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PAGETON, WV
Page Coal & Coke Company was founded in 1903. The Pageton coal mines started producing coal in 1904. Eventually the mines numbered 1 through 11, although
not all were in production at the same time. Beehive coke ovens were in operation until 1921. Page Coal & Coke closed the last Pageton mine, No. 5, in 1963.
The old tipple, conveyor, and headhouse that used to be at Pageton, W.Va.
All that I could find from the above photo were these headhouse foundations.
This picture, taken from high up on the reclaimed mine site, shows the many company houses that remain in Pageton. Coke
ovens used to be at the toe of this slope when the Pageton operations were at their height.
I believe that this street was the "bosses row" in Pageton. These are the largest homes
in the town, and the large brick home at the end of the street was probably the superintendent's home. The Page Coal & Coke Company store is on the left, with the
former storefront windows and entryway bricked up now.
Farther up the Tug Fork is another section of Pageton.
These company houses feature what looks to be solid foundations, whereas many coal camp houses in
southern W.Va. only had brick or stone piers.
There are also these larger homes in the second section of Pageton.
A vintage view of the homes shown above showing how some things have changed and some things haven't changed in
Pageton, W.Va.
Remaining mine entry at Pageton.
This coal preparation plant at Pageton was still in existence when this photo was taken.
I don't know where the kids that live in Pageton now go to school, but it's not here! A 1991 WV SHPO inventory listed this as being used as a Veterans of Foreign Wars lodge, so it
had already stopped being a school even then.
Update: less than a year after I took the school photo it was demolished.
Sources:
Schust, Alex P. Gary Hollow. Two Mule Publishing, 2005.
State mining records
Image courtesy VT ImageBase, housed and operated by Digital Library and Archives, University Libraries; scanning by Digital Imaging, Learning Technologies, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Apr. 2006 image by author
Apr. 2006 image by author
Apr. 2006 image by author
Apr. 2006 image by author
Apr. 2006 image by author
Apr. 2006 image by author
Image courtesy VT ImageBase, housed and operated by Digital Library and Archives, University Libraries; scanning by Digital Imaging, Learning Technologies, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Image courtesy of WVDEP AML Program
Feb. 1991 WVSHPO image
Mar. 2017 image by author