WEST VIRGINIA: Touring Rural Towns In One Of The Poorest States

Born and raised there but left in ‘70. The people are kind and generous overall, very polite. The mountains are beautiful. Unfortunately there are very few jobs, the railroads, coal companies, DuPont and Union Carbide and other chemical companies are a lesser influence now. Often these employers left behind a poisoned and ruined ground, rivers and even drinking water which made for many EPA clean up sites. The poverty can be very crippling and sadly too many younger generation have fallen into drug addiction ( the pharmaceutical companies flooded small West Virginia towns with enough pain medication to treat 30% of the world it seemed) and you have addicts who have to commit crimes to afford their addiction. Very sad to me. I loved my youth there, it really is a unique and can be a fabulous place.

I'm a Yankee & drove big trucks all over the country. I always loved West Virginia. It's a beautiful state & the folks are the friendliest & nicest people you'd ever want to meet.

The town of Grafton is the home of Mother's Day. It was started there by a woman named Anna Jarvis. There is a museum and a school there in her name. It was also once a major hub for the B&O Railroad. That building you stopped at with the broken lamp globes was the passenger station where the used to board from 1911 to 1960.

I don't know where you're from but you haven't seen rough or narrow roads and yes our fire hydrant work. The North central counties aren't rural for WV, head down to the southern part of the state. I've been here for 56 years and there are places you don't go unless you're invited. Glad to have visitors, so thanks for stopping by.

No HOA here as he passes what looks like the wrong turn😂😂😂👏👏👏 good one man had me rolling

I live in WV and love it. We are poor compared to other states however the people are friendly and I never feel afraid. I love being surrounded by mountains and rivers. We go 4x4 riding, kayaking, camping and sit on the porch. That's about it!!

Too long? There's no such thing as too long. I love these videos, they're so peaceful. Unless you're getting tired of filming, which I can understand.

I turned on Utube and was shocked to see the road that leads to my family’s home place! You passed the home my mother was born and raised in. Over 100 years ago my grandfather owned much of the land off the road in your opening shot! My parents lived there until they passed. Mother last in 2018. I moved back a few years to be with her after my husband died. WV holds my hearts fondest memories. I live in the big city now near my adult children 550 miles south. It’s far too sad how neglected WV has been treated from the start. You saw evidence of severe flooding on your route. But you saw little evidence of solid employment.

This is a man after my own heart. He loves the little things, the old things, even scary and confusing things. Love your passion brother. We're kindred spirits.

I'm a new fan. Lot's of folks try to make these kinds of videos but they often just don't work. Yours really do. After a long day they're relaxing and your calm narrative and curiosity to view abandoned homes with their untold stories which we can only imagine along with you hits all the right notes. Nice blend.

West Virginia is a beautiful mountainous state with great scenery. I miss driving through that state.

🎶🎼"West Virginia.. Mountain MaMa, Take me home country road"🎼🎶 The buildings and the homes are massive in that State. Oh my God, I couldn't believe how tall they were.

Wow, what a gorgeous day for sightseeing beautiful countryside! This is the kind of video I love to watch after a stressful day working. I just hop in the car with Joe and he takes me on a relaxing trip away from all that for a while. Thanks, Joe!

New follower(started today😁). I've lived in WV most of my life. Our state is usually talked down upon, belittled or the star of a demeaning & crude joke. I absolutely love your approach and appreciation for its rural beauty and its uniqueness. I will absolutely be doing a deep dive into your content so that the exposure I get off each new town throughout our beautiful country, will be absolutely a positive experience. I feel like you'd be an excellent person to get to know.

I live here in WV born and raised. I always said I live in an ant hole, what I mean by that is mountains all around me. This state is absolutely beautiful!

I'm from West Virginia and have been in this area . I want to thank you for all the positive comments about the state . Most people want to put it down !

Quiet, peaceful, beautiful. This is what the countryside looks like and a place I wouldn't mind spending my twilight years

I've never even heard of Grafton WV until this video but it's honestly one of the most beautiful towns I've seen. Love the narrow streets and the big, beautiful old homes built into the mountains. The old architecture downtown is spectacular also!

Although I've moved on ,.WV will always be home ! Miss it ! Don't miss the snow . But West Virginians are my people ! ♥️🇩🇴

From a fellow flatlander to another. These areas are truly amazing and unfortunately most are forgotten since their heyday is long gone. I moved to SW PA from along the gulf coast of Louisiana. What a difference between the two! But I'll say I fell in love with the areas and their residents. These are some of the most efficient and resilient peoples who have made the most with next to nothing. They live quite the symbiotic life with the land, which to me is amazing. You should look into when they do their festivals and or markets. The variety of fresh foods and canned foods that they know how to make and can sell is great! Being here has taught me so much!