ELKHORN COALFIELD MISCELLANEOUS

Nov. 2016 image by author These company houses at Fleming, KY, have been nicely preserved.
Nov. 2016 image by author The formerly important town of Neon, KY, was a small commercial center for the surrounding mining towns. A regional chain of stores - Dawahares - started in Neon. The Dawahares franchise eventually numbered 30 stores, but is defunct now.
Image source lost Coal miner at Kona, KY. Elkhorn Coal Company opened the Kona mines and coal camp around 1913.
Nov. 2006 image by author Former Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad trestle over Russell Fork with an old Addington Brothers prep plant in the background.
Nov. 2006 image by author Company houses built on the hillside in 1912 by the Elkhorn Fuel Company in Garrett, KY.
Google Street View image Abandoned theater in Drift, KY, where the mines have closed and most of the coal camp has been torn down. Although ruined, imposing and majestic structures remaining in old coal towns are indicative of the wealth that once could be found - at least for the coal barons - in Appalachia. It also shows how some mine owners attempted to provide nice facilities to make coal camp life more pleasant for their employees and their families. Beaver Coal & Mining Company was the best-known operator of the Drift mines, but there were other smaller mines (Floyd-Elkhorn Consolidated Collieries, Turner-Elkhorn Coal Company, etc.) as well.
Nov. 2006 image by author Idled coal tipple near McDowell, KY.
Nov. 2006 image by author Headhouse of the idled tipple near McDowell, KY.
Image courtesy of Mick Vest A coal camp built by the South East Coal Company at Millstone, KY. There is a very attractive and historic-looking church to the left of these homes, but unfortunately most of it is not in the picture.
Google Street View image Sadly, this South East Coal Company store at Millstone, KY, did not fare as well as the one at Seco. This store has been demolished.
Google Street View image Last few remaining coal camp houses at Henry Clay, on Marrowbone Creek.
Nov. 2006 image by author In 1942 Republic Steel Company of Ohio opened a small coal camp of about 12 houses on Road Fork in Pike County. Of course, the coal mine and town were named Republic, Kentucky (just like Republic, Pennsylvania). Some of the mine and community survived into the 1980s, but by the time I visited Republic, all that remained was this retaining wall constructed out of underground coal cars.
Image courtesy of Douglas Foreback Coal mining continues to the present day in the Elkhorn Coalfield. This is one of the entries into Arch's Bandmill II Mine.