NELSONVILLE, Ohio — The Little Cities of Black Diamonds will host its 31st annual Little Cities Day in Nelsonville on Saturday, Sept. 6 at Stuart’s Opera House, 52 Public Square, Nelsonville, Ohio 45764. The event is free and open to the public.
The Little Cities of Black Diamonds was founded in 1990 with the mission to develop southern Perry County. The organization now preserves the stories and traditions of the Black Diamond region — Southeast Ohio communities whose economies were once historically based upon coal mining.
According to the Little Cities of Black Diamonds website, this year’s Little Cities Day takes place in Nelsonville, Ohio — the first “Little City of Black Diamonds.” The site said Nelsonville is the first Little City that has a documented instance of commercial coal in the region.
Little Cities Day runs from 10:30 a.m to 5 p.m. and will feature live music, presentations and an exhibition hall that showcases local history.
“The goal of what we do is find ways to bring people together who live in these communities but who might not know the full story of our history and give them opportunities to hear parts of that story,” said Little Cities Vice President Kellye Blosser.
The theme of this year’s Little Cities Day is “More to Be Told.” Blosser said this theme reflects how the stories of these little cities have more to be said than just one simple narrative.
“Most of our stories are through oral tradition, and so that’s how it became ‘More to be Told,’ instead of ‘More to Be Written,’” Blosser said. “The concept of it was just digging into the things that aren’t a part of the history books, aren’t a part of the ‘canon,’ if you will, of our history, but that are the untold stories.”
Likewise, Little Cities of Black Diamonds President Tyler McDaniel said the organization is dedicated to the stories that exist within these little cities.
“We take it very seriously that we’re the caretakers of these stories,” McDaniel said. [Little Cities Day is] a place that people can come to get these stories and histories, and traditions.”
Little Cities Day will host speakers who will dive into the stories of the little cities through artistic methods, interpretations, research and preserved cultural artifacts. The lineup includes McDaniel and:
- Brian Koscho, creator of the Invisible Ground history podcast.
- Cameron Blosser, who will reenact life as a coal miner.
- Amanda Flowers, who is the executive assistant for the Tablertown People of Color Museum.
- Chris Wilson and Scott Moore, who will present their research of the industrial history of southeast Ohio.
Blosser said it is remarkable to be able to see the change that people have had since they’ve seen and heard the stories of the Little Cities region.
“It’s a privilege to be able to see those connections being made and be part of a community of storytellers that is helping with that,” Blosser said. “It’s a part of the process of healing in a lot of these communities. It’s part of the process of gaining our confidence and our sense of self worth. It’s really incredible to do this work and to see it start to have an impact on the community.”
For more information regarding Little Cities Day and the Little Cities of Black Diamonds, visit its website.
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