McDowell County Coal Scrip A-L
Algoma
Algoma Coal & Coke Co.
1890—1957
The Algoma Coal & Coke Co. opened and incorporated in 1890 (WV Sec. State, n.d.; “New Enterprises,” 1890).
The Island Creek Coal Company purchased Algoma Coal & Coke Co. in 1957 and kept its mines going until 1965 (“Algoma WV,” n.d.).
Algoma Coal & Coke Co., Algoma 1¢ coal scrip. Obverse.
Reverse.
Anawalt
Peery & Gibson
Information needed.
Peery & Gibson, Anawalt $1.00 coal scrip. Obverse.
Reverse.
Avondale
Garland Pocahontas Coal Co.
1917—1927
The Gardland Pocahontas Coal Company begins appearing in Dun & Bradstreet beneath Avondale in 1917 (Mercantile Agency, Sep. 1917). They are last mentioned in the newspaper in 1927, though I cannot be sure if this is when the company closed.
Garland Pocahontas Coal Co., Avondale $1.00 coal scrip. Obvserse.
Reverse.
Bartley
Pond Creek Pocahontas Co.
1923—1955
The company preceding this one in leadership, Pond Creek Coal Company, sold their interests to Henry Ford before founding this company (“New Coal,” 1923). They officially organized early in 1923, purchasing 2,500 acres in McDowell County served by the Norfolk & Western Railroad (“Pond Creek,” 1923). The company had the same leadership as the Island Creek Coal Company in Logan County (“Pond Creek Pocahontas,” 1925). The two would merge in 1955, with Island Creek remaining (“Mountain State Miscellany,” 1955).
Pond Creek Pocahontas Co., Bartley 5¢ coal scrip. Obverse.
Reverse.
Big Four
By-Products Pocahontas Co.
19??—19??
By-Products Pocahontas Co., Algoma 25¢ coal scrip. Obverse.
Reverse.
Big Sandy
Hampton Roads Collieries Co. Inc.
1918—1926
Hampton Roads Collieries Co. first appears in Dun & Bradstreet in 1918, as a branch of Norfolk, Virginia (Mercantile Agency, Sep. 1918). That year, the company constructed 30 homes for miners, a clubhouse, a bathhouse, and a sewage system in Big Sandy (“News Of,” 1918). The last mention of the company I can find is from 1926, when they placed a newspaper advertisement looking for 25 miners (“Male Help,” 1926).
Hampton Roads Collieries Co. Inc., Big Sandy $5.00 coal scrip. Obverse.
Reverse.
Capels
Central Pocahontas Coal Co.
1907—1939
The Central Pocahontas Coal Company incorporated in Gary in 1907 by Edward O’Tolle, Howard N. Eavenson, F.D. Clifford, W.B. Hensel, and L.E. Woods (“What’s Doing,” 1907; WV Sec. State, n.d.). Harvey M. Wetzel was the superintendent until 1912, when he was killed by a collapse of a shuttlebottom which crushed him under slate (“Remains Of,” 1912). The incident almost killed the mine foreman as well.
In 1919, the company improved upon their company town, building a new store, 40 double houses, a movie theater with a billiard parlor, a barber shop, a lodge, and an ice cream shop (“Improvements at,” 1919). Some of these houses remain, but I suspect the other buildings are gone or in disrepair.
The families working for this company experience disasters as well, with separate incidents occurring in 1924 and 1927. In 1924, two miners for the company, Alonzo Larry and Morris Gravely (“Blast Was,” 1924), were killed in an explosion in the Shannon Branch mines in Capels (“Six Believed,” 1924).
In 1927, 8 miners were killed when open-faced lamps lit gas and coal dust, causing a blast to occur (Shannon Branch No. 3…, n.d.). Those killed include Luster Burke, Early Dockery, Will Griffin, Joe Gudger, Maxwell Howard, Valenty Koval, Harry Leeding, and Will Smith.
Central Pocahontas Coal Co., Capels $1.00 coal scrip. Obverse.
Reverse.
Caretta
Carter Coal Co. Inc.
1913—1950
Coalwood
Carter Coal Co.
1913—1950
The Carter Coal Company built Coalwood between 1905 to 1912, then operating the mines and company infrastructure until their purchase by the Consolidation Coal Company in 1922 (Coalwood, n.d.).
Carter Coal Co. Inc., Coalwood 1¢ coal scrip. Obverse.
Reverse.
Carter Coal Co. cap check tag.
The Consolidation Coal Co.
1860—1991
The Consolidation Coal Co., Coalwood 1¢ coal scrip. Obverse.
Reverse.
Olga Coal Co.
1947—1998
Olga Coal Company, Coalwood 1¢ coal scrip. Obverse.
Reverse.
Davy
Joe Perkins
Joe Perkins. 10¢. Obverse.
Joe Perkins. 10¢. Reverse.
Eckman
Eureka Coal & Coke Co.
1892—1943
The Eureka Coal & Coke Company first chartered in 1892 to mine coal, manufacture coke, and have a general merchandise business (“Charters Granted,” 1892). The company said their office was at Dan’s Branch in McDowell County, which I presume to be the location of Eckman before its naming. All the owners were from Lynchburg, Virginia. The company began operations at the start of 1893, additionally building 200 coke ovens (“West Virginia Coal,” 1893).
Pulaski Iron Co.
