Coal camps in Mingo County, West Virginia facts for kids

Coal towns, also known as "coal camps," were special communities built in places like Mingo County, West Virginia. These towns were created to be very close to rich coal deposits. Imagine a town built right next to a giant underground treasure chest of coal! Many of these towns were located in deep valleys. This made it easy to get the mined coal down to railway lines at the bottom of the valley. When the coal mines closed, many of these towns simply disappeared. Mingo County is home to the Williamson Coalfield and a small part of the Logan Coalfield.

What Were Coal Towns?

Coal towns were often built and owned by the mining companies themselves. They provided homes for the miners and their families. These towns usually had a company store where people could buy food and supplies. They might also have had a school, a church, and a doctor's office. Life in a coal town was centered around the mine. Everyone's job and daily life depended on the coal industry.

Why Were They Built?

Mining coal was hard work, and the mines were often in remote areas. Companies built these towns to make sure their workers had a place to live near the mines. This helped them attract and keep miners. The location in deep valleys was perfect because it allowed easy access to the coal seams hidden in the hillsides. Coal could be moved downhill to trains waiting to carry it away.

The End of Many Coal Towns

Over time, as coal mines ran out of coal or new ways of mining changed, many of these towns were no longer needed. When a mine closed, the people often moved away to find new jobs. This caused many of the coal towns to become "ghost towns," completely abandoned.

Coalfields of Mingo County

Mingo County has two main areas where coal was found and mined. These areas are called coalfields.

Williamson Coalfield

The Williamson Coalfield was a very important area for coal mining in Mingo County. Many coal towns were established here to support the mines. Some of these towns are still around today, while others have been abandoned.

Logan Coalfield

A smaller part of the Logan Coalfield also extends into Mingo County. Here are some of the coal towns found in that section:

You can find more listings of coal towns here.