HIllbilly Highway

Over the past week and a half I have spent a lot of time on I77 between Wythville, Va and Beckley and Charleston, WV. It's a beautiful stretch of interstate, weaving through the mountains of both states. On this drive there are even a couple of tunnels close to the border of WV and VA. The first (as you are driving south) is the East River Mountain tunnel, which is about 3 miles long. The area is so mountainous that when building the interstate system they had to blast through the mountain rather than moving the road around it. The second tunnel is literally on the border, the Walker Mountain tunnel, which is also about 3 miles long. As you are going south you enter the tunnel in WV, and exit in VA. Again, I suppose it was more feasible to go through the mountain rather than around it.

Anyway, as I am driving back to Ferrum, south on I77, I notice many cars with WV and NC license plates, particularly on Sunday. Most of these cars belong to West Virginians, and former West Virginias who have migrated to NC, primarily in the Charlotte area. There is a large diaspora of West Virginians there, and I 77 is now called the "hillbilly highway." While traveling I've noticed that most of the cars are loaded to the gills, reminiscent of students traveling back and forth from school. Instead, these are "hillbillies" visiting home on the weekend, and then traveling back to their new, adopted homes. Other people have noted this phenomona, particularly people who live in North Carolina. They tell me there seems to be more West Virginians in certain areas of North Carolina now than N. Carolinians.

This so called "hillbilly highway" has changed over time. Once, in the 40's, 50's or 60's interstate and road systems going to Detroit where called the "hillbilly highway" as large numbers of central Appalachian residents move there to work in the car industry, and other manufacturing centers. Also, there were roads leading to Akron, OH labeled "hillbilly highways" because of a similar phenomona there. I once heard a joke: what is the capital of West Virgina"? The answer: "Akron, OH."

Today, the capital of WV seems to be Charlotte, NC. I'm not sure what industries are attracting people there, but they are going- in droves- yet still maintaining those connections to home and place. West Virginians, like other people in some parts of the country, and I suppose, the world, are very tied to home and place.

I have a neice who moved to NC, and lived there for a few years until she became too homesick, and wanted to be closer to family in WV. She has since moved back to WV, and now lives in an exclusive, gated community in the Beckley area, but that's another story entirely.

I'll be back on the hillbilly highway tomorrow, weaving my way through mountain tunnels, navigating through streams of cars with WV and NC license plates, thinking of home and place . . . . .

jb