Part 1: The Virginian Main Line: Princeton, WV to Elmore, WV

Part 2: The Towns Along the Line

NOTE: A major source used in the creation of this page are the annual reports from the West Virginia Department of Mines. For the researcher, many of these early, pre-1925, reports follow the FISCAL year, meaning that these reports cover the time frame of June 30th, 19__ to June 30th, 19__. That means that while I may have a mine operating from 1913 to 1951 in my records, it may have actually begun operating as early as June 31st, 1912, or as late as June 30th, 1913. After 1925, it appears that the reports began following the typical Jan. 1st to Dec. 31st, year.

ALSO: For many of the early West Virginia Department of Mines reports, tonnage numbers were consolidated into a single mine "name" even when coal actually came from multiple different openings. For example, the Pawama Coal & Coke Company, which is discussed below, operated both the Pawama No. 1 and Pawama No. 2 mines, however their tonnage is often consolidated in the documents.

Princeton, WV - MP 341.9

The beginning of our journey, Princeton was a major point on the Virginian Railway mainline, hosting a large yard and maintenance facilities. The town itself received its name from the Battle of Princeton, a major conflict during the Revolutionary War. Hugh Mercer, the namesake of Mercer County and a general in the Continental Army, was mortally wounded in this battle. The town was officially incorporated on February 20th, 1909. Princeton is currently the furthest trains still run up the Virginian mainline. Appalachian Aggregates loads unit limestone scrubber trains for the various North Carolina coal power plants. Norfolk Southern local J40 is typically the train that runs up there from Bluefield. Princeton never featured any coal operations and was mainly a receiving and sorting yard for Tidewater bound coal.

Kegley, WV - MP 344.2

The next community on our journey is the small hamlet of Kegley. Although I couldn't find any historical documentation, it is likely this town derives its name from the family of George Washington Kegley, a local landowner in the area. Located in Kegley is the tallest trestle on the entire Virginian, spanning Blacklick Creek. The town first appears in the records around 1907. On June 12th, 1907, the Virginian Railway engineering department submitted a schematic laying out the location of the Kegley station and the surrounding railroad infrastructure. Unfortunately, the entire Virginian mainline west of Princeton has been mothballed since 2015, meaning Kegley hasn't heard the rumble of a train in a decade. 

King, WV - MP 448.3

Beyond Kegley, we next reach the town of King. Again, the origin of this name is unconfirmed, but it may stem from Virginian Railway director D. C. King who served as the purchasing agent for the railway. On June 7th, 1907, the Virginian Railway's engineering department published a survey for the construction of the King station. Located in the vicinity of this community was the famous King Tunnel, the first of a number of different tunnels west of Princeton. Not much remains from this place, although King remains a control point on Norfolk Southern to the present day. Although with the line currently out of service, who knows how much longer King will be relevant in the railroad world.

Rock, WV - MP 351.6

After leaving King, we approach the town of Rock. The name of this community literally stems from a large rock high on the nearby mountain that oversees the area. On June 10th, 1907, the engineering department of the Virginian Railway submitted a schematic covering the Rock station and surrounding location. Rock is the first spot where the Virginian crosses the Norfolk & Western Railways Bluestone Branch. Interestingly, the Bluestone Branch during its early days, was referred too as the Widemouth Branch. Regardless, Rock still appears on most maps and still hosts a post office. Located in the vicinity of the town also sits the Rock Tunnel. 

Matoaka, WV (MX Tower) - MP 354.7

     After clearing Rock, we head due north to the large, for modern West Virginia, community of Matoaka. This town derives its name from the indigenous princess Pocahontas, Matoaka being another well known moniker for her. Officially incorporated in 1910, Matoaka was the first location on the Virginian heading northwest that featured extensive coal activity. At Matoaka, the Virginian also interchanged with the Norfolk & Western Railway. The Deepwater Railway engineering department submitted a proposal for the Matoaka station on November 27th, 1906. Remember that the Virginian Railway was created on April 22nd, 1907. Unlike many other towns on the Virginian, Matoaka remains relatively large, continuing to house 227 people. Yes, that is a large number when comparing the modern day populations of other communities along the route.

The first and only coal operation served by the Virginian Railway in the vicinity of Matoaka was the Pawama Coal & Coke Company. The West Virginia Corporation Report states the that Pawama Coal & Coke Co. received its charter on May 5th, 1904, with an authorized capital stock of $60,000. Incorporators were listed as Henry B. Walbridge, Herbert H. Mackay, W. Benton Crisp, Henry W. Baird, and David Carl. Similar to the Weyanoke Coal & Coke Co. discussed below, the Pawama Coal & Coke Co. began operations prior to the establishment of the Deepwater Railway in Matoaka. Thus, the Norfolk & Western was the first carrier to serve the company, and would ultimately be the main shipper for the firm's existence. However, with the Deepwater Railway's expansion into Matoaka in 1906, the doors were open for the Pawama Coal & Coke Co. to ship with either railroad. Even with this development, it would still be a number of years before the Virginian Railway would involve itself with the coal firm. On June 12th, 1909, the Virginian Railway engineering department submitted a proposal to construct a spur at Matoaka to serve the Pawama Coal & Coke Co. It does not appear that any trackage was actually constructed until 1911, when on March 27th a schematic of a spur serving the company was published. Other documents also support this development, providing information centering 1910 as the start date for shipment by the Virginian. In 1913, the Pawama Coal & Coke Co. shipped a total of 91,795 tons of coal from their mines. At this point, the company was operating the Pawama No. 1 and Pawama No. 2 mines, both of which exploited the famous Pocahontas No. 3 seam. Interestingly, during this time, multiple mine inspections were done yielding less than favorable safety conditions. Reports of ineffective ventilation and unsafe roof conditions were found in numerous reports published in the early 1910s. Improvements were evidently made as the company wasn't shut down, but fatalities were still common in the two mines of the firm. Yet another reason to respect coal miners from that period; many risked their lives every single day. The 1916 edition of the Directory of Mines reported that the directors of the Pawama Coal & Coke Co. were as follows: J. C. Stras; President, J. C. Stras; Mine Superintendent, and J. Lee Bailey; Electrical Engineer. 1916 would end up being the company's most productive year, churning out 107,117 tons of coal. This number would almost be matched in 1925, when 104,994 tons of coal were processed and shipped to market. Similar to the Weyanoke Coal & Coke Co., the majority of this coal was shipped by the Norfolk & Western. However, even with these six digit tonnage numbers continuing into the 1920s, 1927 would end up being the final year of production, when only 54,379 tons of coal were shipped. Everything had been reclaimed by the 1950s.

