FREEMAN & SIMMONS, WV
The Freeman and Simmons coal camps were a conglomeration of three separate coal
mining operations - Booth-Bowen Coal & Coke Co., Caswell Creek Coal & Coke Co., and Buckeye Coal & Coke Co. Some of the coal was coked in nearby
beehive ovens.
West Virginia Geological Survey image
Ancient photo of the Buckeye Coal & Coke Co. mine
portals into the Pocahontas No. 6 coal seam.
Image courtesy of Mick Vest
Beehive coke ovens along Route 52 that were part of the Buckeye Coal & Coke operation.
Apr. 2014 image by author
It's hard to believe, but this structure was once a two-
story company store operated by Booth-Bowen Coal Co. Sometime after 1999 the upper floor was removed, a gabled roof added, and it was converted into a church. There
were two other company stores in the community, but they are gone now.
Apr. 2014 image by author
Company houses that may have been constructed by the Buckeye Coal & Coke Co. This company
had a long, healthy run at coal mining in Freeman from 1897 until 1948.
Mar. 2005 image by author
The Bluestone River Valley running through Freeman.
Mar. 2005 image by author
The rear of the Buckeye coal camp houses. A few of the
homes have had rooms added, but they were somewhat large for miners' houses to begin with.
Mar. 2005 image by author
This was the home of coal baron William H. Bowen.
Apr. 2014 image by author
This part of Freeman was the Booth-Bowen coal camp. Booth-Bowen
Coal & Coke closed their last mine in the area down in 1938.
Apr. 2014 image by author
Small "shotgun" coal company houses built by Booth-Bowen Coal Co. It appears
that one resident is a tire hoarder.