This is the Fourth in a series exploring once-thriving Appalachian towns left behind by shifting energy markets and changing times. One of the most telling monuments to the evolution of education in Eastern Kentucky is the old M.C. Napier High School, perched by the North Fork of the Kentucky River in Hazard.

This is the First in a series exploring once-thriving Appalachian towns left behind by shifting energy markets and changing times. Perched along U.S. Highway 421 near the north end of Harlan, Kentucky, the Jones Motel once beckoned travelers with a neon sign, a small hillside swimming pool, and the promise of a cozy night’s rest according to several posts in the ‘I Grew Up in Harlan’ facebook group.

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.