Weyanoke, WV - MP 358.1

Just a few miles past Matoaka, we enter the company town of Weyanoke. This community owes its existence to the Weyanoke Coal & Coke Company which is explored in detail below. Located in the vicinity of Weyanoke were the towns of Lowe and Giatto. Lowe comes from J. W. Lowe, vice president of the Weyanoke Coal & Coke Co. Giatto comes from the famous Italian painter Giotto di Bondone. The name was misspelled in an early post office error and never corrected. The reason for this name choice probably stems from the influx of Italian immigrants that moved to the area during the establishment of the first coal enterprises in the smokeless coal region. 

The only coal operator in Weyanoke that was served by the Virginian Railway was the Weyanoke Coal & Coke Company. The Dayton City Guide reported that the Weyanoke Coal & Coke Co. was incorporated on November 29th, 1902, with an authorized capital stock of $100,000. Incorporators were listed as S. J. Patterson; President, J. W. Lowe; Vice President, H. J. Dreese; Secretary and Treasurer. Other directors were listed as D. A. Eichelberger and J. S. McMahon. Obviously, the company was founded a few years before the Deepwater Railway reached the Matoaka area, meaning that the Norfolk & Western Railway was the only nearby railroad that could serve the first plant. However, that soon changed when the aforementioned Deepwater Railway reached Matoaka in 1906. On November 5th, 1906, the engineering department of the Deepwater Railway officially submitted a proposal for a spur track at Weyanoke, just west of Matoaka, to serve the Weyanoke Coal & Coke Co. It does not appear that any trackage was constructed for the next few years as many coal related magazines continued to state that the Norfolk & Western was the sole railway serving the plant. On September 21st, 1910, the Virginian Railway submitted a survey proposal supporting the construction of a short spur track to serve the Weyanoke Coal & Coke Co. in Weyanoke. This track was adjacent to the large tipple situated on the Left Fork Widemouth Branch of the Norfolk & Western. It does appear this track was ultimately built, though the Norfolk & Western continued to be the primary shipper for the firm. Coal from the Weyanoke Coal & Coke Co.'s Weyanoke and Elihu Mines were loaded at this location for shipment east to Tidewater and west to Deepwater. In 1912, 126,696 tons of coal were produced at the company's Weyanoke Mine, most being shipped by the Norfolk & Western. The September 4th, 1913, edition of the Manufacturers' Record reported that the Weyanoke Coal & Coke Co. was planning to construct a new tipple at the site of the Weyanoke Mines. Capacity after this expansion was estimated to be around 1,500 tons a day. The Link Belt Company of Philadelphia was the firm chosen for this project. This tipple was built entirely on the Norfolk & Western Left Fork Widemouth Branch. In 1920, the Weyanoke and Elihu Mines produced a combined 143,663 tons of coal. The March 15th, 1923, edition of Coal Age reported that the Weyanoke Coal & Coke Co. had been consolidated into the A. J. Patterson Pocahontas Company. It appears that this firm operated as a holding company, although it did operate the Weyanoke Coal & Coke Co.'s Arista Mines near Springton, West Virginia, for a number of years. Annual tonnage reports continued to be submitted under the Weyanoke name after this corporate restructuring. The facility continued producing throughout the 1920s but tonnage began decreasing following the Great Depression. In 1936, the last fiscal year of production, only 65,138 tons of coal were processed and shipped. On January 29th, 1937, the Virginian Railway officially retired the loading spur for the plant.

Clarks Gap, WV - MP 359.9

After leaving Weyanoke, we head further up Widemouth Creek into the community of Clarks Gap. Although no coal companies operated in the direct vicinity of this town, Clarks Gap was important on the Virginian system as it marked the summit of the 2% grade for loaded eastbounds heading for Princeton. A number of sidings, once holding sets of helpers during the steam days, still exist at Clarks Gap. These sidings also once held cuts of empty hoppers during down months.

Algonquin, WV - MP 361.3

Just before cresting the grade at Clarks Gap Tunnel, we head through the company town of Algonquin. This community takes its name from the Algonquin Coal Company that operated here in the early half of the 1900s. Note that many of these towns located on the Virginian had indigenous inspired names. This was done intentionally to mimic the Pocahontas Coal Company which was one of the earliest successes in the smokeless coal fields. After 1930, the town was known as Lamar to reflect the ownership change of the local mines to the Lamar Colliery Company. After this company shuttered operations in 1953, the town was slowly left to rot. Today, little remains of the town although Norfolk Southern continues to refer to the area as Algonquin.

The first coal operation in Algonquin, and the subsequent namesake for the town, was the Algonquin Coal Company. The February 28th, 1914, edition of Coal Age, reported that the Algonquin Coal Co. had been incorporated in Charleston, West Virginia, with an authorized capital capital stock of $100,000. Incorporators were listed as J. A. Renahan, E. K. Renahan, George F. Clitter, W. H. Dory, an F. W. Pfaff. The company opened the Algonquin Mine in late 1914, with the Virginian Railway reporting 53 tons shipped in October of 1914. The coal from this mine was from the Pocahontas No. 3 seam, which was viewed as the premium coal deposit in all of Mercer County, West Virginia. During World War 1, coal from this mine was shipped for use by the United States Navy, among other customers. In the 1915 edition of the Coal Field Directory, the directors of the Algonquin Coal Co. were listed as: John Alfred Renahan; President, A. H. Dary; Secretary, J. H. Parrott; General Manager, J. C. Stras; Mine Superintendent. For February of 1916, the Virginian Railway reported that the Algonquin Mine shipped 633 net tons of coal to market. Interesting, these low shipping totals were not solely due to small production, the tipple in Algonquin was also served by the Norfork & Western Railway via the Left Fork Widemouth Branch. In fact, the Norfolk & Western even considered expanding further west, all the way across Clarks Gap. Production remained consistent into the 1920s until 1923, when the operation temporarily idled due to the Great Depression and the death of founder John Alfred Renahan. The January 10th, 1923, edition of the Coal Trade Journal reported that the Algonquin Coal Co. property had been purchased by the directors of the Kinsley Steamship Company of New York. Interestingly, fellow Virginian customer Pawama Coal & Coke Company had also fallen under control of the Kinsley group. In the June 15th, 1925, edition of Coal Age, it is reported that the Kinsley group, who had owned the Algonquin property since 1923, was ready to restart production after having idled the mine. Roy Wright, a seasoned coal man, was listed as Superintendent of the operation and had also served as receiver during bankruptcy proceedings. In 1929, the last fiscal year of operation under the original Algonquin Coal Co. name, the plant processed 29,632 tons. Beginning in 1930, the operation was owned by the Lamar Colliery Company. On March 1st, 1930, the name of Algonquin, West Virginia, was changed to Lamar, West Virginia, to reflect the ownership change. For the 1930 fiscal year, the Lamar Colliery Co. produced 110,045 tons of coal. Production at the Lamar Colliery's Algonquin plant consistently exceeded 100,000 tons annually for over 15 years. For the entire 1948 fiscal year, the Lamar Mine was idle. This was the first year no coal had been produced in Algonquin since 1913. The Lamar Mine continued producing off and on the next few years, but the writing was on the wall for this operation. After another idle year in 1952, the mine experienced one last productive year, before shutting down permanently in 1953. Only 20,556 tons were produced that final year. In 1955, a full fiscal year since the plant shut down, the Virginian Railway officially purchased the former tipple tracks for storage use. After only a few years owned by the Virginian, the tipple tracks were officially retired in 1957, and promptly removed. However, in 1958, the tipple was still standing, albeit unused and abandoned. Unbelievably, in a 1967 aerial image of the plant, the tipple was still there. By 1984, nothing was left of the plant or any other coinciding infrastructure.

