Coal Towns, from The Mine Wars
Clip: Season 28 Episode 2 | 2m 37sVideo has Closed Captions
The realities of company-built towns for West Virginia miners.
West Virginia coal operators built small, company-owned towns for their miners to live in. The coal towns were almost always unincorporated; there were no elected officials, no independent police forces. Owners hired private detective agencies to watch over their workforce. Company towns were also untethered from the free market competition owners usually championed.
Corporate sponsorship for American Experience is provided by Liberty Mutual Insurance and Carlisle Companies. Major funding by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
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Coal Towns, from The Mine Wars
Clip: Season 28 Episode 2 | 2m 37sVideo has Closed Captions
West Virginia coal operators built small, company-owned towns for their miners to live in. The coal towns were almost always unincorporated; there were no elected officials, no independent police forces. Owners hired private detective agencies to watch over their workforce. Company towns were also untethered from the free market competition owners usually championed.
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