Logan Coalfield facts for kids
The Logan Coalfield is an area in West Virginia where lots of coal can be found and dug up. It's located in the southern part of the state, in Logan and Wyoming counties. This region is part of the Appalachia, a large mountain range in the eastern United States.
The Logan Coalfield is also part of the National Coal Heritage Area, which helps protect and share the history of coal mining. Even though coal is still mined here, it's not one of the biggest coal-producing areas in West Virginia anymore.
History of the Logan Coalfield
The Logan Coalfield has been an important source of high-quality coal for a long time. Mining here really started to grow after the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway (C&O) built train tracks into the area in 1905. The C&O even had a special train yard in a place called Peach Creek. Later, another railway, the Virginian Railway, built an extension that helped ship coal from western Wyoming County.
Miners dug out different types of coal, like steam coal (used to power steam engines) and metallurgical coal (used to make steel). They found this coal in layers called seams, such as the Cedar Grove, Eagle, Alma, and Winifrede seams.
Most of the coal mining in this area happened south of the town of Logan. The coalfield is mainly drained by the Guyandotte River, and many mines were located in its valley, like those in Earling, Lyburn, and Marianna. There was also a lot of mining in smaller valleys that feed into the Guyandotte River, such as Island Creek, Snap Creek, Rum Creek, and Buffalo Creek.
Challenges and Conflicts in the Coalfield
The Logan Coalfield is also known for some difficult times in its history, especially during the 1920s. At that time, the sheriff of Logan County, Don Chafin, was known for working closely with the coal companies. He and his deputies were very strict about keeping the United Mine Workers union out of Logan County. They worked hard to prevent the union from gaining any power there.
In 1921, a large group of coal miners, sometimes called a "miners' army," had a big conflict with Sheriff Chafin and his deputies and mine guards. This event is known as the Battle of Blair Mountain. It was a major clash where the miners were trying to support their union, but they were not successful in their efforts.
Major Disasters in the Logan Coalfield
The Logan Coalfield has also seen some terrible disasters. One of the most well-known is the Buffalo Creek flood, which happened in 1972. A dam holding back coal waste, owned by the Pittston Coal Company, broke. This disaster led to the deaths of 125 people and destroyed about a dozen towns. It is remembered as one of the worst coal mining-related disasters in American history. Years later, in 2008, a new coal mine and processing plant opened at the same location where the dam had burst.
More recently, in August 2009, there was a fire at the Massey Energy Bandmill preparation plant. This plant processed coal from several mines, including the Aracoma Mine. In 2006, two miners had tragically lost their lives in a beltline fire at the Aracoma Mine, an event known as the Aracoma Alma Mine accident.