Micajah, WV - MP 363.5

Once we've departed Algonquin, we head through the town of Micajah. This name is of Hebrew origin, translating to "Who is like God?". Micajah was actually founded prior to the establishment of the Micajah Pocahontas Coal Company, possibly as an important railroad location like an interlocking. The name first appears in records relating to the Deepwater Railway. Micajah is one of the most isolated spots on the entire railway, with photos seldom taken of the two wooden trestles or the tunnel in the area. Today, nothing remains of the community.

The first, and only, coal enterprise to operate in the vicinity of Micajah was the Micajah Pocahontas Coal Company. The June 25th, 1921, edition of The Black Diamond reported that the Micajah Pocahontas Coal Co. had been organized with an authorized capital stock of $300,000. Incorporators were listed as Lewis R. Taylor, H. E. DeJarnette, W. W. Boxley, L. J. Boxley, and J. B. Bragg. That same year, the Micajah Pocahontas Coal Co. secured a lease of 500 acres of coal rich lands situated along the Virginian Railway near Clarks Gap. Interestingly, Mr. Lewis R. Taylor was still employed as the superintendent of signals on the Virginian Railway during the creation of this mining firm. Like the majority of other operations along this stretch of the Virginian, this company mined premium Pocahontas No. 3 coal. In 1923, the first fiscal year of operation, 41,368 tons of coal were processed and shipped. In the 1928 edition of Engineers, directors of the Micajah Pocahontas Coal Co. were reported as: Lewis R. Taylor; President, and H. E. DeJarnette; Secretary and Treasurer. and L. J. Boxley; Vice President. Unfortunately, this operation didn't produce very long, closing down after 1927. A total of 44,586 tons were produced that final year before closure. In 1930, the Virginian Railway officially retired and removed the spur to the closed tipple.

Covel, WV - MP 366.4

Once through Micajah, we enter into the community of Covel. Actually, this isn't exactly true, we first have to go through the small hamlet of Garwood. Garwood is presumably named after W. D. Garwood, an executive for the Coe Pocahontas Coal Company. Garwood features the famous Garwood trestle, featured in many photographs throughout the years. Once we clear Garwood, we finally enter the town of Covel. I'm not sure where the name Covel comes from, though it is a variation of the English surname Covell. Like Garwood, Covel features an expansive wooden viaduct, featured in many images since the earliest Virginian days. Prior to being named Covel, this located was known as Morco after the Morris Smokeless Coal Company that operated nearby. When this firm was purchased by W. P. Tams and the Gulf Smokeless Coal Company, the name of the town was changed to Covel.

The first, and ultimately largest, coal operation in the vicinity of Covel was the Morris Smokeless Coal Company. The November 29th, 1919, edition of The Black Diamond reported that the Morris Smokeless Coal Co. had been incorporated with an authorized capital stock of $200,000. Incorporators were listed as J. T. Morris, W. P. Tams, H. R. Tribon, H. O. Davis, J. W. Eads, and G. L. Wilcox. J. T. Morris was listed as superintendent of the property, hence the name of the operation. The company secured a lease of 1,625 acres of coal rich lands from the Pinnacle-Pocahontas Development Company, of which Thomas N. Mordue was president. Annual production was estimated to be approximately 150,000 tons of premium Pocahontas No. 3 coal. A total of $200,000 would go into the construction of mine infrastructure at a facility near Herndon, West Virginia, and a post office would soon be established at this spot, known as Morco, West Virginia. The actual mine and tipple were built on a short spur near the town of Garwood, West Virginia, just south of Covel. In 1920, 3,691 tons of coal were processed and shipped from the Morco No. 1 Mine of the Morris Smokeless Coal Co. 40,400 tons were shipped in 1921, the first full year of operation. In the Coal Field Directory, directors of the Morris Smokeless Coal Co. were listed  as: W. P. Tams; President, J. T. Morris; Vice President, H. R. Tribon; Treasurer, J. T. Morris; General Manager, J. T. Morris; Purchasing Agent, and J. J. Solaski; Mining Engineer. The August 20th, 1921, edition of The Black Diamond reported that W. P. Tams had purchased the holdings of J. T. Morris and had subsequently renamed the Morris Smokeless Coal Co. to the Covel Smokeless Coal Company. In 1922, this new firm produced 96,316 tons of coal. Beginning in 1923, tonnage for this company was reported under "Major" Tam's Gulf Smokeless Coal Company name. the Covel Smokeless Coal Co. still existed, but W. P. Tams wished to consolidate all of his operations under the Gulf Smokeless name. Going back to the initial estimation of 150,000 annual tons, 1925 was the only year that reached those lofty goals. 151,036 tons were produced that year, the most of any year throughout the mine's existence. For whatever reason, after 1934, tonnage reports went back to being recorded under the Covel Smokeless Coal Co. name. In 1936, the last year of operation, 32,892 tons were produced. In 1939, the Virginian Railway officially retired the spur to this plant, removing the rail soon after.

Another operation near Covel was that of the Coe Pocahontas Coal Company. The February 14th, 1923, edition of the Coal Trade Journal reported that the Coe Pocahontas Coal Co. had recently been organized with an authorized capital stock of $200,000. Incorporators were listed as Richard M. McQuail, Edward J. McQuail, C. E. Lilley, W. D. Garwood, and H. D. Smith. The town of Garwood, West Virginia, was presumably named after W. D. Garwood, treasurer of the firm. The company's headquarters were in nearby McComas, West Virginia, of which Mr. Garwood was a resident. Interestingly, The Black Diamond reported that the plant was also planned to be served by the Norfolk & Western upon completion. This never came to fruition as the Norfolk & Western only got as far as Algonquin, West Virginia, on the other side of Clarks Gap. The April 17th, 1924, edition of the Manufacturers' Record that the firm had increased its capital from $200,000 to $300,000. The Coal Field Directory reported in 1926 that the directors of the company were, as follows: J. B. Kirk; President, J. A. McQuail; Vice President, W. D. Garwood; Treasurer, and H. D. Smith; General Manager. This operation was short lived, producing its last ton in 1927. The Virginian Railway officially retired the spur to the plant in 1930.

