America's poorest county: Proud Appalachians who live without running water or power in region where 40% fall below poverty line


It was a county formed 19 years before the Civil War.



But in the towns lying between borders in Owsley, in the coal fields of eastern Kentucky, a portrait of Americans shows a community that appears frozen in time, where many still live without water or electricity.



According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the Appalachian county has the lowest median household income in the states - a staggering 41.5 per cent of residents falling below the poverty line.



Slovenly: Former chimney sweeper Mose Noble keeps a kitchen littered with dirty pots, pans and dishes that spill onto the floor Job shortages hit the region hard due to declines in demand for coal, lumber and tobacco; and the community of 4,700 is struggling for work.

The U.S. Census Bureau considers low income roughly $45,000 a year for a family of four. In Owsley, the median household income is $19,351 - the lowest in the country outside of Puerto Rico.

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Next 'Squatter' secretly builds incredible (but thoroughly... Google's 'Eye on the World' releases hand-picked gallery of... Share this article Share Some get around on horseback, pictured passing cars on trails that attract riders from outside the region who contribute to revenue. In Boonesville, a town was named for frontiersman, Daniel Boone, abandoned buildings line paved roads. Rural: Nine-year-old Johnny Noble runs barefoot toward his uncle Mose outside the former chimney sweep's trailer in Appalachia Filth: Johnny Noble sits inside his uncle's trailer, sandwiched between a stack of logs and clutter from all sides Childhood: The trailer where Johnny is playing has no electricity or running water, but Mose Noble receives governmental aide and nieighbours have offered to help when they can Family: Mose Noble, right, rolls up his sleeves during a visit with his nephew

At work: Mose Noble, left, and Lowell Morris, right, sit while taking a break from cleaning a cemetery in Booneville, Owsley County on April 16 Bare bones: Paul Neace, 72, sits in his Booneville home on April 20, his dog eating out of a milk jug Community: Right to left, family members Ronnie Duff, Love Faith Duff, Jacob Lucas and Hope Lucas gather on their porch in Booneville on April 20 On horseback: Riders pass an abandoned car during the Owsley County Saddle Club trail ride on April 20 in Booneville

Entertainment: James Moore, centre, plays the guitar as Robert Go, left, sings while revelers hug at Joe's Meat Market #2 Spirits high: Owsley County Outreach Center director Cleda Turner chats with a resident in front of a school bus used for donated supplies on April 16

Locals stops: Barber Gary Mays, centre, chats with retired butcher Jesse Johnson, right, in Mays' barber shop on April 20

Kidding around: Mechanic Chucky Oliver, left, jokes with a client at his shop

Earning a living: Mr Oliver welds a pipe at his auto repair shop in Booneville on April 19

But residents take pride in their community's history; and locals are driven to help one another through hard times.



Lowell Morris is paid $8 per hour to do the work while his friend, Mose Noble, volunteers to help, even though he relies on governmental aide and the kindess of neighbours to help when they can.



His modest trailer in Booneville has no electricity, and no running water. Pots and pans spill from the kitchen sink and litter the floor, sodden with dirt and worn through the years.



The condition of his home doesn't appear to bother his nine-year-old nephew, Johnny Noble, who runs barefoot outside, and plays with matchbox cars on a table sandwiched in between the clutter.



Mr Noble's situation is not unfamiliar to those in the region.



Getting ready: Drucilla Smith, centre, prepares for the Owsley County High School prom in her home with sister Linda Hall

Primping: Drucilla Smith, lower left, has her hair done as she prepares for the Owsley County High School prom in her home with sister Linda Hall, top left, Layla Johnson, bottom centre, and mother Bonnie Smith, right Finishing touches: Drucilla, left, with her sister Jennifer Johnson, centre is nearly ready for the high school dance A grand affair: Brittany Brewer, centre, fixes her gown as she prepares for the Owsley County High School prom next to a wood stove in the home where she lives with her grandmother

Growing up fast: Married students Starr Lewis, second right, Travis Lewis and daughter Ariel Lewis, three weeks, attend the Owsley County High School prom on April 21

Picture time: Dates Coty Shouse, centre, and Destiny Duff, right, gather as Destiny's father Ronnie Duff, left, passes a baby to be photographed while preparing for the prom

A day to remember: Students enter the Owsley County High School Prom as family and community members watch from the bleachers Making ends meet: Willis Little poses next to items he has available for sale on his front porch in Booneville on April 20

Lots of love: Left to right, family members Hope Lucas, Jesse Lucas, Jacob Lucas and Love Faith Duff gather near home in Booneville on April 20

On the town: Owsley County Outreach Center director Cleda Turner, centre, carries food to be delivered from her thrift store to children as part of the center's Food Backpack Program on April 19

Faith: Parishioners gather as Sugar Camp Baptist Church pastor Tim Charlton preaches on April 22

Kentucky pride: A man walks beneath an American flag at the Owsley County Saddle Club trail ride on April 20 Saddle up: Horse riders prepare to depart after a break at a gas station during the Owsley County Saddle Club trail ride on April 21

Giving back: A man loads scrap wood available for free to residents in Owsley County in Lerose on April 17 Playful: Baby Jacob Lucas rests inside a thrift store in Owsley County on April 19

Catching up on events: A man reads a newspaper after meeting a friend at a local diner on April 22

Abandoned: An old sign is overgrown with dead weeds downtown on April 22



Empty: An abandoned building is a haunting reminder of the county's dire state

Helping hands: Volunteers restore the Noble Pioneer Museum, which contains artifacts of local Appalachian pioneer life Keeping eye: Owsley County Saddle Club board members Larry Campbell, right, and Ricky Marshall man the entrance gate at the Owsley County Saddle Club trail ride on April 19

Still burning: People gather around a fire at the Owsley County Saddle Club trail ride

Paul Neace, 72, feeds his dog from a milk jug; a calender nailed on the wall next to yellowed photos and torn mail wedged behind the doorframe decorate the worn blue walls of his home.

Nearby, Willis Little stands on his front porch, selling his clothes for extra cash.



There are still reasons to celebrate in the towns of Owsley.



Volunteers are restoring the Noble Pioneer Museum, which contains artifacts of local Appalachian pioneer life; and the Owsley County Saddle Club trail ride rings late into the night each spring.



T he Owsley County High School prom is a grand affair for teenagers. Married students Starr and Travis Lewis celebrated before the dance with their three-week-old daughter, Ariel. Their classmates, Drucilla Smith and Brittany Brewer, are pictured with their families putting the finishing touches on their tulle dresses dyed pink and baby blue.



Family and community members are invited to see the students pose for photos at the gym, celebrating with them the teenage rite of passage - one of the last before a life built on hard work and responsibility as a means of survival.