Kaymoor in Fayette County, West Virginia — The American South (Appalachia)

Mountain Haulage

Photographed by Craig Doda, February 16, 2020

1. Mountain Haulage Marker

Inscription. Getting around at Kaymoor was a challenge. Workers and their families either lived at Kaymoor Top, where you are standing now, or 900 feet below at Kaymoor Bottom. Company employees either worked in the middle of the gorge (bench) where the coal was extracted, or at the bottom, where it was processed. The solution? A tram car, called a mountain haulage, carried workers and materials to the job sites, with passenger runs scheduled around business trips. The mountain haulage ran until midnight when the last shift of the day ended.

Kaymoor residents Clifford Ward, Nana Watkins, and Mary Ward stand in front of the haulage house, rebuilt in 1926: The concrete foundations seen here today are all that remain of this structure. Photo date unknown.

Riding the mountain haulage was a breath-taking trip. The first drop over the clifftop was especially unnerving. Accidents were rare, but two people died in 1913 when the cable broke. (1930s)

Walkin' Down
Some people refused to ride down the mountain, so walking the stairs was their only alternative. Kaymoor Miners Trail follows a similar path to that of the original

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stairs. (trailhead to the right)

Now long gone, the original wooden platform and stairs led from the top of the gorge to the base of the cliff line 70 feet below.

Cement stairs continued from the base of the cliff line to the bench level at the mine. More stairs continued from there between the haulage tracks to Kaymoor Bottom. Today it's a half-mile hike followed by 821 stairs to reach the bottom.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1926.

Location. 38° 2.733′ N, 81° 4.083′ W. Marker is in Kaymoor, West Virginia, in Fayette County. It is on Kaymoor Road (County Route 9/2), on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Fayetteville WV 25840, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the New River Gorge and in Greater Charleston Area. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in Appalachia, and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere.

Photographed by Craig Doda, February 16, 2020

2. Mountain Haulage Marker

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Kaymoor One Mine (within shouting distance of this marker); Protecting Bats (approx. 0.2 miles away); From Top to Bottom (approx. 0.2 miles away); Getting Coal Down (approx. 0.2 miles away); A Busy Bench (approx. 0.2 miles away); Valuable Air (approx. 0.2 miles away); Going Up? (approx. ¼ mile away); Kaymoor Bottom (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Kaymoor.

Credits. This page was last revised on January 22, 2021. It was originally submitted on January 21, 2021, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 402 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 21, 2021, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.