Herndon, WV - MP 368.3

The next town up after Covel is the community of Herndon. One of the larger towns along the route, Herndon started life as a lumber based company town, hosting the expansive Keys-Fannin Lumber Company. Thus, Herndon was one of the Deepwater, and later Virginian, Railway's most profitable towns. This trend would continue even after the lumber business dried up, thanks to the development of several large coal tracts in the area. The direct community surrounding the first coal operation, that being the Flat Top Pocahontas Coal Company, was understandably called Flat Top. This small cluster of houses was located in the western half of Herndon. Before we reach the next major town, there were a number of other small coal towns located in the vicinity of Herndon. The first we pass through westbound is the now abandoned community of Monte Carlo. This town was wholly owned by the Monticello Smokeless Coal Company. Surprisingly, although there are no surviving buildings in Monte Carlo anymore, the town name still shows up on various map applications. In the 1950s, Monte Carlo had a renaissance when the Premier Pocahontas Coal Company began shipping coal in the area. They renamed Monte Carlo to Tierney in honor of J. T. Tierney, a director of the Eastern Gas & Fuel Company in nearby Kopperston. Tierney was one of the primary stakeholders in the operation. When the Eastern Associated Coal Corporation purchased the Premier Pocahontas Coal Co., the tipple located at Tierney was kept, keeping the Tierney name alive. When the plant closed in 1980, the Tierney name was largely forgotten.

The first company to ship coal out of Herndon was the Flat Top Pocahontas Coal Company. The November 18th, 1916, edition of Coal Age reported that the Flat Top Pocahontas Coal Co. had been incorporated with an authorized capital stock of $50,000. Incorporators were listed as Joseph Keys, John D. White, W. A. Finney, W. W. Wells, and B. T. Ingels. The May 19th, 1917, edition of The Chronicle reported that the Clagett Mine of the company began producing sometime between June 30th and December 31st of 1916. The Virginian Railway was still entertaining surveying proposals for how the spur to the tipple was going to be constructed as late as July 7th, 1916. During the 1917 fiscal year, remember, this timeframe spans from June 31st, 1916 to June 30th, 1917, the Flat Top Pocahontas Coal Co. processed and shipped 12,496 tons of premium Pocahontas No. 6 coal. The 1920 edition of the Coal Field Directory reports that the directors of the company were as follows: Joseph Keys; President, J. D. White; Vice President, T. O. Deaumer; Treasurer, J. D. White; General Manager, T. O. Deaumer; Purchasing Agent, and O. L. Collier; Mining Engineer. In 1918, the company opened the Flat Top Mine, which mined from the famous Pocahontas No. 3 seam. 1930 was the company's most productive year, producing 106,990 tons of coal. Unfortunately, success at the operation was brief and the company shut down operations just a year later. The Virginian Railway officially retired the spur to the tipple on March 19th, 1936.

The second coal operation to exist in the vicinity of Herndon was the Monticello Smokeless Coal Company. The tipple of this company was located north of Herndon proper at a location known as Montecarlo. Although long since abandoned, this name continues to appear on various modern maps. The January 3rd, 1920, edition of the Coal Trade Bulletin reported that the Monticello Smokeless Coal Co. had been incorporated with an authorized capital stock of $400,000. Incorporators were named as F. M. Lee, Ernest M. Merrill, John R. Morris, Richard Hancock, and W. E. DeJarneth. Soon after incorporation, the company leased 3,000 acres of land containing premium smokeless Beckley and Pocahontas No. 3 seam coal. The Virginian Railway surveyed the potential location for the Monticello Smokeless Coal Co.'s plant on May 14th, 1920. The plant was in operation by June of 1921, producing 21,350 tons of coal that fiscal year. The 1921 edition of the Coal Field Directory reported that the directors of the company were as follows: F. M. Lee; President, Richard Hancock; Vice President, John R. Morris; Treasurer, F. M. Lee; General Manager, F. M. Lee; Purchasing Agent, and E. M. Merrill; Mining Engineer. The West Virginia Housing Corporation would end up winning the contract to built the original tipple at Monte Carlo. 1924 was the company's most productive year, when 104,670 tons of coal were processed and shipped to market. However, as has coincidentally been the trend with the first coal operators in the Smokeless field, 1927 was a rough year for the Monticello Smokeless Coal Co. That year, 64,502 tons of coal were produced before the plant shut down permanently. The Virginian Railway retired the turnout to the plant's tipple on July 28th, 1930. Although the Monticello Smokeless Coal Co. didn't even last into the 1930s, coal mining at Monte Carlo would resume a few decades later.

In early 1950, twenty years after the demise of the Monticello Smokeless Coal Company, work began on the construction of the Premier Pocahontas Colliery Company's Tierney No. 1 Mine and tipple. The new Premier Pocahontas tipple was planned to be built near where the old Monticello Smokeless tipple once stood. On April 4th, 1950, the Virginian Railway was reported as actively reconstructing the Monticello mine spur to reach the new loadout of the Premier Pocahontas Colliery Co. The facility opened soon after, producing an astounding 437,036 tons of coal that first year. With the advent of this new operation, the name of the adjacent coal town was changed from Montecarlo to Tierney. This name comes from John L. Tierney, a stakeholder in the Premier Pocahontas Colliery Co. and an influential coal baron of the era. It should be noted however, the post office for the mine and tipple remained listed as Herndon. After an idle year in 1951, production resumed once again at high levels. In 1953, the company opened the Tierney No. 2 Mine. It produced for only a few years before closing in 1956. In 1962, the Tierney No. 3 Mine opened. In 1964, the last year of operation, the Tierney No. 1 Mine, which had been operating consistently since 1952, produced 113,991 tons of coal. The Tierney No. 3 Mine was also still active and produced 121,530 tons of coal. In 1965, operations transferred to the Eastern Associated Coal Company. The first year under the Eastern Associated banner, three separate mines produced an aggregate total of 380,702 tons of coal. These three mines were named Keystone No. 3, No. 3A, and No. 3B. Presumably, these three mines were formerly Tierney No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 though this is not confirmed. In 1967, Eastern opened a new mine, called Keystone No. 3C. This mine played out in 1969. Keystone No. 3B, possibly the former Tierney No. 1 or No. 3 Mine, would end up being the most productive mine at this operation. In 1968, the mine produced 236,541 tons of coal. Keystone No. 3's last year of operation was 1974, Keystone No. 3A's last year was 1973, and Keystone No. 3B finally closed in 1980. Coal may have been shipped here a few more years from various contractor mines but by 1990, the plant was in disrepair and by 1996, the facility had been demolished and reclaimed.

