The united mine workers of america in harlan county, kentucky. Mcfadden is the author of nine critically acclaimed novels including sugar, loving donovan, nowhere is a place, the warmest december, gathering of waters a new york times editors choice and one of the 100 notable books of 2012, glorious, and the book of harlan winner of a 2017 american book award and the naacp image award for outstanding literary work, fiction. Holly hunter, stellan skarsgard, ted levine, wayne robson, alex house, charlotte arnold, ker wells, jennifer irwin, rufus. Harlan county war by tony bill holly hunter, stellan skarsgard. In her book a history of harlan county, mabel green condon on page 201 states elias smith served as a colonel in the war of 1812. The true story of one of the most contentious labor disputes of the 1970s is the basis for this madeforcable drama. Harlan county war barbara kopples 1976 documentary harlan county usa directly inspired this showtime film depicting a kentucky coalminers. The phone book listing my grandparents number at brookside. Journeying to kentucky as a young man with james harrod in 1774, harlan served as a scout, hunter. Harlan county, nebraska genealogy familysearch wiki. My family is never mentioned by name in harlan county, usa, but it is. Harlan county war by tony bill holly hunter, stellan. What follows is one of the most violent, bitter and notorious union battles in history. Harlan county war 2000 a kentucky woman whose mineworker husband is nearly killed in a cavein, and whose father is slowly dying of black lung disease, joins the picket lines for a long, violent strike.
Every time he releases a new book, i will be sure to update this list if it fits in. Or that lament no one ever gets harlan right, the one i had dubbed the ballad of harlan county. You an also see the complete list of coben books in publication order here. List of pensioners on the roll january 1, 1883 harlan county, kentucky source. The battle of evarts may 5, 1931 occurred in harlan, kentucky during the harlan county wars. Click the all sizes button above to read an article or to see the image clearly. Harlan coben is an american bestselling thriller author born to a jewish family in newark, new jersey, on january 4, 1962. These scans come from my rather large magazine collection. Harlan county was formed in 1819 from a part of knox county.
Well, ted is a newspaper reporter from central kentucky, and he grew up in harlan county, the very place in which justified takes place. Thomas samuel harlan thomas samuel harlan, son of thomas white harlan, was born on july 21, 1828, in scottsville, albemarle county virginia. The county is located in south central area of the state. Harlan attended amherst college and majored in political science. Harlan coben is an american author of mystery and thriller novels. Jonathan smith and his second wife mary metcalf had a daughter, emily who married samuel clay howard. The incidents involved coal miners and union organizers on one side, and coal firms and law enforcement officials. Books about harlan county kentucky books i purchased and own.
Harlan county haunts explores the unknown with over 60 tales of spooky encounters and weird occurrences. He writes the myron bolitar for adults and mickey bolitar series for young adults. Made famous in the 1976 documentary harlan county usa, this pocket of appalachian coal country has been home to generations of minersand to some of the most bitter labor battles of the 20th century. Miners in harlan county, kentucky, have drawn national attention with. It won the oscar for best documentary at the 49th academy awards. We were talking about covering some new shows, and justified was mentioned as a front runner. A kentucky woman whose mineworker husband is nearly killed in a cavein, and whose father is slowly dying of black lung disease, joins the picket lines for a long, violent strike. In noting that the strike was typically referred to. After the civil war he migrated first to west virginia and then to lagrange, oldham county, kentucky. He is a rather unique author in the sense that he focuses strongly on both standalone novels and a series of novels starring a recurring character.
The story is also told through song, as the soundtrack features several folk songs including many specifically about harlan county. The county was named for either thomas harlan, or james harlan, who was u. Academy awardwinning actress holly hunter stars as ruby, the wife of a coal miner in harlan county, kentucky. In the depression years, between 1931 and 1939, the harlan county war. At one point, florence reece appears to sing a new version of her famous song which side are you on. County courthouse edit edit source harlan county courthouse 706 w.
The last standalone novel released by harlan coben was missing you in march 2014. A kentucky woman whose mineworker husband is nearly killed in a. Harlan county war 2000 is a television film directed by tony bill and written by peter silverman. Mary metcalf was the oldest son of elias smith and grandson of the jonathan smith the rev. Although the focus is on harlan county, there are stories from around the southeastern kentucky region as well as other states. They say in harlan county is a multivocal exploration of three centuries of harlan county history.
