Appalachia’s Coal Miners Killed on the Job By Tabitha Wallen Something near and dear to my heart, a part of my very soul, are coal miners. My dad worked for McCoy Labs in Pikeville, testing water and soil samples on mining sites. His father drove a coal truck for the better part of thirty years….

EASTERN KENTUCKY SALT WORKS Salt was a vital commodity in the Western Virginia Frontier long before Kentucky had became a State. Long Hunters and Early Settlers had the ability to preserve food in an era long before refrigeration ensured its high demand. As important as salt was in the Colonies of North America , it…

BUILDERS SUPPLY COMPANY

Jenkins Division Directors Of The Consolidation Coal Company No. 201 Tipple & Underground Mine 201 Mine Excavation stated last of August, 1911. No. 201 Tramway. October 8,1911 Making Progress on No. 201 Mine portal. October 8, 1911 No. 201 Mine Portal. July 26, 1912 No. 201 Tipple in the distance, Sandy Valley and Elkhorn Railroad…

Before the Kentucky constitution of 1891, regulations on corporations were much more strict than today.  Pre-1891 applications to form corporations were submitted to, voted upon, and approved by the legislature.  The 1891 convention decided that process was too burdensome and time consuming for businesses seeking to incorporate and that the number of applications would be…

The people in the photograph were: [Far Left]  BENJAMIN FRANKLIN JOHNSON, better known as B.F., was a storekeeper who lived on Long Fork of Shelby Creek.  He was chosen by the businessmen in the party for his detailed knowledge of the region’s topography and its people. [Second from Left]  Probably GEORGE F. JOHNSON, son of…

Isom Branch Operation on Long Fork Harvey Little (below)

The Sorghum Mill was located on the Left Fork of Long Fork. Given the time of year, providing snow is shown in the background, this mill was converted for use in grinding corn.

Many years ago, as a young child I remember my father going squirrel hunting. Hunting season normally started after the middle of August, but he would always wait a little later in the season to avoid harvesting a squirrel to avoid finding parasites in their necks. Most hunters call them Wolves, though Warbles is the…

This Dam is commonly referred to as the John May Grist Mill, which is correct. The picture below appears to show the likeness of James Hatcher sitting on the right side of the Splash Dam. The image below shows the actual map location for the Splash Dam, located East of present-day Branham Heights.

Lawsuits are always a good source of information. This timber report was done at the Mouth of Punching Camp, opposite of Shade Dotson’s house. William McClellan Ritter (February 19, 1864-May 21, 1952) organized the W.M. Ritter Lumber Company in 1901. From the original core of operations in West Virginia and Virginia the company expanded operations…

A scene from the days of Ritter Lumber at Lower Elk. In the center foreground is the company store. The lumber yard is in the front, at the right, with garden plots on the hillside, belonging to the different families in the lumber camp. The area at the back, left, was known as Train Row….

A12 foot Chestnut Stump This inner ring of this big colossal giant was measured in March of 2019. The inside measurement, even after years of decay, inside moss ring measured 10 feet and 2 inches. The outer ring of the Chestnut stump, could have easily lost 2 feet of its outer diameter, easily exceeding 12…