Colliers, West Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Colliers
|
|
|---|---|
 Colliers
Location in West Virginia
Colliers
Location in the United States
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | West Virginia |
| County | Brooke |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes |
26035
|
| GNIS feature ID | 1537521 |
Colliers is a small community in Brooke County, West Virginia, United States. It's not an official city, but a group of homes and businesses. Colliers is the second oldest town in Brooke County, right after Wellsburg.
In the 1800s and early 1900s, Colliers grew a lot. This was because a train line, the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago, and St. Louis (PCC&StL) Railroad, ran through it. Also, many coal mines opened here, like the Blanch Coal Mine.
After the mines and railroad activity slowed down, Colliers became a smaller, quieter place. Today, it's mostly a residential area. Throughout its history, schools and churches have been very important to the community.
Contents
Colliers: A Look at Its History
In 1771, a person named Jacob Collier started the settlement of Colliers. There was a small fort here. This fort was used during battles with Native Americans in the late 1700s.
How Colliers Grew
The town of Colliers officially began in 1843. Many workers and their families moved here from other countries. The coal mining business was very successful. This brought many people to Colliers to work in the mines.
These new residents formed a community on the west side of Colliers. It was called Logrow, or sometimes the Boardwalk. The PCC&StL Railroad went through this part of town. Because of the railroad, places like a pool hall, a movie theater, and a mining company store opened up.
The east side of Colliers was known as Mine Hill. The train also stopped here. This led to the opening of a restaurant, a boarding house, barbershops, and general stores.
Changes Over Time
In the 1920s, the mines started to run out of coal and had to close. Colliers' population began to shrink, especially in Logrow. The Great Depression, a time of economic hardship, hit the town hard. Many businesses closed down.
After the Depression, Colliers didn't fully recover. The mines couldn't reopen. The main source of jobs became the Colliers Steel Corporation. When that closed, the steel industry was restarted in 1998 by the Mountaineer Metal Products company.
Schools in Colliers: Learning Through the Years
In the mid-1800s, a man named Elisha Stansbury owned a lot of land in Colliers. He realized the town needed a school for the children. He gave some of his land on the west side of Colliers for a school.
Early Schools: Number 2 and Number 13
The first school was called the Number 2 School. It had one large room. The school year usually lasted four to six months. This allowed children to help their families with farm work. It also helped them avoid the harsh winter weather.
In the eastern part of Colliers, Elijah Robinson also donated land for a school. This school was built in 1879 and was called the Number 13 School. By this time, the average school year was about seven months long.
Both the Number 2 and Number 13 Schools closed in 1907. Their students moved to a new, bigger school closer to the center of town.
The First Colliers School
The new school was named the First Colliers School. It had four classrooms, which was more than the older schools. This school stayed open until 1921.
During this time, African American children could not attend the same schools as white children. Many African American and immigrant families lived in the Logrow community. Their children needed a place to learn. A room above the pool hall was used as a temporary classroom.
In 1907, when the Number 2 School building became empty, African American students began using it for their education. This school continued to teach African American and immigrant children until it closed in the mid-1930s.
Later Schools: Ferry Glen and Second Colliers
In 1939, students from the Number 2 School area started taking buses to the new Ferry Glen School. However, this school didn't stay open long. It closed in 1946 because not enough students attended.
After the First Colliers School closed in 1921, the Second Colliers School opened. This was a two-story red brick building. It had four classrooms on each floor. It also had restrooms, offices, an auditorium, and a cafeteria.
In 1953, the school was updated. They added two new classrooms, a restroom, and new cafeteria equipment. They also improved the plumbing, heating, and electrical systems. More improvements were made in the 1960s, like fireproof doors and new desks.
Colliers Primary School
In 1985, the Second Colliers School was replaced by the Colliers Primary School. This school was a one-story brown brick building. It could hold 250 children. In 1995, 165 students were enrolled, and by 2013, enrollment had slightly increased to 175. Colliers Primary School closed after the 2017-2018 school year.
Colliers Primary School was highly rated. In 2017, it was ranked 94th out of 420 primary schools in West Virginia. It received a "B" grade from Niche, a school ranking website. Colliers Primary was also named a 2017 National Blue Ribbon School. This means it was recognized as an "Exemplary High Performing School." It was the first school in Brooke County to receive this honor.
The principal of Colliers Primary School, JoEllen Connolly, also received a special award. She was given the national Terrel H. Bell Outstanding Leadership Award. This was the first time any West Virginia school leader had won this award.
Churches in Colliers: A Place for Faith
Colliers has several churches. The oldest is the Colliers United Methodist Church, started in 1834. In 1898, the Colliers Christian Church was founded. It was a non-denominational church, meaning it wasn't tied to one specific group.
The First Nazarene Church of Colliers opened in 1958. The newest church is Open Door Baptist Church. It was first organized in 1982 and officially established in 1985.
Mines of Colliers: Coal and Community
Coal mining was a big part of Colliers' history. Two important mines were the Blanch Mine and the Locust Grove Mine.
Blanch Mine: Challenges and Safety
The Blanch Mine was owned by L.C. Smith, William Smith, and John McNulty. It faced some difficult events in the late 1800s.
On November 21, 1892, an explosion happened inside the mine. Three workers, including a fifteen-year-old, were killed. Seven others were injured. Most workers were outside eating when it happened, which was fortunate.
Two years later, on November 20, 1894, another explosion occurred. This was caused by a new miner setting off a blast that was too strong. Seven workers died, and eleven were injured.
Locust Grove Mine: Incidents and Strikes
Locust Grove Mine was owned by the West Virginia and Pittsburgh Coal Company. This mine also experienced an explosion.
On June 11, 1914, unknown attackers fired shots at the mine. A dynamite bomb exploded at the mine entrance. It's thought these attacks were related to a workers' strike that began in September 1913. However, the people responsible were never caught.
Sports in Colliers: Bareknuckle Boxing
In the late 1800s, Colliers hosted several bareknuckle boxing championship matches. There were good reasons why Colliers was chosen for these events.
Why Colliers for Boxing?
- Easy Travel: The railroad running through town made it easy for people to get there. Even freight trains, which many people used for travel, stopped in Colliers for coal and water.
- Money in Town: The mining industry meant that people in Colliers often had extra money. This money could be collected for the loser of a fight, who otherwise wouldn't win any prize money.
- Near State Lines: Public boxing matches were against the law in both West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Colliers was a small town right near the state line. If authorities from one state showed up, the fighters and crowd could quickly cross into the other state. This made it a good spot for other prohibited events too, like dog and chicken fights.
Famous Matches in Colliers
On March 4, 1873, a big bareknuckle boxing match took place at Colliers Station. It was for the American lightweight championship between Harry Hicken and Bryan Campbell. After 24 rounds, both fighters fell. The fight was stopped, and the referee declared Hicken the winner.
In 1880, Colliers hosted the bareknuckle boxing world heavyweight championship. This match was between Paddy Ryan and Joe Goss. Authorities in Canada and Pennsylvania tried to stop the fight, but it still happened in Colliers.
The fight lasted an incredible 87 rounds! Joe Goss was the current champion and had more experience than Ryan. Ryan got many injuries, but Goss was older and couldn't continue. This meant Paddy Ryan became the new champion.
