Rekindling the Past and Keeping Hope Alive with Cat and Pat in Dante, Virginia

Episode 13 Description

Joined with two incredible women of Dante, Virginia, Christine shares a lively conversation with Pat Gibson and Catherine Pratt. Sharing about their upbringing in Dante and reminiscing about the past, Pat and Cat share their passion for revitalizing the community-oriented town of Dante. Learn about the optimism it takes to rekindle the past for the youth of tomorrow, finding hope in others’ success, and the value of community. Welcome to another episode of the Collective Resilience: We Rise Podcast! 

Catherine Pratt was born and raised in Dante, Virginia, coming from a family of coal miners. In 2004, she helped create the nonprofit, Dante Lives On, which led to the creation of the Dante Coal Mining and Railroad Museum. She is now the Treasurer of the Dante Community Association.

Pat Gibson was born in Dante, but grew up in the town of Castlewood. Moving back to Dante in 1975, she is now the Chair of the Dante Community Association. With a passion to see Dante revitalized, she has her own vision of turning her home into a bed and breakfast for travelers.

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Episode 13 Show Notes

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Key takeaways

Rekindling the past for the youth of tomorrow

Dante is a small community tucked away in the mountains of southwest Virginia, once a booming coal town. As business shifted away from the coal industry, Dante struggled to maintain the once well-kept community. Forming the Dante Community Association four years ago was an important step in making progress to restore the town and its natural beauty. Pat Gibson is the chair of the organization, while Cat Pratt is the Treasurer.

When initially sharing their vision for Dante, they experienced pushback from the community, but as Pat explains, there is power in optimism and hope. One part of their vision is to turn an old steam plant into an educational center, which is just waiting on grant approval. This grant will also cover the cost of investing in broadband.

Another project that has already received funding will provide ten jobs in Dante through the Nature Conservancy. These positions will be used to build hiking and ATV trails throughout Dante and connect to other towns such as St. Paul, enabling tourists, mountain bikers, and outdoor enthusiasts to come directly into the town.

Having been raised in Dante, Cat has seen the town move from the loss of the coal industry into a flourishing community. Knowing what once was, she looks to the youth for hope, wanting to recreate a space for them to thrive.

Similarly, Pat recalls the profound sense of community and togetherness that the community had. Families gathering, neighbors playing together, church on Sundays, and helping one another with gardening and canning.

These dynamics still continue today, though less prominently, and it is a rekindling of those experiences that both Pat and Cat long to create for the younger generations.

Clinging to a vision and creating possibility

With the backbone of the community rooted in coal mining, it has been a challenge to create enthusiasm with folks in Dante when it comes to other work. However, there are some leading the way in creating something new.

Mr. Williams is the owner of a steam plant in Dante with a bright vision of transforming it into a learning and training center for the youth. This space would also provide a conference center for business and organizations to host meetings and gatherings.

The town is also about to begin construction on their depot store. With that vision becoming a reality, a young woman approached Pat expressing a desire to add a deli to the store. Even Pat, being a dreamer and self-proclaimed overachiever herself, envisions turning her own home into a B&B one day for travelers and tourists.

Cat also brought new possibilities to life in Dante back in 2004 when she helped create the Dante Lives On nonprofit. Applying and receiving a grant for $22,500 to revitalize an old building in town, the nonprofit matched the funds selling hotdogs and hosting spaghetti dinners to raise the additional $22,500. The end result was the creation of the Dante Coal Mining and Railroad Museum, which hosts exhibits of coal and railroad mining memorabilia. The museum also hosts school groups so that students have the opportunity to meet miners and railroad workers, learning about life and work in the town.

Keeping hope alive and the importance of community

Pat and Cat have observed other towns in southwest Virginia creating something new and beautiful and flourishing as a result. One hope that Pat has is to revitalize the train tracks in town to bring more tourists into the area. She envisions families riding into Dante, hiking and exploring the area, and then continuing on, enjoying the views of waterfalls and the mountains. It would be something fun for folks of all ages.

Cat’s vision is to see the old homes in the community revitalized and cleaned up. Creating something that would be inviting to potential buyers, and also a confidence booster for those already in the town. Cat’s hope is for newcomers to enjoy the beauty and rich community that Dante has to offer and to take pride in their home.

From the Spearhead Trails coming in from St. Paul to the waterfalls in Cleveland, and the Clinch River running through, Dante offers variety and beauty for anyone to enjoy, and it is part of what brings Pat and Cat hope for the town’s future. They draw their inspiration from surrounding communities such as St. Paul, who have been through the process they are currently going through.

The work is hard, and at times the motivation may fizzle out, but it is important to keep pushing through to make their vision for Dante a reality. Going to other towns and attending their meetings has also been supportive in providing resources and tools they didn’t know were available to them, including a grant opportunity.

Leaning on one another and keeping the hope alive is the driving force behind the work Pat and Cat are doing to revitalize their beautiful home of Dante, Virginia.

notable quote from Cat

“I think you really have to have a vision that you want things to improve. And if you don’t have that vision and keep pushing, it’s very easy to get aggravated, and give up… But you just have to keep going on.”