Hello everyone, it's me again and we continue to explore the amazing and beautiful state of West Virginia. Today I want to move away from the natural beauty and tell a rather sad story associated with coal and how its extraction affected these wild mountain places. I will tell you about the city of Welch, once so rich and prosperous that it was called "Little New York". A city that was full of people and cars and was the cultural and economic center of this region. A city that was once full of life and hopes for a brighter future. Now this is a place from which people are fleeing and where even Walmart has closed, and the city center looks like a set for a movie about the impending apocalypse. How it all began here, how people lived, how the city developed, how everything began to die and why, in the end, most of the residents left Welch. This is what my story is about today. I'll start with a really weird motel I stayed in the night before, and then I'll talk about the city itself. As always, a HUGE thank you for your support! ______________________________________________________ Support my journey through the US, become a channel sponsor, and get access to exclusive perks. Monthly subscription to the Boosty platform (great for ruble cards). https://www.boosty.to/samsebeskazal and Patreon - / samsebeskazal Subscription to YouTube - / @samsebeskazaldenis One-time donation on my website (accepts PayPal, credit cards, and crypto) - https://samsebeskazal.com/supportme/ Extended versions with longer durations and special videos that aren't on YouTube are released for subscribers. A huge thank you to everyone who helps and supports the channel! This video was released thanks to you! Thanks to everyone who watches, likes, and comments! ______________________________________________________ T-shirts, mugs and other merch here: https://samsebeskazal.com/store/ Equipment I shoot with: Main camera: https://amzn.to/3B5mwPZ Lens: https://amzn.to/3B854dy Old (spare) camera: https://amzn.to/3VPIn7K Camera (Street video and video from the car): https://amzn.to/3nGjz5n Camera (Video from the car): https://amzn.to/3M4kaai Camera (Street video): https://amzn.to/3HQR3VH Camera (Phone): https://amzn.to/44JaWHN Stabilizer: https://amzn.to/44DKEH3 Drone: https://amzn.to/3B84o8i Outdoor microphones: https://amzn.to/3M5WzGb Studio microphone: https://amzn.to/3pjFnUV Laptop: https://amzn.to/42mZEYs Full list: https://gd.is/sbskzl ______________________________________________________ Timestamps: 00:00 What's in this video 01:07 Morning in a strange motel 03:03 First emotions from getting to know the city 04:45 Driving to downtown Welch 06:01 History of the city: how Welch became Little New York 10:13 The murder of Sid Hatfield as the main event in the history of the city 15:36 The rise and fall of the city 19:09 Ed Shepard's gas station 20:44 Income level of local residents 21:54 Consequences of the decline in coal mining 24:25 Everything is closed and abandoned. The city continues to die. 36:13 How much can you buy a 6-story building in the center for (I'm shocked) 37:23 The first municipal parking lot in the USA 39:50 I keep going, but the city doesn't change 50:25 What other areas look like 58:09 Top channel donors