WILLIAMSON COALFIELD IN MCDOWELL COUNTY
Image courtesy of Antonio Lim
Feb. 2012 image by Alan "Cathead" Johnston
The Isaban coal camp, originally known as Hardy, was built by the Hardy Coal Company in 1923. They turned the operation over to the Isaban Coal Co. in 1934,
and they ran it until 1938. In 1940 the mines were reopened by Peter White Coal Co., and this was a successful
coal mining operation that lasted until 1958.
Oct. 2005 image by author
The skeletal remains of a wooden tipple north of Iaeger in McDowell County.
Oct. 2005 image by author
Litwar coal camp - Little War Creek Coal Co. The mine closed in 1942.
Oct. 2005 image by author
A freight train passes gondola cars just loaded at the Litwar prep plant, barely visable in the background (not the same mine as the original Litwar mine).
Image courtesy of others
An ancient photograph taken at Panther, WV showing coal in railroad cars on the left, the company store in the middle, and company houses on the right.
Panther was opened by the Panther Coal Co. in 1913.
Image courtesy of Sidney Burke
An old auger sitting in the woods near Panther, WV.
Aug. 1946
image from "A Medical Survey of the Bituminous Coal Industry" via the National Archives
Coal company housing owned by the Panther Red Ash Coal Corp. in Panther, McDowell County, WV to
house the families of the employees of their Douglas Mine. Panther Red Ash operated this coal mine from 1938 until 1951.
Aug. 1946
image from "A Medical Survey of the Bituminous Coal Industry" via the National Archives
U.S. Dept. of the Interior photo of Panther originally captioned: "
Double row houses; garbage and trash are disposed of in this meager stream of water; there is a well and pump at each end
of the row of houses."
Circa 1991 WV SHPO image
Coal company housing development left over from the Douglas Mine near Panther, W.Va.
Circa 1991 WV SHPO image
Coal camp at Johnnycake, W.Va.
Feb. 2018 image by author
Iaegar, W.Va. is the southern end of the Williamson Coalfield. In all fairness to the town
of Iaegar, this isn't the most flattering view of the community. But this view of a mountain church framed in by old
brick buildings did catch my eye. In the foreground is the Tug Fork River.
Feb. 2018 image by author
Train yard at Iaegar.