From the Charleston Gazette May 11, 200 May 11, 2006 Blair Mountain on endangered list Site of union battle joins 10 other historical places in trouble By Paul J. Nyden Staff writer The National Trust for Historic Preservation named Blair Mountain as one of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places on Wednesday. In 1921, armed union coal miners marched from Marmet toward Logan to confront Logan County Sheriff Don Chafin, whose hired deputies and guards were protecting his county’s nonunion coal mines from United Mine Workers organizers. The battle that developed along Spruce Fork Ridge on Blair Mountain was the largest armed labor conflict in U.S. history, a pivotal event often forgotten today. Greg Coble, vice president of the National Trust, said, “We have been doing this for 20 years. Blair Mountain is the first West Virginia site we put on our list. “There is no other place in America where you can tell this kind of a story. Our intention is to save the history of the site. We are calling for a dialog between the coal industry and preservationists,” Coble said during a press conference at the state Cultural Center. “Past preservation efforts [for Blair Mountain] have failed because of fierce opposition from the coal companies that own or lease most of the ridge,” the National Trust stated in a news release. “Hobet Mining, Arch Coal, Massey Energy Co. and Aracoma Coal Co., among others, are intent on strip mining, which would destroy the battlefield.” Coble, who graduated from George Washington High School and West Virginia University, said, “We want protected, public access for these 1,600 acres, so the story can be told. You can still find bullets and remnants of old fortifications from the battle. “This is a piece of history the state has turned its back on,” Coble said. The National Trust’s news release added, “By increasing public awareness of the significance of the Blair Mountain battlefield, preservation advocates hope to win support for permanently protecting the site with easements and developing an ... interpretative program, possibly through the National Coal Heritage Area. Denise Giardina, whose 1987 novel “Storming Heaven” focused on the Battle of Blair Mountain, said, “It would be terribly sad if books like mine became the only places Blair Mountain existed.” William Blizzard also came to support preservation efforts. His father, Bill, was the most prominent union leader put on trial for treason, and later found innocent, for helping lead the 1921 battle. Blizzard recently published “When Miners March: The Story of Coal Miners in West Virginia,” a collection of articles he wrote in the 1950s about Blair Mountain. Other historic sites on the National Trust’s 2006 list include: the retirement home of Confederate President Jefferson Davis in Mississippi; historic New Orleans neighborhoods and homes; Doo Wop motels in Wildwood, N.J., named after the popular 1950s singing style; Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, home to generations of immigrant families; and the Vesey Street Staircase that survived the Sept. 11 attacks at the World Trade Center. Richard Moe, president of the National Trust, said, “The sites on this year’s 11 Most Endangered list embody the diversity and complexity of America’s story, and the variety of threats that endanger it.” To contact staff writer Paul J. Nyden, use e-mail or call 348-5164.

Thanks for the posting on Blair, Rick. Now that historic Blair Mountain/Blair is officially, nationally recognized as endangered( as we know much of Blair has already been blasted into oblivion by mountaintop removal practices), let's see how present and future coal removal practices in Blair are changed as a result. Could it be possible that the remainder of Blair and it's beautiful historic mountain could be spared decapitation and annihilation? -----Original Message----- From: rcs5@bellsouth.net To: WVLOGAN-L@rootsweb.com Sent: Thu, 11 May 2006 14:18:01 -0400 Subject: [WVLOGAN] Blair Mountain >From the Charleston Gazette May 11, 200 May 11, 2006 Blair Mountain on endangered list Site of union battle joins 10 other historical places in trouble By Paul J. Nyden Staff writer The National Trust for Historic Preservation named Blair Mountain as one of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places on Wednesday. In 1921, armed union coal miners marched from Marmet toward Logan to confront Logan County Sheriff Don Chafin, whose hired deputies and guards were protecting his county’s nonunion coal mines from United Mine Workers organizers. The battle that developed along Spruce Fork Ridge on Blair Mountain was the largest armed labor conflict in U.S. history, a pivotal event often forgotten today. Greg Coble, vice president of the National Trust, said, “We have been doing this for 20 years. Blair Mountain is the first West Virginia site we put on our list. “There is no other place in America where you can tell this kind of a story. Our intention is to save the history of the site. We are calling for a dialog between the coal industry and preservationists,” Coble said during a press conference at the state Cultural Center. “Past preservation efforts [for Blair Mountain] have failed because of fierce opposition from the coal companies that own or lease most of the ridge,” the National Trust stated in a news release. “Hobet Mining, Arch Coal, Massey Energy Co. and Aracoma Coal Co., among others, are intent on strip mining, which would destroy the battlefield.” Coble, who graduated from George Washington High School and West Virginia University, said, “We want protected, public access for these 1,600 acres, so the story can be told. You can still find bullets and remnants of old fortifications from the battle. “This is a piece of history the state has turned its back on,” Coble said. The National Trust’s news release added, “By increasing public awareness of the significance of the Blair Mountain battlefield, preservation advocates hope to win support for permanently protecting the site with easements and developing an ... interpretative program, possibly through the National Coal Heritage Area. Denise Giardina, whose 1987 novel “Storming Heaven” focused on the Battle of Blair Mountain, said, “It would be terribly sad if books like mine became the only places Blair Mountain existed.” William Blizzard also came to support preservation efforts. His father, Bill, was the most prominent union leader put on trial for treason, and later found innocent, for helping lead the 1921 battle. Blizzard recently published “When Miners March: The Story of Coal Miners in West Virginia,” a collection of articles he wrote in the 1950s about Blair Mountain. Other historic sites on the National Trust’s 2006 list include: the retirement home of Confederate President Jefferson Davis in Mississippi; historic New Orleans neighborhoods and homes; Doo Wop motels in Wildwood, N.J., named after the popular 1950s singing style; Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, home to generations of immigrant families; and the Vesey Street Staircase that survived the Sept. 11 attacks at the World Trade Center. Richard Moe, president of the National Trust, said, “The sites on this year’s 11 Most Endangered list embody the diversity and complexity of America’s story, and the variety of threats that endanger it.” To contact staff writer Paul J. Nyden, use e-mail or call 348-5164. ============================== Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx ________________________________________________________________________ Check out AOL.com today. Breaking news, video search, pictures, email and IM. All on demand. Always Free.

Can anyone share a web site or two where you can obtain those WV and Save the Mountain t-shirts? I've seen them on folks on the news but not been able to locate where to purchase them. Sue Ellen >============================== >Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the >last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: >http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx