In 1841, Silas Scarlet settled in what would become Scarlet Hollow. A few years later, Silas discovered a coal seam running underneath his land and the surrounding area. He bought the land at a discount and opened the Scarlet Coal Mines.
After the Civil War, Silas's son Andrew Jackson Scarlet took over management of the Scarlet Coal Mines and built up the surrounding town. In the 1880s-1890s, Scarlet Hollow prospered, helped by the railroad industry and its reliance on coal.
In 1918, the coal mine collapsed, killing 168 men and boys. Enoch Scarlet's partner, Charles Shaw, was found responsible for the collapse, and the townspeople ran the Shaw family out of town.
The original mining facility was destroyed in the collapse. All that remains are abandoned tunnels, closed off to the public.
Enoch rebuilt and reopened the Scarlet Coal Mines, outfitted with cutting-edge technology. He defeated the miners' attempts to unionize. The mine was rescued from the brink of bankruptcy and became prosperous again.
After Enoch's death in 1957, his daughter Edwardine Scarlet took over management of the mines. Edwardine ran the mine until the 1990s, when she handed over management to her granddaughter Pearlanne.
Several years ago, Pearlanne retired. Her daughter Tabitha took over as manager of the Scarlet Coal Mines.