[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 86 (Thursday, June 30, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 30, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
    INTRODUCTION OF THE APPALACHIAN COAL HERITAGE AREA ACT AND THE 
                      SALTVILLE HERITAGE AREA ACT

                                 ______


                           HON. RICK BOUCHER

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 30, 1994

  Mr. BOUCHER. Mr. Speaker, today I am proud to introduce two pieces of 
legislation, the Appalachian Coal Heritage Area Act and the Saltville 
Heritage Area Act, which will help to preserve the important cultural 
and historic resources of two unique locations in my congressional 
district.
  The Appalachian Coal Heritage Area derives its historical importance 
from the natural resource upon which it rests--coal. The heritage area 
is located in the heart of the Pocahontas coal field, an area renowned 
for the purity of its coal. The Appalachian Coal Heritage Area is home 
to the first mine in the Pocahontas coal field, and the mine that gave 
the field its name--the Pocahontas mine.
  The Pocahontas mine was opened in the 1880's and expanded quickly 
when a 13-foot seam of coal was discovered. When active mining ceased, 
the Pocahontas mine took on a second life as an educational tool. Since 
the opening of the Pocahontas Exhibition Mine in 1938, it has been 
visited by more than one million people. The mine serves as the 
historical centerpiece of the Appalachian Coal Heritage Area.
  Vistors to the mine take a guided tour that teaches them about the 
geological history of coal formation and the history of coal mining and 
coke production at Pocahontas. Exhibits explain the evolution of the 
coal extraction process and of mining tools, from basic hand tools to 
powerful electric coal cutting machines. Discussions cover all aspects 
of work in the mines, from safety and mine tragedies to coal 
transportation. As one study suggests, ``by the time the tour ends 
visitors have acquired a fairly comprehensive understanding of 
Pocahontas coal from its formation to its mining and its importance in 
the industrial development of this country.''
  While the Pocahontas mine serves as the area's historical 
centerpiece, it is by no means the Appalachian Coal Heritage Area's 
only historical asset. The twin company towns of Pocahontas and 
Bramwell, separated by just 1 mile and the Virginia-West Virginia State 
line, both have rich architectural and cultural legacies.
  Pocahontas was the first and largest mining town built in the 
Pocahontas coal field. Many of Pocahontas' residences date from the 
1880's, and many more were built in two further construction periods in 
the 1900's and 1920's. Furthermore, the town still incorporates many of 
the original commercial establishments. Among these are saloons, the 
drugstore and the town's opera house. Because Pocahontas was a company 
town, the importance of these buildings goes far deeper than their 
age--they are living testimony to the lives of Appalachia's miners.
  It is also important to remember Pocahontas' unique cultural history. 
One historian has suggested that ``the ethnic history of the coal 
mining fields of * * * Virginia is a microcosm of the ethnic history of 
the United States.'' When coal companies recruited labor, they brought 
in workers from three different populations--white Americans from other 
coal regions, African-Americans from the South and immigrants from 
Southern and Southeastern Europe. The town's religious structures 
reflect this diversity. It is still possible to visit many of these 
buildings, including a synagogue built in 1913 and a mural-covered 
Catholic church built by the Hungarian population in 1896. Thus, 
Pocahontas' architectual legacy demonstrates how workers from diverse 
national, ethnic and religious backgrounds came together within the 
great American ``melting pot.''
  Bramwell, too, has a rich history. Whereas Pocahontas housed the 
mine's workers, Bramwell was host to the coal companies' executives. 
These officials' desire for more luxurious houses combined with the 
skills of immigrant laborers and with native Appalachian materials to 
create a unique style that can only be described as primitive 
Victorian. These European-influenced structures include a Tudor 
mansion, a yellow brick estate with a copper roof, and even commercial 
and religious structures such as a bluestone bank built by Italian 
stonecutters and a chapel built as a replica of one in Wales.
  Just as the Appalachian Coal Heritage Area's history centers around 
coal, the Saltville Heritage Area has a long heritage based on its own 
abundant natural resource--salt.
  Because salt is essential to all life, and because of Saltville's 
abundance of salt, the area has attracted a broad range of people and 
animals. The earliest of these were ice age mammals. Fossil remains of 
these animals have attracted collectors for nearly 200 years, among 
them Thomas Jefferson. Major paleontological discoveries have included 
the giant ground sloth, the mastodon and the woolly mammoth.
  The next chapter of Saltville's history details human habitation. A 
number of archeological digs in and around Saltville have uncovered 
remains of humans and human society. These include tools, beads, and 
pots which detail roughly 13,000 years of settlement. Perhaps most 
importantly, some have interpreted recent discoveries in Saltville to 
suggest that humans lived in North America nearly 2,000 years earlier 
than archeologists had previously thought.
  The final stage in this remarkable history is the growth of salt 
production. This was initiated on a small scale in the mid-18th 
century, and beame an important source of industry by the early 1800's. 
The onset of the Civil War transformed this already-important industry 
into a critical one. During the war, furnaces at Saltville produced all 
or part of the State supply of salt for Virginia, North Carolina, 
Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia. Both Union and Confederate forces 
understood the importance of the salt works, and both sides worked to 
control the area. Confederate fortifications of Saltville remain to 
this day, though in 1864 they could not sustain the Union assault.
  Mr. Speaker, today I introduce the Appalachian Coal Heritage Area Act 
and the Saltville Heritage Area Act to recognize the important roles 
that these locations have played in our national history. Together, 
these areas provide valuable lessons about our prehistory and our 
history, our ancestors, our industry, our struggles, and even our great 
diversity. These are lessons that must not be lost. I encourage my 
colleagues to examine this legislation closely and hope that they can 
offer their support.

                          ____________________