There is not much to see here, and the area is covered in blackberry bushes and ferns.
History of the area http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=8262
http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=8420
Palmer coking Coal company http://www.palmercc.com/history.htm
1890 Pittsburg
September 1910: Spiketon
1917: Morristown
1925: Black carbon
Black Carbon is the final name for the community established northeast of Wilkeson in the coal mining region, two and a half miles south of Buckley in north central Pierce County. The Northern Pacific and Cascade Railroad Company branch was constructed in 1890, and the station was originally named Pittsburg, a name suggested by the mines. In September 1910, the name was changed to Spiketon for William D C Spike of the American Coal Company. Its next name, in 1917, was Morristown. George Morris and his family came from Wales to Pierce County where he worked in the Coast Coal Company coal mines. One of his sons, Abraham Morris, worked in the mines and eventually became superintendent, resident manager and president of several coal companies. He served in the Washington State Legislature in 1917 and 1919. Black Carbon, named after the Black Carbon Coal Company, was adopted in 1925. Pittsburg did not rate a post office. The Spiketon post office operated from September 7, 1910 until November 9, 1921. Morristown post office operated from November 9, 1921 until October 8, 1923. The Black Carbon post office operated from October 9, 1923 until June 20, 1928. Pierce County, Washington (S15, T19N, R6E)
taken from http://research.nprha.org/Lists/Station_Roster_Master_List/DispForm.aspx?ID=33658
http://northwestjournalonline.com/index.php/puget-sound-ghost-towns
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BL3lREAJmF4&NR=1
Getting There
Or, "how not to get there"
The Spiketon/Morristown/Pittsburg area is located about two miles northeast of Wilkeson and about two and a half miles south of Buckley.
N 47° 07.908 W 122° 01.121
There are two ways to get to what little remains of Spiketon.
You can access the site from Spiketon Road in Buckley which dead ends at South Prairie Creek, and teeter your way across a variety of "log bridges" across the creek.
Or you can hike about .5 miles down the muddy trail from the end of the Wilkeson-Spiketon Road, which starts as Davis Street in Wilkeson, to the southern edge of South Prairie Creek (not really a creek - more a raging river). Update 7/24/2010: The last 1/2 mile of the road is marked as Private Property, so this path to Spiketon is at best, problematic.
Visits
2010-07-24 Stopped driving from Wilkeson to Spiketon at the Private Property signs. Did not reach the townsite.