200 tons of coal mined in 1840. Coal from this region was mined during the Civil War and helped to fuel the Confederacy war machine. It is legend that the Confederated ship Merrimac burned coal from the mines located at the present community of Merrimac, thus giving the mine and community its name. Mining in the valley remained small scale until the railroad arrived around the late 1800’s. Larger mining operations began to ramp up production around the early part of the 20th century as Montgomery County 1907 records show the annual coal production to be around 22,000 tons. Coal Camps would spring up around the larger Mining operations and some would have company owned housing, stores and a post office. One of the Largest operations in the valley; The Merrimac mine produced coal until they shut down over a labor dispute in 1935. Other large-scale operations in the valley were; The Great Valley Anthracite Coal Corporation’s Great Valley Mine, Superior Anthracite’s Big Vein Mine and Parrot Mine in Pulaski County. The Great Valley Mine was the scene of the region’s single largest loss of life. On April 18, 1946, a methane explosion claimed twelve miners’ lives. This mine continued to produce coal for several more years until it was shut down due to ventilation and methane problems. The 1950’s were the end of the large-scale mining in the area with the shutdown of the Big Vein Mine in 1953. After the large-scale mines shut down, all that remained were small private owned “Truck Mines” or “Buggie Mines”. These mines provided coal for the local coal market, which included house coal, and coal to supply the boilers at Virginia Tech. Most of these mines only produced coal in the fall and winter months and would shut down during the summer months. Many miners during these months would farm and raise gardens to support themselves during this time. The late 1970’s saw the end of mining in the valley and the end of an era. In 1994 a small group of former miners and family members started up The Coal Mining Heritage Association to preserve the history of mining in the valley for future generations. The Coal Mining Heritage Association meets the first Monday of each month at various locations throughout the valley. The group is currently seeking a location to start a Coal mining museum and possibly an exhibition coal mine. There is currently a Coal Miners Heritage Park located on the Merrimac Mine site. Located on the Mine site are a coal car, hoist, hoist platform, tipple foundation and gob pile. The park was formed from a partnership between the Coal Miners Heritage Association and Montgomery County Parks and Recreation Department. There are two other Coal Miners Memorials located at McCoy, VA, and the Brush Mountain Coal Miners Memorial located on Glade Road near Blacksburg, VA. Unlike the Anthracite region of Pennsylvania this area has no active workings, the veins of coal lie in very steep and broken seams making it very difficult to mine. In a time where quality coal tops well over $100.00 a ton this may be the end of an industry and an almost forgotten way of life.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Forgotten Mines of the New River Valley
The New River Valley Region of South Western Virginia is known for its beautiful mountains, crystal clear streams and Virginia Tech. Unknown to many is that this beautiful region dotted with farms and communities was once a thriving coal mining area. German and Scotch-Irish settlers settled this area, in the 1700’s. The coal is Semi-Anthracite, and outcrops on Brush Mountain near the present town of Blacksburg. Many of the settlers were blacksmiths and they would have recognized these black rocks as coal. It is believed that coal was mined as far back as 1750 to fuel the fires in local blacksmith shops. Later the coal was not only used locally but was shipped via horse and wagon to Lynchburg, Va. where it was offloaded onto barges and floated down the James River. Records from Montgomery county show that there were 
200 tons of coal mined in 1840. Coal from this region was mined during the Civil War and helped to fuel the Confederacy war machine. It is legend that the Confederated ship Merrimac burned coal from the mines located at the present community of Merrimac, thus giving the mine and community its name. Mining in the valley remained small scale until the railroad arrived around the late 1800’s. Larger mining operations began to ramp up production around the early part of the 20th century as Montgomery County 1907 records show the annual coal production to be around 22,000 tons. Coal Camps would spring up around the larger Mining operations and some would have company owned housing, stores and a post office. One of the Largest operations in the valley; The Merrimac mine produced coal until they shut down over a labor dispute in 1935. Other large-scale operations in the valley were; The Great Valley Anthracite Coal Corporation’s Great Valley Mine, Superior Anthracite’s Big Vein Mine and Parrot Mine in Pulaski County. The Great Valley Mine was the scene of the region’s single largest loss of life. On April 18, 1946, a methane explosion claimed twelve miners’ lives. This mine continued to produce coal for several more years until it was shut down due to ventilation and methane problems. The 1950’s were the end of the large-scale mining in the area with the shutdown of the Big