Coal Company Town

Coal Company Town. Kimball. The town of Kimball was named for Frederick Kimball, Norfolk and Western Railway’s (N&W, now Norfolk Southern Corporation) second president, serving from 1881-1903. Frederick Kimball was a civil engineer with an interest in geology who helped to develop the Pocahontas coalfields in Virginia and West Virginia. , Kimball is representative of the many coal company towns that developed along the N&W line through McDowell and nearby counties in the 1890s and early 1900s. The railroad’s route along Elkhorn Creek to the Tug River at Welch was made possible only by the construction of several tunnels, including Elkhorn Tunnel through Flat Top Mountain (near the Coalsdale community to the east) and West Vivian Tunnel nearby. The town of Kimball was laid out and developed by the Houston Coal Company, and was incorporated in 1911. , Prior to the development of the coal industry in southern West Virginia, the area contained only scattered, self-sufficient farms and small communities. Due to the low population and the resulting shortage of labor, the local coal companies were forced to recruit workers from elsewhere, first from the older coalfields in Pennsylvania and then from Eastern and Southern Europe and the American South. Each immigrant group brought its own language and customs to the area, creating the type of ethnic diversity that had previously been found only in the larger cities. To accommodate these new arrivals, the coal companies built self-sufficient communities to house and provide for their workers. By 1920, it is estimated that almost 80% of the coal miners in West Virginia were living in company-owned housing. In many communities the flattest land was occupied by the mining, railroad, and commercial facilities, with the company housing located on the nearby hillslopes. , The commercial center of towns such as Kimball was the company store, which was operated both for the convenience of the mine workers and the profit of the coal company. The stores , such as the Houston Coal Company Store nearby , were typically placed in prominent locations and displayed distinctive architectural features meant to reflect the company’s wealth and position in the community. The stores typically sold a wide variety of merchandise, including food, hardware, clothing, furniture, and appliances that might be difficult to obtain otherwise. The buildings often also housed the local post office, as well as the company’s business, a doctor’s office, and a “clubhouse” to accommodate visitors. Because of their central locations and multiple functions, the stores were also a center for social activity, both during and outside business hours. , Most company stores had a scrip system, which involved paper or metal currency that was issued by the coal company and could only be redeemed at the store. Miners had the option of receiving their earnings in cash, but might also draw scrip on or between paydays as an advance against future wages. Miners were not required to be paid in scrip, nor to shop at the company store; however, out of necessity for food and other goods many became caught in a cycle, in which they drew their entire earnings in scrip and thus had no currency due them at payday.