The coal truck symbolizes work that is still prominent in our region today, connecting the fruits of the labor that takes place in the mountains to the outlying communities that continue to benefit from them. The surrounding mountains are a central part of our community and individual identities, from the food and medicine that grow on their slopes, the water that bubbles from their springs, and the minerals that generations of Appalachians have mined. The mountains have also provided peace to those witnessing their beauty and still serve as the burial grounds for people dating back thousands of years. The labor of the indigenous people who lived off the mountains, the miners who lived under them, and the residents who foraged around them all provided the setting for Pound’s future.
Coal truck and mountains
Donkey Pulling Cart Through Tunnel
Residents of Pound and Jenkins both tell tales of the donkeys that used to emerge, blinking, into the bright sunlight from the mouths of the coal mines scattered around the landscape. Animals have been a vital part of the coalfield workforce for centuries, from pulling heavy carts of logs and coal, acting as transportation into the remote hollers, maintaining the delicate ecosystem in the valleys, and of course, becoming part of local families.
Train
In 1947, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad built a 3600 foot long tunnel through Pine Mountain, connecting the towns of Pound, Virginia and Jenkins, Kentucky. The aim was to improve transportation infrastructure to help haul coal from the Meade Fork mine to the main railroad line in Jenkins. Despite the tremendous work that went into building the tunnel, it was closed only 11 years later in 1958 due to rock falls and safety concerns. Community members continued to walk through it for decades after the closure. Nowadays, local tourism officials hope to establish a trail that cuts through the tunnel and under the mountain, reconnecting the two communities.
Homelife shelf- cans and books
Strength continues to be a common thread among communities in the coalfields. A century ago, women made the most of their gardens and foraged food by canning and preserving food to last for months. Librarians rode packhorses across the rough terrain to deliver books to remote schoolchildren, leaving a legacy of educational resilience. While coal may have provided the funds for much of the communities’ infrastructure, it was the homemakers and caregivers who provided the labor that helped coal towns thrive.
The Coal Truck
During the early stages of the monument’s design, Cooley met with Sean Brock at Joyland in Nashville, the restaurant he owns. Brock is a highly accomplished, nationally recognized chef who was born and raised in Pound, Virginia—a small coal town where such achievement carries deep cultural significance. His late father drove coal trucks in the region, and during their conversation he shared his commemorative coal truck tattoo. This moment—where national recognition met local memory—directly inspired the coal truck imagery within the work.
Praying Hands
The praying hands are the hands of Dana Jo Cooley’s mother, Glenda Faye, a coal miner’s widow. In 1981, Cooley’s father, uncle, and cousin were killed in a coal mining accident in Whitwell, Tennessee. The case went to the Supreme Court and was won, setting legal precedent for improved safety conditions in the mines. These hands hold grief, faith, and the endurance of Appalachian women whose labor and prayer shaped survival.
Marble Star Constellations
During a difficult season in Cooley’s hometown of Whitwell, the Marion County Marble Hunt offered a sense of wonder and hope. In seeking out the artist behind the project, Seth Cox, the idea of constellations emerged—first imagined as light, honoring the stars as navigational guides of the Underground Railroad and acknowledging the often-overlooked Black history of the region. While traveling through Virginia, the realization came that the stars should be marbles. This element became the heart of the work. The Marble Hunt has since spread to Pound, and the marbles now lead participants back to the monument, where the stars live within its walls.
Labor in Motion
Mariam Ismail
Created on October 27, 2025
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Transcript
The coal truck symbolizes work that is still prominent in our region today, connecting the fruits of the labor that takes place in the mountains to the outlying communities that continue to benefit from them. The surrounding mountains are a central part of our community and individual identities, from the food and medicine that grow on their slopes, the water that bubbles from their springs, and the minerals that generations of Appalachians have mined. The mountains have also provided peace to those witnessing their beauty and still serve as the burial grounds for people dating back thousands of years. The labor of the indigenous people who lived off the mountains, the miners who lived under them, and the residents who foraged around them all provided the setting for Pound’s future.
Coal truck and mountains
Donkey Pulling Cart Through Tunnel
Residents of Pound and Jenkins both tell tales of the donkeys that used to emerge, blinking, into the bright sunlight from the mouths of the coal mines scattered around the landscape. Animals have been a vital part of the coalfield workforce for centuries, from pulling heavy carts of logs and coal, acting as transportation into the remote hollers, maintaining the delicate ecosystem in the valleys, and of course, becoming part of local families.
Train
In 1947, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad built a 3600 foot long tunnel through Pine Mountain, connecting the towns of Pound, Virginia and Jenkins, Kentucky. The aim was to improve transportation infrastructure to help haul coal from the Meade Fork mine to the main railroad line in Jenkins. Despite the tremendous work that went into building the tunnel, it was closed only 11 years later in 1958 due to rock falls and safety concerns. Community members continued to walk through it for decades after the closure. Nowadays, local tourism officials hope to establish a trail that cuts through the tunnel and under the mountain, reconnecting the two communities.
Homelife shelf- cans and books
Strength continues to be a common thread among communities in the coalfields. A century ago, women made the most of their gardens and foraged food by canning and preserving food to last for months. Librarians rode packhorses across the rough terrain to deliver books to remote schoolchildren, leaving a legacy of educational resilience. While coal may have provided the funds for much of the communities’ infrastructure, it was the homemakers and caregivers who provided the labor that helped coal towns thrive.
The Coal Truck
During the early stages of the monument’s design, Cooley met with Sean Brock at Joyland in Nashville, the restaurant he owns. Brock is a highly accomplished, nationally recognized chef who was born and raised in Pound, Virginia—a small coal town where such achievement carries deep cultural significance. His late father drove coal trucks in the region, and during their conversation he shared his commemorative coal truck tattoo. This moment—where national recognition met local memory—directly inspired the coal truck imagery within the work.
Praying Hands
The praying hands are the hands of Dana Jo Cooley’s mother, Glenda Faye, a coal miner’s widow. In 1981, Cooley’s father, uncle, and cousin were killed in a coal mining accident in Whitwell, Tennessee. The case went to the Supreme Court and was won, setting legal precedent for improved safety conditions in the mines. These hands hold grief, faith, and the endurance of Appalachian women whose labor and prayer shaped survival.
Marble Star Constellations
During a difficult season in Cooley’s hometown of Whitwell, the Marion County Marble Hunt offered a sense of wonder and hope. In seeking out the artist behind the project, Seth Cox, the idea of constellations emerged—first imagined as light, honoring the stars as navigational guides of the Underground Railroad and acknowledging the often-overlooked Black history of the region. While traveling through Virginia, the realization came that the stars should be marbles. This element became the heart of the work. The Marble Hunt has since spread to Pound, and the marbles now lead participants back to the monument, where the stars live within its walls.