|
Gary Hollow History; By Buddy French In 1901, the newly formed U. S. Steel Corporation began a huge expansion into the industries necessary to support its steel making business. They included shipping, railroads, iron ore mining and coal mining. In January 1902, U. S. Steel created a subsidiary company, the U. S. Coal & Coke Company, to supply coal for its steel mills. Located in McDowell County West Virginia, the U. S. Coal & Coke Company took out a massive 50,000-acre coal lease in the famed Pocahontas No.3 coal seam. The area quickly became known as Gary Hollow, and the construction of twelve separate coal mines and supporting communities began on a colossal scale. Along with opening a coal mine and tipple in each community, the infrastructure for water and electricity had to be put in place. Hundreds and perhaps as many as a thousand workers began constructing an electric grid, digging water wells, building coke ovens, coal tipples, recreational facilities, company stores and miners' homes. Each coal mine was given a number to identify it, and its community was given a name. Eleven of the twelve communities were lined up end to end and when you left one community you immediately entered another one. There were eight company stores, two junior high schools, two senior high schools, nine grade schools, three bowling alleys, five restaurants, three movie theatres and no fewer than twenty-eight churches of different denominations. Gary Hollow soon became billed as the largest coal camp in the world with a population of 15,000 residents.
Most of the homes in Gary No.3 or what was called Main Gary, are still there and occupied. The No.3 big clubhouse, company store, power plant and coal tipple are gone. The farther you go up the hollow into the adjoining Gary coal camp ccommunities, like Thorpe (No.4), Leslie (No.5), Ream (No.6), No.7, No.8 and No.9, No.10, Many of those houses ano longer remain standing. ( Photographs furnished by: BuddyFrench ) ( Photographs are arranged in a chronological order as to when construction took place. ) |
---|
![]() A view of the U. S. Coal & Coke Company No. 3 miners clubhouse Gary, WV in September 1902. ( Photographs are arranged in a chronological order as to when construction took place. ) ( Photographs furnished by: BuddyFrench ) Gary Hollow Memories By Buddy French I have many wonderful memories of growing up in Gary Hollow during the 40's, 50's and early 1960's and I'm sure many of my friends that lived in Blackwolf, Pageton, Anawalt, Jenkinjones and Leckie feel the same way. All coal camps are not created equally and fortunately, I think McDowell County had some of the better built and maintained communities. I feel so privileged to have been a part of a unique culture that is now sadly lost to history but can forever live on in our memories. The following contains a few facts and some memories of growing up there, so come on Gary High School Coaldiggers and we'll take a little trip down memory lane. Let's climb aboard the "Time Machine Transporter" and buckle your seat belts and hang on for the ride of your life. The transporter starts out slowly, but as it gains speed, the years begin to blaze by as the calendar rolls backward through the 1990's, 1988, 1987 and to 1986, when U. S. Steel's mines were still operating. As its speed increases, the years continue to roll backward, and another chapter of history sadly comes to an end as Gary High School closes out its illustrious history with the graduating class of 1978. The Coaldiggers would now become the Golden Knights as Gary and Welch came together to form the new Mount View High School. And with that, we see the beginning of the "baby boomer" generation. At this point I wish, as many of you might, that I could just stay for a while, but memories are to be visited and not dwelled upon. Just remember that your memories can never be taken away from you and money can never buy them. So come on Coaldiggers, climb back aboard the Time Machine Transporter and buckle your seat belts. We can always come back for another visit and the ride is free. I hope you've enjoyed our little trip down memory lane and maybe we'll see you somewhere back in the future. Melvin "Buddy" French |
---|