Pocahontas Coal Field Sign

Thu Jan 31 09:13:41 EST 2019

The caption on the flicker photo is not entirely correct. The sign is correct in that the Pocahontas Region extended from the Bluestone River to Iaeger, but it included the N&W defined Pocahontas Coal District and Tug River Coal District. The Pocahontas Coal Seam went underground at Kimball and required slope or shaft mines to get to the Pocahontas Coal Seams between Kimball and Iaeger. In the Tug River District shaft mines were built at Hemphill and Caples.

A US Supreme Court decision defined the east boundary of the Pocahontas Coalfield as the Bluestone River and the west boundary as Iaeger, because the Pocahontas coal seams and the Davy-Sewell coal seams had similar chemical properties. The N&W defined the Pocahontas Coal District as between the Bluestone River and the Tug River at Welch. From Welch to Iaeger was the Tug River Coal District. From Iaeger to Williamson was the Thacker Coal District. The Kenova Coal District extended from Williamson to Kenova.

Alex Schust

-----Original Message-----
From: NW-Mailing-List [mailto:nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org] On Behalf Of NW Mailing List
Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2019 2:52 PM
To: NW Mailing List
Subject: Re: Pocahontas Coal Field Sign

Thanks for the input everyone.  The sign on Flickr is definitely the one I am thinking of (although I'm still going nuts wondering where I saw the picture, as I know it wasn't online).  It's located at Bluestone Junction.  I haven't had the chance to go through the films listed yet, but a picture is what I really needed because I want to make a version of it for placement on my model railroad.  The Williamson "Heart Of The Billion Dollar Coal Field" sign is easy enough to find by doing a web search for that phrase.  The Entering The Billion Dollar Coal Field sign at Bluefield I haven't found yet, although the original one works best for my purposes as there will not likely be a street where I am planning on placing it, so the one N&W erected along their right of way fits my scene better.

Marty Flick

---- NW Mailing List via NW-Mailing-List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote: 

> Marty, here’s the photo that Larry is referring to. It is one of many beautiful photos in Bill Gordon’s collection, with steam locomotion spanning the middle fifties to the very early sixties:

> 

> https://www.flickr.com/photos/130647200@N05/35757713216/in/album-72157669851188905/

> 

> Matt Goodman

> Columbus Ohio US

> 

> On Jan 29, 2019, at 6:36 PM, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:

> 

> Saw it in a photo on flicker just this week . 

> 

> Larry Evans

> 

> "There's the sun, there's the moon, there's the air we breathe, and

> there's the Rolling Stones"  Keith Richards

> 

> On Jan 29, 2019, at 1:30 PM, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org <mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>> wrote:

> 

> > Hey Marty

> > 

> > I know that billboard was shown in either of the company films the 1944 "Modern Coal Burning Steam Locomotives” or the 1940 "Power Behind the Nation” in color. I’ve seen, somewhere, a drawing for that billboard as well.

> > 

> > I seem to recall seeing it in a book as well, and thought it might be Jim Nichols color book, but did not see it there.

> > 

> > Best

> > Ken Miller

> > 

> >> On Jan 29, 2019, at 12:41 PM, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org <mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>> wrote:

> >> 

> >> I'm trying to find a picture I saw in a book.  It's of a sign, probably just outside either Bluefield or Williamson, that says "This way to the Pocahontas Coal Fields" or something like that.  I'm 90% certain the picture is in color.  I also want to say it is not in a book you would expect it to be; perhaps a generic mine book rather than N&W.  If anyone knows the picture I am thinking of or any other pictures of this sign, please let me know.

> >> 

> >> Thank you,

> >> Marty Flick

> >> 

> >> 

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