McDowell County Scrip M-Z
Maybeury
Elkhorn Coal & Coke Co.
1893(?)—1936
Elkhorn Coal & Coke Company’s camp was up Barlow Hollow in Maybeury (“Switchback & Maybeury,” n.d.). If I were to guess, Barlow Hollow is named after the superintendent of this camp of the company, Alfred Barlow (“West Virginia Items,” 1893). This was the first year the company is mentioned in newspapers. Its manager was R.S. Ord (“Personals And,” 1905). In 1914, Charles B. Smith became superintendent of the company, becoming general manager after its merger with Mill Creek Coal & Coke Company (“Injury Fatal,” 1935). The company then changed its name to Elkhorn Colliery, with the addition of a “M. C. C. & C. Co.” beneath its name on scrip. According to the McDowell County historian, Mr. Jay Chapman, Elkhorn Coal & Coke Co. merged with Mill Creek Coal & Coke Company around 1936.
Elkhorn Coal & Coke Co., Maybeury (Barlow Hollow) 10¢ coal scrip. Obverse.
Reverse.
Elkhorn Colliery — M. C. C. & C. Co.
1903—1952
The “M. C. C. & C. CO.” on this scrip references the parent company of Elkhorn Colliery (Elkhorn Coal & Coke Co., prior to the merger): Mill Creek Coal & Coke Company. The date range given is from the McDowell County historian, Mr. Jay Chapman, who also noted the merger likely occurred somewhere between 1936 to 1940.
Elkhorn Colliery (Mill Creek Coal & Coke Co.), Maybeury (Barlow Hollow) 10¢ coal scrip. Obverse.
Reverse.
Mohegan
Mohawk Coal & Coke Co.
1901—1933
Mohawk Coal & Coke Company incorporated in Welch in 1901 (WV Sec. State, n.d.). Its general manager beginning in 1905 was J.F. Bohannon (“Personals And,” 1905), who was previously superintendent of the Spring Coal Mining Company of Widemouth in Mercer County. This company dissolved in 1933 (WV Sec. State, n.d.).
Mohawk Coal & Coke Co., Mohegan $1 coal scrip. Obverse.
Reverse.
Northfork
Greenbrier Coal & Coke Co.
1892—1934
The Greenbrier Coal & Coke Company was granted a charter in 1892 (“Charters Granted,” 1892). Their main office was in McDowell (the town). Justus Collins was its president (“The Day Before,” 1892), also serving as vice-president of the Louisville Coal Company. Justus Collins was particularly reviled by labor organizers and rival coal companies alike. This company dissolved in 1934 (WV Sec. State, n.d.).
Greenbrier Coal & Coke Co., Mohegan $1 coal scrip. Obverse.
Reverse.
Panther
Lathrop Coal Co.
1911—19??
The Lathrop Coal Company was granted a charter in 1911 (“West Virginia Charters,” 1911), with the incorporators being William Leckie, W.W. Hughes, Thompson S. Crockett, William R. Graham, and G.A. Kroger (“New Charter,” 1911). Leckie served as the general manager of the company (“Welch News,” 1912) and president (“Lathrop Coal,” 1912) after the death of the first president, W.A. Lathrop (“Old Officers,” 1913), for whom the company is named.
Panther Coal Co.
1913—1934
Panther, the town, was established by Panther Coal Company in 1913 (“Williamson Coalfield,” n.d.). The company itself chartered in late 1913 (“Report,” 1913). Colonel William Leckie was president of this company as well as the Lathrop Coal Company (“Making Contented,” 1914). Evidently, Colonel Leckie led his employees and treated them well, at least by the standards of that day, as he himself experienced the life of a coal miner as a young man in Scotland (American Historical Society, 1923).
Powhatan
Powhatan Coal Co.
1889—1937
The Powhatan Coal Company incorporated in 1889 with stockholders J.J. Tierney, A.D. Wolff, F.L. Paddock, R.C. Luther, and F.F. Yunegling (“A New,” 1889).
The mines of this company shut down in February of 1937 after producing 45,000,000 tons of coal over its lifespan (“Mine Works,” 1937).
Roderfield
Lynwin Pocahontas Coal Co.
1929—1932
According to the West Virginia Secretary of State records, this company only existed from 1929 to 1932.
Silver Creek Mining Co.
19??—19??
Six
Carter Coal Co.
1913—1950
The Consolidation Coal Co.
1860—1991
Squire
Jacob’s Fork Pocahontas Coal Co.
1935—1962
Vivian
Bottom Creek Coal & Coke Co.
1891—1926
The Bottom Creek Coal & Coke Company chartered in 1891 with their main office in Bottom Creek (“Charters Issued,” 1891), between Kimball and Vivian. William Spencer, one of the incorporators, served as its general manager (“For Legislature,” 1892) and president (“Wm. Spencer,” 1904).
