Grundy County: A Legacy and Chronology of Coal

My paper aims to reveal both past and present socioeconomic effects of the former coal mining industry my ancestors began in Grundy County, Tennessee. Because of its location atop the Cumberland Plateau, Grundy County is... [ view full abstract ]

My paper aims to reveal both past and present socioeconomic effects of the former coal mining industry my ancestors began in Grundy County, Tennessee. Because of its location atop the Cumberland Plateau, Grundy County is defined by its topography, obstructing any major agricultural or industrial expansion and limiting residents from commuting elsewhere to earn a living. From its discovery in 1858 to its depletion in 1987, a pitch-colored bituminous phosphate provided economic support to members of the Grundy County community and the larger community of the Cumberland Plateau.

Consequently, the demise of the coal industry marked the end of an era characterized by economic and cultural prosperity and left many families impoverished and dependent on government assistance. Prior to the late 1980s, the coal mines offered financial stability for an entire community and adjacent communities. In the decades following the collapse of the coal mining industry, individuals who could previously provide for their families with a steady income from the coal industry were either left unemployed and starving or employed with such a miniscule income that they could no longer afford the new natural gas-powered electricity which ran their coal mines out of business.

Forced to carry on with bruised pride, Grundy County has been rendered incapable of moving forward both economically and socially. This notion of socioeconomic hopelessness has generated a weakened morale among county residents, which ultimately can be attributed to a failed economy. Though I am not advocating further burning of fossil fuels, there is something to be said for the struggles of those left behind by the course of human progression. The failed economic state residents of my hometown are still experiencing have resulted in a culture of stagnation much like that of the Great Depression Era. This lack of growth has negatively affected the development of the educational systems, the political systems, and the economic systems. Such implications as those presented in my research serve as indicators of an imperative need for change in various areas of communal importance, such as the advancement of the county education system and the diversification of the local economy.