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Campbell’s Creek a Portrait of a Coal Mining Community by Todd Hanson
Campbells Creek a Portrait of a Coal Mining Community by Todd Hanson
Soft Cover
174 pages
Copyright 1989
CONTENTS
VINTRODUCTION
VIACKNOWLEDGMENTS
VIIIMPORTANT DATES AND EVENTS IN CAMPBELL'S CREEK HISTORY
1CHAPTER ONE: Campbell's Creek Coal Companies
27CHAPTER TWO: Mining Methods
47CHAPTER THREE: River Interests
69CHAPTER FOUR: The Campbell's Creek Railroad
85CHAPTER FIVE: Campbell's Creek Communities
129CHAPTER SIX: Ruins and Reminders-The Legacy
141APPENDIX I: Indians and Legends
148APPENDIX II: Original Campbell's Creek Land Grant Recipients, Civil War Veterans, 1910 Putney Census
154APPENDIX III: Three Old Time Murder Stories
164APPENDIX IV: Coal Industry Related Statistics
173BIBLIOGRAPHY
MAPS:
VIII & IXTOPOGRAPHIC MAP
XI1865 MAP
71CAMPBELL'S CREEK RAILROAD
106BIG BOTTOM SCHOOL
108-109CINCO
125-26PUTNEY
INTRODUCTION
The story of Campbell's Creek is fascinating; its history is as rich as the natural resources that abound here. This area has played a most important part in the history of the Kanawha Valley since the time this region was first penetrated by white men. No industries have directed more greatly the destiny of the Kanawha Valley's settlement, economical and commercial development than have the immense salt works, timber lands, and coal mining operations of Campbell's Creek.
Campbell's Creek is a northern tributary of the Great Kanawha River. The creek is located five miles east of Charleston and has a drainage area of approximately 47 square miles. It is 16 miles in length from the headwaters to the mouth, and along with its tributaries Campbell's Creek makes up the greater portion of the Malden District of Kanawha County.
Perhaps the single most important element in the history of the Kanawha Valley has been that of the salt spring, located near the mouth of Campbell's Creek. It was there that Mary Ingles made salt for her Indian captors after she was taken prisoner in a raid in 1755 on the frontier settlement of Drapers Meadow. Throughout the early settlement of the valley, the salt spring or "Great Buffalo Lick," as it was called, grew to fame. Even the famous frontiersman, Daniel Boone, built a cabin near the salt lick, on the opposite side of the Kanawha River. He may have hunted and trapped in this area while residing in Kanawha County.
The early settlers had known for many years that salt could be made by vaporizing the brine taken at the spring, but it was not until 1797 that Elisha Brooks erected the first commercial salt works which gave birth to Kanawha Valley's salt industry. Near this same site, in 1808, David and Joseph Ruffner displayed the first deep well that brought about large-scale salt production. This vast industry quickly spurred the settlement and economical development of the Kanawha Valley.
Although the chronicles of Campbell's Creek extend back more than 200 years, it would not be until after the Civil War that industrial developments in coal and timber lands would bring widespread growth to this area. Perhaps the most dominant factor in the history of Campbell's Creek, like most of West Virginia, has been the coal industry.
Campbell's Creek has often been overlooked as a pioneer in the early development of the coal industry. However, coal was mined there long before most of West Virginia's coalfields were accessible by railway.
The long success of the Campbell's Creek Coal Company began in 1865, and its successor, Amherst Industries, continues to operate on Campbell's Creek today. The Pioneer Coal Company began its operation on Campbell's Creek when it opened mines in 1871. That company is credited with being the first in West Virginia to ever issue scrip. The coal companies in the Valley have, in fact, been pioneering forces in nearly all aspects of the industry, ranging from the perfection of mining techniques to the widely diversified field of coal transportation.
It is most unfortunate that, up until this time, the history of Campbell's Creek has never been thoroughly documented-for much of West Virginia's heritage can be traced to the history of this community. The mountain hollows are filled with many intriguing stories of times past; the region's elders pass on to younger generations tales about Indian lore, pioneering settlers, the bloody mine wars, and life in the coalfields. For those who wish to recall "the good old days," their minds go back to a time when Campbell's Creek was a bustling coal community.
Campbell's Creek has been a longtime stronghold of "King Coal," its industry having once dominated the lifestyles of thousands of area miners and their families. The mines provided work, and company stores supplied all the necessary items for daily living. Life did not change much until after World War II, when new technology resulted in changes that brought the great coal era to an end. New underground mining machinery had boosted coal production, and at the same time reduced the number of jobs. By the early 1960s, mining on Campbell's Creek had nearly come to a halt. This book reflects on these years by striving to preserve the history of Campbell's Creek and to restore the pride of our heritage.
Campbell's Creek, A Portrait of a Coal Mining Community is an attempt to explore pictorially the history and development of this area. This book offers a visual glimpse into the pasta documentation of the people, places and activities of a way of life that is gone and a culture that has changed. This project is a tribute, honoring those working people of Campbell's Creek, who gave so much of their lives to the industrial development of the Kanawha Valley and the State of West Virginia.
Todd Hanson 1989
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