ASHLAND, WV
Ashland was named after a town in the Pennsylvania Anthracite coalfields, since that is where some of the founders of the company, Ashland Coal and Coke Company, originated.
The Ashland Mine started producing Pocahontas No. 3 coal in 1894 and produced coal for over 70 years. The last time that I visited Ashland there was no coal mining activity to be seen. But there were dozens of ATV riders from
the Hatfield McCoy Trail buzzing and swarming around the roads.
Ashland Coal & Coke Company's tipple at Ashland at the end of its useful life. This tipple featured a button line conveyor that
fed coal into the tipple.
The Ashland tipple still had a few full rail cars sitting around in this photo taken just after the Ashland mines closed. For
the last few years of the operation tonnage was greatly reduced.
Street scene in Ashland showing the building that was the company store. The original company store was located across the street. When that building burned in 1943, the
store was relocated to this existing building.
Around 2008 someone thought to revamp the unused Ashland company store and repurpose it to serve the traffic from the new Hatfield McCoy Trail system. In its new life
the store contained a store selling WV crafts, a "Coal Camp Cafe," "computer lab," meeting room, and a coal mining museum. They even placed these rocking chairs with "Ashland Company Store" engraved in them, around
the building. However, on the day when visited the area it appeared that the Ashland Company Store had closed.
UPDATE: In 2022 I revisited the area and the Ashland Company Store was very much opened for business, with a store and a restaurant inside.
Looking up the North Fork of Elkhorn Creek behind the Ashland Company Store.
Someone took an underground coal car and made a display out of it.
Old dynamite or powder house at Ashland.
Coal discharge hopper on the hill above Ashland.
Detail of hopper.
Probably head house ruins.
Ashland as viewed from the road to Crumpler.
The company stores sold everything from food to coffins. Here's a 1953 newspaper ad for televisions showing all of the stores in this area of
West virginia, Virgina, and Kentucky where the TV could be purchased - including the Ashland Coal & Coke company store.
Circa 1970's image courtesy of Russell Tilley
1980 image by Robert Slavy
Apr. 2014 image by author
Apr. 2014 image by author
Apr. 2014 image by author
Feb. 2017 image by author
Mar. 2009 WVDEP AML Program image
Mar. 2009 WVDEP AML Program image
Mar. 2009 WVDEP AML Program image
Mar. 2009 WVDEP AML Program image
Feb. 2017 image by author
SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA COALFIELDS