of the negative way they talk about MY hometown. Your mother was my teacher at Hall High for four years. Who are we? I pass by there to go to my mothers home, it is amazing to see in Harlan Co. She agreed. We used to be territorial based on our schools. Delivered babies at ARH back in 87 while doing my Family Practice residency at UK. My kids do that, too. While not as corrupt as his predecessor Boyle, he seems on his way down that pathor not. I went for a while to Holy Trinity School, Harlan Elementary for one year, then to Hall before Cawood. Also, I find the surest way to know someone is from SEKY is after telling them where Im from they follow up with, do you know so-and-so? I love that. Myself, Im from Loyall which is three miles from the town of Harlan. People gathered at the railroad tracks to watch it. loved her. Glad I did not move here and my kids there, My children have been able to say they are from Eastern Ky as both were born down there. Of course, theres a downside. Harlan is quiet, unless you grew up near the railroad tracks like I did. Okay, now Im homesick! Good memories there. I am now in Knoxville tn, happy as a proud old grandpa can be, and thankful the good Lord saw fit to bring me through times i cant tell about. I visit very often, as my father still lives there. ha! Nothing like the beauty of a snow covered mountain, springtime with sprinkles of dogwoods and redbud blossoms or the beautiful fall foliage! I had him for a health class. 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 can relate to alot of it. To the men that worked at the Highsplint mine, where the majority of filming took place for the documentary, he was the one responsible for making sure Basil and his men got through to work every day. Goodbye Fleming, Nicholas and Robertson Counties. Im pretty sure I remember Lance. I have been gone from Harlan now for 40 years, One thing I will say is you are accurate in your writings of Harlan. I knew a bunch of Napiers (Napper). It might have been the wrong side of the tracks, but I knew some good folks from there. Are we still allowed to be in Appalachia? It was gray and you had to add the coloring to it. I was born, raised and still live in Pike County. If its easy, theres nothing better. 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. My Mom then joined the WAC. I knew no one married to his own sister and just a handful married to their cousins. Fantastic post, though. I left Ky in 1990 but go back very very often. Loved reading your blog and reminiscingI was raised in Harlan County both parents having been from there. We know trash when we see it, and Im not talking about garbage pick up. I remember it seemed like every time my high school played Cawood there was a knife fight. They had two fabulous sons who have college education with degrees in medical field and other fields. We had our own post office, City Hall and fire station. 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. And a little c.r.a.z.y. I even remember who it was, but lets let bygones be bygones. We meet in Williamsburg, but I love going back to the Creek. 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. My dad and papa were both coal miners for blue diamond mining for years. 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 have resided in Knoxville, TN for 26 years but Eastern Kentucky will always be home because that is where my extended family and my husbands extended family continue to reside. Pat your name seems familiar. as differences, real ones, but the rest is a little over stated, like JUSTIFIED, eh? If you do so, you wont be called a bigot or a phobe of any type. I suggest you search my blog for my many other posts about life in Harlan County. Regardless, they came back. I have no information on a Clarence Leonard in our family tree. Elliott County. It was originally the Bays Motel. When attempting to explain to someone where I grew up it was easiest to say somewhere between Harlan and Hazard. I actually grew up on Beech Fork in Leslie County. BTW I live on Watts Creek and have most of my life..off and on. Although its closer to Hazard than Harlan, I would reply, Bean Patch Holler on Irishman Creek! They loved it! They point to the many fine folks in the county who were (and still are) horrified by the goings on at Eastover. I live in the city now, and raised my daughters here. We have live all over Eastern Ky, moved south to the Carolinas, then back to eastern Ky for a couple years. Im sorry my great-grandchildren dont have such memories. Basil Collins was Uncle Basil to us. She stayed there for a few months but felt things just werent the same so she moved back to Newport News where she had made some good friends. I dont need tattoos, i have scars. You nailed it. Harlan is no more defined by any subculture than Chicago should be defined by its sad history of public housing or New York by the worst of its slums. Town is flooded with people. One of the great things about Harlan is that changes very little. I am a born and raised harlan countian. Loved the blog Ive told many people about the govment cheese. 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. There arent any hotels to speak of, really. You dont see that every day. 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. The road to lexington did get better tho. Clarences family was pretty small. Sometimes, the film would jam and you could watch it melt. I loved it AFTER the mob left that came to my door the day I moved in, demanding to know Who are you and what are you doing here? It was a Best Western when it was first built. born and raised in harlan ky live in northern. You might even become a best-selling author or reality TV producer. They know whats best for Harlan, though, and wont hesitate to tell you. If I go back to Harlan for even a day, even my family cant understand me when I get back. | Coal Troll's Blog, https://thetrivialtroll.com/2012/03/10/adventures-in-hitchhiking/, ALL ABOARD THE NERVE GAS TRAIN! 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. You went up 119 to the Loyall turnoff, and youre absolutely right: Any Harlan Countian who turns the corner at Pineville changes languages! If youre spending the night in Harlan, you probably have family there anyway. It has to be kind of tough to get there or at the very least its just on the way to somewhere else. Even though I had been lots of places, leaving Harlan took me out of my comfort zone. preston and i have lived here in lexington since 1999. bu i consider loyall and that little house my adopted home. Check out some of my other posts. It captured the essence of Jimmy. Thanks for reminding me of a great memory of my mother! I was raised over the mountain at Little Laurel. Basil was a neighbor of ours when I was a kid, so I know he was real. We moved here from a comfortable city life to having no electricity (a new three bedroom house with one bath and hardwood floors. It definitely has an Eastern Kentucky feel to it, but its out. Theyre usually the folks who dream of turning all of Eastern Kentucky into a massive tourist destination by having all the people who live there pack up and move. Sometimes you hear gun fire in the distance, but thats in the woods. It is my hometown by choice.I love it, I retired from Ky Dept of Trans (engineering). Collins spent more than three years as a prisoner of war in Japan. One of the only times I used my dads reputation, telling the guy to go ahead but it was going to be his last night on Earth, because if I didnt kill him, my dad would. In fact, I got up this morning with the intent or renewing my research. Not many folks have a clue of my history, and thats fine. These are the folks who stayed in Harlan. It was an old theater whose best days had long past. Harlan County was fighting for the right to have a union. My Dad taught English there for a long time (Mr. Creech). People may had been living on Government cheese when you grew up and the first may had been like a amusement park, but all that has changed. I knew Lisa vaguely. And they were well respected. She talks about elections but was always glad to talk to her by phone. Also as a child there was a Ski Lodge and slopes on Black Mountain. My children are fascinated and perhaps slightly horrified that I grew up in Harlan. Jan had so many stories about the hospital. Before we started, I told the court reporter that Ive been told I have an accent of some kind. 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.