Just west of the Premier Pocahontas Colliery Co. facility was Eastern Associated Coal Company's Keystone No. 2 operation. Unlike the Tierney complex which had been purchased by Eastern, the Keystone No. 2 mine and prep plant were constructed new. The state of the art mine and preparation plant were built between 1965 and 1966 by construction firm Roberts & Schaefer. In 1966, the first year of operation, the Keystone No. 2 plant processed 244,440 tons of coal. While much of this coal was from the adjacent Keystone No. 2 Mine, some coal may have also been from the various Keystone No. 3 properties. It is likely that when the plant was constructed, it featured the first modern flood loader on the entire Virginian mainline. In 1983, Keystone No. 2's most productive year, 888,032 tons of coal were processed and shipped. In 1986, Eastern Associated Coal made the decision to divest all mining properties around Herndon. That year, after only 46,200 tons of coal were produced at the Keystone No. 2 mine, the property was sold to Benafuels, Inc. In 1988, two years after being purchased, the Keystone No. 2 Mine produced 635,778 tons of coal. In 1989, the Keystone No. 2 Mine as well as the prep plant were sold. The mine went to Panther Collieries, Inc. while the prep plant went to the Herndon Processing Company. In 1992, after 26 years in operation, the Keystone No. 2 Mine was closed and sealed. Even in its final year, the mine produced six digits, churning out 124,271 tons of coal. Even with the shutdown of the Keystone No. 2 Mine, the Keystone No. 2 plant continued operating under the Herndon Processing Co. banner, processing coal from other contractor operations. Between 1992 and 1998, coal from Noseman Branch Mining, LLC's Keystone No. 3D and Mine No. 4 were processed at the Keystone No. 2 plant. 686,567 tons of coal were produced by Noseman Branch Mining's Mine No. 4 in 1996. This coal was processed at the Herndon Processing Co.'s Keystone No. 2 plant. P.I.T.A Mining, LLC, another contractor, supplied the Keystone No. 2 plant from 1999 until 2001. After that year, the various contractors who supplied Herndon Processing are unknown to me. It is confirmed that contractor coal continued to be processed at the Keystone No. 2 plant until 2005. That year, the Herndon Processing Company officially idled the plant, ending all coal mining activities in Herndon. In 2011, the plant was demolished and the land reclaimed.

Venturing back to Herndon proper, the last major coal operation to exist there was that of the Lamar Colliery Company. While this company's operation at Lamar, West Virginia, proved to be the more productive of the two, the Herndon property still turned out major tonnage. The Virginian Railway surveyed the mine tracks to the plant in 1946, producing a proposal illustrating the track layout on May 16th, 1946. The first ton of coal was produced in 1948 from the company's Mine No. 2. In 1951, Mine No. 2, since renamed Lamar No. 2, churned out 177,322 tons of coal. The leadership of the Lamar Colliery Co. could never decide on the permanent name of the Herndon mine, periodically choosing between the names Mine No. 2, Lamar No. 2, or simply the Herndon Mine to describe the property. In 1955, the No. 6 Mine opened producing 28,499 tons of coal. It closed the following year. 1957 would prove to be the final year of operation, when 191,170 tons of coal were processed and shipped. The Virginian Railway officially retired the short spur to the plant on December 22nd, 1958. After abandonment, the tipple continued standing until at least 1967. The property was completely reclaimed by 1984. 

Along with all these coal facilities, one of the largest lumber operations on the entire Virginian Railway mainline existed at Herndon. This firm was called the Keys-Fannin Lumber Company and was one of the first shippers on the Virginian Railway main between Princeton and Elmore. Interestingly, the "Keys" in the name Keys-Fannin Lumber Co. came from Joseph Keys, who was president of the Flat Top Pocahontas Coal Company, also located in Herndon. The earliest rendition of this firm was the Keys Lumber Company, founded in 1901, of which Keys and his partner James E. Walker controlled. With its headquarters in nearby Welch, West Virginia, this firm mainly delt with the buying and selling of small timber tracts and diminutive mills in McDowell County. In the February 1st, 1902, edition of The Tradesman, it is reported that the Keys Lumber Company had been renamed the Keys-Fannin Lumber Company. This name change reflected the new partnership with investor T. N. Fannin of Ashland, Kentucky. With this reorganization, the headquarters of the new firm was moved from Welch to Ashland. Soon after this move, the leadership of the Keys-Fannin Lumber Company organized a subsidiary, known as the Keys Planning Mill Company. This firm was incorporated with an authorized capital stock of $25,000 with operations stemming out of Graham, Virginia. Incorporators were listed as Joseph Keys, J. E. Walker, J. W. Craig, T. N. Fannin and W. H. Denning. It is likely that these incorporators were the same people, except for maybe W. H. Denning, who controlled the Keys-Fannin Lumber Co. W. H. Denning is singled out as he lived in Graham and was probably the general manager of the lumber properties there. In 1905, the Keys-Fannin Lumber Co. purchased a timber lease of 15,000 acres in Wyoming County, near what would become the town of Herndon. This land was rich in mature Yellow Poplar, Oak, Hemlock, and various other Hardwood trees. The December 7th, 1905, edition of the Manufacturers' Record reported that the Keys-Fannin Lumber Co. was planning to build an eight foot band mill, resaw and lath mill, and planning mill, along with other structures, to establish a successful lumber operation in Herndon. Estimated daily production was listed as 60,000 to 80,000 feet of processed lumber. For all construction, John D. White was listed as the supervising architect and engineer in charge. The band mill was to be purchased from the firm Clark Bros of Belmont, New York. In the Spring of 1906, the plant officially opened, however, it would be a few more months until rail service was established at the facility. The Deepwater Railway, a predecessor of the Virginian, surveyed a proposed siding 3/10th of mile in length to the plant on August 4th, 1906. The spur itself was constructed not much later and thus, one of the Virginian Railway's earliest customers began shipping to market. To deliver the raw lumber to the mill at Herndon, a three foot narrow gauge railroad was built. This railroad opened around the same time the plant acquired rail service in the latter half of 1906. To work the lumber road, Three geared locomotives were purchased, two built by the Climax Manufacturing Company, and one by the Lima Locomotive Works. The December 28th, 1906 edition of Railway Age also reported that 12 logging skeleton cars had been purchased by the Keys-Fanning Lumber Co. from the American Car & Foundry Company. Along with those pieces of equipment, steam powered "Model D" log hoists manufactured by the American Hoist & Derick Company of St. Paul, Minnesota, were also purchased and utilized. The October 7th, 1907, edition of the Manufacturers' Record reported that the Keys-Fanning Lumber Co. facility in Herndon and the W. M. Ritter Lumber Company facility in Maben, West Virginia, to the north, were two of the largest shippers on the entire railroad. Interestingly, the April 10th, 1909 edition of The Traffic Bulletin reported that the Virginian Railway had refunded a car of cut lumber as it had been misrouted to East Aurora, New York. This car of lumber was probably destined for S. H. Peek's lumber mill and agricultural implements factory in that city. The most detailed source regarding this entire operation was published in the May 29th, 1909, edition of the American Lumberman. Many photographs of this operation on my page were taken by the photographers of that magazine. This magazine reports that by May 29th, 1909, the Keys-Fannin Lumber Co. had purchased twenty Russell Wheel & Foundry Company spine cars. By this time, the company was running multiple log trains a day, of about five cars per train, too and from the mill. The June 15th, 1909 edition of The Lumber Trade Journal reported that the Keys-Fannin Lumber Co. had purchased a 15,000 acre lumber tract in Breathitt County, Kentucky. It does not appear that any investment was ever made in this property, at least by the Keys-Fannin Lumber group. The April 16th, 1910, edition of the American Lumberman reported that for the 1909 year, the Keys-Fannin Lumber Co. processed 1,000 cubic feet of Hemlock, 3,500 cubic feet of Oak, 1,000 cubic feet of Basswood, 6,500 cubic feet of Poplar, and 1,100 cubic feet of various other hardwoods. These numbers add up to a total yearly production amount of 13,300 cubic feet. The May 28th, 1910, edition of the American Lumberman reported that the Keys-Fannin Lumber Co. was looking to expand in the Micajah area to the south. The leadership of the company was planning to construct a new band mill and narrow gauge railroad to harvest the virgin timber on Micajah Ridge. It doesn't appear that these plans were ever followed through with. The only development that supports this possible expansion is that the Keys-Fannin Lumber Co. purchased a second Shay locomotive, numbered #4. The magazine article also reports that the Herndon property had about two to three years left before the timber deposits were exhausted. Just as the magazine predicted, two years later in 1912, the Keys-Fannin Lumber Co. would transfer ownership of the Herndon properties to the newly incorporated Guyan Lumber Company.