Harlan county was formed in 1819 from a portion of knox county. Featured in harlan county haunts is the novella, caroline, which highlights one of harlan countys most compelling unsolved crimes. The harlan county war, or bloody harlan, was a series of coal miningrelated skirmishes, executions, bombings, and strikes both attempted and realized that took place in harlan county, kentucky during the 1930s. In fact harlans depressionera struggle turned out to be one of the most bitter and protracted labor disputes in american history. In 1973, many of the men of harlan county, kentucky, were employed by brookside mining, who operated a number of coal mines. Lynch was established in harlan county, kentucky, in 1917 by us. Dec 30, 20 old photos of harlan ky harlan county, ky. The turbulent thirties, before we forget, harlan county goes to war, from riches to rags, flatland election thieves and mountain bushwhackers rosezelle qualls.
Wages are poor and safety conditions are even worse, and, when union organizer warren jacopovich stellan skarsgard shows up, hes gradually able to convince the miners to strike. Shop for books at and browse categories like young adult books, childrens books, mystery books, adult coloring books and cook books. Harlan county, usa is a 1976 oscarwinning documentary film covering the brookside strike,an effort of 180 coal miners and their wives against the duke power companyowned eastover coal companys brookside mine and prep plant in harlan county, southeast kentucky in 1973. Bibliography harlan county, kentucky by author unless author not given. There are harlan coben standalone novels right now. In the depression years, between 1931 and 1939, the harlan county war, also known as bloody harlan, saw significant and violent battles between the miners and the united mine workers union on one side, and coal firms and law enforcement on the other. Instead of filling my house with old moldy magazines, i scanned them in most cases, photographed them and filled a storage area with moldy magazines. Family bible records of people who lived in harlan county, kentucky. The harlan county war was based on the same strike portrayed in the academy awardwinning documentary harlan county, usa. Ted is the minerhusbandfather silas kincaide and holly is. The harlan county class war provided the inspiration for florence reeces which side are you on. Brookside paid its employees meager wages for dangerous, backbreaking work, and also controlled housing and retail sales in the area, boarding its workers in shacks without central heating or indoor plumbing, and selling them food and clothing at inflated prices. With norman yarborough, houston elmore, phil sparks, john corcoran. Set in kentucky in 1973, harlan county war tells the true story of the brookside coal miners strike against the duke power companys refusal to agree to a union contract.
Harlan county residents,past and present angelfire. The coal miners desired improved working conditions, higher wages, and more housing options for their families. Miners union, then embroiled in the bloody 1931 harlan county war. Harlan county, kentucky genealogy familysearch wiki. Harlan county ky veterans who served in wars from the revolutionary war thru civil war a partial list. Pollitt recalls in vivid detail the strike of duke power workers at the brookside mine in harlan county, kentucky. After two senseless deaths, the union calls a strike against the mining company. Sadly, harlan countys troubles persisted through most of the 1930s, still known throughout the region as the bloody harlan years. These books are listed as history and genealogy reference only. If you have a book related to harlan county and its people. It ended when the kentucky national guard was called in to break it up.
The duke power strike at brookside mine in harlan county, kentucky. A filmed account of a bitterly violent miner strike. After graduating, he worked for his father in a company in the travel industry. They were the sounds of coal raining from a conveyer, of a coal car running down the track, of an rc cola rattling in a miners lunch pail, the sound dampened by a moonpie underneath. She was the daughter of a kentucky coal miner and married to sam reece, an organizer for the radical national miners union, then embroiled in the bloody 1931 harlan county war. One year before the civil war commenced, during which the families were separated, many never to meet again. Harlan county, usa is a 1976 documentary film covering the brookside strike, an effort of 180 coal miners and their wives against the duke power companyowned eastover coal companys brookside mine and prep plant in harlan county, southeast kentucky in 1973. After a mine roof caves in killing two miners, the company cleans up the mess hastily before safety inspectors arrive see what happened, and the miners go on strike in protest. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that. With holly hunter, stellan skarsgard, ted levine, wayne robson. The county is located in the southeast area of the state. These reasons, along with other factors, led the miners to go on strike. Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing. The harlan county war, or bloody harlan, was a series of coal miningrelated skirmishes.
The lost songs i imagined were altogether different. Harlan is married to anne armstrongcoben, a pediatrician, and has four children. Among them is silas kincaid ted levine, whose wife, ruby kincaid holly hunter, becomes a key player during the strike. A pioneer, he was born on march 17, 1753 in berkeley county, west virginia when it was still part of virginia, the son of george and ann hunt harlan. The coal miners, lean and tough from kentucky mountain life, knew how to fight back. It has also produced a rich tradition of protest songs and a wealth of fascinating culture and custom that has remained largely undiscovered by outsiders, until now. This is a site that you can list anything you want about your family, who came from harlan county, ky. In 1842 it lost a small portion at the northeast end to the formation of letcher county. Harlan county war august 23, 2015 20th century, great depression 1930s, history, strikes amadeabartle some of us are familiar with the fx original series justified, which stars timothy olyphant and a host of other talented actors and actresses.