Murray City

A visual journey through an old mining village divided by counties and united by values.

Along the southeastern border of Ohio lies the beginning of Appalachia, a region that spans 205,000 square miles and encompasses the Appalachian Mountains from Southern New York to Virginia. To some, it is known as a forgotten land, a historic region with a once booming coal economy that fueled the production and innovation of the United States. As coal companies dwindled, the vibrant and culturally rich towns in the region did as well. Economies plummeted, people moved to cities for greater opportunities and economic decay began to shape the image of the entire region. Those who lived through Appalachia’s brightest times are thin and few these days. However, the United States coal culture lives on resiliently through the generations that reside in the hills. The world has seemingly moved on without these old mining towns, but to the locals in villages like Murray City, they are regarded with esteem and dignity as the Little Cities of the Black Diamonds.

Murray City is a historic coal village nestled within the rolling hills of the Hocking Valley on the eastern portion of Ward Township. Plated in 1873, and incorporated in 1891, it was named after Murray Brown from Somerset, Ohio, its founder who established the town when he saw opportunity in the rising coal industry. The village resides in the heart of the Hocking Valley coalfields. Its early inhabitants were European Americans and Eastern-European immigrants. At its peak, the village was home to over 2,000 people who worked the mines and local businesses. The two major mines that occupied Murray City were Greendale’s Coal Mine No. 07 north of the village near Salem’s Hollow, and Sunday Creek Coal Co. Minie No. 05, right under Murray City Park. Murray was regarded as a Coal Mining Union stronghold and a trading hub for the region, later embodying the prosperity of the coal mining industry during the turn of the century. In 1937, the last mine in Murray City shut down and the village began to experience a steady decline in population and economic downturn. As of 2020, the village has roughly 450 residents and only a handful of small businesses. Murray’s environment makes it a picturesque landscape surrounded by rich vegetation and steep inclines, creating a geographically isolated village within the hills. Its location creates a junction point of three major cities in the valley — Nelsonville, New Straitsville and Glouster. Historically, the Murray City Train Depot was the only access point via the Hocking Valley Railway, carrying coal and people out of the town. The railway was so essential that in 1901 when the Hocking River flooded the village, the damage temporarily cut off transport, ceasing all communication outside of the village and threatening its population with temporary famine. Today, the village exists only as a shell of the prosperous mining town it once was, but pushes forward as a thriving community of value-driven citizens. For that reason alone, Murray remains rich.

You are either an insider or an outsider in Murray City. There are the “wannabes,” who try to act like they are from Murray, those who are “Murraied in” through marriage, but you have to be born inside Murray City to be from Murray City. Aside from divisions of genealogy and place of birth, Murray is also literally divided by the Athens and Hocking county line. To some, if you are born on the Athens side, you are not from Murray City. Those who have the title of being from Murray or have lived there long enough to be considered a local, are usually accompanied by a nickname. Beyond the technicalities of origin, the village is united under an overwhelming bond of community and compassion. Although it will never be drawn on the map, the greater community of Murray City extends to all reaches of the village, up into the hills and hollows. To this day, residents of Murray City perceive it as a place where those who live there take care of each other. “I can get so drunk up here or downstairs (The Eagles or The American Legion) and I can walk home,” said Tim “My Cycloptic Friend” McDonald, trustee of The Eagles. If anything happens, whether it’s a fight or an emergency, if they are from Murray, the village will set aside differences to protect their kin. Murray City’s population is overwhelmingly elderly. A division exists between the young and the old, a conflict tinged with nostalgia for a better time and an unwillingness to adapt to the demands of the future. Some youth are disdained because of age and values, and some because of drugs and crime. On the other hand, younger generations yearn for opportunity in a village where there is so little. What ostensibly seems to be true is that there is nothing to do in Murray but drink, smoke and repeat. Yet, the true beating heart of the village lies within the community interactions that are beyond the apparent facade of the old mining town. Almost everyone in the village knows each other, and if they do not, they know someone who does. No matter how far people venture from Murray City, there is something special that tends to draw them back to home.

