Chattaroy mines and coal camp were opened by the Chattaroy Collieries Company in 1904. Mines were in the Winifrede and Coalburg seams, and coal was marketed as "Chattaroy White Ash Coal." These mines operated until 1912. A few years later, circa 1910, another operation was started at Chattaroy: Howard Collieries Co., which was, either at some point in time or for the entire duration, a sub-company of Norfolk & Western Railway, making Chattaroy a captive mine to provide coal for the railroad. Evidently there were a few years that Chattaroy Collieries and Howard Collieries operated simultaneously at Chattaroy, and they may have even been sister companies, because Howard sold their coal under the similar name "Howard White Ash Coal." To make matters more confusing there was also a Howard Junior Coal Co. mining at Chattaroy during some of the same years and also selling "Howard White Ash Coal." Who knows why there were all of these subsidiaries and companies at Chattaroy at the same time? Not I.
