Old_American_Coal_Mining_Photos.pdf (1.7 MB)
Includes a few Miscellaneous old American Photos

Miscellaneous
http://www.forest-of-dean.net/joomla/resources/documents-and-articles

These photos are not of people or places of the Forest of Dean (which is against our policy in publishing them - please excuse me this time) or even England or Wales. I am sure however you will find them interesting as many Forest Coal Miners emigrated to the USA and you can see for your self how the mines were there. Many of the photos are very similar to the early coal mining photos I have seen that were taken in the Forest.

The photos were sent to me by BIlly Ray Watkins of Florida, whom I have communicated with for many years as we are both involved with the Watkins Family History Society.

This is the message Billy Ray sent me with the photos:

I worked in a mine the summer of 1961.

My Dad (Southern Illinois), Grandfather (Alabama & Illinois) and Great Grandfather (Alabama) were each Career Miners.

My Dad started in the mine at age thirteen. His job was carrying water to the mules. My Grandfather started at age eleven as a coal loader (shovel). My Great Grandfather left a job in an ironore furnace in Amherst County,Virginia at age twenty, moved to Alabama in 1870 and worked first mining iron ore and then till he died at age 71 he coal mined in the Birmingham area,

My Summer of mining is the reason I scurried back to the University and began my quest for Degrees.

Nostolgic for me to see the coal mining pictures and to visualize that the workers could just as easily be my immediate ancestors. They appear to be cold and hungry while I sit here, a warm and well fed Engineer.

Billy Ray Watkins