Vein Mine in 1953. After the large-scale mines shut down, all that remained were small private owned “Truck Mines” or “Buggie Mines”. These mines provided coal for the local coal market, which included house coal, and coal to supply the boilers at Virginia Tech. Most of these mines only produced coal in the fall and winter months and would shut down during the summer months. Many miners during these months would farm and raise gardens to support themselves during this time. The late 1970’s saw the end of mining in the valley and the end of an era. In 1994 a small group of former miners and family members started up The Coal Mining Heritage Association to preserve the history of mining in the valley for future generations. The Coal Mining Heritage Association meets the first Monday of each month at various locations throughout the valley. The group is currently seeking a location to start a Coal mining museum and possibly an exhibition coal mine. There is currently a Coal Miners Heritage Park located on the Merrimac Mine site. Located on the Mine site are a coal car, hoist, hoist platform, tipple foundation and gob pile. The park was formed from a partnership between the Coal Miners Heritage Association and Montgomery County Parks and Recreation Department. There are two other Coal Miners Memorials located at McCoy, VA, and the Brush Mountain Coal Miners Memorial located on Glade Road near Blacksburg, VA. Unlike the Anthracite region of Pennsylvania this area has no active workings, the veins of coal lie in very steep and broken seams making it very difficult to mine. In a time where quality coal tops well over $100.00 a ton this may be the end of an industry and an almost forgotten way of life.
200 tons of coal mined in 1840. Coal from this region was mined during the Civil War and helped to fuel the Confederacy war machine. It is legend that the Confederated ship Merrimac burned coal from the mines located at the present community of Merrimac, thus giving the mine and community its name. Mining in the valley remained small scale until the railroad arrived around the late 1800’s. Larger mining operations began to ramp up production around the early part of the 20th century as Montgomery County 1907 records show the annual coal production to be around 22,000 tons. Coal Camps would spring up around the larger Mining operations and some would have company owned housing, stores and a post office. One of the Largest operations in the valley; The Merrimac mine produced coal until they shut down over a labor dispute in 1935. Other large-scale operations in the valley were; The Great Valley Anthracite Coal Corporation’s Great Valley Mine, Superior Anthracite’s Big Vein Mine and Parrot Mine in Pulaski County. The Great Valley Mine was the scene of the region’s single largest loss of life. On April 18, 1946, a methane explosion claimed twelve miners’ lives. This mine continued to produce coal for several more years until it was shut down due to ventilation and methane problems. The 1950’s were the end of the large-scale mining in the area with the shutdown of the Big Vein Mine in 1953. After the large-scale mines shut down, all that remained were small private owned “Truck Mines” or “Buggie Mines”. These mines provided coal for the local coal market, which included house coal, and coal to supply the boilers at Virginia Tech. Most of these mines only produced coal in the fall and winter months and would shut down during the summer months. Many miners during these months would farm and raise gardens to support themselves during this time. The late 1970’s saw the end of mining in the valley and the end of an era. In 1994 a small group of former miners and family members started up The Coal Mining Heritage Association to preserve the history of mining in the valley for future generations. The Coal Mining Heritage Association meets the first Monday of each month at various locations throughout the valley. The group is currently seeking a location to start a Coal mining museum and possibly an exhibition coal mine. There is currently a Coal Miners Heritage Park located on the Merrimac Mine site. Located on the Mine site are a coal car, hoist, hoist platform, tipple foundation and gob pile. The park was formed from a partnership between the Coal Miners Heritage Association and Montgomery County Parks and Recreation Department. There are two other Coal Miners Memorials located at McCoy, VA, and the Brush Mountain Coal Miners Memorial located on Glade Road near Blacksburg, VA. Unlike the Anthracite region of Pennsylvania this area has no active workings, the veins of coal lie in very steep and broken seams making it very difficult to mine. In a time where quality coal tops well over $100.00 a ton this may be the end of an industry and an almost forgotten way of life.
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My great-grandfather, George H. Sifford, from Parrott, Va. died in the 1946 mining explosion. He was one of the 12 men that were at the deepest part of the tunnel under the New River. He left behind his wife, Annie,who was pregnant and their 8 children.
ReplyDeleteThe New River is bursting with history and even now in Parrott, people come from different states to fish and camp on the New River. I would like to save some of the history for future generations.
So sorry to hear this
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