CASWELL CREEK COAL COMPANY- 1931 A third coal company known as the Caswell Creek Coal Company also operated in Freeman with a third company store also located in that community. The Caswell Creek Mine opened in 1884 by Jenkin Jones and John Freeman. Both these men were of foreign birth. Freeman was born in England and Jones in Wales. The company mine was also located on Simmons Creek near Freeman. Their equipment was orignally one mule, one mining car and a few pick and shovels. The tipple was a simple wooden structure. Both these men dug coal in the mine to get it started.They ran the business as a co-partnership until 1889, when the Caswell Creek Coal and Coke Company was organized to take over the property of the Simmons Creek Mine. In 1907 these companies were incorporated under one corporation: The Pocahontas Coal Company, Inc.
Caswell Creek Elkhorn tipple as it appeared in 1933 that was now owned by Pocahontas Fuel Company. This tipple was shut down in 1937 and the remaining two years of coal left in the Caswell Creek Elkhorn mine was removed through the Norfolk/Angle mine on Rt. 52 just above Maybeury. In 1940 the Caswell Creek Elkhorn tipple was dismantled by Pocahontas Fuel and moved to their Rolfe mine in Northfork Hollow and reassembled because that tipple had burned down. ( Enhanced Photograpgh Provided by: Buddy French) |
