HISTORY a CULTURE The history of the Heart of Appalachia region begins well before coal miners and westward-bound pioneers. The first inhabitants – Native Americans – date back to the Woodland Period, as far back as 1,200 BC. What little is known about these earliest settlers can be explored at the Historic Crab Orchard Museum in Tazewell. Hands-on exhibits and historical replicas allow you to gain
MUSIC a THEATRE Virginia's Great Southwest, the Heart of Appalachia region, is home to the finest pedigree of music. The homeplaces of the Stanley Brothers, the Carter Family and Ralph Stanley II keep the traditions of mountain music alive and well to this day.
an understanding of the Appalachian people, from Native Americans to west-moving settlers to the working class of the Industrial Revolution, even Daniel Boone. At the Daniel Boone Interpretive Center in Duffield, visitors can get to know the renowned frontiersman who blazed the trail westward and led early pioneers through the Cumberland Gap in 1775. Be drawn in by the hardships and triumphs of early frontier peoples traveling Boone's trail, the Wilderness Road. The discovery of coal and the onset of the Industrial Revolution marked a period of change in the region. The area's Pocahontas Exhibition Mine was first mined in 1882. Over the course of 75 years, more than 44 million tons of coal came from this mine. Today, this mine is a National Historic Landmark and is open for guided tours. Coal mining brought vast numbers and ethnicities of immigrants to the Heart of Appalachia. Many who moved to the coalfields were recruited directly from Ellis Island. These cultures soon merged, creating what has become the Appalachian way of life. Explore the heritage and history of the region at museums and cultural attractions. Get to know the people, stories and evolution of the Heart of Appalachia.
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The Carter Family Fold, home of A.P., Sara and Mother Maybelle, celebrates the family's music with weekly shows on their stage in Hiltons. The Carters were one of two groups to record in the Bristol Sessions in 1927, giving birth to country music. Musical stages across the Heart of Appalachia celebrate the music of the region, including Country Cabin II in Norton, Lay’s Hardware in Coeburn and Countiss Family Stage, an eclectic music venue at Big Stone Gap General Store & Café, which attracts local and regional musicians. Theatre also has early roots in the Heart of Appalachia. As far back as the 1890s, coal companies brought in shows from Broadway to entertain families in the coal camps. Theatres were soon built, becoming the focal point for social lives. Today, many theatres have been restored, including the Lee Theatre in Pennington Gap and the Lyric Theatre in St. Paul. Notably, The Trail of the Lonesome Pine, which brings the history of the region to life at the June Tolliver Playhouse in Big Stone Gap, is the official outdoor stage drama of Virginia. Nearly every weekend you'll find regional venues alive with the music, dance and pageantry of Southwest Virginia. We look forward to seeing you in the audience.
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