October 8 – 12, 2019: We had a packed few days with cousins from my dad’s side of the family, Rose Mary Hart and her brother, John Hart and his wife Renee. We picked up my sister, Dawn, in Columbus, OH as we drove from Indianapolis to Moundsville, WV, up in the tiny little panhandle of West Virginia.
We enjoyed John and & Renee’s hospitality as we camped up in one of their 11 RV spots that they rent out for local oil workers and their families. They have a farm on a knob about 8 miles from Moundsville. John toured us around the back roads of Marshall County in their side-by-side, which included dropping down into the “hollers” and up over the ridges that make up the geography of WV.
It was a very enlightening visit as Rose Mary treated Dawn and me to two days of touring around Moundsville and Wheeling, former major manufacturing towns up through the 1970’s. We were right in the middle of the Appalachians and heard much about the economy, struggles with drug addiction problems that are all to common, feeding families, and recovering from natural disasters.
Rose Mary retired as a postal carrier with the post office in the early 80’s, but found a second calling in early 2000s after severe floods in southern WV by starting a non-profit distribution center, Appalachian Outreach, to provide a place for folks to get supplies after suffering a natural disaster. She employs people, who are either recovering from substance abuse and/or have prison convictions, giving them a second chance.
Tom experienced a “day in the life” of John and his business, J & R Excavation. John toured him (and later all 3 of us) around the storage unit business, fracking/oil production and the near by oil production pads that they provide excavating services. J & R employs over 40 people and supports the local economy with employment as well as excavating services in fixing roads, broken pipes and being active for years in the Volunteer Fire Department (John just retired from Chief last year).
We learned about the fracking process and how the oil production is providing money to the farmers who’s land is housing the oil production and how it is bringing some $$$ to the area. That being said, many of the folks employed by the oil boom are from out of state and thus the need for pop-up RV parks to house them and their families.
In addition to all the activities that swirl around in the Hart household that support their family of 5 children and their grandkids as well as local life, Renee drives a school bus full of elementary school children from town.
This has been an eye-opening and enjoyable trip to WV seeing what local folks are doing to help their local economy and population.
The Traveling Lounsburys 