Historic Explorations Podcast Por Dustin Blackson arte de portada

Historic Explorations

Historic Explorations

De: Dustin Blackson
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Historic Explorations is based in the coalfields of southwest Virginia. We cover a diverse amount of history, including coal mining and local history throughout the Appalachian Mountains. We also cover entertainment history, from Hollywood’s golden days to music icons. Ciencias Sociales Escritos y Comentarios sobre Viajes
Episodios
  • Roy Castle: A Life of Faith, Labor, and Community

    Roy Castle: A Life of Faith, Labor, and Community
    Jan 13 2026
    In this compile of reflective interviews, Roy Frank Castle shares the story of a life deeply rooted in the coalfields of southwest Virginia and shaped by service, faith, and a lasting love for people and place. Growing up in the coal town of Dante, Roy talks about the values learned early in life—hard work, responsibility, and loyalty—that guided him through every chapter that followed. Roy discusses his time serving in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, returning home to meet and marry the love of his life, Jean Fleenor Castle, and building a 67-year marriage grounded in devotion, faith, and shared purpose. He reflects on spending 45 years working as a coal miner for Clinchfield and Pittston Coal, the pride he took in his work, and the bonds formed with fellow miners underground. The conversation explores Roy’s involvement in the 1989 Pittston Coal Strike and the broader meaning of that period for miners, families, and the labor movement. Roy speaks about the importance of union solidarity, sacrifice, and standing together for fairness and dignity—values that remained central to his life long after he retired from the mines. A significant portion of the interview focuses on Roy’s time as mayor of Castlewood during one of the most challenging periods in the town’s history. He reflects on being elected to lead a newly incorporated town and the difficult responsibility of guiding residents through the decision to dissolve the town charter in the late 1990s. Roy discusses the financial pressures facing the community, the emotional debates among neighbors, and his belief that true leadership meant listening carefully and carrying out the will of the people—even when it meant ending his own role as mayor. Beyond labor and public office, Roy reflects on a lifetime of community service. He discusses his decades as a deacon at Calvary Baptist Church, volunteer work with the Dante Rescue Squad, helping neighbors as the community’s trusted “furnace man,” and placing American flags throughout Castlewood as a sign of pride and remembrance. Throughout the interview, Roy returns to a simple belief: service is not about recognition, but responsibility. This episode offers a warm and thoughtful portrait of a man who loved his family, valued his friends, and dedicated his life to the community he called home. It is a conversation about faith, work, leadership, and the quiet ways a life of service leaves a lasting legacy.
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    1 h y 27 m
  • Dante Coal & Railroad Museum

    Dante Coal & Railroad Museum
    Feb 6 2024
    Nestled in the mountains of southwest Virginia is a little community called Dante. In the early 20th century, Dante was a booming coal mine community like many other towns in the surrounding region. In 2003, the Dante Coal & Railroad Museum was opened by many who wanted to preserve Dante's coal heritage. The museum holds many artifacts and pictures from long ago that give visitors insight into what life was once like in Dante. I had the pleasure of sitting down with the museum's curator, Ms. Bobbi Gullett for an interview. Ms. Gullett spoke about her time growing up in Dante, her family (her father and grandfather were coal miners), places of employment, and the opening of the museum.
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    12 m
  • Historic Buildings of Appalachia Virginia

    Historic Buildings of Appalachia Virginia
    May 6 2024
    Tabitha Hibbitts Grieger with Appalachia Rising Ventures talks with us inside the Historic Peake Building in Appalachia, VA, on their restoration journey on the town's historic buildings. Tabitha and her husband John started Appalachia Rising Ventures when they purchased the Peake Building in October 2023. They now own the Peake Building, Lavigne Building, and Western Auto (former Pet/Flav-O-Rich diary distribution warehouse.) The buildings dating back to the 1920s were designed (notably the Peake Building) by a local architect named John Clayton Gibson. Tabitha has spoken to some of Gibson's descendants, who have provided her with information on the history of the buildings. You can learn more about Appalachia Rising Ventures at the following link. https://linktr.ee/AppalachianRisingVentures
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    9 m
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