Stories about Virginia’s rugged southwest mountain region extend back well before it was explored for the Ohio Land Company of Virginia in 1750.  The land was a much-sought-after Native American hunting ground with disparate tribes vying for control.  Between 1671 and 1685, the Cherokees succeeded in driving out the Xulans before being displaced themselves by the Confederacy of Six-Nations.  Warring parties of Cherokees and Shawnees continued to contest the area; this strife deterred European settlement.  The high, steep mountain terrain with its deep gorges was not hospitable to agriculture so those settlers who eventually ventured into the area were primarily hunters.

It wasn’t until the discovery of bituminous coal in 1879 that the region realized any significant economic prosperity.  To haul coal and lumber two railroads, the Louisville and Nashville and the South Atlantic and Ohio railroads, developed lines that extended to Big Stone Gap. One of the most significant towns to grow up along the tracks was Big Stone Gap.  The early and boom years of the coal rush are explored in Southwest Virginia Museum’s main gallery.   Attention is given to what was the crowning moment of the boom years, the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough, who were considering investing in the region’s iron ore.  This was the height of the drive to make this community the “Pittsburgh of the South,” but the fact that the iron ore was not of the quality needed and the country-wide Panic of 1893 ended the dream.  But not before this mining revolution brought hotels, banks, schools, a newspaper and a number of impressive Victorian houses in the section of town called Poplar Hill.

The museum is located in one of these houses, built in the 1880s by Rufus Ayers, who owned iron and coal mines in the area.  Ayers served as Attorney General of Virginia from 1886 to 1890.  It took seven years to build this limestone and sandstone mansion; no expensive was spared.  You’ll note that the floor boards were laid thin side up, making an interesting pattern and indicating an availability of lumber unheard of in other areas.  The house was eventually purchased by C. Bascom Slemp, VMI graduate,  eight times member of the U.S. Congress and the private secretary to President Calvin Coolidge.  Slemp wanted a museum in the house that would depict life in southwest Virginia.  The collection amassed by Slemp and his sister, Jane, form the nucleus of the museum’s exhibits.

The mansion’s second floor has galleries that tell the story of Big Stone Gap residents at the turn of the century.  One way this mountain region stayed in touch with current fashion was through mail order catalog.  The Sears catalog which, as you can see in the exhibit, grew from one page in 1872 to 1,036 pages in 1899, kept residents supplied with the latest merchandise.   A selection of these items is displayed: a sewing machine, baby carriage, gold clubs, sled, fan and gramophone as well as clothes and personal memorabilia.  There are many items associated with C. Bascom Slemp, including those he acquired during his travels.

The third floor galleries move back in time to early exploration and settlement.  You’ll learn about the Wilderness Road that Daniel Boone blazed through the Cumberland Gap (see Cumberland Gap National Historical Park).  Less well-known was Dr. Thomas Walker, who explored a passageway through the Western Appalachians.  Native American artifacts, hunting rifles, settlers tools, a Conestoga wagon, basic household items, quilt patterns and a multitude of other exhibits tell the story of the early days.

The Southwest Virginia Museum is open Memorial Day to Labor Day, Monday through Thursday 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M., Friday 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M., Saturday 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. and Sunday 1:00 to 5:00 P.M.  At other times of the year, the museum is closed on Monday as well as major holidays.  It is closed entirely during January and February.  Admission is charged.  The museum has a shop with Victorian-era items as well as locally made crafts.