Coal Mining

COAL MINING

Coal was the central industry in Bellaire for many decades.

In 1830, or earlier, coal mining was the most lucrative business. This coal, easily mined, was of excellent quality, and there were excellent facilities for shipping thousands and thousands of tons from an almost inexhaustible supply lying under the hills west of Bellaire.

Some of the area mines included Heatherington's Coal Works, Morgan's Coal Works, Kelly's Coal Works, Barnard's Coal Works and Sullivan's Coal Works. These mines employed from 300 to 500 laborers.

Heatherington's Coal Works were of commercial importance. His miners supplied several glass works and city trade. Located on the river, steamboats and barges were easily loaded by chutes. There were 4 to 6 thousand bushels of lump and nut coal mined everyday. Seventy to eighty men were employed at the mine then and coal was also shipped over the Bellaire and Southwestern Railway.

(photo source unknown) Willow Grove Mine	(photo taken from "Belmont County Bicentennial 1801-2001", page 53) Eleanor Roosevelt visiting Willow Grove Mine on May 23, 1935.
Submitted by Dorothy Kreis	Pictured are members of the 1936 tipple crew. Identified are Dan Filicky, John Ramsey, Clarence Stack, John "Spoony'' Kalan, Louie Hudock, Ed "Zip'' Smith, Steve Ramsey, Ralph Trimbath, Harry Reline, Harry Krimble, Roy Neiswonger, William Neiswanger. All identified are deceased.

"Back in the spring of 1917, twenty-two years ago, Henry Geeke, Pete Valocik, Ed Filicky, and Harry Crymble had their pictures taken when the Willow Grove mine was opened. Last week the same four - because they are still working at Willow Grove - had their pictures taken again, standing beside the same opening. The scene above shows the difference twenty-two years will make to the mine and the men. With the exception of the mustaches, friends of the quartet claim they are much better looking now than a quarter of a century ago, and there seems to be no question about the mine opening being improved." (from Hanna Coal News, August 1939) submitted by Patty Jenkins
(photo source unknown) Harry Drummond at the Willow Grove Coal Mine	(photo source unknown) Postcard of a coal tipple near Bellaire

LOCAL MINING DISASTERS

The Benwood Mine (West Virginia) disaster on April 28, 1924 killed 119 men.
The Webb Mine in Bellaire, caught fire on Dec. 22, 1925. Nine men were killed.
72 men were killed on March 16, 1940, at the Willow Grove Mine, in Neffs, Ohio.
The Powhatan Coal Mine in Powhatan Point, Ohio caught fire on July 5, 1944, and 66 miners died.*
Webb Mine Roof Fall-in Aug. 23, 1944 - 2 men killed - William Clifford Little, age 40, of Bellaire, and Jack Fedoski, age 53, of McMechen, WV.