Introduction
When I attended West Virginia University for a year and a half I took a class on West Virginia recourses. One thing that we learned about was the states rich history in the coal mining industry. This included the beginning of coal mining and the formation of company towns and how the miners fought for better working conditions. I found this extremely interesting because it is something that is not taught here. Learning about company towns and how the miners were trapped there fascinated me. I want to bring attention to the states deep history in the coal mining industry while also showing what the miners went through. In this exhibit you will see images of coal mining from the 1900s to 1920s. In this time frame there were numerus company towns and in which I want to help illustrate to the audience.A little about me. I am a 2020 graduate of West Springfield High School. Unlike many I did not have a normal graduation as this was the beginning of covid. The last three months were all virtual, causing us to not be able to walk. After that I took a gap year and worked for Fairfax County Park Authority. I then went to West Virginia University from 2021-2022 then transferred to NOVA for the 2023 spring semester. I am now a student here at George Mason. At GMU I am in the Parks and Rec program. With this degree I hope to continue more work for the FCPA. I have been working here for over five years now and have done just about every job. I started as a marina attendant and worked my way up to manager and am now working maintenance. My goal is to continue in this field or eventually go to trade school to become a heavy diesel mechanic.