Marshall Wilt

Issue Overview

MCDOWELL COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA: THE HISTORY, FLUCTUATING ECONOMY, AND HEALTH CRISIS

Historically, McDowell County has fluctuated between being a beacon of light, wealth, and opportunity and being a dark blemish on the face of West Virginia. This region is rare and unique as its metamorphosis over the past 70 years is likely the most dramatic of any area of the United States. Once a prospering land of coal that led America in production, McDowell now leads the country in all the wrong ways, consistently finding itself near the top of the list of national rates of drug abuse, drug-related deaths, obesity, and suicide.

History of McDowell County

The southernmost county in West Virginia, McDowell County was created in 1858. Named after Virginia Governor James McDowell, McDowell County officially became a part of West Virginia in 1863, as several counties succeeded from Virginia during the Civil War. The seat of McDowell County is Welch, a quaint region commonly referred to as a ‘city built on coal.’ McDowell County is located “deep in the heart of the Pocahontas Coalfields” and is “often referred to as the ‘Free State’ because of the independent nature of [its] citizens” (“McDowell County Commission History”). Today, the population of McDowell is 18,661, a figure which continues to fall steadily year after year. There are many factors at play in the disappearance of McDowell’s population such as its declining economy, poor living conditions, and lack of health care availability.

The Economy’s Rise Word of rich coalfields in Welch spread quickly throughout the surrounding area during the 1800s, leading many hopefully members of the coal industry to flock to the Pocahontas Coalfields. The boom of the coal industry brought wealth and prosperity to the region and made McDowell the most prosperous county in West Virginia. For several decades, McDowell County was “the world’s largest coal producer” and almost single-handedly “fueled the steel industry, which made the weapons of war and the ships that helped win both world wars” (“McDowell County Commission History”). To this day, McDowell’s coal “continues to fuel the power plants that produce the electric energy that [the United States] demands” (“McDowell County Commission History”). In the 1950s, the coal industry was continuing to give life to McDowell County, making Welch a bustling town flooded with eager workers. Today, the pride of coal miners in this area is apparent and can easily be seen in conversations with locals. Robert Coleman, the owner of a small home in Panther, West Virginia, whose walls were being repaired by our group, recounted with great pride the glory days of his hometown. During Coleman’s youth in the 1950s, Welch was a popular destination to visit the movie theater or dine at an exciting new restaurant. McDowell was a place to raise a family, start a new career in the mines, and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the surrounding Appalachian Mountains. It is because of the mass production of coal during this time that McDowell County has become “synonymous with the coal that helped build both

[West Virginia] and our nation” (“McDowell County Commission History”). However, the same coal industry that brought immense wealth reduced the county into severe poverty. The 1960s brought a sharp end to McDowell’s wealth and popularity as the coal industry became more competitive. A recent article by the McDowell County Commission insists that “the economic woes associated with the boom and bust cycle of king coal are, for the most part, over” (“McDowell County Commission History”). However, today, the buildings that remain structurally sound from Welch’s glory days are “abandoned or now house the extensive network of social services agencies that are meant to address and alleviate McDowell’s many communal dysfunctions” (Bailey).

The Economy’s Fall

After my visit to McDowell, it is clear that the scars left by the coal industry are anything but healed. The entrance of more coal mines into the industry in the late 1950s posed a threat to the local mines of Welch. Decreased demand for coal in the 1960s, along with new technology which decreased the demand for labor, caused severe job shortages in Welch, beginning the cycle of extreme poverty that is prevalent in the area today. In McDowell County as a whole, out of a “population of nearly 100,000 in 1950, 15,812 worked as miners,” a figure which crashed to 7,118 by 1960 (Bailey). This economic crash was recognized at a national level in the 1960s, as then-Senator John F. Kennedy visited McDowell four times to witness the poverty first hand. During his speech on May 3, 1960, in Welch, Kennedy stated had President Eisenhower ``come to McDowell County, he would have seen a once prosperous people--the people of the largest and most important coal-mining county in the world--who were now the victims of poverty, want, and hunger” (Kennedy). As the exports of U.S. coal fell, the residents of McDowell County paid the price. The coal companies abandoned the area after exploiting its resources and labor, leaving behind a helpless population that is continuously declining. In fact, as a result of the coal industry’s influence on McDowell and sparse job opportunities, the Welch population has seen an overall reduction rate of 38.90% since 2010 (“Welch, West Virginia Population 2020”). Adding to the harm done by the failing coal industry, stores and large employers in this area are closing or relocating, further limiting the county’s economic opportunities. Due to a lack of grocery stores, McDowell County is officially classified as a “food desert” by the United States Department of Agriculture (Coyne). According to the USDA, food deserts are defined as “low-income census tracts with a substantial number or share of residents with low levels of access to retail outlets selling healthy and affordable foods” (Ploeg). In 2017, only two full-sized grocery stores were available to serve the county’s 535 square miles (Coyne). Additionally, the county’s largest employer, a Walmart Supercenter, shut down in 2016, taking 140 jobs with it (Bailey). Recently, the only form of business to have opened in this area is a federal prison, which opened to house inmates beginning in 2010. However, there is hope for future economic growth in this area with the planned creation of a four-lane highway that would connect McDowell directly to the Interstate highway system. By allowing drivers to bypass winding mountain roads, the highway would generate business development opportunities for the area, but this project is continually delayed (Bailey). The best job options for McDowell residents currently are in government or nonprofit organizations, and the “public sector accounts for 33 percent of employment in McDowell County” (Bailey). Other possible employment options available to residents of McDowell include becoming teachers or entry-level federal correctional