Like many villages in the region, Murray City shared the same ill-fate of economic decline after the mines were stripped of all their coal. Hearing that there is nothing to do in Murray is a common grievance tinged with an unfortunate amount of truth. Those who grew up in a thriving and prosperous village and those who grow up in its shadow may never see their home in the same light as each other. Murray is a fragment of what it once was, with vacant storefronts and a peaceful stillness throughout the streets. The village once had its own TV station that would broadcast ball games from a tower atop the eastern hill. It’s two newspapers would report on daily life in the coal mines and the community. Murray was once home to a plethora of general stores, doctors’ offices, banks and even a professional football team, The Murray City Tigers, which made it into the Canton Football Hall of Fame. At one time it was said that bars outnumbered churches 23 to 2 — now only two bars remain. Religion is an aspect of life that residents long for in the village. There are only a handful of churches that remain standing, but no sermons take place within them. Private Bible studies sometimes take place in homes, but are not well known throughout the community. Those who frequent the two bars in Murray do so almost daily. They are the only hubs of entertainment and means to pass time; they serve as a display of resiliency for the prosperity the village once had. Gossip, news, friendship and comradery can all be found in The Eagles club or The American Legion bar. It is an atmosphere where the same people can always be found sitting in the same bar stool. Those who grew up in Murray during its heyday have fond memories of what they believe was the best place in the world to grow up in. It was a thriving community with out-of-towners frequently visiting for the nightlife and business. With the passage of time, all that remains are the memories.

The culture of Murray is defined by the village’s connection to the land beneath. Murray’s identity, economics and politics are a culmination of trials and tribulations that the village has faced, especially over the past century. The history creates a kinship where families can trace their lineage to the very beginning of the village, making the ideas of land, home and community seem synonymous with self identity. Tim McDonald describes the community as “good people,” ones who will take care of each other, but almost in a cultish way. Although the village’s identity on paper may appear to be divisive and isolated from an outsider’s perspective, Murray’s community is expansive and welcoming. This is best understood in its relationship with Smoke Rise Ranch. The two communities are worlds apart in culture and lifestyle. One is old coal town America and the other is Western ranch life. The Ranch is located just up the Murray City hill, on 2,000 acres of privately owned land. Coming into the ranch, the smell of campfire and horses is accompanied by the sight of men in cowboy hats chewing tobacco. Despite their apparent differences, the two communities have grown closer, supporting one another through tough times. Jake Davis, a resident of Smoke Rise Ranch, feels confident that if anyone down in Murray needed help, they would be there immediately, and believes they would do the same. Through time, the bonds between the two communities grew stronger. Those who grew up in Smoke Rise went to school with the kids in Murray City. Both communities know one another by name and it is not abnormal to see people from Smoke Rise ride down the hill, hitch their horses at The American Legion then proceed to drink and dance into the night. Out-of-towners come to Smoke Rise often, and Smoke Rise does its part by bringing them into town to spend money. Both communities will be quick to point out that they are exclusive from one another, yet their interactions tell a different story. This sense of unspoken friendship is something that plays out through all aspects of life in Murray City, helping to bridge the divisions within this land.

Despite the absence of Murray City’s once-thriving coal economy, its history can be observed through the environmental contamination of the Snow Fork creek. Murray is divided by the Snow Fork which is a tributary to Monday Creek and eventually the Hocking River. The creek water is noticeably orange due to iron oxidation from acid leftover from mining seeping into thewater. Some locals overlook the environmental impact the oxidation has downriver, telling stories of the water’s ability to be a natural poison ivy remedy. Water pollution in the village is further exacerbated by Murray not having a working sewer system. Many houses along the Snow Fork drain their sewage directly into the water, where residents claim that the acid runoff neutralizes the sewage. A point of contention within the village’s politics is the cost and benefit of actually building the sewer. The EPA has been pushing unsewered villages in the region to address the environmental contamination to the local watershed. Construction would cost around $5 million to connect to Nelsonville’s treatment plant and would be shouldered by its population of around 450 people. The village has received grant funding to alleviate the cost on its residents, part of a $17 million fund to address regional sewage issues.However, some residents fear that the funding may not suffice due to the undetermined total cost of construction. In other words, residents are forced to agree to a blank check in construction. Despite its cost, the sewer system offers a chance for new economic opportunities inMurray City. No new businesses can be constructed until the properties have access to the sewer system according to building code regulations. However, It is still unknown whether the economic and environmental benefits are worth the initial cost. Additionally, talk of water payments further polarizes the argument because of Murray’s division between Athens and Hocking County lines, as residents fear that plugging into the sewer would raise monthly water expenses.

