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Voters to decide on key amendments; election tech unveiled
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — Voters face critical choices on the upcoming ballot with high stakes involved. During Thursday’s Kiwanis Club luncheon, Martin County Board of Elections Chairman James Ayers and Kentuckiana Election Services CEO Craig Lindon offered insights into two constitutional amendments and the county’s advanced election technology. The pair discussed proposed…
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Heritage Day set for Oct. 19: Event pays homage to old ways of Appalachia
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — Martin County residents come together each year to celebrate roots, culture and community at Martin County Heritage Day. The event pays homage to the old ways of life, honoring the grit and traditions of ancestors who called these Appalachian hills home. Set for Oct. 19, Heritage Day will…
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Martin County Historical & Genealogical Society hosts scholars for coal mining research collaboration
INEZ — On Sept. 24, the Martin County Historical & Genealogical Society welcomed Anna Fenyvesi from Hungary and Briane Turley and his wife Anne from West Virginia State University. Professor Turley has done extensive research on the effects of coal mining in rural areas of Kentucky and West Virginia. He has also examined the influence…
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Remembering some of the schools from the past
I recently attended my 50th high school reunion. I graduated from Williamson High School way back in 1974, and like so many other schools, it no longer exists. In fact, my former grade schools at Nolan and Chattroy Junior High, where I went for my freshman year, are also gone. All of those schools left…
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How We Owned a Mine, or A Brief History of Kentucky’s Mining Cooperative
A Hungarian immigrant created a collectively owned coal mine that, for a brief moment, proved an alternative to ruthless and exploitative mining operations of Appalachia in the early 20th century. by Anya Petrone Slepyan July 10, 2024 For over 100 years, Himler House stood on a hill overlooking Beauty, formerly Himlerville, in Martin County, Kentucky. Once the…
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Martin County Historical Society to host book signing at Holocaust Memorial Museum
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — The Martin County Historical and Genealogical Society invites the public to a special book signing event at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Bookstore in Washington, May 31 to June 1, from noon to 5 p.m. each day. The event will celebrate the life of Hungarian-American Martin Himler…
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Stories of Place: LiKEN begins family cemeteries project in Martin County
BY PHILL BARNETT MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — Madison Mooney and Karen Rignall were the guest speakers at last week’s Kiwanis meeting in Inez. Mooney and Rignall represented the Livelihoods Knowledge Exchange Network (LiKEN) and presented an update on the nonprofit’s Stories of Place project in Martin County. Stories of Place, a LiKEN storytelling project, highlights…
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Glass soda pop bottles meant money back in the day
BY KYLE LOVERN Many kids today have money and a steady allowance. They never have to worry about buying things, and that’s OK. But back in the 1960s, we would turn in reusable pop bottles for money. If you lived near a grocery store in most communities, you could turn in those glass bottles for…
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Remembering the devastating 1977 Tug River flood
If you lived through it, you will never forget BY KYLE LOVERN The devastating and horrendous Tug Fork River flood of 1977 forever changed the Tug Valley area. The natural disaster overwhelmed residents who lived along the watershed in southern West Virginia and eastern Kentucky, including Mingo, Pike and Martin counties. Torrential rains fell from…
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1983: The Year of the Cardinals
BY BOO NEWSOME MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — There are certain moments and times in high school sports that become legend. It all starts with the dreams of young boys and girls growing up in small communities like Martin County. Throw in the mix a good sports program and a supportive administration with good coaches and…
Tag: History