The January 14th, 1911, edition of the American Lumberman reported that the Guyan Lumber Company had been incorporated with an authorized capital stock of $200,000. Incorporators were listed as Joseph Keys, James E. Walker, J. D. White, and S. E. Walker. Note that the incorporators of this new enterprise were generally the same as the Keys-Fannin Lumber Co. of old. Interestingly, the cause for this corporate change was that the old firm was purchased by the Keys-Walker Lumber Company, another company controlled by Joseph Keys and James E. Walker. The establishment of all these new firms represents the departure of former partner T. N. Fannin. At the time of this purchase, the company was reported as having approximately 12,000 acres of timberland still available to cut. Along with all these changes, the headquarters of the firm moved from Ashland to Roanoke, Virginia. The June 15th, 1918, edition of The Southern Lumberman reported that the Guyan Lumber Co. band mill burned with a loss of $50,000. Production was interrupted for only a short time as the decision to rebuild the mill was made. Unfortunately, the new mill burned again in 1930, this time resulting in the property being abandoned permanently. Thus ended the logging industry's hold on Herndon.

Bud, WV - MP 371.2

After passing through Herndon and the surrounding coal towns, we enter the community of Bud. Named after an early settler by the name of Bud Adams, this town has largely maintained a population even after the demise of the coal industry in the surrounding area. In 2020, 347 people lived in Bud. Prior to being known as Bud, this located was called Thermo after the local coal enterprise, the Thermo Pocahontas Coal Company. 

The first coal mining operation in the vicinity of Bud was the Thermo Pocahontas Coal Company. The 1916 edition of the Standard Corporation Service, reported that the Thermo Pocahontas Coal Co. was incorporated on August 16th, 1915, with an authorized capital stock of $100,000. Incorporators were listed as Buckner Clay, S. M. Hitchcock, A. C. Collins, D. W. Hill, R. S. Spillman. The firm secured a lease of 1,000 acres of coal rich lands to mine premium coal from the Beckley Seam. Soon after organization, the company fell under the control of coal magnate A. J. King. King was a prominent coal baron in nearby Logan County, known for his involvement with the Aracoma Coal Company. The March 7th, 1917, edition of the Coal Trade Journal reported that the Thermo Pocahontas Coal Co. had begun shipments from Bud via the Virginian Railway. That year, 19,908 tons of coal were processed and shipped to market. For the entire 1919 fiscal year, the plant was idle, but operations resumed the following year. The September 23rd, 1920, edition of the Manufacturers' Record reported that the Thermo Pocahontas Coal Co. had increased capitalization from $100,000 to $200,000. That same year, the Coal Field Directory reported that the directors of the company were as follows: A. J. King; President, Robert Wallace; Vice President, C. M. Galway; Treasurer, A. J. King; General Manager, F. E. King; General Superintendent, F. E. King; Purchasing Agent, A. J. King; Consulting Engineer, A. J. King; Mining Engineer, G. D. Woolcock; Electrical Engineer, Castner, Curran, & Bullitt; Sales Agency, and M. P. Brady; Mine Superintendent. In 1922, the Thermo Pocahontas Coal Co. had its most productive year, shipping 129,910 tons of coal to market. The Manufacturers' Record reported in 1930 that the Alpha Pocahontas Coal Company of nearby Alpoca, West Virginia, had leased the property of the Thermo Pocahontas Coal Co. In 1931, the only year the mine was operated by Alpha Pocahontas, 24,859 tons were produced and shipped. In 1932, the Alpha Pocahontas Coal Co. was sold to W. Gaston Caperton and renamed the Gaston Coal Company. Caperton was the owner of the Slab Fork Coal Company north of Mullens, West Virginia. Famously, this company employed the father of the famous 70s musician Bill Withers. The first year under the Gaston Coal Co. banner, the mine was idle, but the following year, the property produced and shipped 96,226 tons of coal. Even with almost six figures of production, the mine was running on borrowed time. 1935 would end up being the final year of operation, with 159,957 tons being produced at the mine. Although 1935 was far and away the most productive year for the mine since its opening, the Gaston Coal Co. closed the operation the following year. There is a possibility that the mine itself was consolidated with the former Alpha Pocahontas mine in Alpoca, though this is not confirmed. The Virginian Railway officially retired the spur to the tipple in 1936.

