Scotts Run is a geographical division of the Cass District in Monongalia County,

West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...

, United States. Currently, it encompasses thirteen small, unincorporated communities. Located a few miles from Morgantown, this area's predominant industry in the early twentieth century was

coal mining Coal mining is the process of resource extraction, extracting coal from the ground or from a mine. Coal is valued for its Energy value of coal, energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to Electricity generation, generate electr ...

and production. Scotts Run became well known nationally during the years of the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

, when photographers and the relief efforts of First Lady

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt ( ; October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the longest-serving First Lady of the United States, first lady of the United States, during her husband Franklin D ...

publicized the impoverished conditions faced by the community. Since the decline in the coal industry in the area, Scotts Run's population has rapidly decreased. However, the current community is active in revitalization efforts to promote new businesses and heritage tourism.

Pre-Industrial history

In the late 19th century, Scotts Run's primary industry was

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

. The population was largely homogeneous, consisting of American-born white farmers who owned small plots of land. Because the hillsides were unsuitable for most crops, the farmers of the Cass District mostly raised

livestock Livestock are the Domestication, domesticated animals that are raised in an Agriculture, agricultural setting to provide labour and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, Egg as food, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The t ...

, particularly

sheep Sheep (: sheep) or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are a domesticated, ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to d ...

and

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Mature female cattle are calle ...

. Farmers were primarily forced out of the area because of high land prices after the coal fields began to be developed.

Geologist A geologist is a scientist who studies the structure, composition, and History of Earth, history of Earth. Geologists incorporate techniques from physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, and geography to perform research in the Field research, ...

William Barton Rogers William Barton Rogers (December 7, 1804 – May 30, 1882) was an American geologist, physicist, and the founder and first president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). An acclaimed lecturer in the physical sciences, Rogers taug ...

conducted the first surveys of the coal producing potential of the area in 1836. By 1902, two companies had purchased land near the mouth of the Run. However, the lack of a

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

outlet slowed the development of the area, until the Morgantown and Wheeling Railroad was completed in 1916. Demand for coal produced by

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

contributed to the rush to develop the coal field.

Coal boom

Scotts Run is part of the Fairmont Coal Field, which is on the

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

coal seam Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground or from a mine. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extrac ...

. The large Pittsburgh seam was known as "the most valuable mineral deposit in the world". During the years from 1917 to 1932, between

and the

, the Scotts Run area faced rapid

industrialization Industrialisation (British English, UK) American and British English spelling differences, or industrialization (American English, US) is the period of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an i ...

and intense development of the

bituminous coal Bituminous coal, or black coal, is a type of coal containing a tar-like substance called bitumen or asphalt. Its coloration can be black or sometimes dark brown; often there are well-defined bands of bright and dull material within the coal seam, ...

industry. Despite geographic limitations, the area's development was one of the fastest in the nation. During this 15-year period, at least 60 mines operated in the area. Development also brought about changes in Scotts Run's population. The industry's rapid expansion resulted in a labor shortage, which was filled by a flood of workers moving into the area. Not only was the population steadily increasing, it was also becoming much more diverse. Many of the people moving into the area were

immigrants Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not usual residents or where they do not possess nationality in order to settle as permanent residents. Commuters, tourists, and other short- ...

and

African Americans African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa ...

. By 1930, 13 percent of Cass District's population were immigrants, while another 13 percent were African American. These new residents provided a secure labor force for mining expansion. The development of the Scotts Run area coincided with the

mechanization Mechanization (or mechanisation) is the process of changing from working largely or exclusively by hand or with animals to doing that work with machinery. In an early engineering text, a machine is defined as follows: In every fields, mechan ...

process of the 1920s. The emergence of coal-loading machines and gathering locomotives replaced hand-loading and mules. Scotts Run's largest boom year was 1923, during which 37 mines from 33 different companies actively operated. However, the overextended industry was in steady decline from 1923 until the beginning of the Great Depression in 1929.

Great Depression era

The coaling industry, in comparison to the boom of the 1920s, had basically collapsed by 1932. Already suffering, the industry could not sustain the

economic downturn In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction that occurs when there is a period of broad decline in economic activity. Recessions generally occur when there is a widespread drop in spending (an adverse demand shock). This may be tr ...

brought about by the Stock Market Crash of 1929. Residents of Scotts Run not only suffered from

unemployment Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is the proportion of people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work du ...

