Bus Trip to the Broad Top - May 15, 2010

The Bedford County Historical Society sponsored a tour of the Broad Top on Saturday, May 15, 2010. Everyone who attended had a wonderful time. We visited a number of places including the Reality Theater for a slide show about mining and the railroads. We then visited the Coal Miners Museum. We also visited Robertsdale Middle, seeing the Coal Camp Office/Company Store Site. From there we went to Dudley, a coal town, the Coke Ovens at Riddlesburg, and the Keystone Foundry at Hopewell. Everyone who went on the tour came away with a better understanding of mining, the railroads, their importance to Bedford County, and their role in building the nation.

A special feature to our Broad Top Tour was provided by local author and Society member Sharon Gardner. Sharon claims she is not a coal expert but is a "student" of coal mining. Her book collaboration with West Virginia coal miner Robert Armstead was published in 2002 by the University of Tennessee Press. Black Days, Black Dust: The Memories of an African American Coal Miner received great reviews and is in its second printing. She talked about her book, Robert Armstrong, and his views of mining. You can read all about Black Days, Black Dust at Sharon's website. Many members purchased a signed copy of her book at the Broad Top.