Examining the history of trust within Appalachian coal camps

Abstract

In the last few decades of the 19th century, towns and settlements were sparse in the Appalachian Mountains. Due to this isolation, a culture of solitude and self-reliance developed, affecting the economic status of the area (Gabriel, 2014). Coal companies established numerous towns known as coal camps, exerting tight control over them. Consequently, community members of these coal camps relied entirely on the mining companies for survival. This dependency contrib­uted to the region’s decline; as coal lost its domi­nance and work diminished, economic opportu­nities also vanished. . . .