photo Bob Van Gundy

Tony Scales

Tony Scales was born in Bristol, Virginia, raised in Bristol, Tennessee, and earned master’s and bachelor’s degrees in geology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. A certified professional geologist, he has spent his career in the coalfields of Southwest Virginia. He has published a number of professional articles; a casual start on one, combined with his love of a place, grew into Natural Tunnel: A Geologic Wonder, his first book. Tony resides in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, with his wife and son.

 

 

 

Natural Tunnel
Nature's Marvel in Stone

Photo of Book "Natural Tunnel: Natures Marvel in Stone"

In Natural Tunnel: Nature’s Marvel in Stone, author and geologist Tony Scales recounts the history of the great feature, from its geologic beginnings to the first written accounts of man’s interaction with the Tunnel, through a period of commercial exploitation, to the present-day state park. Richly illustrated with numerous historic photographs and geologic diagrams, Natural Tunnel is a must for the railfan, the casual visitor, or the die-hard fan of the treasure that is Natural Tunnel.

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Long off the beaten path, the Natural Tunnel in Scott County, Virginia, has drawn many intrepid tourists since the earliest westward migration along Daniel Boone’s famed Wilderness Road. In Natural Tunnel: Nature’s Marvel in Stone, author Tony Scales uses numerous rare images, first-person accounts, and a wry wit to tell the story of this remarkable place in Southwest Virginia, from it’s geological beginnings to its present role as a premier state park. Scales draws on his vast knowledge of geology to explain the tunnel’s formation, and through extensive research he relates the history of human interaction with this magnificent and awe-inspiring creation. Part geologic study, part history, and completely entertaining, Natural Tunnel: Nature’s Marvel in Stone will serve both the causal reader and the classroom.

Availability:
Natural Tunnel: Nature’s Marvel in Stone is available at Natural Tunnel State Park, the Virginia Division of Mineral Resources Webstore, selected East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia bookstores, via the World Wide Web through the publisher, The Overmountain Press of Johnson City, Tennessee and major internet booksellers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Wal-Mart, etc., key phrase “Natural Tunnel.”

(Note: Book price is $19.95; some websites as of this writing are showing a price of $24.95, which is incorrect). Copies (signed, of course!) can also be purchased directly from Tony. email Tony at:  resocp34@verizon.net

Technical Data:
ISBN 1-57072-287-0
Format: Paperback, Trade Paper, 172 pages (160 pages plus 12 color pages)
Dimensions: 9 inches X 9 inches
Copyright Date: August, 2004
Publisher: The Overmountain Press, Johnson City, TN


Reviewer’s Quotes:
Natural Tunnel: Nature’s Marvel in Stone is a major contribution that brings hundreds of items of information from courthouses, public and private records, and from personal communications with local citizens into one source…. The author’s presentation has resulted in an orderly history of the “ups and downs” of the “life” of Natural Tunnel.
--Stanley S. Johnson, State Geologist of Virginia, 1992-2002

This book is an absolute necessity for scientists, local and regional historians, geographers, educators, environmental scientists, and laypeople from all walks of life, whether they have experienced the Tunnel or not. In a word: “Unrivaled!”
--Dr. Craig M. Ashbrook, RPG, REM, Professor of Environmental Management, Southwest Virginia Community College

This is highly recommended reading, even for those who may have previously had little interest in Natural Tunnel or the history of the Appalachian region. The book is informative, authoritative, and with ample illustration to help explain the story. But above all, it’s an engaging word journey that will even bring a few smiles.
--Ron Flanary, coauthor of Louisville & Nashville; The Old Reliable

Through meticulous research and rigorous field work, Scales has embraced the spectrum of events that define the Tunnel story…. The story of Natural Tunnel is truly an epic one and Tony Scales tells it with fresh insight, rich detail and compelling narrative. This book is at once an illuminating story and a serious resource for the general reader, academia and historians.
--Bob McConnell, President, Daniel Boone Wilderness Trail Association