Jump to content
Main menu
Main menu
move to sidebar
hide
Navigation
Main page
Recent changes
Random page
Help about MediaWiki
Special pages
Niidae Wiki
Search
Search
Appearance
Create account
Log in
Personal tools
Create account
Log in
Pages for logged out editors
learn more
Contributions
Talk
Editing
Letcher County, Kentucky
(section)
Page
Discussion
English
Read
Edit
View history
Tools
Tools
move to sidebar
hide
Actions
Read
Edit
View history
General
What links here
Related changes
Page information
Appearance
move to sidebar
hide
Warning:
You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you
log in
or
create an account
, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
Anti-spam check. Do
not
fill this in!
=== Modern period === [[Harry M. Caudill]]'s 1963 book, ''[[Night Comes to the Cumberlands|Night Comes to the Cumberlands: A Biography of a Depressed Area]]'', brought the county to national attention. The [[CBS]] documentary ''Christmas in Appalachia'' (1964) hosted by [[Charles Kuralt]] also brought the nation's attention to Letcher County as citizens sent clothes and gifts in response to the conditions of those featured.<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 22, 1964 |title=TV Review; Stark Poverty of One Million Americans |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/12/22/archives/tv-review-stark-poverty-of-one-million-americans.html |access-date=February 5, 2023 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> [[File:Scotia mine disaster historical sign.jpg|left|thumb|207x207px|Scotia mine disaster historical sign]] On March 9, 1976, in the community of [[Oven Fork, Kentucky|Oven Fork]], an explosion caused by coal dust and gasses occurred at the [[Scotia Mine]], resulting in the deaths of 15 miners. Two days later another explosion occurred, killing 11 more miners. Investigators concluded that the explosions were caused by [[methane]] gases that were ignited by a spark caused by a battery-powered device. The accidents are often considered two of the worst mining disasters in U.S. history. The two explosions led to the passage of the [[Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Talbott |first=Tim |title=Scotia Mine Disaster |url=https://explorekyhistory.ky.gov/items/show/238 |access-date=May 23, 2023 |website=ExploreKYHistory |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Scotia Mine Explosion |url=https://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/saxsewell/scotia.htm |access-date=May 23, 2023 |website=usminedisasters.miningquiz.com |language=en}}</ref> In July–August 2022, [[July–August 2022 United States floods|floods]] came through Eastern Kentucky. A total of 45 people died,<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 14, 2023 |title=East Kentucky Flood |url=http://dailyyonder.com/east-kentucky-flood/ |access-date=May 23, 2023 |website=The Daily Yonder |language=en-US}}</ref> three of those deaths occurred in Letcher County. As a result of the floods, many people were left homeless.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 3, 2022 |title=The flood of 2022 |url=https://www.themountaineagle.com/articles/the-flood-of-2022/ |access-date=May 23, 2023 |website=The Mountain Eagle}}</ref> On September 19, 2024, then-County Sheriff Shawn Michael (Mickey) Stines was arrested for [[Killing of Kevin Mullins|shooting and killing District Judge Kevin Mullins]] in his chambers.
Summary:
Please note that all contributions to Niidae Wiki may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here.
You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see
Encyclopedia:Copyrights
for details).
Do not submit copyrighted work without permission!
Cancel
Editing help
(opens in new window)
Search
Search
Editing
Letcher County, Kentucky
(section)
Add topic