Alpoca, WV - MP 371.8

Just northwest of Bud is the community of Alpoca. A company town in all the sense of the term, this town exists thanks to the Alpha Pocahontas Coal Company which operated nearby. This community was one of the lucky few on the Virginian where coal mining lasted beyond the Great Depression. The last operator closed its doors in 1982. Today, Alpoca exists as a subdivision of Bud, continuing to house hundreds of people. 

The first, and largest, coal operator to call Alpoca home was the Alpha Pocahontas Coal Company. The December 26th, 1914, edition of Coal Age reported that the Alpha Pocahontas Coal Co. had been incorporated with an authorized capital of $125,000. Incorporators were listed as F. M. Lee, S. P. Halsey, G. H. Wilkins, R. C. Scott, L. Lazarus, R. S. Terry, and F. T. Lee. The Annual List of Charters and Amendments of Charters of the Commonwealth of Virginia reported that the Alpha Pocahontas Coal Co. was officially incorporated in Lynchburg, Virginia, on December 11th, 1914. The Virginian Railway surveying team mapped out a spur to the plant in March of 1915 near Bud. The plant was up and running by October of 1915, producing 1,793 tons of coal that month. During the entire 1916 fiscal yard, which included the tonnage reported in October of 1915, the plant processed and shipped 32,075 tons of Beckley seam coal. The 1915 edition of the Coal Field Directory reported that the directors of the company were as follows: F. M. Lee; President, F. M. Lee; General Manager, F. M. Lee; Purchasing Agent, G. H. Wilkins; Treasurer, J. P. Irvin; Mining Engineer, and E. M. Merrill; Consulting Engineer. On February 17th, 1918, the Alpha Pocahontas Coal Co. increased capitalization to $300,000. In 1925, the Alpha Mine of the company produced a record 161,633 tons of coal. In 1930, the Alpha Pocahontas Coal Co. expanded by leasing the property of the nearby Thermo Pocahontas Coal Company of nearby Bud. This firm would only be controlled by Alpha Pocahontas for two years as, in 1932, the entire Alpha Pocahontas Coal Co. was purchased by the Gaston Coal Company. This firm was controlled by coal baron W. Gaston Caperton, owner of the Slab Fork Coal Company north of Mullens, West Virginia. The original Alpha Mine continued producing under the Gaston Coal name until 1941. In 1942, the Gaston No. 2 Mine opened, prolonging the life of the former Alpha Pocahontas property. This mine processed coal from the famous Pocahontas No. 3 seam. In 1945, the Gaston No. 2 Mine produced 192,170 tons of coal. In 1954, the last year the property was active under the Gaston Coal Co. banner, the Gaston No. 2 Mine processed and shipped 117,319 tons of coal. In 1955, ownership of the property went to the Slab Fork Coal Company, which had been the parent of the Gaston Coal Co. since W. Gaston Caperton took over operations in 1932. In 1965, the Gaston No. 2 Mine had its most productive year, churning out an astounding 452,905 tons of coal. By the mid 1970s, the Gaston No. 2 Mine's unlimited reserves were beginning to look rather limited. Thus, the Slab Fork Coal Co. began developing a number of smaller adjacent mines, none however were as productive as the original Gaston No. 2 Mine. In 1982, the Gaston No. 2 Mine officially closed, having produced only 65,165 tons of coal. A far cry from the nearly half a million tons produced two decades ago. The plant was still around in 1986, as seen in an aerial photograph from that year. By 1996 however, only a gob pile and a coal dust field remained. 

One other industry, separate from coal, that thrived on the Virginian Railway was the lumber manufacturing business. Centered in Alpoca was one of the most productive and profitable lumber operations on the railroad, known as the Raleigh Lumber Company. This firm owned lumber related properties throughout West Virginia, specifically, in the towns of Raleigh, Fitzpatrick, Dugout, Oxley, Devon, Crow, and Alpoca. The Raleigh Lumber Co. operated a standard gauge logging railroad in the vicinity of Alpoca which climbed up Hickory Branch Hollow towards the rich timber deposits above Barkers Creek. In 1921, the Virginian Railway began planning for the construction of a spur to serve the Raleigh Lumber Co. It can be assumed that the plant began operating soon after this initial proposal. Interestingly, on many reports, the company is listed as operating out of Bud. This may have been because Bud was the closest post office to the operation. In May of 1924, a 65 ton 3 truck Shay locomotive was purchased to switch the plant and work the various logging branches. This engine had been used on one of the Raleigh Lumber Co.'s other operations, the Raleigh & Southwestern Railway in nearby Glen Morgan, West Virginia. Prior to running on that line, the locomotive was owned by the W. M. Ritter Lumber Company. This company, at one point the largest lumber producer in the world, was the parent company of the Raleigh Lumber Co. throughout its existence. In 1926, the Shay locomotive, numbered #2 while operating on the Alpoca Division of the Raleigh Lumber Co., was returned to the W. M. Ritter Co, for use in the vicinity of Mullens, West Virginia. The engine my have operated on the W. M. Ritter's lumber branches operating near Maben, West Virginia, just north of Mullens. It is likely that the sale of this locomotive coincided with the closure of the plant. 

Tralee, WV - MP 373.9

The last town on our trip before reaching Elmore Yard is the community of Tralee. This name stems from the town of Tralee, England, where coal operator J. C. Sullivan was from. Although Tralee is now a ghost town, there were once extensive mining activities throughout the community. Arguably the most productive mine on the entirety of this section of the Virginian main operated here, being the Tralee Mine of the Semet Solvay Division of the Allied Chemical Corporation. Today, literally nothing remains of this once prosperous community.

