"Photo
of the Day "
January 23, 2000
A COAL MINING PIONEER
Jordan Nelson 1829
Jordan Nelson owned land from Pocahontas to Bramwell and is credited with mining the first coal in the area that he used to fire his blacksmith shop and sell for a penny a basket. From his tiny coal mine, Nelson's selling of coal was responsible for the western expansion of the Norfolk and Western Railroad. Jordan Nelson was truly a pioneer but took little credit for his discovery. He died in Bluefield in 1922 at the age of 93. He is buried in the Walnut Grove Cemetery on Hancock Street in Bluefield, WV. |
1922