Burnwell
Imperial Colliery Co.
1901—Present
The Imperial Colliery Company incorporated in 1901 (WV Sec. State, n.d.) and began to produce coal from their mines in 1903 (“Burnwell,” n.d.). The company store at Burnwell was the last to close in West Virginia, and it only closed due to arson.
Imperial Colliery Co., Burnwell 5¢ coal scrip. Obverse.
Reverse.
Carbon
The Carbon Fuel Co.
1905—2015
The Carbon Fuel Co., Carbon $5.00 coal scrip. Obverse.
Reverse.
The Carbon Fuel Co., Carbon scalloped $5.00 coal scrip. Obverse.
Reverse.
The Carbon Fuel Co., Carbon $1.00 coal scrip. Obverse.
Reverse.
The Carbon Fuel Co., Carbon 50¢ coal scrip. Obverse.
Reverse.
The Carbon Fuel Co., Carbon 25¢ coal scrip. Obverse.
Reverse.
The Carbon Fuel Co., Carbon 10¢ coal scrip. Obverse.
Reverse.
The Carbon Fuel Co., Carbon 5¢ coal scrip. Obverse.
Reverse.
The Carbon Fuel Co., Carbon 1¢ coal scrip. Obverse.
Reverse.
Coalburgh
Coalburgh-Kanawha Mining Co.
1916—1961
Coalburgh-Kanawha Mining Co., Coalburgh 10¢ coal scrip. Obverse.
Reverse.
Crown Hill
Riverton Coal Co.
1927—1985
Riverton Coal Company, Crown Hill 10¢ coal scrip. Obverse.
Reverse.
Dana (Reed/Port Amherst)
Campbell’s Creek Coal Co.
1865—1924
The Campbell’s Creek Coal Company finds its roots in the Campbell’s Creek Coal & Oil Company, formed in 1865 (“Campbells Creek Railroad,” n.d.). The company was the product of Stephen F. Dana’s trip to Campbells Creek, as he realized the locals used high-quality coal from the area. The coal at Dana was exhausted by the turn of the 19th Century, leading the company to expand to nearby Putney. In 1924, the company merged with the Hatfield-Reliance Coal Company and became the Hatfield-Campbell Creek Coal Company (WV Sec. State, n.d.).
The Campbell's Creek Coal Company, Dana $1.00 coal scrip. Obverse.
Reverse.
Dry Branch
Dry Branch Coal Co.
1902—1986
The Dry Branch Coal Company incorporated in 1902 (WV Sec. State, n.d.), with J.Q. Dickinson—of the Malden salines, another industry with a past in forced labor—as president. In 1909, the company issued a demand to striking miners—vacate their company-owned houses, or be evicted (“Lawless Methods,” 1909). The miners refused and, consequently, the company sent armed “special officers” which included “guards” for the mine and Kanawha deputy sheriffs to evict the miners and their families. They busted down doors and forcefully removed anyone inside the residences—women, children, and babies alike.
In 1986, the company merged with the Dickinson Fuel Company, with the latter retaining its name (WV Sec. State, n.d.).
Dry Branch Coal Co., Dry Branch $1.00 scrip. Obverse.
Reverse.
Eskdale
Kanawha Coal Corporation
Eskdale, West Virginia
Kanawha Coal Corporation, Eskdale 10¢ scrip. Obverse.
Reverse.
Greenbrier
Paint Creek Collieries Co.
1904—1927
Greenbrier, of Kanawha County, was somewhat near Whittaker (Heatherman, 1919) further south in the county. Admittedly, I cannot find an exact location for this mine. There was a Greenbrier No. 2 and No. 3 mine, with both having Quin Morton as superintendent and P.T. Berry as the mine boss (Paul, 1906). The No. 2 mine worked the No. 2 Gas Coal seam, 4-1/2 feet thick, and the No. 3 mine worked the Winifrede seam, 6-1/2 feet thick. They had 9 and 87 employees respectively in 1905. This mine began operations in 1904, when it first appears in the Annual Report of the Department of Mines (Paul, 1904). At this point, its nearest post office was at Burnwell. The last appearance of this mine producing any coal is in 1927 (Lambie, 1927).
Hansford
Crown Hill Mercantile Co.
19??—19??
Kayford
Cabin Creek Consolidated Coal Co.
1907—1969
Cabin Creek Consolidated Coal Co., Kayford $5.00 scrip. Scalloped. Obverse.
Reverse.
Oglebay Norton Co.
Kayford, West Virginia
Oglebay-Norton Co., Kayford 1¢ scrip. Octagonal. Obverse.
