Coal

In the late 1800's the industrialization movement in the United States gained momentum. The need for coal to feed the furnaces of industry increased rapidly, and mining started in many states. Since most of the mines were in remote areas away from the centers of commerce, U. S. currency was difficult to keep on hand.

Many companies began to issue scrip tokens as an advance payment for wages earned. These tokens could be spent at the company store by the miner and his family for food, clothing, and supplies. The use of scrip tokens rapidly spread to other industries throughout the country. Tokens which are dated in the 1870's, 1880's and 1890's have been found by collectors, and the use of tokens continued until the early 1950's.

The Artile below is a description of Coal Mechanization writen by David A. Zeger

Mechanization of the Coal Industry in Appalachia

We have heard a lot said in the past about the history of coal mining in Appalachia. We've read a lot about the history of mining in Appalachia. Today we want to present to you a group of pictures, newspaper clippings to depict the progression in this industry through the years. Also, we have interviewed an old friend of mine, George Fugate, who is 103 years old. George and I were neighbors in Jenkins for many years. George himself worked in the coal mines in the early years. He can bring us a perspective from his day. Another friend of mine, Dee Dawahare, who again I have known for fifty years. Dee and his family have a chain of clothing stores throughout Appalachia, having started with one store by his father in the early part of this century. Dee can bring to us the impact of mechanization on the business world in Appalachia. So with this I will bring to you a program that we call the Mechanization of the Coal Industry in Appalachia and we hope you enjoy it.

Timeline of Kentucky Coal

1701	Coal discovered in Virginia.
1748	First recorded U.S. coal production.
1750	April 13th-Dr. Thomas Walker was the first recorded person to discover and use coal in Kentucky.
1755	Lewis Evan's map showing coal in what is now the Greenup County and Boyd County area of Kentucky.
1758	First commercial U.S. coal shipment.
1792	Issac Shelby becomes the first Governor of Kentucky (1792-1796).
1820	First commercial mine, known as the "McLean drift bank" opened in Kentucky, near the Green River and Paradise in Muhlenberg County. 328 short tons mined and sold in Kentucky.
1830	2,000 tons of Kentucky production.
1837	10,000 tons of Kentucky production.
1843	100,000 tons of Kentucky production.
1850	150,000 tons of Kentucky production. Lexington and Big Sandy Railroad proposed. Kentucky Geological Survey established.
1860	Pre-Civil War Kentucky production record of 285,760 tons.
1861	Kentucky-born Abraham Lincoln becomes the 16th President of the United States (1861-65).
1866	Surface mining begins near Danville, Illinois.
1870	Post-Civil War Kentucky production decline to 150,582 tons. St. Louis & Southern Railroad completed from Henderson to Earlington, Ky.
1872	First train off the Big Sandy Railroad.
1877	Coal mined with steam-powered shovel.
1879	One million tons of Kentucky production.
1880	Mechanical stokers introduced. First coke ovens in west Kentucky. Mine Ventilation Law. First train from Williamson, West Virginia to Pike County, Kentucky. Coal mining machines come into general use.
1890	N&W Railroad's first mine at Goody in Pike County. Hopkins County in west Kentucky leading coal producer in the state for 18 straight years. Miner Pay Law. United Mine Workers of America formed. Machines developed to undercut coalbeds. 5,000 kilowatt steam turbine generates electricity.
1900	Child Labor Law. Edgewater Coal Company's first production in Pike County. First train off the Lexington and Eastern Railroad. Independent Geological Survey established.
1910	First train from the Cumberland Valley Railroad. Fordson Coal Company's first production at Pond Creek. Pike-Floyd Coal Company's first production at Betsy Layne.
1914	World War I increases demand for coal; Kentucky production 20.3 million tons. Short-flame or "permissible" explosives developed. Mine Safety Law.
1918	First pulverized coal firing in electric power plants.
1920	Federal Mineral Leasing Act. 42.1 million tons of Kentucky production.
1923	All-time high U.S. employment of 704,793 bituminous coal and lignite miners. First dragline excavators built especially for surface mining.
1929	Stock market crashes beginning the Great Depression.
1932	Walking dragline excavators developed.
1936	47.7 million tons of Kentucky production .
1940	World War II - coal production in Kentucky rises to 72.4 million tons for the war effort. Auger surface mining introduced.
1942	Republic Steel Company's first production - Road Creek, Kentucky. Post-War Marshall Plan - production rises to 88.7 million tons in Kentucky. Continuous underground mining systems developed. Kentucky Water Contamination Legislation.
1947	Kentucky Coal Association founded.
1950	82.2 million tons of Kentucky production.
1956	Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act. Railroads converting from coal to diesel fuel. Roof bolting introduced in underground mines.
1960	Railroads began using unit coal trains. First longwall mining with powered roof supports. Kentucky Surface Mining Legislation.
1963	Kentucky coal production exceeded 100 million tons.
1966	National Historic Preservation Act. C&O Railroad to John's Creek constructed - Pike County.
1969	Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act.
1970	Federal Clean Air Act.
1972	Kentucky Coal Severance Tax established. Federal Water Pollution Control Act. Kentucky becomes the leading coal production state.
1973	Endangered Species Act. OPEC oil embargo: Coal production and prices rise.
1976	Federal Coal Leasing Amendments Act.
1977	Federal Surface Mine Control and Reclamation Act.
1980	Congress enacts the National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program (NAPAP) Study, a 10 year research program, which invested $550 million for the study of "acid rain." Industries spend over $1 billion on Air Pollution Control Equipment during 1980.
1983	OPEC cuts oil prices for first time. Martha Layne Collins becomes Kentucky's first woman Governor (1983-87). U.S. Clean Coal Technology Demonstration Program established $2.5 billion in Federal matching funds committed to assist the private sector to develop and demonstrate improved clean coal technologies.
1988	Kentucky Supreme Court rules that the unmined minerals tax on coal is subject to the same state and local property tax rates as other real estate. TVA 160-MW Atmospheric Fluidized Bed Combustion Unit on line. Wyoming displaces Kentucky as the leading coal producing state.
1990	Federal Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. Kentucky record production - 179.4 million tons (1990). U.S. coal production exceeds 1 billion tons.
1992	U.S. Energy Policy Act of 1992.
1993	CEDAR, Inc. (Coal Education Development and Resources) formed in Pike County.
1994	Western Kentucky CEDAR, Inc. was formed in Webster and Union Counties.
1996	Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issues Order 888 addressing the issues of open access to encourage wholesale competition in the electric utility industry and FERC Order 889 requiring utilities to share information about available transmission capacity.
1996	Workers' Comp Reform Laws are passed in Kentucky.
1997	The Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission voted to re-introduce Elk into 14 East Kentucky Counties on post-mined lands, citing mountain-top removal areas and old mine benches as good elk habitat. This will be the only large free-ranging elk herd in the Eastern United States.
1997	Kentucky Coal Association celebrates 50 years of service to the mining industry (1947-97).
1998	Mountaintop mining comes under attack.
1998	Federal Tax credit begins for use of coal fines in a non-conventional solid synthetic fuel.