The story that's shocking the nation and healing a small town.
By Author William Yno email: ynobooks@yahoo.com
I personally met Mr. Winebrenner, his book tells of the secret passed down through the generations, a must read for area coal miner descendants! ~ Sandra Mitchell-~Quinn
As
we looked out over
what
used to be a
beautiful
valley.
My
Grandfather made
the
remark, "Just look
at
them clouds of smoke
hanging
in the valley.
It's
as if the whole
valley
is crying."
"The
'Valley of Smoke',
that's
all it will ever
be
til the end of time.
Thank
God I can still
remember
how beautiful
it
really was."
Miners came from all over the country to the small mining towns
in the Hocking Valley. Little did these men know that they had started two legends -
The Great Mine Fires and The Moonshine Capital of the World.
They
came with dreams of
riches and a better life.
They survived
hardship and
poverty to establish these
mining towns. They
left behind a valley full
of smoke and a story only
whispered about
-
until now.
The
family and names are
fictitious, but the story
was told to me by
Lucille Peacock Wilson
who grew up in these times in
Murray City
and New Straitsville.
Her Grandfather and Father were blacksmiths in most of the mines.
"I want to tell you how much
I enjoyed your books - especially Smoke In The Valley."
"I can identify with every part of it as I was born and raised in Glouster and my daddy was an old coal miner from way back. "
Laura Jane (Skinner) Patton