This is the Second in a series exploring once-thriving Appalachian towns left behind by shifting energy markets and changing times. High on Pine Mountain’s crest in eastern Kentucky, a rusted steel skeleton stands watch over the ridges: the Beschman Lookout Tower, better known by its local name — the Putney Fire Tower.

This is the Third in a series exploring once-thriving Appalachian towns left behind by shifting energy markets and changing times. Introduction Deep in the hills of eastern Kentucky, the Bledsoe Mining Company (formally known as Bledsoe Coal Corporation) once thrived as a cornerstone of the local economy.