In 1911, 18 men died in a blast caused by an open light that a mine engineer was carrying while conducting a routine survey (“Bottom Creek,” n.d.; Ryan & Smith, 1913). Among the dead were W.H. Henderson, E.H. Harvey, Charles Brewer, and Tarvin Williams. I cannot find the names of the other 14 men who died that day.
In 1922, the Pocahontas Fuel Company purchased Bottom Creek Coal & Coke Company from George and Sam Patterson—the two individuals who owned the majority of the stakes in the company (“Property Transferred,” 1922). Bottom Creek Coal & Coke Co. became a subsidiary of Pocahontas Fuel Co. According to Coal Camp USA, the company operated there as a subsidiary until 1926 (“Vivian,” n.d.).
Peerless Coal & Coke Co.
1892—1959
The Pocahontas Corporation
1923—1951
War
Warrior Coal Co.
1914—1939
Williams Pocahontas Coal Co.
1915—1937
Welch
Junior Pocahontas Coal Co.
19??—19??
Worth
United Pocahontas Coal Co.
1915—2014
Zenith
United Pocahontas Coal Co.
1915—2014
References
American Historical Society. (1923). The history of West Virginia, old and new.
A new corporation. (1889, May 30). The Daily Register, 4.
Bottom Creek mine explosion. (n.d.). Mine Disasters in the United States. Retrieved September 17, 2025 from https://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/saxsewell/bottom_creek_news_only.htm
Charters issued. (1891, November 17). The Daily Register, 1.
Charters granted. (1892, March 8). The Wheeling Daily Intelligencer, 2.
For legislature. (1892, April 28). The Wheeling Daily Intelligencer, 7.
Injury fatal to Charles B. Smith. (1935, June 2). Bluefield Daily Telegraph, 12.
Lathrop Coal Co. gives employees a banquet. (1912, June 11). Bluefield Daily Telegraph, 4.
Making contented workmen. (1914, August 21). The McDowell Times, 2.
Mine works out. (1937, March 16). Bluefield Daily Telegraph, 1.
New charter. (1911, May 9). The Wheeling Intelligencer, 2.
Old officers re-elected. (1913, February 22). Bluefield Daily Telegraph, 1.
Personals and briefs. (1905, February 4). Bluefield Daily Telegraph, 6.
Personals and briefs. (1905, February 14). Bluefield Daily Telegraph, 6.
Property transferred in smokeless district. (1922, November 12). The Charleston Daily Mail, 38.
Report. (1913, October 23). The Daily Telegram, 10.
Ryan, J.T. & Smith, H.I. (1913). Report on explosion in Bottom Creek Mine. https://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/saxsewell/Bottom_Creek_1911.pdf
Switchback & Maybeury, W.VA. (n.d.). CoalCampUSA. Retrieved September 17, 2025 from https://coalcampusa.com/sowv/flattop/switchback-maybeury/switchback-maybeury.htm
The day before. (1892, June 1). The Daily Register, 2.
Vivian. (n.d.). CoalCampUSA. Retrieved September 17, 2025 from https://coalcampusa.com/sowv/flattop/mcdowell/mcdowell.htm
Welch news notes. (1912, February 14). Bluefield Daily Telegraph, 2.
West Virginia charters. (1911, May 13). Martinsburg Herald, 4.
West Virginia items. (1893, December 14). The Shepherdstown Register, 2.
West Virginia Secretary of State. (n.d.). Business entity details: Greenbrier Coal And Coke Company. https://apps.wv.gov/SOS/BusinessEntitySearch/Details.aspx?Id=wclk7feVIsQymfR9mFGnFw==&Search=okX8xK3QUC+HBARH+E6lNQ%3d%3d&Page=0
West Virginia Secretary of State. (n.d.). Business entity details: Lynwin Pocahontas Coal Company. https://apps.wv.gov/SOS/BusinessEntitySearch/Details.aspx?Id=KVYvniuDUlIrUeXruhUjdg==&Search=+JKFrus%2fTEY9ymyKYCSntvg1XEUA9I52OnRk+iKswy0%3d&Page=0
West Virginia Secretary of State. (n.d.). Business entity details: Mohawk Coal And Coke Company. https://apps.wv.gov/SOS/BusinessEntitySearch/Details.aspx?Id=C2vmfTS/CDqEEpcHY0AS7w==&Search=3r6btgIsrzPAdrXp9hQnvQ%3d%3d&Page=0
Williamson coalfield in McDowell County. (n.d.). Coal Camp USA. https://www.coalcampusa.com/sowv/williamson/mcdowell-county/mcdowell-county.htm
Wm. Spencer succumbs to pneumonia at Vivian. (1904, December 14). Bluefield Daily Telegraph, 5.