Henry Ford's Nuttallburg

Henry Ford's Nuttallburg. New River Gorge National River. The large structures that dominate this site (the tipple behind you and the conveyor that climbs the slope in front of you) were built during a unique period in Nuttallburg's 85-year history. In the 1920s Henry Ford, of Ford Motor Company fame, was attempting vertical integration, a practice whereby an industry controls all aspects of production, from raw materials to finished product. Ford needed coal to power his factories. By purchasing coal mines, including Nuttallburg in 1920, he hoped to control his coal supply., Ford's plan didn't work as hoped, largely because he couldn't control the railroads needed to ship the coal, so he sold his Nuttallburg rights in 1928. But in the eight years that his Fordson Coal Company (managed by son Edsel Ford) ran the mine, Ford spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in upgrades, including the tipple and conveyor. Henry Ford's role at Nuttallburg is one of the primary reasons that Nuttallburg is recognized as a nationally significant National Historic District., The best image of Nuttallburg is this panoramic photo taken from across the New River in 1926. The tipple and conveyor had just been constructed as part of Henry Ford's plan to upgrade facilities and increase production capacity., Henry Ford's foray into coal mining was big news in 1928, and the New York Times praised his efforts (above).