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Coketon, West Virginia facts for kids

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Coketon
Coketon is located in West Virginia
Coketon
Coketon
Location in West Virginia
Coketon is located in the United States
Coketon
Coketon
Location in the United States
Country United States
State West Virginia
County Tucker
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
GNIS feature ID 1554170

Coketon is a small community in West Virginia, USA. It's not a city with its own government, but a place where people live. It was once a busy coal town. Coketon is located where two streams, Snyder Run and the North Fork Blackwater River, meet. It is just south of the town of Thomas.

Coketon's Coal Mining History

Coketon was started by the Davis Coal & Coke Company. This happened in the 1880s. Large amounts of coal were found in the area. Henry G. Davis led the company.

Life in a Coal Town

At its busiest, Coketon was home to about 1,500 people. Many of these residents were immigrants. From 1915 to 1921, the 15 mines near Coketon were very productive. They shipped over 1 million tons of coal each year. This made Coketon the sixth most productive mining area in West Virginia.

The Rise and Fall of Coke Ovens

The Davis Coal & Coke Company was a pioneer in making "coke." Coke is a cleaner fuel made from coal. They used large, sealed "beehive" ovens. These ovens heated coal to burn off impurities. The company first tried two ovens in 1887. By 1900, there were over 600 beehive ovens.

Davis Coal and Coke Co. Coketon Colliery Coketon WV 1906
The Davis Coal and Coke Company's Coketon Colliery in Coketon, around 1906.

However, new technology changed how steel was made in 1915. This meant coke ovens were no longer needed at the mine. By 1919, no more coke was being made in Tucker County. The many beehive ovens became unused.

Decline of Coal Production

After the coke ovens closed, coal mining in Coketon also slowed down. From the 1920s to the 1940s, the coal underground started to run out. As less coal was mined, the mines closed. The number of people living in Coketon slowly went down. By 1950, only two mines were still working. They produced much less coal. By 1956, all underground mining had stopped. Some surface mining continued until 1965.

A Landmark Civil Rights Case

Coketon was important in a civil rights case in 1892. This case involved the Coketon Colored School. The local school board told the teacher, Carrie Williams, to teach for three months less. This was shorter than the school year for white schools.

Carrie Williams' Fight for Equality

Carrie Williams bravely continued teaching for the full eight months. She then demanded her full pay. Her lawyer was J.R. Clifford. He was a famous civil rights activist. He was also the first African American lawyer in West Virginia.

A Victory for Justice

The case began in the Tucker County Courthouse. It eventually went all the way to the West Virginia Supreme Court. Carrie Williams and J.R. Clifford won the case. This victory was very important. It was the first civil rights case in U.S. history to say that treating people differently because of their skin color was against the law.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Coketon (Virginia Occidental) para niños

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