Mode of Program Participation
Academic Scholarship
Participation Type
Paper
Presentation #1 Title
Impact of the Forest Industry on Rural Appalachian Communities: A Case Study of Land Use History
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
Between 1900 and the 1930’s large scale forest industry had a major impact on rural Appalachian communities. Many of the larger companies, with ties to capital outside the region, would enter a remote area with small, subsistence agricultural-based communities and build large mills, houses for workers, stores, medical services and even provide modern conveniences such as electricity. These remote communities would now have access to the outside world through rail transportation, resulting in a sudden in-migration of workers from other counties, states or countries. Once the resource base was exhausted, towns were abandoned as companies brought their workers and associated amenities to a new location, starting the cycle over elsewhere. Many towns left behind subsequently struggled to exist with the loss of employment and other services. The impacts of the forest industry left a lasting legacy that can often be seen in the remaining communities and their surrounding landscapes. This work will present several examples of boom and bust cycles resulting as the forest industry moved into remote areas of Appalachia. Examples of the industry amenities, along with its troubles, will be presented in conjunction with the present day state of selected communities.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Brian H. Bond, Ph.D., serves as a professor and extension specialist in the Department of Sustainable Biomaterials at Virginia Tech. His focus is on improving the sustainable use and manufacturing of wood products and he also has interest in the historical development of the hardwood industry in the Eastern United States.
Lynn M. Resler, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography at Virginia Tech. Her teaching and research interests encompass human and physical systems of mountain landscapes of the Rocky Mountains and Appalachia.
Impact of the Forest Industry on Rural Appalachian Communities: A Case Study of Land Use History
Between 1900 and the 1930’s large scale forest industry had a major impact on rural Appalachian communities. Many of the larger companies, with ties to capital outside the region, would enter a remote area with small, subsistence agricultural-based communities and build large mills, houses for workers, stores, medical services and even provide modern conveniences such as electricity. These remote communities would now have access to the outside world through rail transportation, resulting in a sudden in-migration of workers from other counties, states or countries. Once the resource base was exhausted, towns were abandoned as companies brought their workers and associated amenities to a new location, starting the cycle over elsewhere. Many towns left behind subsequently struggled to exist with the loss of employment and other services. The impacts of the forest industry left a lasting legacy that can often be seen in the remaining communities and their surrounding landscapes. This work will present several examples of boom and bust cycles resulting as the forest industry moved into remote areas of Appalachia. Examples of the industry amenities, along with its troubles, will be presented in conjunction with the present day state of selected communities.