, but also from ethnic and racial prejudice and limited educational opportunities. The rampant

poverty Poverty is a state or condition in which an individual lacks the financial resources and essentials for a basic standard of living. Poverty can have diverse Biophysical environmen ...

in Scotts Run attracted the attention of

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

missionaries A missionary is a member of a religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Miss ...

and the

American Friends Service Committee The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) is a Religious Society of Friends ('' Quaker)-founded'' organization working for peace and social justice in the United States and around the world. AFSC was founded in 1917 as a combined effort by ...

in 1931. Later in 1933, the Roosevelt administration sent relief workers. Scotts Run became America's image for the bleakness of the Great Depression. One writer for ''Atlantic Monthly'' declared that Scotts Run was “the damndest cesspool of human misery I have ever seen in America.” Although the suffering at Scotts Run was probably no different from that of other coal hollows in

Appalachia Appalachia ( ) is a geographic region located in the Appalachian Mountains#Regions, central and southern sections of the Appalachian Mountains in the east of North America. In the north, its boundaries stretch from the western Catskill Mountai ...

, it garnered national attention because of its accessibility to photographers, reporters, social workers, and government officials through automobile and railroad. First Lady

also brought national attention to the Run. Roosevelt first toured the mine camps of the area in 1933, and returned several times, forging long-term relationships. Following the first lady were media outlets and famous photographers such as

Walker Evans Walker Evans (November 3, 1903 – April 10, 1975) was an American photographer and photojournalist best known for his work for the Resettlement Administration and the Farm Security Administration (FSA) documenting the effects of the Great ...

Marion Post Wolcott Marion Post Wolcott (June 7, 1910 – November 24, 1990) was an American photographer who worked for the Farm Security Administration during the Great Depression, documenting poverty, the Jim Crow South, and deprivation. Early life Marion Po ...

, and

Ben Shahn Ben Shahn (September 12, 1898 – March 14, 1969) was an American artist. He is best known for his works of social realism, his left-wing political views, and his series of lectures published as ''The Shape of Content''. Born Benjamin Shahn in Ka ...

. Eleanor Roosevelt's involvement culminated in the relocation of a number of families at the resettlement community of Arthurdale in nearby

Preston County Preston County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 Census, the population was 34,216. Its county seat is Kingwood, West Virginia, Kingwood. The county was fo ...

. Local relief efforts also existed. The Scotts Run Settlement House, in existence since 1922, provided a large amount of assistance. Another example was Morgantown's First Presbyterian Church’s establishment of a missionary project for Scotts Run, which opened The Shack, a community center which eventually was used to start a co-op for supplemental farming. The 1930s marked a steady decline in industrial work in Scotts Run. Many of the residents relocated, some to Arthurdale, and many of the younger male residents served in the armed forces during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and did not return to the area upon the war’s end.

National Research Project

In 1936–37, documentary photographer

Lewis Hine Lewis Wickes Hine (September 26, 1874 – November 3, 1940) was an American sociologist and muckraker photographer. His photographs taken during times such as the Progressive Era and the Great Depression captured young children working in harsh ...

created photo studies of 14 American industrial communities, including Scotts Run, for the National Research Project of the

Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; from 1935 to 1939, then known as the Work Projects Administration from 1939 to 1943) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to car ...

. File:Scott's Run, West Virginia. Unemployed man attending meeting of the Workers Alliance Council - All of the men are... - NARA - 518383.jpg, Unemployed men attend a meeting of the Workers Alliance Council in Scotts Run File:Scott's Run, West Virginia. Unemployed bachelor, Jere - This is typical of a particular group of stranded men in an... - NARA - 518397.jpg, Unemployed miner in the abandoned Jere camp File:Scott's Run, West Virginia. Peter Percupu, Roumanian miner, unemployed, known in Scott's Run as "Ground Hog." Too old... - NARA - 518422.jpg, Romanian miner too old to work File:Scott's Run, West Virginia. Employed miner's family - Sessa Hill - This picture was taken at the natural supper hour.... - NARA - 518391.jpg, Mine mechanic and his family File:Scott's Run, West Virginia. Pursglove Mines Nos. 3 and 4 - This is the largest company of Scott's Run. Scene shows... - NARA - 518378.jpg, Pursglove Mines Nos. 3 and 4 File:Scott's Run, West Virginia. (Unemployed miner.) - NARA - 518409.jpg, Unemployed miner File:Scott's Run, West Virginia. New Hill - A new camp. The best community on Scott's Run - NARA - 518384.jpg, Miners' homes in the best community in Scotts Run File:Scott's Run, West Virginia. Interior of the Jere WPA nursery - These children are from unemployed miners' homes. - NARA - 518388.jpg, WPA nursery for children of unemployed miners File:Scott's Run, West Virginia. (Unemployed miner.) - NARA - 518413.jpg, Unemployed miner File:Scott's Run, West Virginia. Miner returning from work at New Hill - There are no mine wash houses in West Virginia.... - NARA - 518393.jpg, Miner returning from work File:Scott's Run, West Virginia. (Recreation and community activities.) - NARA - 518403.jpg, Library in Scotts Run File:Scott's Run, West Virginia. (Woman gathering coal.) - NARA - 518411.jpg, Woman gathering coal

