Forgotten In Time

Get a glimpse of what life was for miners and their families in the Appalachia coal country of Southwest Virginia.

Even the memories of this old mountain corner grocery store called The Commissary are forgotten. The Commissary was the local pit stop for the area coal miners to grab a sandwich for their lunch bucket going to work or to take home the milk and bread on their way back home. The Commissary also kept on hand work clothing articles and tools Not many people living around here speaks of the times when mining  was not only the bread and butter, but also the way many men lost their lives just Two miles from this location. When this store was built, mining companies were not regulated with safety laws and regulations as they are today and daddy never coming back home was a very common occasion. God Bless the men who with honor gave their lives to keep the lights burning in America. Half of the nation’s electric power comes from coal.

In 2006, 1.030 billion tons to produce 50.5 percent of coal was consumed to meet America’s expanding energy consumption and is expected to increase 1.5 percent by 2007 according to the National Mining Association Forcast.

Coal companies are reclaiming land in Appalachian Mountain area by the scores. As a Nation we should make sure that Congress pass the proper laws to keep our coal miners as safe as possible and the big and small mining industry alike be held more accountable for the safety of all mining workers and that the people living near these mining area are compensated for the lose of natural resources, such as having their drinking waters polluted and their mountain tops raped by strip mining. America needs this vital resource and owes the Appalachian people a well overdue debt of thanks, prayer and support for all of their sacrifices.

The Commissary was photographed by: Knight (R. W. Baxter)  Editorial column By: R. W. Baxter

Tags: A Bit Of History, Coal 2007, Coal Miners, Coal Mining, Forgotten In Time, Natural Resources, The Commissary, US Electricity, Virginia