The life's blood of Lee County ran black in it's veins deep in the mountains. The life that pulsated throughout her revolved around keeping that blood pumping. You could hear her heartbeat in the rythmn of the picks and hammers of the men. From daylight to dark for fifty cents a day, most of the time on their knees, sometimes in water. Never seeing their families unless they got up before daybreak to have breakfast with Daddy. Walking miles to the job through any kind of weather. Coming home with black dust on their faces and black dust in their lungs.
Those men will always be in our memories, our hearts, our souls

Clipping from Powell Valley Newspaper. The picture was taken June 25, 1940 of the Day Shift, Trip #2. Names listed were from left to right.

Front row: Elmer Rogers, King Kelley, Willard Barker, Than Ely, Pig Wheeler, Tommy Cunningham, W. T. Richards, Hall Gilliam, Spence Burgan, Lenvill Dupee, Johnny Honeycutt, Faris Peas, Roy Miller.

Second row: Deak Miles, ______, _______, Hayes Brown, Caskal Baker, Hagan Baker, Bill Shell, Ellis Rogers, Fate Baker, Lloyd Garrett, Lee Ellis, Weasel Miller, _____, ______, and Charlie Baker.

Third row: Lester Redwine, ______. ______. ______. ______, Dale Clark, ______. ______. Earl Bailey, Andy Howard,Herb Welch, Emmit Haynes, Carl Wyte, Bob Sutton.

Fourth row: Lightning Beatty, Ott Vance, Pat Denton, Pat Gipson, ______, ______, Jim Risdin, Bob Wilson, Clifford Blair, Ray Parsons, Gate Depew, Jim Tempton, George Depew, Henry Cooper. The photo was submitted to the paper by George Depew.

(Can anyone identify the sixth man from the left on the 4th row? There is a good chance this may be Barton Baird. Would like to have confirmation.)