We are beginning a new research project and need YOUR help. Do you remember any of the many coal mines that were in Brooke County? Do you remember the names of any of the people associated with these mines, either as company owners or miners who worked there.
“Mines in Brooke County developed rapidly in 1905 when the production reached 205,859 tone; by 1910 production was 485,699 tons, with six companies in the field. These included the A. Gilchrist and Sons Coal Company at Gilchrist; the LaBelle Coal Company, the Beech Bottom Coal Company at Beech Bottom, the Lewis Findley Coal Company at Locust Grove, the LaBelle Iron Works ( shaft mine) at La Belle, and the Rex Carbon Coal Company. The Findley Coal Company was the largest with production of 138,991 tons.
A large number of coal companies were formed in Brooke County during World War I; by 1921, there were eleven with a total tonnage of 1,762,936. New mines included the Carnegie Wellsburg Coal Company mine at Goldie, the Consumer’s Fuel Company at Louise, the Follansbee Gas Coal Company mine at Arnold, the Pittsburgh-Wellsburg Coal Company at Tarr, the PV & K Coal Company near Follansbee, the Washington Pike Coal Company near Wellsburg, and the Windsor Coal Company mine at Beech Bottom.
Production increased during the 1920’s, and in 1928 Brooke County produced 2,071,000 tons. The mines operating in the immediate neighborhood of Wellsburg included the J.J. Goldsmith mine, the J.J. Arnold Company mine, the Naylor Coal Company, the R.C. Reed mine, the Richland Colliers Company, the Superior Coal Company, the Washington Pike Coal Company;, and the West Virginia-Pittsburgh Coal Company. At Beech Bottom the Windsor Power House Coal Company continued to mine and supply the power station of the West Penn Power Company and the Ohio Power Company. The Wheeling Steel Corporation also operated a mine at the same place, the coal being used in the company’s plants at Wheeling. Other mines included those of the Bertha-Consumers Company at Louise, the Bethany Improvement Company and the Archie Mitchell mine near Bethany and the R. Humes Coal Company near Follansbee.” ( The above three paragraphs are from the book “History of the WV Coal Industry”)
We know that there were also many small “mom and pop” mines. Do you know the locations of that type of mine or can you help to locate any of the mines listed above. Do you know anyone who worked at the mines? There are several homes that were built by the coal company in Brooke County. Do you remember anyone who lived here in those homes?
We have put the following notice in the local paper. Please do take time to send your information on to us. These early coal mining families are important to our county.
Can you help??? Brooke County Genealogy, Inc. is beginning to compile a list of the early coal mines here in Brooke County. We know that there were many small mines here.
What we would like to find is:
If you are contacting us here on line, your photo can be scanned in and sent to this site. Or, you could send the photo to us - we would copy and return it to you.
Thanks so much for your help! All family stories about the mines are of interest to our group.
Pittsburg Coal Unknown Mine Photo