MATEWAN, WV (LOOTPRESS) – The West Virginia Mine Wars Museum is proud to announce a string of four community meetings in Mingo, Logan, Boone and Kanawha Counties for the second phase of our labor history trail, Courage in the Hollers.
Courage in the Hollers shines a light on a hidden history of the coalfields through a mix of large steel sculptures, murals, interpretive signage, and interactive audio experiences—developed through an inclusive, community-informed process.
These monuments will be constructed in towns along the 50-mile route of the Miners’ March and in Matewan. Once completed, this will be the largest labor history driving trail in the United States.
“The Courage project is a way for our history, the people’s history, to be reflected back to us in ways that center the stories that have been underrepresented for too long,” said Community Project Coordinator Roger May.
At this first round of meetings we will share information about Courage and the Mine Wars history of the area that we know through research. Most importantly we want to listen to residents! Attendees can share their family history, how they would like to see their community’s legacy represented in these monuments, whatever they would like to share to inform this process. Community input is integral to uplifting this history correctly.
Here is a schedule for the first round of meetings:
📍Mingo County Meeting for Matewan
Tuesday, May 26 | 6–8 p.m.
Matewan Community Center, above the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum
112 Mate Street, Matewan, WV 25678
📍Logan County Meeting for Logan and Clothier
Wednesday, May 27 | 6–8 p.m.
McCoy Station, 405 Highlands Street, Logan, WV 25601
📍Boone County Meeting for Madison and Racine
Thursday, May 28 | 6–8 p.m.
Coal Heritage Museum Art & Culture Center, 347 Main Street, Madison, WV 25130
📍Kanawha County Meetings for Charleston
Friday, May 29 | 6–8 p.m.
Taylor Books Annex Gallery, 226 Capitol Street, Charleston, WV 25301
We will be hosting these collaborative discussions throughout 2026 so that we can all work together on amplifying this important history, and the people who made it, in the best way possible.
“Often, when workers do appear in the commemorative landscape, they appear in one of two ways: either as victims — memorialized because their lives were taken at work — or as anonymous labor,” said Executive Director Kenzie New Walker. “What this project allows us to do is give dignity to work and working people, and to see them as agents of change.”
Beyond this, Courage in the Hollers works to benefit local economies in each town, drawing heritage travellers and visitors who invest in local business, restaurants and lodging. As part of this trail, these communities are joining a recognized network of Mine Wars towns connected throughout the coalfields.
Thanks to generous support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities, as well as the dedication of local partners, we’re bringing history back to the places where it was lived and fought for.
