Stonega, Virginia

A quintessential coal-mining town, Stonega’s tucked all the way into the westernmost corner of Virginia, right next to Stone Gap, which lets you pass through the mountains to Kentucky. Nestled in a hollow between hills and woods, the town’s got all the necessities, provided by the Crimson Coal & Coke Company, including one- and two-story houses in rows, a commissary (company store), a schoolhouse, a well-equipped hospital, the Stonega Roman Catholic Church, and a rather large cemetery. For a coal-mining town, it’s got quite a lot to boast about, but one thing rises above all others: a two-story community center and theater. One that not only shows the latest movie releases but hosts live performances as well. Here is where everything good happens in this little town. Dances, community theater, pie-eating contests, first kisses, spinning circles, and just about everything else you can think of. For the most part, Stonega’s a safe little town, or as safe as a town can be that’s built on the brokeback spine of coal-mining land. Of course, it’s got the usual fights, hardships, and mining injuries and deaths, but for the most part people here watch out for each other all right and do their best to take good care.