Coffman, Kentucky facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Coffman
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 Coffman
Location in Kentucky
Coffman
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Kentucky |
| County | Ohio |
| Elevation | 417 ft (127 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| GNIS feature ID | 507725 |
Coffman is a small, quiet place in Ohio County, Kentucky, United States. It's known as an "unincorporated community," which means it's not an official city or town with its own local government. Instead, it's part of the larger county area. Coffman was also once a busy "coal town," meaning its main purpose was to support the coal mining industry nearby.
History of Coffman
Coffman was founded in 1905 by a man named Franklin Olliver Coffman. When it was first established, it was a lively little community. It had important places like a post office, where people could send and receive mail. There was also a school, so children living in Coffman could get an education. A general store provided all sorts of goods, from food to tools, for the people who lived and worked there.
The Coal Mining Days
For a few years, coal mining was the heart of Coffman. The town grew because of the jobs and money that coal brought in. People worked hard in the mines, digging up coal to be used for energy. This made Coffman an important place in the region for a while.
Why Mining Stopped
However, the coal mining in Coffman didn't last very long. By 1911, just six years after the town was founded, mining operations stopped. This happened because it became much cheaper to mine coal in other places, especially in Indiana. In Indiana, miners could use a method called "shallow strip mining." This way of mining involves removing layers of earth to get to coal that is close to the surface, which is often less expensive than digging deep underground. Because of this, the demand for coal from Coffman's mines decreased, and the town's main industry faded away.
