Winding Gulf Coalfield facts for kids

The Winding Gulf Coalfield is a special area in West Virginia, USA. It's located in parts of Raleigh and Wyoming counties. This area got its name from the Winding Gulf stream, which flows into the Guyandotte River. A long time ago, in the early 1900s, people called it the "Billion Dollar Coalfield." This was because of how much valuable coal was found there.

History of Coal Mining

Early Discoveries

For thousands of years, Native American groups lived and hunted in this area. They knew about the "rock that burns" found underground. Early European settlers also knew about it. But for a long time, people only dug small amounts of coal for themselves. No one was mining it to sell.

Experts Find More Coal

In the mid-1800s, experts started looking closely at the coal in this region. A famous British geologist named David T. Ansted helped find rich layers of bituminous coal in 1853. This discovery was important. It showed that the area had a lot of coal that could be mined. Dr. Ansted even bought land in what would become West Virginia.

Building Railroads for Coal

To really get the coal out, two things were needed: better ways to dig and transport it. A smart businessman named William N. Page helped make this happen. He built coal mines and railroads in the area. He worked for investors, many from the United Kingdom.

Page helped finish the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway (C&O) in the 1870s. This railroad connected Richmond, Virginia to the Ohio River. He also built smaller rail lines to reach coal mines. People said Page knew the land "as a farmer knows a field."

The Railroad Race

By 1898, Page wanted to expand into the Winding Gulf area. The C&O railroad also had its eyes on this rich coalfield. The C&O was already busy with the New River Coalfield. They didn't want Page to compete with them.

But Page had a secret helper: a very rich industrialist named Henry Huttleston Rogers. When the big railroads tried to stop Page, Rogers gave him money. This allowed Page to expand his small Deepwater Railway. It grew from about 80 miles to over 500 miles! It became the Virginian Railway.

By 1909, the Virginian Railway was a major way to ship coal. It joined the C&O as a big coal transporter. Having two major railroads helped the Winding Gulf Coalfield a lot. It became one of the most productive coal areas in West Virginia.

What Kind of Coal?

Coal mining in Winding Gulf started in the early 1900s and continues today. The coal here is a special type called "low volatile coal." This means it burns very hot and efficiently. Some of the coal layers mined include Beckley, Pocahontas No. 3, Pocahontas No. 4, and Sewell. This coal is very high quality, rated at about 15,000 Btu per pound.

Coal Camps and Towns

Life in Coal Camps

More than 50 "coal camps" or "coal towns" once existed in the Winding Gulf Coalfield. These were towns built by mining companies for their workers. They often had their own stores and services. The towns of Sophia and Mullens were important centers at each end of the coalfield.

Today, many of these old coal camps have disappeared. Nature has taken them back.

Names of Coal Camps

Here are some of the names of the coal camps that were once part of the Winding Gulf Coalfield:

Railroads in the Coalfield

The coal camps were built along different streams and rivers in the area. The Virginian Railway (VGN) was the main railroad here. It had many branch lines that reached these towns.

The Virginian's main line also cut through the middle of the coalfield. It had a large repair shop and rail yard in Mullens. This yard was later operated by the Norfolk and Western Railway (N&W) after the two companies merged in 1959. The Chesapeake & Ohio Railway (C&O) also served the eastern part of the coalfield.

Mining Companies and Workers

Many companies mined coal in the Winding Gulf Coalfield. Some of the early ones included Winding Gulf Collieries, Gulf Smokeless Coal Co., and C.H. Mead Coal Co.

These companies hired different groups of people to work in the mines. They hired local white workers. They also brought in immigrants from Europe, like people from Poland and Italy. African-Americans were also hired to work in the coal mines.

The Coalfield Today

Even though millions of tons of coal have been mined from this area, coal is still being dug out today. A few deep mines and strip mines are still active. For example, a large mine and processing plant near Beckley started operating in late 2007.