The Battle of Blair Mountain

It is unbelievably alarming to think that the United States government would even consider dropping a bomb on its own citizens. But sometime between August 30 and September 4, 1921, that is what happened. The Battle of Blair Mountain was fought between around 7,500-10,000 unionized mine workers and they faced 3,000 deputized men and the United States military forces. This was one of the most memorable events that has occurred in Southern West Virginia. The battle gave the opportunity for bombs to be dropped on the miners. Luckily, however, the planes that would be used to drop the bombs were used only for recon missions. The confrontation was long in the making. Tensions between those who grew tired of the absolute control coal companies had over them and those who owned the mines or profited from their success rose as the new unions pushed for reform and better working conditions. The threat of strikes was especially harmful because in addition to stopping the production of the mines, the workers could also stall the production of steel and railroads. Coal was the backbone of the growing manufacturing power of the United States. The Battle of Blair Mountain was the climax to the building tensions. In recent years however, a new battle has emerged. In 2011, a group of protestors banded together to march to the base of Blair Mountain. Their goal was to preserve this historical battlefield from becoming the site of a new mining operation. Over three hundred concerned individuals joined this march and protest. Today, sadly, a mountain top mining operation has altered this battle ground. Because of this, visitors can no longer enjoy the scenic view that the miners from the original battle were so fortunate to see. Instead, visitors can view the remnants of the mountain from the historic marker sign. While the landscape has been altered, the passion and determination of those 7,500-10,000 coal miners will never be erased. If traveling the area, this is one site worth visiting! http://www.pawv.org/news/blairhist.htm http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/10/blair-mountain-march-protesters_n_875150.html