1893(?)—1945
The first mentions of the Pulaski Iron Company (as being in Eckman) occur in 1893 (“Notes From,” 1893) when a news article discusses the new railway connections for the company in Eckman. CoalCampUSA asserts, however, the company mined coal in Eckman from 1897 to 1945 (“Miscellaneous Scenes from McDowell,” n.d.). Any mentions of them and their store in newspapers end after 1939 (Rinso, 1939), but I will use the 1945 date as the final year.
In 1906, six people died from the explosion of 400 powder kegs outside the Pulaski Iron Company mine (United States Mine Rescue Association, n.d.). The deceased included Panthena Rhodes, Joseph Steel, Ad. Mullens, Ales Finney, Martha Johnson, and James Witcher.
Eight
N. R. & P. Stores
19??—19??
Elkhorn
Crozer Coal & Coke Co.
1887—
Crozer Coal & Coke Co. 1¢. Obverse.
Crozer Coal & Coke Co. 1¢. Reverse.
Houston Coal & Coke Co.
1887—1933
Houston C. & C. Co. 1¢. Obverse.
Houston C. & C. Co. 1¢. Reverse.
Upland Coal & Coke Co.
1891—1944
English
Bare Pocahontas Coal Co.
19??—19??
Ennis
Turkey Gap Coal & Coke Co.
1887—1952
Excelsior
Excelsior Pocahontas Stores Co.
1910—1931
Hartwell
N. R. & P. Stores Co.
Havaco
N. R. & P. Stores Co.
N. R. & P. Stores. 1¢. Obverse.
N. R. & P. Stores. 1¢. Reverse.
Hemphill
Kingston-Pocahontas Coal Co.
1900—1947
Kingston-Pocahontas Coal Company. 1¢. Obverse.
Kingston-Pocahontas Coal Company. 1¢. Reverse.
Allied Chemical & Dye Corporation, Semet-Solvay Division
1941—1958, 1938—1948
Semet-Solvay Division. 1¢. Obverse.
Semet-Solvay Division. 1¢. Reverse.
Isaban
Isaban Coal Company
1934—1938
Jenkinjones
Pocahontas Fuel Co.
1903—1909
Keystone
Keystone Coal & Coke Co.
1890—1936
Kimball
Houston Collieries Co.
1902—1936
King Coal Co.
1902—1934
Tidewater Coal & Coke Co.
1891—1934
Kyle
Lynchburg Coal & Coke Co.
19??—19??
Landgraff
Empire Coal & Coke Co.
1890—1938
Vera Pocahontas Coal Co. No. 3
1920—19??
The Vera Pocahontas Coal Company organized in 1920 (“Charters Issued,” 1920).
References
Algoma, WV. (n.d.). Coal Camp USA. https://coalcampusa.com/sowv/flattop/algoma-wv-coal-camp/algoma-wv-coal-camp.htm
Blast was almost directly under Welch hospital. (1924, December 13). Bluefield Daily Telegraph, 1.
Charters granted. (1892, February 19). The Daily Register, 2.
Charters issued. (1920, December 8). The Wheeling Intelligencer, 6.
Coalwood, WV. (n.d.). Coal Camp USA. https://www.coalcampusa.com/sowv/flattop/coalwood/coalwood.htm
Improvements at Capels. (1919, July 18). The Charleston Daily Mail, 12.
Male help wanted. (1926, September 14). Bluefield Daily Telegraph, 12.
Miscellaneous scenes from McDowell County. (n.d.). Coal Camp USA. https://www.coalcampusa.com/sowv/flattop/mcdowell/mcdowell.htm
Mountain state miscellany. (1955, September 12). The Raleigh Register, 2.
New coal development planned. (1923, February 19). The Evening Sun, 16.
New enterprises. (1890, June 4). The Wheeling Daily Intelligencer, 27.
News of mines and mining. (1918, August 9). The Charleston Daily Mail, 2.
Notes from McDowell County. (1893, September 6). The Daily Register, 2.
Pond Creek Pocahontas Co. has organized. (1923, February 20). The Boston Globe, 1923.
Pond Creek Pocahontas gets off to good start. (1925, March 14). Bluefield Daily Telegraph, 6.
Remains of mine man taken to his old home. (1912, May 22). Bluefield Daily Telegraph, 3.
Rinso. (1939, September 8). Whiter wash special! [advertisement]. The McDowell Times, 3.
Shannon Branch No. 3 mine explosion. (n.d.). Mine Disasters in the United States. https://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/saxsewell/shannon_1927.htm
Six believed dead in coal mine disaster. (1924, December 12). Bluefield Daily Telegraph, 1.
United States Mine Rescue Association. (n.d.). Coal fatality, Eckman, McDowell County, WV. https://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/saxsewell/1906_Pulaski_Report.pdf
West Virginia coal and coke. (1893, January 15). Wheeling Sunday Register, 10.
West Virginia Secretary of State. (n.d.). Business entity details: The Algoma Coal and Coke Company. https://apps.wv.gov/SOS/BusinessEntitySearch/Details.aspx?Id=w8ZifEb3OkmfnHpAfblOAA==&Search=hjm0e+mliOFfDRBvE%2fJ7Lw%3d%3d&Page=0
West Virginia Secretary of State. (n.d.). Business entity details: Central Pocahontas Coal Company. https://apps.wv.gov/SOS/BusinessEntitySearch/Details.aspx?Id=FvhSjYC9TszDF6yQLiCX8A==&Search=QtjkLE2FfYR2BEwpVntjycEtnk2ewKvozLclKFchJ5E%3d&Page=0
What’s doing in the state. (1907, August 13). Bluefield Evening Leader, 2.