One of the first coal operators to exist in the vicinity of Tralee was the Harty Coal Company. On September 19th, 1914, the Harty Coal Co. was officially incorporated with an authorized capital stock of $100,000. Incorporators were listed as J. C. Sullivan, W. G. Hubbard, J. A. Wood, C. H. Mead, J. Edward Cox, and Frank Prince. The April 3rd, 1915, edition of The Black Diamond reported that by that date, the Harty Coal Co. was undergoing the installation of various equipment in preparation for coal mining at Tralee. Estimated daily capacity was predicted at 1,500 tons. The still under construction tipple was built to process up to 2,500 tons daily. On September 24th, 1914, The Virginian Railway submitted a proposed spur layout west of Mullens where the Harty Coal Co.'s tipple could be built. The November 18th, 1916, edition of The Chronicle reported that the Harty Coal Co. had commenced coal shipments sometime during that fiscal year. Production for the entirety of 1916 was listed as 27,168 tons. The Coal Trade Journal reported that for the month of February, 1916, the Harty Coal Co. shipped 2,858 tons of coal via the Virginian Railway. The 1916 edition of the Coal Field Directory lists the directors of the Harty Coal Co. as follows: J. A. Wood; President, J. C. Sullivan; Treasurer, J. C. Sullivan; Purchasing Agent, J. C. Sullivan; General Superintendent, and Philip Conrad; Consulting Engineer. In November of 1923, the Sullivan Pocahontas Coal Company was incorporated to serve as a holding company for all coal assets under the control of J. C. Sullivan. The Harty Coal Co. was one such company, although its production numbers continued to be reported under the original name. In 1925 the company recorded its most productive year, producing 109,082 tons of coal. Regardless of this, the next year would prove to be the final year of operation for Harty Coal Co. Only 63,008 tons of coal would end up being produced in 1926 before shutdown. Interestingly, the company, although idled, was included in the merger of the J. C. Sullivan properties into the Comago Smokeless Coal Company in 1928. The Virginian Railway officially retired the spur to the operation on May 15th, 1930. However, similar to what had occured at Monticello with the Premier Pocahontas Coal Co., a new firm would soon restart coal mining where the Harty Coal Co. once operated.

On February 17th, 1948, the Virginian Railway's engineering department officially submitted a proposal for the construction of new trackage to serve the Allied Chemical & Dye Company's Tralee facility. This preparation plant and tipple were to be operated under the Semet-Solvey Division of Allied Chemical. This state of the art facility was to be built near to where the original Harty Coal Company tipple once existed. On September 22nd, 1948, the Virginian Railway officially submitted the final survey for the mine tracks and within a few months, the plant began shipping premium coal. In 1948, the first fiscal year of operation, the Tralee Mine produced 16,692 tons of coal. The facility was still ramping up production in 1949, and by 1950, was in full operation, with almost half a million tons of coal being processed and shipped to market that year. 1955 was the first year that the operation elapsed 1,000,000 tons of coal produced in a single year. 1959, was the facilities most productive year, producing a total of 1,158,784 tons of coal. In 1971, the last year operated by Allied Chemical Corp, the mine churned out 150,854 tons of coal. The next year, the operation was purchased by the Amigo Smokeless Coal Company, which itself was a subsidiary of the Pittston Company. The Tralee prep plant and tipple were solely purposed to operate as a dedicated wash plant, meaning that raw coal would be shipped to the plant, processed and washed, before being shipped to market. This plant supplanted Amigo Smokeless Coal's former Wyco plant on the Virginian Railway Winding Gulf Branch. During the first few years under the Amigo Smokeless banner, a number of different mines fed into the Tralee plant. In 1974, Mine No. 236 was opened, producing 52,754 tons of coal. This mine would become the main supplier of coal for the Tralee plant until it closed in 1982. With the mine shutting down, the Tralee plant was also idled. The facility was still standing in a 1984 aerial image of Tralee, but by 1996, the entire property had been reclaimed.

Another early coal enterprise that operated in Tralee was the Cooper Pocahontas Coal Company. The October 24th, 1914, edition of the Coal Age reported that the Cooper Pocahontas Coal Co. had been organized with an authorized capital stock of $70,000. Organizers were listed as W. B. Honaher, Edward Cooper, C. H. Thomas, W. A. Thomas, and J. G. Thomas. The mine and tipple were operating soon after organization, producing 18,932 tons of coal in the 1916 fiscal year. In October of 1915, within the 1916 fiscal year, 1,100 tons of coal were shipped by the Virginian Railway. In December of that same year, 1,125 tons of coal were produced. The December 9th, 1915, edition of the Manufacturers' Record reported that the Barkers Creek Coal Company had been organized with an authorized capital stock of $15,000. Organizers were listed as J. E. Tolliver; President, R. S. Sutherland; Vice President, R. S. Sutherland; Secretary, J. C. Sullivan; Treasurer. The article reported that the Barkers Creek Coal Co. was to take over the 1,000 acre property of the Cooper Pocahontas Coal Co., while developing an addition 1,500 acres of coal rich land. Daily capacity of the plant was estimated to be about 1,500 tons. Interestingly, although the Barkers Creek Coal Co. was reported to have taken over the Cooper Pocahontas property as early as 1915, annual tonnage reports continued to be recorded under the Cooper Pocahontas name until 1918. That year, 55,115 tons of coal were processed and shipped to market. The first year under the Barkers Creek Coal Co. name, the Tralee property produced 44,050 tons of coal. The 1920 edition of The Coal Field Directory reported that leadership of the company was as follows: John J. Morrison; President, J. C. Sullivan; Treasurer, J. L. Naylor; Purchasing Agent, and Philip Conrad; Mining Engineer. In 1922, 70,361 tons of coal were shipped to market. Unsurprisingly, as another property controlled by J. C. Sullivan, this operation was consolidated into the Sullivan Pocahontas Coal Company. The January 3rd, 1924, edition of Coal Age reported this development soon after its occurrence. After this corporate change, the history of the Barkers Creek Coal Co. was virtually identical to that of the nearby Harty Coal Co. Both company's even shared the final year of production, 1926. That year, the Barkers Creek Coal Co. churned out 13,163 tons of coal. Then, like the Harty Coal Co., the equipment of the Barkers Creek Coal Co. was included in the creation of the Comago Smokeless Coal Company in 1928. On January 14th, 1930, the Virginian Railway officially retired the tracks serving the plant.

The third independent producer in the vicinity of Tralee was the American Coal Company. The Virginian Railway surveying team officially submitted a proposal for the construction of a pair of turnouts for the new plant on September 18th, 1945. The facility was in full operation by June of the following year, beginning a stretch of 25 years as one of the major producers in Wyoming County. In 1948, 213,099 tons of coal were produced at the company's Deerfield Mine. This mine was the sole supplier of the Tralee tipple for its entire existence. On September 11th, 1950, the Virginian Railway submitted a proposal for an expansion of the trackage at the property. Further expansions would occur in 1956 and 1957. Beginning in 1958, the Deerfield Mine and tipple were owned and operated by the mighty Pocahontas Fuel Company. This was the same firm that controlled the Itmann Mine on the other side of the mountain. The first year under the Pocahontas Fuel Co. banner, 628,068 tons of coal were produced. 1960 would end up being the final year of operation at the Deerfield tipple, but not for the Deerfield Mine. That year, the Deerfield Mine was officially consolidated with the Itmann mines and all coal from the Deerfield side was transported through the mountain for processing at the Itmann plant. The final year of operation at the Deerfield tipple, 303,423 tons of coal were processed and shipped. The plant was still standing in 1967, albeit in a rough state. By 1984, Nothing remained at the property.