Historic Pocahontas Incorporated hosts annual luminary memorial for fallen miners

POCAHONTAS, Va. (WVVA) - A Virginia community is honoring lives lost more than a century ago to a mine disaster.

In Pocahontas “Historic Pocahontas Incorporated,” a local non-profit, is helping the town remember 114 miners who fell victim to a massive mine explosion on this day in 1884.

Last night at the Pocahontas cemetery the group placed luminary bags around the grounds inscribed with the names of those fallen miners.

Those involved say this effort is an important tradition that needs to be preserved by future generations.

Missy Gibson, Historic Pocahontas Incorporated’s secretary said, “We don’t want our youth to forget their heritage and what started our town and where they come from.”

This tradition began back in the 1970s, with this year marking the 139th anniversary of the explosion.

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