Reverse.
Truax-Traer Coal Co.
1936—1960
Laing
Wyatt Coal Company
1906—1956
The Wyatt Coal Company incorporated in 1906 (WV Sec. State, n.d.). Its president and founder was John Laing, for whom Laing is named (The National City Bank of Charleston, 1908). He, as the citation suggests, was also a director for the National City Bank of Charleston. The company dissolved in 1956. In 1942, five miners died when the hoist up the mountainside in Laing to the No. 1 mine broke, plummeting 1,620 feet back to the floor of the hollow (United States Mine Rescue Association, n.d.).
Wyatt Coal Company, Laing scrip. Unlisted red fiber $5.00 piece. Obverse.
Reverse.
Lico
W.F. Griffith
Information needed.
W.F. Griffith, Lico scrip. 1¢. Obverse.
Reverse.
Mammoth
Mammoth Collieries Co.
19??—19??
The Warner Collieries Company, Mammoth 10¢ coal scrip. Obverse.
Reverse.
Mucklow (Gallagher)
Paint Creek Collieries Co.
19??—19??
Ohley
Cabin Creek Consolidated Co.
1907—1969
Reed (Port Amherst)
Hatfield-Campbell Creek Coal Company
1924—1952
Hatfield-Campbell Creek Coal Company, Reed $5.00 coal scrip. Scalloped. Obverse.
Reverse.
Ronda
Coalburg Colliery Corporation
1925—1931
Spring Hill
Black Band Coal & Coke Co.
1882—19??
The Black Band Coal & Coke Company existed in Spring Hill under various names since 1882, beginning as the Black Band Iron & Coal Co. (Mercantile Agency, 1882). By 1890, newspapers refer to them as the Black Band Coal & Coke Co. (“Republican Tactics,” 1890). The same article mentions that the superintendent was A.M. Wooldridge. Their mines were on Davis Creek in Kanawha County (Black Band Coal & Coke Co., 1906; see also the image below).
Black Band Coal & Coke Company, Spring Hill, $1.00. Obverse.
Black Band Coal & Coke Company, Spring Hill, $1.00. Reverse.
United
Cabin Crek Consolidated Co.
19??—19??
Ward
Kelly’s Creek Supply Co.
19??—19??
The Valley Camp Stores Company
1927—1960
Valley Camp Stores Company, Ward, $0.01. Obverse.
Valley Camp Stores Company, Ward, $0.01. Reverse.
References
Black Band Coal & Coke Co. (1906, November 22). Miners wanted [advertisement]. The Labor Argus, 3.
Burnwell, WV. (n.d.). Coal Camp USA. https://www.coalcampusa.com/sowv/kanawha/burnwell-wv-coal-mine/burnwell-wv-coal-mine.htm
Campbells Creek Railroad. (n.d.). WVNC Rails. https://www.wvncrails.org/campbells-creek-railroad.html
Heatherman, W.J. (1919). Annual report of the Department of Mines. Tribune Printing Co.
Lambie, R.M. (1927). Annual report of the Department of Mines. Jarrett Printing Co.
Lawless methods. (1909, July 15). The Labor Argus, 1.
Paul, J.W. (1906). Twenty-third annual report, coal mines in the state of West Virginia. The Tribune Printing Co.
Paul, J.W. (1906). Twenty-fourth annual report, coal mines in the state of West Virginia. The Tribune Printing Co.
Republican tactics. (1890, February 12). The Weekly Register, 2.
The National City Bank of Charleston. (1908, February 27). Strength, reliability [advertisement]. The Labor Argus, 6.
United States Mine Rescue Association. (n.d.). Wyatt Coal Company Laing No. 1 surface haulage disaster. Retrieved August 1, 2025, from https://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/saxsewell/laing.htm
West Virginia Secretary of State. (n.d.). Business entity details: The Hatfield Campbell Creek Coal Company. https://apps.wv.gov/SOS/BusinessEntitySearch/Details.aspx?Id=dbkOZR5KtGVkRjEfVcCBzQ==&Search=kaTarNI8Xni7x7d1KdmYeils0Ttin+%2fQA5UUJzgtWUU%3d&Page=0
West Virginia Secretary of State. (n.d.). Business entity details: Imperial Colliery Company. https://apps.wv.gov/SOS/BusinessEntitySearch/Details.aspx?Id=YY3qYi6p3KnzyHzj/HOgRw==&Search=9j1PUb2Sl3Sxq7WfR9FOxDvjkwVeD52uTgGjRpQIPEY%3d&Page=0