May 2012 image by Mitch Marie
Osaka Coal company houses.
Jan. 2007 image by author
The machine shop at Osaka, VA was originally located beside the old Osaka tipple. Stonega Coke and Coal opened the Osaka mine, coke ovens, and coal camp in 1903. The original mines were exhausted in 1927, but a new mine/prep plant named Prescott opened there in the 1950s. Prescott operated until the 1990s.
Jan. 2007 image by author
Detail of the machine shop at Osaka. The old Osaka company store was tragically demolished in 1999. The store had been closed by Stonega Coke and Coal in the 1950's. They closed most of their individual company stores at that time and consolidated them into one mega company store, called the Andover Shopping Center, which was located in the railroad town of Andover, VA. When Westmoreland Coal Co. absorbed Stonega Coke and Coal they continued to operate the Andover Shopping Center until 1977, a very late date for a coal company to operate a retail store. (Coal companies operated a few retail stores in West Virginia into the 1980s, a few even into the early 90s.)
Image courtesy of the Virginia Film Office
The former company store in the middle of the Osaka coal camp is shown in the middle of this picture. Unfortunately, the store was razed in 1999.
Image courtesy of the Virginia Film Office
Coal tipple at Osaka.