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officers, which earn on average $40,000 and $39,000 annually, respectively (Bailey). Although these few opportunities exist for residents, the median household income in McDowell is only $37,841, and 31.8% of its population lives in poverty, a shocking statistic compared to 13.4% nationally (“Welch, West Virginia Population 2020”). Nearly 47 percent of all personal income in McDowell County comes from disability insurance, food stamps, and Social Security (Bailey).

Health

As a consequence of Panther’s dilapidated economy and the abuse of the coal industry, the health of McDowell County’s residents is grim. Decades ago, Kennedy discussed “the destroyed health of [McDowell’s] children” in his 1960 address (Kennedy). Today, the health President Kennedy observed in the 1960s has yet to improve. According to a FACES report from 2014, McDowell County ranks “55th in West Virginia for child and family well-being, out of 55 counties” (Bailey). McDowell County has the “worst level of overall health in West Virginia, and the shortest male life expectancy in the nation” (Bailey). This state of poor health directly correlates to McDowell’s position “very near the top of lists of counties with the most drug overdoses, obesity, and suicides” (Bailey). Specifically, McDowell has the highest suicide rate in West Virginia at 22 per 100,000 residents, compared to a national rate of 13 per 100,000. Liver disease is prevalent in the area and affects 21 per 100,000 residents of McDowell, more than twice the national rate of 10 per 100,000. The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources reports McDowell County as having the second-highest prevalence of obesity, with “44.8 percent of adults reporting a body mass index of 30 or above” (Bailey). McDowell again tops the list of West Virginia in murders per capita, with a rate of three times the national average (Bailey). The worst aspect of McDowell’s health issues, however, is its drug-related abuse. Chronic pain caused by a career in the mines as well as a generally poor standard of living may both contribute to this widespread issue for McDowell County. In 2015, McDowell had the highest rate of drug-induced deaths of any county in the United States as it reported 79 drug poisoning deaths, constituting a rate of 141 deaths per 100,000 people, nearly ten times the national rate of 14.7 per 100,000 for that year (Rudd). The neighboring Wyoming County had the second-highest national rate. As a result of the commonality of injection drug use in the area, McDowell has the highest number of HIV infections in the state. Adding to the complex and difficult health problems of McDowell, many residents suffer from Black Lung, a disease commonly affecting residents of mining regions or those who have previously worked in mines.

The Son Servants

Based in a long-abandoned high school in Panther, an unincorporated community in McDowell, the Son Servants work to conduct service outreach programs in the surrounding area. Their base, called the Panther Community Center, housed our groups from First Presbyterian Church during our week of service and contained a small area for basketball that was frequented by locals. As an organization, Son Servants conducts outreach programs across the globe and defines itself as “a storm-term mission ministry dedicated to serving God’s people in need while sharing the love of Christ with them” (“Son Servants”). Following their slogan “to love is to serve,” Son Servants works with “various kinds of groups including youth groups, accompanied by adult leaders, school groups

accompanied by adult leaders, family, father-son, mother-daughter, college, and adult groups” to serve communities (“Son Servants”). During our engagement in Panther, the Son Servants worked behind the scenes to prepare the facilities we stayed in as well as organize our travel. Additionally, the Son Servants connected and communicated with residents of the surrounding community to select homes in need of urgent attention for our group to visit. So, Why Does Panther Matter?

Throughout my experience in Panther, I was puzzled by the refusal of many residents to leave their homes and relocate to areas with better economic opportunities, health care, and quality of life. There is no evidence in statistics or studies to provide an answer to this question. Instead, the answer lies in the words and feelings of McDowell County resident Robert Coleman. Mr. Coleman has lived in Panther his entire life and now, in his late 70s, still loves and has immense pride in his town. My conversation with Mr. Coleman shed light on why so many people stay in Panther, as he explained that many residents value their rich history, their family roots, the safety of the mountains, and the safety of their small community. United by a shared experience, residents of Panther have each other’s backs with a fierce sense of loyalty. Even as his entire family moved out of Panther, Robert stayed, stubbornly loyal to his town and the Panther way of life. This lifestyle, as he described, focuses on the fundamentals of what life is about: human connection, love, and memories. I asked Mr. Coleman where he would go in the world if he could go anywhere. Pointing down to the river in front of his house, he said he would like to go fishing. Panther, West Virginia, is filled with people like Robert Coleman, who are friendly, good-natured, and in need of help and support. McDowell County and its people are deserving of national recognition, attention, and aid, as they are worth saving and their struggles must be noticed, not swept under the rug.

