ISABELLA, PA
The mine and "patch town" at Isabella were built during the first decade of the 20th century by Isabella Connellsville Coke Company. But the mine is best known as the source of coal
and coke for National Steel's integrated steel mill at Weirton, W.Va. The operator of the mine during this time was Weirton Coal Company. In later years, Isabella operated as National Mines Corp., the coal mining arm of
National Steel, which also owned other metallurgical coal mines in West Virginia. This was one the last large underground coal mine in Fayette County
when National Mines Corp. closed Isabella in 1984. (By that time, the Rust Belt crisis had overtaken Weirton Steel. National Steel tried to close the mill, but the employees
rallied, purchased it, and it became an ESOP operation named Weirton Steel.) A skeleton crew to close the Isabella operation down worked through 1985, and the mine was permanently sealed by April 1986.
Bird's eye view of Isabella, PA from many years ago.
A view of the coal processing complex during the time Isabella was operated by Hecla Coal & Coke Company, a subsidiary of Hillman Coal and Coke Company. Hillman owned many coal
mines in Pennsylvania, and they marketed coal from the Isabella mine as Connellsville coal, although the mine was not actually in the famous Connellsville Nine-foot section of the Pittsburgh seam. This was "Klondike" Pittsburgh seam.
Ted writes, "I grew up in Isabella; I was born in '74 and lived in the patch during
the period it went from an operational mine to an abandoned industrial
area; My grandfather, Alex Skakandy, worked in the mine cutting coal
underground on a continuous miner and retired just before the mine shut
down in the early 80s. My grandfather was the son of immigrants, but he was born in America ...
I do know that his side of the family was Russian. After the mine closed, the mine buildings and the
large slate dump became a playground of sorts for the kids in the patch,
with the slate dump being very popular for dirt bikers. In the summer we
would fish from the steel/concrete barge tie-ups in the river (at least
one had a metal access walkway from the bank; you may have seen it when
you were taking photos of the tipple). To get to this section of the
river, you had to cross mine property, which after the mine shut down,
was guarded on and off at times by hired guards so we always felt like
we were running the guantlet to get to the river. Eventually most of the
mine buildings were demolished - I remember sadly watching some of the
demolition from the parking lot next to the Fire Hall which overlooked
the mine site - but the tipple was left standing. I moved away from the
patch permanently in the early/mid 90s due to college, but still
occasionally visit the area. Just last weekend, a few friends and I
kayaked down the Monongahela River from Adah to East Fredericktown and
along the way we passed under the Isabella tipple. There were about 4 or
5 kids diving off the concrete platform there - funny to see that kids
are still playing there."
Image from the book "King Coal" by Stan Cohen, and the WVU archives
Image from a Keystone Coal Catalog
Image from the John Barriger III National Railroad Library
Isabella preparation plant (which used Simon-Carves Baum Jigs to clean the coal), with the company houses in the background. By the time of this photo, Isabella may have stopped shipping coal by train, and shipped only by barge (much cheaper).
Image from the John Enman papers, 1876-2013, Coal and Coke Heritage Center at Penn State Fayette, the Eberly Campus
Isabella in 1954.
1950s image, MG-377 Enman, John Collection, Pennsylvania State Archives, Harrisburg
Overall view of Isabella in the mid-20th century. The company store is on the left. The dump truck is probably hauling refuse from the prep plant to the slate dump.
1950s image, MG-377 Enman, John Collection, Pennsylvania State Archives, Harrisburg
The company store at Isabella was operated as "Washington Supply Co". It burned in 2002.
1950s image, MG-377 Enman, John Collection, Pennsylvania State Archives, Harrisburg
When Isabella was constructed, these "rectangular" coke ovens were installed next to the tipple. I don't know if they were still in use at the time of this
photo, but I assume in later years the coal was barged to Weirton Steel's by-product coke plant on Brown's Island, W.Va. There were also 124 beehive coke ovens co-existing with the rectangular ovens at Isabella.
March 2003 image by author
This section of the Isabella tipple is still in existance today.
March 2003 image by author
The other side of the tipple at Isabella. There was more to the tipple at one time. That is not a coal refuse pile in the background - that is a refuse mountain.
March 2003 image by author
This picture is of the old barge loadout at Isabella. The mine and town are on the banks of the Monongahela River.
March 2003 image by author
Most of the buildings that made up the Isabella coal mining complex are gone today. However, this shop building is still there. Supposedly there were rectangular coke ovens at Isabella. Only a few small piles of bricks and pieces of coke remain of the Isabella coke yard, which was adjacent to the mine.
March 2003 image by author
This wooden coal bin remained from the Isabella mining complex.
March 2003 image by author
Many people still inhabit the somewhat isolated Isabella patch town. Isabella was one of the last major coal mines in Fayette County, being closed by National Mines Corporation sometime after the 1970s.
March 2003 image by author
March 2003 image by author
Image courtesy of Laura
Laura sent in this picture of coal miners at Isabella. Her great grandfather, Charles A. Lyons, is in the center of the photo. In the background are bags of "rock dust."
Image courtesy of Laura
Another picture, perhaps on a shaft elevator, with Mr. Lyons second from right. The miner in the center is wearing a round pin that says, "Silence Genius at Work."
Image courtesy of Microsoft Virtual Earth
Bird's eye view of Isabella showing the patch houses in the upper left, the tipple ruins and barge loadout
on the Monongahela River in the lower left, and the huge refuse pile on the right. Many of the original company houses have been torn down.