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HARLAN COALFIELD

2017 image by author

The commissary at Louellen. I noticed while I was in Harlan County that everyone called a company store a commissary.

2017 image by author

Coal pillar in Baxter, Ky.

Sep. 1946 image from "A Medical Survey of the Bituminous Coal Industry" via the National Archives

Marne No. 1 mine at Verda, Kentucky.

2017 Image by author

Coal camp houses at Grays Knob, Kentucky. Wilson Berger Coal Co. opened Grays Knob in 1916.

Dec. 2007 image by author

In 1947 Stonega Coal and Coke opened the Glenbrook mine in Harlan County, with the workers living in Virginia in newly constructed houses built by the coal company. In 2007 the Glenbrook prep plant is still in existence. Though it is idle, the guards at the guard shack won't let anyone get by them, forcing photographers to take a picture of the 60 year old coal plant through the trees on the mountain above.

Oct. 2007 image by Ron Flannery

Yet only two months before they let this fellow in to take a picture of the Glenbrook tipple.

Image by author

This is a rare scatter tag from the Glenbrook mine. Scatter tags were mixed in with loads of coal in the mid 20th Century to advertise the coal company or brand name. Here the tag advertises the mine, but some coals had brand names, like Consol's "Cavalier" coal in Jenkins, KY, North West Fuel Company's "Grenadier" coal from Auxier, KY, Island Creek Coal's "Scarlet Flame" coal at Scarlet, WV, and Raleigh Coal and Coke's "Black Knight" coal in Raleigh, WV. In that case, if the coal company used scatter tags (not all did), the brand name of the coal was often printed on the carboard or aluminum tags.

Image by others

The Glenbrook tipple as it appeared in an ad for Alcoa aluminum siding.

Sep. 1946 image from "A Medical Survey of the Bituminous Coal Industry" via the National Archives

Compact surface arrangement of a tipple and coal company housing at Benito, Kentucky. The row of houses located across the railroad tracks may have been an ethnic neighborhood.

Sep. 1946 image from "A Medical Survey of the Bituminous Coal Industry" via the National Archives

Benito, KY - coal miners' homes along the tracks.

Image by J. Lee Murphy

Abandoned Crummies Creek Coal Company store.

Sep. 1946 image from "A Medical Survey of the Bituminous Coal Industry" via the National Archives

Coal camp of the Dixie Darby Fuel Company at Lejunior, Kentucky.

Google Street View image

A few remaining coal company-built homes at Kentenia, KY.

2017 image by author

The main rail yard for the Harlan Coalfield is the one shown here at Loyall, Ky.

2017 image by author

CSX engines no. 7894 & 8376 pulling out of the Loyall yard.

2017 image by author

Loaded and empty gondola cars at Loyall.

2017 image by author

The Loyall yard used to be a L&N operation, but is now operated by CSX.

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