Mode of Program Participation
Academic Scholarship
Participation Type
Paper
Session Abstract or Summary
In my paper "The View of the Coalfields from the Corporate Headquarters, 1945-1960," I examine the attitudes of coal company managers as they considered whether to reinvest in or shut down mines in southern West Virginia. In particular, I examine the Koppers Company of Pittsburgh and Eastern Gas & Fuel Associates of Boston and their mines and employee communities in Kopperston, Wharton, and Beards Fork, West Virginia. This is part of a broader examination of the collapse of the coalfield economy through the lens of place and place values. The distance of decision-makers from their properties and the people who lived there adds another dimension to the class conflict that unfolded during deindustrialization in many communities.
The View of the Coalfields from the Corporate Headquarters, 1945-60
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
This is an individual paper proposal. I'm hoping it can be combined with other papers to form a panel.
In my paper "The View of the Coalfields from the Corporate Headquarters, 1945-1960," I examine the attitudes of coal company managers as they considered whether to reinvest in or shut down mines in southern West Virginia. In particular, I examine the Koppers Company of Pittsburgh and Eastern Gas & Fuel Associates of Boston and their mines and employee communities in Kopperston, Wharton, and Beards Fork, West Virginia. This is part of a broader examination of the collapse of the coalfield economy through the lens of place and place values. The distance of decision-makers from their properties and the people who lived there adds another dimension to the class conflict that unfolded during deindustrialization in many communities.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Lou Martin is an associate professor of history at Chatham University and author of Smokestacks in the Hills: Rural-Industrial Workers in West Virginia.
The View of the Coalfields from the Corporate Headquarters, 1945-60
This is an individual paper proposal. I'm hoping it can be combined with other papers to form a panel.
In my paper "The View of the Coalfields from the Corporate Headquarters, 1945-1960," I examine the attitudes of coal company managers as they considered whether to reinvest in or shut down mines in southern West Virginia. In particular, I examine the Koppers Company of Pittsburgh and Eastern Gas & Fuel Associates of Boston and their mines and employee communities in Kopperston, Wharton, and Beards Fork, West Virginia. This is part of a broader examination of the collapse of the coalfield economy through the lens of place and place values. The distance of decision-makers from their properties and the people who lived there adds another dimension to the class conflict that unfolded during deindustrialization in many communities.