Mining disasters

The 13

mining Mining is the Resource extraction, extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agriculture, agricultural processes, or feasib ...

communities along Scotts Run had a reputation of being "disaster free" before

. The owners of the Christopher and Pursglove mines, in particular, were known as being highly safety conscious, and had even won awards for the safety of their mines. However, in 1942 and 1943, the dangers of

, coupled with the added production pressures placed on the mines by the war effort, caused three mine disasters to occur along Scotts Run within nine months of each other. On May 12, 1942, a locomotive cable short-circuited at the same time as a malfunction with one of the

ventilation Ventilation may refer to: * Ventilation (physiology), the movement of air between the environment and the lungs via inhalation and exhalation ** Mechanical ventilation, in medicine, using artificial methods to assist breathing *** Respirator, a ma ...

doors, and it caused a

methane explosion Firedamp is any flammable gas found in coal mines, typically coalbed methane. It is particularly found in areas where the coal is bituminous. The gas accumulates in pockets in the coal and adjacent strata and, when they are penetrated, the rele ...

and collapsing roofs. Fifty-six men total were killed in the blast. On July 9, 1942, the nearby Pursglove No. 2 mine experienced an explosion when a roof fall caused a 550-volt trolley wire to fall onto the track and ignite the

methane Methane ( , ) is a chemical compound with the chemical formula (one carbon atom bonded to four hydrogen atoms). It is a group-14 hydride, the simplest alkane, and the main constituent of natural gas. The abundance of methane on Earth makes ...

and

coal dust Coal dust is a fine-powdered form of coal which is created by the crushing, grinding, or pulverizer, pulverization of coal rock. Because of the brittle nature of coal, coal dust can be created by mining, transporting, or mechanically handling it. ...

filled air. The mine had used substandard

rock dust Rock dust is a pulverized rock, usually limestone, sprayed on walls inside underground coal mines to prevent coal dust explosions. The dust acts as a heat sink, keeps coal dust levels down, and also prevents the incidence of black lung disease ...

to coat the mine's surface, which could have contributed to the intensity of the blast. Twenty were killed. A third disaster occurred on January 8, 1943, when a haulage locomotive caught fire and 11 men sent to fight the blaze were suffocated by the smoke.

Scotts Run today

Mine mechanization made a large labor force extraneous, and the population of Scotts Run has been in steady decline since the 1930s. New technologies also produced

locomotives A locomotive is a rail vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. Traditionally, locomotives pulled trains from the front. However, push–pull operation has become common, and in the pursuit for longer and heavier freight train ...

reliant on

diesel engines The diesel engine, named after the German engineer Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of diesel fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the die ...

lessened the demand for coal. By the 1950s, the mines left in the Run were consolidated into a few large parcels, mostly controlled by the

Consolidation Coal Company Consolidation may refer to: In science and technology * Consolidation (computing), the act of linkage editing in computing * Consolidation (locomotive), popular name of a steam locomotive with a 2-8-0 wheel arrangement * Consolidation (soil), a ...

. Finally, the construction of

Interstate 79 Interstate 79 (I-79) is an Interstate Highway in the Eastern United States, designated from I-77 in Charleston, West Virginia, north to Pennsylvania Route 5 (PA 5) and PA 290 in Erie, Pennsylvania. It is a primary thoroughfare t ...

bisected the Scotts Run area and eliminated remaining coal company housing. Remnants of the mining industry remain scattered about the region, such as rusting mine

tipple A tipple is a structure used at a mine to load the extracted product (e.g., coal, ores) for transport, typically into railroad hopper cars. In the United States, tipples have been frequently associated with coal mines, but they have also been us ...

s and

acid mine drainage Acid mine drainage, acid and metalliferous drainage (AMD), or acid rock drainage (ARD) is the outflow of acidic water from metal mines and coal mines. Acid rock drainage occurs naturally within some environments as part of the rock weatherin ...

in the area streams and rivers. Although the population is much smaller than during the coal boom, residents are actively attempting to preserve Scotts Run's history and bring new business to the area.

References

External links

Scotts Run Settlement House

Arthurdale Heritage, Inc.

eWV

{{authority control Unincorporated communities in West Virginia Unincorporated communities in Monongalia County, West Virginia Coal towns in West Virginia