Glen Rogers, West Virginia

IF you can do the drive over the snake called Bolt mountain, you can get to Glen Rogers, West Virginia. Its located in Wyoming County. At its height as a coal town, it was a model. In fact, despite its remote location, Glen Rogers boasted a Hotel/Boarding House, an Amusement hall, an ENORMOUS Company Store and a HUGE population of people, to occupy this place.  I actually took the time to take a walk through the 3 story "hotel".

There is no hiding the vandalism. It provides a glimpse into 2 worlds: what the past was and how we currently deal with that past.

Despite the fact of intent to destroy these places, they are strong statements about what we were and what we have become. The welcoming seen of a fireplace is not lost....This place is not a sarcastic welcome, or a morbid hello. This is a place that was meant to make you take rest, take time to look and above all ask questions.........

The Glen Rogers Company Store is hiding, in plain sight, a huge structure burned by fire. The brick walls and twisted steel insides tell you this was a place of work. They worked and died...How did they do that in this place?

Front Facade, Glen Rogers Company Store

Why the fire, why the loss of interest, why did they go in such a hurry, or at least, why was I so late to come by and look?

Inside Store

The Amusement Hall is...ALL PLAYED OUT..

Front of Glen Rogers Amusement Hall

We can still look through the window. We can still ask, what did they see and know? We share the same view....

It is YET ANOTHER example of a coal town written so large that makes the average person stop.........and look...... I see shapes of what was there. The energy and people who made this place great. I want to meet them.

Fire did claim the store, and the heat melted its window frames....what a loss, but I also think, can you imagine what it was?

Nature will win, BUT I can take a piece of time and see what it was....