WORKS CITED Bailey, Ronald. “Why Don’t People Who Are Stuck in Depressed Appalachian Towns Just

Leave?” Reason, Reason Foundation, Jan. 2017, reason.com/2016/12/10/why-dont-peoplewho-are-stuck-in-depressed-appalachian-towns-just-leave/. Accessed 22 Feb. 2022. Coyne, Caity. “In McDowell County ‘Food Desert,’ Concerns about Future.” Charleston

Gazette-Mail, 7 Apr. 2018, www.wvgazettemail.com/news/in-mcdowell-county-fooddesert-concerns-about-the-future/article_df3ac520-9c30-53c8-9027-bd73f8b9b4f1.html.

Accessed 23 Feb. 2022. Kennedy, John F. Speech. 3 May 1960. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, www. jfklibrary.org/archives/other-resources/john-f-kennedy-speeches/welch-wv-19600503.

Accessed 23 Feb. 2022. “McDowell County Commission History.” McDowell County Commission, mcdowellcountycommission.com/history/. Accessed 22 Feb. 2022. Ploeg, Michele Ver, et al. “Mapping Food Deserts in the United States.” USDA Economic

Research Service, 1 Dec. 2011, www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2011/december/datafeature-mapping-food-deserts-in-the-us/#:~:text=Low%2Dincome%20census%20 tracts%20with,are%20defined%20as%20food%20deserts. Accessed 23 Feb. 2022. Rudd, Rose A., et al. “Increases in Drug and Opioid Overdose Deaths - United States, 2000-2014.”

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 Jan. 2016, www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/ mmwrhtml/mm6450a3.htm. Accessed 22 Feb. 2022. Son Servants. 2021, www.sonservants.com/. Accessed 22 Feb. 2022. “Welch, West Virginia Population 2022.” World Population Review, 2022, worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/welch-wv-population. Accessed 23 Feb. 2022.

MCDOWELL COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA: REFLECTION

As the interstate gave way to the highway, and the highway to a winding mountain pass, I became increasingly aware of the declining state of the houses and buildings surrounding our 55-passenger bus. Entering McDowell County changed my worldview and the way I saw myself, my community, and humanity as a whole. This experience stripped bare and laid out for me the fundamentals of what is necessary to live and the realities of poverty in America. Things I had taken for granted like a solid foundation for my home, indoor bathrooms, and clean water were considered luxuries by many residents of McDowell. As I took in my surroundings on that first drive into Panther, the heart of McDowell County, I felt an instant surge of gratitude mixed with confusion. How, I thought, could people in the United States, being as modernized and advanced as it is, be living in such conditions? Had they always lived like this? After cleaning up yards, building walls and roofs, and restoring the floors of multiple homes, the largest question I was left with was: How can we do more for this community and these people? The most impactful moment of this experience for me was my conversation with Panther resident Robert Coleman. Coleman’s story resonated with me, and I was blown away by his kindness and cheerful nature.

Robert Coleman began his first day of Freshman year at Panther High School in 1958, the school’s opening year. A self-identified troublemaker and local hard-head, Robert came into multiple conflicts with the principal in his first days of classes. By the second week, Coleman’s principal told him he would never be able to get a real job and would never be successful. Characteristic of his stubborn nature, Robert left Panther High School, trading his books for a job at the local coal mine, to prove his principal wrong. Robert would stay in the mines for the next five decades of his life, working back-breaking hours and going days on end without seeing sunlight. He recounted days of waking before the sun, working deep below ground in the dark, and returning home with just enough time to sleep for six hours before repeating the cycle. With all of his work, year after year, Robert should have been able to save enough money to counteract his physical and mental sufferings. However, the mining company paid Robert in what he called credits, which could be redeemed at the local county store for food, goods, and services. This store was owned and operated by the same coal company.

After hearing Robert’s story and talking with him about his life for a few hours, I was filled with a sense of gratitude for my community and the opportunities I have been given in my life. Robert, despite his financial state, has found great happiness and fulfillment in his life, the kind which I hope to emulate in my own. Robert and I discussed fly fishing, as he said this brought him joy, and he pointed proudly down to the still, brown river across the road from his house, declaring he had caught 8 trout in 40 minutes the weekend before. His smile, joy, and kind heart reminded me of the futility of societal standards of wealth. Kindness and joy can be found in any climate, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have spent a few moments of kindness with Robert and the residents of Panther, West Virginia, over the past few years.