Crumpler, WV Coal Mining Community was named after a railroad official.
Crumpler, West Virginia When Coal Was King - By Buddy French
Crumpler is in McDowell County in what is commonly known as Northfork
Hollow. It is situated at the head of the hollow and seven miles from the
town of Northfork that's located at the mouth of the hollow. The Burkes
Garden Coal & Coke company was incorporated there on Feb. 14, 1893,
and coal shipments began after the arrival of the N&W Railroad. Crumpler
began with multiple names and was first known as Moss, then Lambert,
then Burkes Garden before officially being named Crumpler on March 16,
1906. Although there are different stories of how Crumpler got its name, it
was most likely named for B. E. Crumpler, an N&W Railroad official.
Especially in its early development, Crumpler had multiple coal companies
mining coal there, but the United Pocahontas Coal Company soon became
the dominant company for over sixty years.
There were multiple coal mining communities in Northfork Hollow, but
Crumpler was by far the largest. Most coal mining communities were
unincorporated, and the coal companies took care of the community's
needs. But Crumpler was unique in that it became an incorporated town
with a mayor and was independent of any coal company. The town had
seven stores, two theatres, two barber shops, three saloons, a dance hall,
churches and a jail. By 1910 the population had risen to 1,389 residents.
Your author has fond memories of visiting Crumpler several times in the
early 1960's. In those days businesses were thriving, and coal miners lived
a simplistic life but a rewarding one when coal was king. "Mantrips" could
be seen coming from the mine portals in the evening carrying tired coal
miners with their faces blackened with coal dust and eager to get to the
bathhouse. There, they would enjoy a hot bath while bantering back and
forth with each over about how many tons of coal they loaded that shift.
Then, it was on to the house where a meal of cornbread, pinto beans and
fried potatoes was waiting. After supper in the summer, it was time to relax
by sitting on the front porch swing and talking with your neighbor just
across the street. But if you visit Crumpler today, you will not hear the
humming and grinding sounds of a coal tipple churning out coal or the
clatter sound of loaded mine cars rolling down the track. The mining
industry and King Coal in Crumpler have now become yesterday's history.
But the community remains beautifully maintained where folks take pride
in their coal mining roots and still proudly call this place home
You can find this and much more interesting history on Crumpler in the
book :
"BILLION DOLLAR COALFIELD" by Alex Schust
Google Earth View of Crumpler, WV
CRUMPLER, WV COAL MINING COMMUNITY (PAGE 1 OF 2)
CRUMPLER, WV COAL MINING COMMUNITY (PAGE 2 OF 2)
CRUMPLER, WV PHOTOS - FROM ANOTHER SITE
CRUMPLER, WV PHOTOS - ANOTHER SITE
ADDITIONAL COAL MINING OMMUNITIES INDEX
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