Kelly's Creek Chronicles: The Illustrated Diary of James Alexander Jones, a West Virginia Coalminer, 1870-1939 [Paperback]

William Roosevelt Hudnall (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 31, 2005

James "Jimmie" Alexander Jones, coalminer, kept a diary for 70 years. As a boy he watched the Yankees burn Richmond then migrated to the 'new' West Virginia. Jimmie's diary of over 14,000 entries took four years to evaluate and about 2,000 were used in the book. Over 100 photographs and drawings complement the diary entries and the author has added scholarly and authoritative sources to validate Jimmie's observations. Jimmie observed the daily life of a coalmining community of the late 19th and early 20 centuries and kept abreast of the conflicts between management and labor during that period. Jimmie was an inventor, farmer, sportsman, budding artist and recorded historical moments in the era in wich he lived. The book is a great genealogical source with names of people whom Jimmie knew over the 70 year span. Jimmie was a gifted coalminer.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Hudnall uses carefully researched explanations of diary excerpts as a springboard for a narrative of the times of Jimmie Jones" --Sandy Wells, Sandy on Sunday, Sunday Gazette Mail (WV), Sept 4, 2005

About the Author

Frank, or sometimes, Bill Hudnall was born and raised on Kelly's Creek, Kanawha County. He graduated from Kent State University (B.S.) and Monmouth University (M.S.) and retired as an Army Lieutenant Colonel. He served in Vietnam, Iran and West Berlin and holds the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service and Commendation Medals, among others. An Army Ranger, he owned and operated a used and rare book store in Norfolk, Virginia. He was employed at the University of Virginia but is now fully reitired to rural Virginia. He lives with his Kelly's Creek wife, Naomi Gail Connard, in Buckingham County. Their three children, Melanie,Penni and Rebecca, also live and work in Virginia. They have three grandchildren. His first published book is titled THREE CONFEDERATES FROM KANAWHA COUNTY.

Product Details

• Paperback: 220 pages
• Publisher: Kelly's Creek Publishers; 1st edition (August 31, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0971112916
• ISBN-13: 978-0971112919
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,026,265 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Writer's Digest Judge's 2006 Commentary, January 19, 2007

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Kellys Creek Publishers "Mammoth Books" (Virginia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Kelly's Creek Chronicles: The Illustrated Diary of James Alexander Jones, a West Virginia Coalminer, 1870-1939 (Paperback)

COMMENTS FROM WRITER'S DIGEST: "This book was truly original in content and format, and in that regard sets itself apart in the nonfiction category. The story of James Alexander Jones certainly will be unknown to most readers, yet we found the colection accessible and entertaining--a great piece of Americana. The photographs supplement the entries well and add to the historical character of the collection as a whole. The author researched the subject superbly and constructed a delightful experience for even the casual reader. Overall, an engaging and somewhat quirky read."