The 1895 Flat Top Coal Strike

From Stories of Appalachia by Steve Gilly, Rod Mullins

April 4, 2026

About this episode

This episode recounts the 1895 Flat Top Coal Strike, one of the earliest large-scale labor confrontations in Appalachia.

In the spring of 1895, a sudden wage cut swept through the Flat Top-Pocahontas coal fields along the Virginia/West Virginia border, touching off one of the earliest large-scale labor confrontations in that part of Appalachia. What began as a wildcat strike quickly shut down mines along the Norfolk and Western Railroad, disrupted coal shipments to Norfolk, and brought state militia into the company town of Pocahontas. Today we tell the story of the Flat Top miners’ strike of 1895. If you enjoy our stories of Appalachian history and folklore, subscribe to the Stories podcast and follow the show wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Consider becoming a supporter of the Stories podcast as well, at spreaker.com. You’ll get an ad-free feed of our stories along with lots of extra audio! Thanks for listening.

People in this episode

Hosts: Steve Gilly, Rod Mullins

Topics covered

labor history
Appalachian history
coal mining
strikes
19th century
economic conflict

Keywords

Flat Top Coal Strike
labor confrontation
Appalachia
coal fields
wage cut
wildcat strike
state militia
Pocahontas
Norfolk and Western Railroad

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Norfolk and Western Railroad

Places: Virginia, West Virginia, Pocahontas