Coal mining in Coalwood
The coal in West Virginia was first discovered in 1742 by John Peter Sally. Around 1902 the under ground mines were started. There are 4 main types of coal mines. They had shaft mine, slope mine, drift mine, and surface mine which is a open cast. The mine at Coalwood was a shaft mine. The coal was brought up in an elevator from 600 to 800 feet underground.The coal mine closed down in the late 1980s. There are no coal-mining jobs in Coalwood. Many people became sick during their job and more and more people would pass away or retire. Soon after, they closed down the coal mine. All businesses are closed except for the Country Corner.
This is a loading machine that gathers up the loose coal and moves into a nearby rail car.
This a picture of coal miners coming out of the coal mine.