Last Updated on May 1, 2025 by Colby Droscher
Life in the 1920s Appalachian coal-mining towns was bleak, gritty, and nonstop. Whole families survived on company scrip, children hauled coal before they could read, and black dust settled on every porch and lung.
The 20 photos below capture that daily grind in unfiltered detail, from soot-streaked faces at the mine entrance to the rickety rows of company houses clinging to the hills. Scroll through and see what work, poverty, and resilience looked like a century ago in the heart of coal country.
1. The fact that the children had to suffer through those mines is beyond comprehension.
Seriously though, it’s just unacceptable.
2. Those eyes have sen far too much.
There’s that look of grim determination on the middle kid’s face, in spite of the extreme and harrowing circumstances of that time.
3. Looking absolutely drained, and with good reason.
One can’t even begin to imagine how tired they must’ve been.
4. This kid looks defeated in the worst way possible.
Seriously though, this kid looks like they have little else left to give.
5. There wasn’t much time reserved for necessary lunch breaks.
Lunch breaks were almost certainly frowned upon.
6. That kid lugging that all by himself is heartbreaking.
That kid is in it for the long haul. No doubt about that.
7. This is just plain-old haunting.
These kids went through unimaginable horrors.
8. The horses down in those mines were working double time too.
The horses were put through the ringer, to say the very least.
9. This kid’s expression certainly leaves a lasting impression.
You can’t even begin to imagine what was going through that kid’s head.
10. These kids are a different level of tough.
Yeah, a different level indeed.
11. So many rocks to go through.
Those rocks would’ve just been best left alone.
12. The style during that time was chilling as well.
And the high socks there too.
13. This kid’s expression shows a tragic level of pain.
Give this kid a break already.
14. Get a load of those hats as well.
The lunch pails, man.
15. These kids endured all kinds of unimaginable suffering.
It’s crazy that some of these kids were able to muster up smiles.
16. The families suffered tragedy after tragedy as a result of those mines.
Tragedy after tragedy, and they probably felt like there was no end in sight.
17. The colorization adds a new level of drama to the shot.
The colorized historical photos really pack on the dramatic effects.
18. Rare to see an actual smirk or smile down in those mines.
Smiles and smirks were rare sights to behold down in those horrifying mines.
19. Now that’s an insufferable place to have to bide your time.
Seriously, it must’ve felt like time itself stood still in there.
20. Their eyes say so much.
And we’re not talking about saying so much of the good things.
Want more powerful images from America’s tougher times?
Explore the grit and hardship of urban life in 19 Striking Photos of New York’s Five Points Slum (1880s–1900s), witness the hard labor that built the nation in 18 Vintage Photos From the Transcontinental Railroad That Built America, or feel the quiet resilience in 20 Vintage Photos That Bring Old Farms to Life.
