Oriole Mine facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Oriole Mine
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Place
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 Oriole Mine
Location in Kentucky
Oriole Mine
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Kentucky |
| County | Hopkins |
| Elevation | 397 ft (121 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CST) |
| GNIS feature ID | 508756 |
Oriole is a small place in Hopkins County, Kentucky, in the United States. It's known for a coal mine that used to be there. The name "Oriole" itself is a bit of a mystery, as no one knows exactly where it came from. This place never even had its own post office! Oriole is located about four miles southwest of a town called Madisonville, right by Clear Creek.
You might even hear the name Oriole in a song! The famous band Mott the Hoople has a song called "All the Way from Memphis." It's thought that Oriole might be mentioned because the band's guitarist, Mick Ralphs, once had his guitar accidentally sent there.
Contents
The Oriole Mine Story
The most important part of Oriole's history is its coal mine. This mine was called the Oriole Mine and was run by the Bell and Zoller Coal and Mining Company.
Working at the Mine
The Oriole Mine had a tricky roof made of weak shale rock. To keep miners safe, they started using a method called "roof bolting" in 1950. This helped secure the roof and prevent rock falls.
However, mining was still a dangerous job. In 1952, a miner was sadly killed by falling rock. In 1954, a worker who operated a loader (a machine that moves coal) was badly burned in a methane gas explosion. Methane is a flammable gas often found in coal mines.
Coal Production and Challenges
Despite the dangers, the Oriole Mine was very productive. In 1959, it produced a huge amount of coal: 747,313 tons! This made it one of the top ten coal-producing mines in all of Hopkins County.
Miners sometimes stopped working to ask for better conditions or pay. In April 1966, workers at the Oriole Mine went on strike because the mine owners weren't agreeing to a new work contract. Later that year, in August 1966, another strike began. This time, it was about "seniority rights," which means how long a person has worked affects their job benefits and roles. Talks were held in Madisonville to try and solve the problem.
In 1967, a major fire broke out at the mine. It started when an electrical cable short-circuited in a bore-hole (a deep, narrow hole).
Mine Closure and Future Plans
The Oriole Mine was very active throughout the 1950s and 1960s. However, it eventually closed down in the early 1970s.
Years later, in 2012, the Kentucky Division of Abandoned Mine Lands started making plans for the old mine site. They wanted to redevelop the area, which means finding new uses for the land where the mine once stood.
