Big Stone Gap I: Music, Moonshine, & Model Trains

It was a rainy Sunday morning when we departed Bristol for Big Stone Gap, VA. We departed early with Cecil and Della to serve as parkers at Jessie Lea RV Campground. We found that the campground owner, Johnny, is a meticulous manager. He is also quite a wood carver, and his works of art bring a hefty price. The park has a lovely shelter that is decorated appropriately with objects from the area. It was the perfect place for our devotional service led by Jerry with music from Tennessee Ernie Ford. The message was entitled, “Biblical Solutions for Leading a Balanced, Productive and Stress-Free Life.” Johnny also sponsored mountain music on two nights. One of the musicians was a teenager named Tyler. He has his own CD and uses appearances to raise money for his future college education. He does a great job singing and plays several instruments, including the banjo. We are confident that Tyler has a great future as a musician.

We would also meet Stan, a tour agent from the Powell Valley. He had worked with Della and Cecil to develop many of our activities, and he provided an overview of things to come. We then drove to a theatre for a terrific musical performance, “Forever Plaid.” The focus was on a quartet of boys who had just gotten their first gig but were killed in a 1964 automobile-bus accident on their way to get their tuxes. They would suddenly come back to life and enjoy a second chance to do their thing. They delighted the audience by singing, in an animated manner, wonderful old numbers like “Three Coins in a Fountain,“ “Moments to Remember,” and many more.

Monday morning our leaders served a hearty steak and gravy breakfast, and we were met by Stan and a small school bus that would takes us to the Lonesome Pine Model Train exhibit in Appalachia. We met several volunteers who spend much of their time crafting small villages and lots of miniature rail systems. Their models are colorful, unique, and fully workable. The trains wind their way through coal mining towns, and the lovely mountain scenery is not neglected. It was wonderful to find these senior citizens having fun, experiencing fellowship, and creatively contributing something for others to enjoy. After playing with the trains, we drove on to the old coal mining town of Derby, where we were served lunch by the ladies of the Methodist Church. After our delectable meal, we sat in the sanctuary where members told us what it was like living in Derby during its heyday as a mining community. Mine labor was harsh, but they had much in the way of community amenities and neighborly love. The company homes, large and small and replete with flowers and pride, are still occupied.

We also visited Breaks Interstate Park in the Appalachian Range. The park is unique in that both Kentucky and Virginia share funding and administration. One can stand on an overlook and see both states and the largest canyon east of the Mississippi River. It is called the Grand Canyon of the South, but it pales in comparison to the real Grand Canyon. Our park tour also took us to an authentic log cabin, a gristmill, and a still. One of the old time park employees provided a comprehensive lesson on making moonshine and provided some tales of moonshiners vs. revenuers during the days of Prohibition.

Our Big Stone Gap experience included a tour of the Ralph Stanley Museum in Clintwood, VA. Ralph and his Clinch Mountain Boys, were some of the pioneers of Bluegrass Music. Ralph is still going strong at over 80 years of age. Some of our group also visited the local library to view the quilts on display.