COMPANY STORES

I recently visited the historically significant coal mining town of Pocahontas, VA whose mine opened up the Pocahontas Coalfield back in 1882. The first trainload of coal left Pocahontas on March 12, 1883, but tragedy struck one year and one day later when an explosion rocked the mine, killing at least 114 miners. Eventually, the mine was repaired, and operations resumed. A portion of the mine was isolated and converted into America's first exhibition mine in 1938.

With nearly 3800 people at its peak, Pocahontas had a beautiful company store that stood proudly from the time of its construction in 1883 until it's collapse from neglect in 2007. While visiting the museum store located in the original powerhouse next to the Exhibition Mine, I was able to purchase several nails from the store. I am certainly glad that someone had the foresight to save them during the demolition. Alas, t…

A postcard view shows the store of the Washington Coal and Coke Company in the patch town of Star Junction (founded 1893-1894), Fayette County, Pennsylvania. The postcard is unused, so the age of the photograph is uncertain. A local told me that the large building in the center of the town view, postmarked 1911, was also the company store. The two structures look quite different to me. Store buildings had the habit of burning down back then, so one structure might have been a replacement for the other? The railroad line passing by the store is the present pathway of PA State Route 51, and a gas station now occupies the site of the store. Nonetheless, many of the houses are still occupied, although only a handful of the 999 beehive coke ovens remain from the town's glory days as a coal and coke producer.

A postcard view shows the company store of the New River and Pocahontas Consolidated Coal Company in Berwind, WV. The store architecture was unique with only several like it ever constructed. The only remaining example is in Whipple, WV but in a sorry condition. N.R. & P. was a subsidiary of the Berwind White Mining Company, which was also the second operator of Kaymoor in the New River Gorge. If you look closely at the town view, you can see the company store in the background peeking over company houses next to the office building.

Fonde, Ky