Coalwood, West Virginia
| Coalwood | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Location in West Virginia
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| Basic data | |||
| Foundation : | 1905 | ||
| State : | United States | ||
| State : | West Virginia | ||
| County : | McDowell County | ||
| Coordinates : | 37 ° 23 ′ N , 81 ° 39 ′ W | ||
| Time zone : | Eastern ( UTC − 5 / −4 ) | ||
| Residents : | 900 (as of 1990) | ||
| Height : | 442 m | ||
| Postal code : | 24801 | ||
| Area code : | +1 304 | ||
| FIPS : | 54-16756 | ||
| GNIS ID : | 1554166 | ||
| Website : | www.coalwoodwestvirginia.com | ||
Coalwood is shaped by coal mining settlement on community-free area ( Unincorporated Community ) in McDowell County in the US -amerikanischen State West Virginia . The 1990 census found a population of 900 residents. Coalwood mining peaked in the 1960s and ended on October 1, 1982 when it was discontinued. The town is the location of Homer Hickam's book Rocket Boys , which was made into a film under the name October Sky .
history
Coalwood was founded in 1905 by George Lafayette Carter . He found large coal deposits and bought 80 km² of land. He founded the Carter Coal Company and built business premises, houses, a school, shops, and a church. Carter made a doctor and a dentist available to his workers.
In 1922, Carter sold the mine to the Consolidation Coal Company . This carried out renovations and hired new employees in coal production. In 1933 Carter was able to win back the company after the Consolidation Coal Company went bankrupt. After his death in 1936, his son James took over the business. He sold the mine to the Olga Coal Company in 1945 . In 1956 the Coalwoof mine was connected to the neighboring Caretta , where a mine was also operated by Olga. In 1959, Olga finally stopped coal production via Coalwood, which prompted the Norfolk and Western Railway to abandon Coalwood's connection to the railway network.
The Coalwood-Caretta Mine produced an average of one million tons of coal annually until it was closed.
At the height of its development, the city had a population of 2,000.
The end of coal production
As mining got easier, it got more dangerous. Because the work was now dustier and so more workers suffered from pneumonia , as did the later shaft master and works manager, Homer Hickam, Sr., the father of Homer Hickam, Jr. It went further downhill than the steel company all coalwood houses except that House the Hickhams sold.
In 1980 the Olga Coal Company was bought by the LTV Corporation , which closed the Coalwood mine in 1986 for good. The people who remained in Coalwood are now dependent on other jobs. The old workshops and clubhouses are still in the town. Even so, there are many abandoned houses and areas closed to the public. The city's department store was demolished on March 29, 2008 by the current owner of the historic complex, Alawest.
October Sky Festival
Every October Coalwood hosts the October Sky Festival to honor the achievements of the Rocket Boys around Homer Hickam . The event is attended by many scientists and astronauts, as well as Homer Hickam. In 2007 the 50th anniversary of the first artificial satellite Sputnik was celebrated.
Web links
- The City website (English)
- Coalwood Memories
- Homer Hickam Online
- Photos of the abandoned mining facilities
Individual evidence
- ↑ Homer Hickam, Jr .: Rocket Boys . Delacorte Press, 1998, ISBN 0-385-33320-X .
- ↑ a b Coalwood History Timeline . Archived from the original on December 19, 2008. Retrieved on December 19, 2008.
- ↑ a b c d Stuart McGehee: Historic Coalwood Archived from the original on December 19, 2008. In: Goldenseal . Summer 2001. Retrieved December 19, 2008.