Coopers, WV Coal Mining community

Coopers, WV is a historic neighborhood and former unincorporated coal mining town located directly on the outskirts of Bramwell in Mercer County, West Virginia . Originally established as an independent community and a prominent coal camp, it was later officially incorporated into the corporate limits of Bramwell.

Coopers holds a monumentally important place in Appalachian history. On November 4, 1884 , coal pioneer John Cooper hauled and shipped the very first carload of coal from the West Virginia side of the massive Pocahontas Coalfield from his Mill Creek Coal & Coke Company based right here in Coopers.

The community is home to the Cooper United Methodist Church . Founded in 1884 by John Cooper's wife, Maria, it held its first services outdoors and is recognized as the very first Methodist church formed in the southern West Virginia coalfields

Coopers school house is to the right in this ca. 1948 photograph showing the new trestle being built. The trestle is at the far center right.

( Enhanced photographs provided by: Buddy French )