Coal was first found in the Hocking River Valley in 1755 and first shipped from there to Columbus in 1830. The United Mine Workers was founded in Columbus in 1890. By the turn of that century, more than 50,000 miners and their families lived in the Hocking Valley counties of Hocking, Athens, and Perry, all now considered Appalachian counties by the Appalachian Regional Commission. Arcadia Press is best known for its pictorial treatment of a variety of communities, but their History Press imprint reverses the standard of many photos with captions to much text with pictures. Although not professional historians, all three co-authors have immersed themselves in local history. Meyers is a board member of the Hocking Valley Museum of Theatrical History; Walker is a board member of the Columbus Historical Society, and Vollmer is a board member of the Hocking County Historical Society.
Charleston, South Carolina: History Press/Arcadia: 2017. 174 pages with an index, bibliography, notes, and appendices, plus many photos. Trade paperback.