West Virginia Coal Wars
The coal wars were a series of conflicts between Coal Companies and Coal Miners between 1912 and 1921. In my opinion this was the coolest and most badsss thing to ever happen in west Virginia and it always bothered me that this gets little mention in history books. It all began in Paint Creek/ Cabin Creek in 1912. Miners went on strike demanding better pay, to have the right to trade where they wanted and recognition of their union, the UMW. The companies responded by hiring The Baldwin-Felts agency to guard the mines. They also hired men from the south and from NY to work in the mines to keep operations running. After the agents arived, coal miners either moved out of or were evicted from their company owned homes. They moved into coal camps supported by the union. The union supplied the miners and their famlies with canvas tents. The agents built forts around the mines that were outfitted with machine guns. They...