Goodwill, WV COAL CAMP

The building on the right is the Goodwill Coal and Coke Company store. The large building on the left center is the Louisville Coal and Coke Company store. This area was the center of the Goodwill Coal Camp. The only things that remain are the Louisville Company Store steps, and the concrete box which housed the safe.

This photo is of the elementary school at Goodwill, West Virginia. This school closed in 1959. Nothing of the school remains, not even the rock wall.

Louisville Coal and Coke Store of Winding Gulf Collieries, Goodwill, West Virginia with the post office building in front of the store. This was the heart of the Goodwill Coal Camp. All the families met here everyday except Sunday. All that remains is the spring at the post office, the store steps, and the concrete block where the store and pay roll office had the safe.

GOODWILL TIPPLE - 1939
( Mercer County, WV ).
Operated by Louisville Coal & Coke Co. Winding Gulf Collieries.

The Louisville Coal and Coke Company tipple is where coal was washed, slate removed, sorted by size, and shipped in railroad cars. Over one hundred men worked here everyday from 1886-1958. The tipple was torn down in the early 1960's for scrap steel. Only the concrete footers remain.

GOODWILL, WEST VIRGINIA HISTORY

Robert and Phillip Goodwill opened a coal mine and built the town in 1886. Justus Collins opened another mine in 1887. There were two saw mills, two coal tipples, two power plant, two company stores, two schools, three churches, a union hall, post office, theater, dance hall, pool room, shoe shop, doctors office, and over a hundred homes. In 1950, Goodwill had a population of 1536. In 1958, the mine was closed, and the residents left; thenall the buildings were torn down except for one house.

All above text and photographs by Ken Bowen as published on " GHOST TOWNS " WEB site.