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.
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
The old tipple, conveyor, and headhouse that used to be at Pageton, W.Va.
Apr. 2006 image by author
All that I could find from the above photo were these headhouse foundations.
Apr. 2006 image by author
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.
Apr. 2006 image by author
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.
Apr. 2006 image by author
Farther up the Tug Fork is another section of Pageton.
Apr. 2006 image by author
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.
Apr. 2006 image by author
There are also these larger homes in the second section of Pageton.
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
A vintage view of the homes shown above showing how some things have changed and some things haven't changed in Pageton, W.Va.
Image courtesy of WVDEP AML Program
Remaining mine entry at Pageton.
Feb. 1991 WVSHPO image
This coal preparation plant at Pageton was still in existence when this photo was taken.
Mar. 2017 image by author
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.