The immediate politics of the sewer construction further manifest in the social divisions within Murray’s community. The issue remains highly contentious as it fringes upon a dilemma of a pre-established way of life that works for some, and a necessary financial risk that must be taken for long term sustainability. Those who are opposed feel as if the EPA has come in and created further economic strain on an already suffering community. Hopefuls see the sewer system as a saving grace to rebuild Murray’s economy, bringing back at least some of the business to the village. As of now, no plans have been made because of the immediate economic hurdle of the project. What hurts Murray City is an absence of a strong economy. A lot of people pass through Murray City but there is very little reason for any of them to stop. People are forced to find jobs outside of town due to the lack of opportunity and the jobs that do remain are limited to the two bars, a hair salon and the post office. One of the main buildings in town is the Brown Funeral home, but even that business is conducted out of the other two offices in Nelsonville and Logan. Those who have jobs tend to commute to larger towns that already have established economies. Events at The American Legion, such as queen of hearts, live performances and dance nights are a way of bringing outside money into the community; but that only profits a small group of people. Gambling also brings in money, but the winnings do not always go to the pockets of a Murray City resident. What locals miss is the local takeout and drug store, allowing residents to simply walk down the street for a bite to eat or a few groceries. Locals joke that during the summer when the pop machine in town is filled, elder folk line up with bags to purchase all the sodas. The American Legion attempts to fill this void as the only local business that serves food. Any major supplies must be obtained outside of Murray City. The lack of commerce exacerbates problems within the community and social atmosphere. With not much to do and no effective way to build an income, people are left to themselves in either isolation or daily routines. Age, wealth, politics and geography become postings of division in an otherwise collective dilemma.

Where Murray City lacks in its structured economy, it makes up for in community hubs. Wendy Mitchel jokingly refers to it as a “beer barter system,” where alcohol is the local currency. Ironically, the lack of prosperity that divides the community has also formed stronger and more intimate bonds through resiliency. Local’s who are craftsmen, skilled laborers or work in a specific trade, set up shop in their own homes to provide necessary services to the community. The rates reflect the income of the surrounding area as not to price gouge locals. The sense of communal altruism plays a great role in how Murray functions as a society. From the local volunteer fire department to citizens giving a helping hand when needed, people inevitably come together to solve personal and communal problems. One such instance is the efforts of John “Fuzzy” England. By raising money through raffles and donations, he creates opportunities to take the children of Murray on field trips to places like the zoo and Washington D.C. Moreover, he is one of many personalities within Murray City that takes on an unofficial leadership role within the community. Community lunches at the municipal building are a method to give back to the older folk. Easter egg hunts, fourth of July fireworks and the Smoke Rise Train Robbery are seasonal events that residents look forward to every year. Murray City is packed full of local quirks, such as calling the two local police officers the “unofficial taxi service,” a creek that locals run four-wheelers through called the “car wash,” and the village referring to themselves as, “The Murray City Mafia.” The hubs that bring Murray City together are not surface level. Driving through town, one would never suspect Murray to have a gym, a garage, a motocross track in the hills or a hair salon. The underground gathering spots exist through grass-root efforts by locals, and emphasize that Murray City residents perceive themselves as one giant family.

Walking through the streets of the village, unused buildings and vacant storefronts stand as relics of the past. The old school, which every person who grew up in Murray City since the early 1900’s studied in, barely stands. The building support structure is starting to cave in, and one of the locals’ fondest memories is on its last leg. As cars pass through the village, they slow down at the S curve located in between the upper and lower sections of Murray. At time’s the streets are packed with cars during community events, and sometimes the peaceful silence fills the air. The old mining museum that brought tourists into the town is no longer open. The train museum where the old station stands is locked except upon request. A plack that describes Murray’s coal history lays in the park, and the entrance of the mine shafts are bordered up, but still visible. Symbols of a distant but not long forgotten time can be found all over Murray City. The solar panels that stand in the park, installed by a COAD grant project, reflect the passage of time and the inevitable demise of coal villages like Murray. As nostalgia fills the hearts of those who grew up in a different Murray City than the one that stands today, the beating heart of the Murray City tigers and values that made this village special will not fade...

The future of Murray City is undetermined; yet, its history is everlasting, kept alive through its community, its families, and the love between its fellow man, woman, and land.