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If your father worked in the coal mines, chances are you remember his lunch or dinner bucket and the food that he brought to work. For many families, the extra food that was packed away in these dinner buckets was practical — it would be there just in case an accident happened.
Returning home safely meant miners could give those extra goodies to their children. They worked a lot, so taking as many moments as possible to say, “I love you,” was important.
It’s hard to explain if you don’t know what it’s like to see your father go off to work as a miner. Or what it’s like to find out one day that you won’t see him return home ever again.
It’s more than just the dinner bucket or the food that’s in it, it’s the love that comes with it. It’s our daddy that carried it, or our momma that kept it full of the things he left on the day he didn’t come home from work.
"It didn’t matter that he was always covered completely from head to toe in coal dirt. I’d jump up in Dad’s arms and I’d take his bucket because he always had leftovers for me."- Jennifer Alverez
This week’s episode of Inside Appalachia is dedicated to coal miner’s lunch buckets. One woman, Jennifer Alverez, shares her memories of her father’s lunch bucket. For Jennifer, remembering the food he took with him to work is another opportunity to remember her father.
And Caleb Johnson remembers his father’s lunchtime ritual of waking up in the late afternoon, and fixing a lunch to bring with him 2,000 feet underground.
We’ll also hear what happened to his family when his father had to hang up his lunch bucket.
Pepperoni Rolls
Pepperoni rolls have been called the unofficial food of West Virginia. Legend has it they were originally made for coal miners to take underground in their dinner buckets — because the cured pepperoni didn’t spoil. WVU Press is set to publish a new book about pepperoni rolls next year. Candace Nelson is the author, and she talks with us about her research into the origins of pepperoni rolls.
Last year, we visited the bakery that’s credited with inventing the pepperoni roll. From the Inside Appalachia archives, we’ll hear a taste of her visit.
What’s your favorite way to eat pepperoni rolls? Or if you’ve moved away, what do you do to satisfy your pepperoni roll cravings? Tell us your story on Twitter, @InAppalachia.
Music in today’s show was provided by Dinosaur Burps, Andy Agnew Jr., Ben Townsend, Blue Dot Sessions and Ralph Stanley II, with his song “Daddy’s Dinner Bucket”.
Our producer is Roxy Todd. Our editor is Jesse Wright. Our audio mixer is Zander Aloi.
This week, a Tennessee DJ takes us on a tour of Appalachian punk and metal. Also, Appalachian culture is enriched by its immigrants. We explore the fusion of West Virginia and Japan. And, Appalachia isn’t all punk rock and Japanese food. There’s also string band music.
Continue Reading Take Me to More NewsWriter Sheila McEntee has been observing nature for most of her life, especially birds. She’s published essays about her experiences in Stonecrop Review, Woods Reader and Wonderful West Virginia magazine. Several of these essays have been collected for McEntee’s first book. It’s titled, "Soul Friend: And Other Love Notes to the Natural World." Bill Lynch spoke with McEntee about writing and developing an interest in nature.
Continue Reading Take Me to More NewsOn this West Virginia Morning, despite heavy public opposition, the state Department of Environmental Protection has approved air quality and construction permits for an energy microgrid between the towns of Davis and Thomas in Canaan Valley. And, a six-year battle to prevent construction of a natural gas pipeline was lost.
Continue Reading Take Me to More NewsOn this West Virginia Morning, South Fork Coal – which had operations that were contested by numerous conservation groups – has idled its operations and furloughed its remaining employees. And, a little-known piece of Harpers Ferry’s storied history is getting some attention.
Continue Reading Take Me to More News
