A couple of months ago I took a bus tour to the Black Diamond Coal Mine Museum and found it to be very interesting and colorful. Maybe I found it interesting because I had never really thought of coal 
being mined here in the northwest. Here is a little of the history and a link where you can read more and see more pictures. http://www.blackdiamondmuseum.org/
In the early 1880's The Black Diamond Coal Company of Nortonville, CA was facing a monumental task. As the coal supply they were mining was beginning to deplete, they faced moving their entire operation -- miners, their families, equipment and all -- 1,000 miles north to a remote area in Washington Territory where a rich and plentiful seam of high grade coal promised to keep miners busy for the next hundred years. The area also provided all the timber they needed to brace mine tunnels and build a town. By 1885, the Company had completely settled in the new town they named "Blac
k Diamond".
Coal is no longer mined here but the little town hasn't changed a great deal. There is an incredible restaurant called The Black Diamond Bakery and the food is fabulous!
It was fun and interesting trip back into history. I know that for those of you who live in England or Europe, what we here in the states consider history is almost like last year to you -- our country is still very young in comparison. The area around Black Diamond, WA doesn't have all the spectacular beauty of so many places in our state, but it is an interesting and fun place to visit.
Black Diamond Coal Museum and boxcar in the snow.
This was called the mule train.
The larger building below was the jail and the small one next to it was
the fire department -- a long hose on huge wheels.
being mined here in the northwest. Here is a little of the history and a link where you can read more and see more pictures. http://www.blackdiamondmuseum.org/In the early 1880's The Black Diamond Coal Company of Nortonville, CA was facing a monumental task. As the coal supply they were mining was beginning to deplete, they faced moving their entire operation -- miners, their families, equipment and all -- 1,000 miles north to a remote area in Washington Territory where a rich and plentiful seam of high grade coal promised to keep miners busy for the next hundred years. The area also provided all the timber they needed to brace mine tunnels and build a town. By 1885, the Company had completely settled in the new town they named "Blac
k Diamond".Coal is no longer mined here but the little town hasn't changed a great deal. There is an incredible restaurant called The Black Diamond Bakery and the food is fabulous!
It was fun and interesting trip back into history. I know that for those of you who live in England or Europe, what we here in the states consider history is almost like last year to you -- our country is still very young in comparison. The area around Black Diamond, WA doesn't have all the spectacular beauty of so many places in our state, but it is an interesting and fun place to visit.
Black Diamond Coal Museum and boxcar in the snow.
This was called the mule train.
The larger building below was the jail and the small one next to it was
the fire department -- a long hose on huge wheels.
This is an interesting little town. The jailhouse and firestation are epecially neat.
ReplyDeleteI live in an area that still has active mines. My husband and I went to visit the town that built up around the mine nearly a century ago. It's a little bleak, but still picturesque snuggled partly into the mountain as it is. We enjoyed our day thrououghly until we drove to the cemetary. Over 200 men were killed in a cave in at the mine. Whole families were wiped out. Young boys in their early teens were taken. It was shut down and not worked for years. It was so overwhelmingly sad. Wayne and I spoke very little on the way home, and when we did it was it hushed tones as we talked about the lives the minors and their families led.
I couldn't shake the memory of the headstones for days.
I love the history of places like this, but like you mention, our history is really quite recent, compared to the rest of the world. I enjoyed our gold mining town of Barkerville, 500 miles north of Vancouver years ago and would love to return.
ReplyDeleteI love the old and new photos you posted! Interesting town indeed! Thanks for the share:)
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Yen
Good report. Nice place.
ReplyDeleteSylvia: What a neat part of your world to show.
ReplyDeleteWonderful post and beautifully illustrated!
ReplyDeleteExcellent MyWorld contribution!
Cheers, Klaus
Interesting bit of information indeed. I like the snow pic.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tour.
a very interesting little trip, Sylvia.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting MWT post! Lots of nice information here, and great photos.
ReplyDeleteCool post! Ilove this kind of history, and had the additional interest because before moving here to the east, I lived just outside of Black Diamond, Alberta (named for oil).
ReplyDeleteEaly what is a young coutry you do have some remarkable history and local history like this.
ReplyDeleteI loved this post, Sylvia, thank you for sharing the photos and story!
ReplyDeleteWe have a similar thing in our part of Ireland called the Arigna Mining Experience. They did a wonderful job of bringing coal mining to life and it's very engaging and interesting.
Weirdly, next month it will become Santa's underground wonderland; every year I wonder who thought up that marketing idea?
Anyhow, I loved your photos: coal miners always risked their lives to keep others warm, and deserve every tribute they get.
God bless!
fun post, i love regional history. thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteI took a tour of a copper mine once in Arizona. The retired miners giving the tours said they had it easy compared to coal miners.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos, thanks for sharing your world.
Thanks for sharing the Black Diamond Coal Mine tour. I love little historic places.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting. It looks so quaint - my idea of a fun place to visit. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures and very interesting details. I never knew anything about diamond mines.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing you world.
Very interesting place, thanks for the tour
ReplyDeleteA very interesting town. Wonderful photos as well. Thanks for sharing:)
ReplyDeletehow facinating I love american history... and love the old historical photos too! What a lovely place to visit!
ReplyDeleteI love these photos.I like to learn the history of other places.
ReplyDeleteInteresting history. I've never seen a mining town but I would imagine life must have been tough.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting MWT post. Thank you for sharing
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I really enjoyed my virtual visit to here. Thanks for sharing this. :-)
ReplyDeleteI would love that for a day trip! Isn't it amazing how small some of the old buildings could be?
ReplyDeletea very interesting post and i enjoyed clicking and reading a bit more about the coal company's history. thanks for sharing with us.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tour. There is so much history here in the Pacific Northwest. In my area both mines and logging has a long history. This is my first time at That's My World. I would like to introduce you to my town, Powell River, BC. -- Margy
ReplyDeleteNow that is the kind of towns i love to visit. Thanks for sharing
ReplyDelete