Forgotten in the History Books

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/aug/09/nation/la-na-blair-mountain-20100810

It's truly amazing what we, as Americans, never learn about our own history in school.  The above story from the LA Times is a perfect example.  You would think that history teachers would spend at least a couple minutes discussing "the largest battle on American soil since the Civil War."  But I know that until today I had never heard of the Battle of Blair Mountain.

Blair Mountain is a story not only about a long-forgotten labor dispute in 1921, but also about a man who is willing to stand up, alone, against the behemoth of the energy industry.  Not only did I get a lesson in history, but also a reminder of what it means to be courageous and to stand up for what you believe in.
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9/11

I took a double-take last night when I saw a story about Blair Mountain linked on Archaeology Magazine's website.  I was tired, however, and forgot about it until about an hour ago.  As I was transferring posts to my new website forums, I came to the previously posted tidbit.  I was immediately overcome by that irritating feeling of knowing I should remember something, but can't.  I closed my eyes and focused for a minute, then shouted at my husband "Archaeology Magazine."  His blank, quizzical stare for a response was warranted, and I mumbled my apology and began searching their website for the story.

It turns out that this new article about Blair Mountain directly quotes a press release containing a ton of blood-boiling information.

"The National Park Service first listed Blair Mountain in the National Register on March 30, 2009, without objections from a majority of property owners. By law, a site cannot be listed in the National Register if a majority of owners within the boundaries of the site file notarized objections to the listing. Nine months later, the Park Service, responding to pressure from coal companies eager to strip mine the site altered the list of property owners based on one-sided “corrections” presented by the coal companies, and decided that a small majority objected to listing the site. On this basis, the Park Service removed Blair Mountain Battlefield from the National Register. Sierra Club, OVEC, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation asked the Park Service to reconsider its decision because it did not follow applicable regulations in removing the site, but the agency declined to do so." 

The above quote makes me wonder who in the Park Service got the fat check to make the reversal in favor of the coal companies occur.  I am also curious how much tax-payer money is going to be wasted on the re-submission process, considering the initial National Register listing took 13 years to complete.  Perhaps the recipient of the fat check could be found, prosecuted, and forced to foot the bill.

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