Kingston

Kingston. . In 1909 the Big Sandy Coal and Coke Co. whose name was later changed to Solvay Collieries Co. began the consideration of that property which was to become Kingston. In 1910 a temporary store and office building together with a six room house and a three room house to permit occupancy by the first superintendent and the first bookkeeper., Later in 1910 the contract for the railroad to be built up to the end of Kingston yards and between 400-500 men were busy transforming the area from a wilderness to what will become a model mining community. Material had to be hauled in wagons from the end of the C&O railroad at Westerly and from the town of Lively which was located on the Virginian railroad. By 1911, additional railroad track had been laid from Westerly to Kingston. The population in 1910 was given as 400 people., On June 23, 1911 the first coal was loaded in the railroad cars from a temporary tipple. In March 1912 the No. 1 conveyor in a steel tipple were put into use. Over the next few years production increased and the company also acquired the property at Westerly in 1913. In 1920 production was 2500 tons per day, there were about 240 men employed. The average wage in 1920 was 10 dollars per day. Also in 1920 due to increase need for housing the company was in process of erecting additional 175 houses., In 1920 the town could boast of 2 YMCA's, 1 for the whites and 1 for colored employees, each YMCA had a bowling alley, pool room, moving picture shows, barber shop, showers and bath, a reading room with latest newspapers and magazines, as well as a soda fountain and library. The town of Kingston would continue to grow and would soon become one of the most modern coal camps in West Virginia and the most populated community on Paint Creek, reaching a population of around 2500 residents.