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Appalachia: Coal Operators Oral History Project

Project Summary

These interviews with major coal operators document their personal histories and the history of the coal industry in eastern Kentucky during the twentieth century. Kentucky communities discussed include Artemus, Burdine, Jenkins, Jellico, Van Lear, and Wheelwright; and Kentucky counties include Bell, Clay, Floyd, Harlan, Johnson, Knox, Leslie, Letcher, Martin, Perry, Pike, and Pulaski. Narrators discuss the following coal companies: Blue Diamond, Consolidated, Cypress, Finley, Hurricane Creek, Kentucky River, Massey, and Allais Coal Mine. Other topics include coal associations, organized labor, the United Mine Workers of America, the Kentucky Department of Mines and Minerals, Mine Education and Safety (MESA), Inland Steel, the Tennessee Valley Authority, Citizens for the Commonwealth, the Civilian Conservation Corps, and United States Steel. Information on various aspects of the mining industry includes deep mining, surface mining, mining techniques, land reclamation, politics and mining, mine safety and accidents, the role of the state and federal governments in mine safety, state and federal legislation, mine inspections, marketing coal, acid rain, company towns, media coverage of the coal industry, black and immigrant miners, employer-employee relations, the conspiracy trial of 1938, the Kentucky-Virginia Compact, Buchanan versus Watson, Brush Creek, and John L. Lewis.

Project Code

appops

Project LC Subject

A.T. Massey Coal Processing Plant   Acid rain   African American coal miners   Appalachian Region   Bell County (Ky.)   Blue Diamond Coal Company   Burdine (Ky.)   Clay County (Ky.)   Coal mine accidents   Coal miners--Kentucky--Artemus   Coal miners--Kentucky--Bell County   Coal miners--Kentucky--Burdine   Coal miners--Kentucky--Clay County   Coal miners--Kentucky--Floyd County   Coal miners--Kentucky--Harlan County   Coal miners--Kentucky--Jenkins   Coal miners--Kentucky--Johnson County   Coal miners--Kentucky--Knox County   Coal miners--Kentucky--Leslie County   Coal miners--Kentucky--Letcher County   Coal miners--Kentucky--Martin County   Coal miners--Kentucky--Perry County   Coal miners--Kentucky--Pike County   Coal miners--Kentucky--Pulaski County   Coal miners--Kentucky--Van Lear   Coal miners--Kentucky--Wheelwright   Coal miners--Labor unions   Coal miners--Tennessee--Jellico   Coal mines and mining   Coal mines and mining--Government policy   Coal mines and mining--Kentucky--Artemus   Coal mines and mining--Kentucky--Bell County   Coal mines and mining--Kentucky--Burdine   Coal mines and mining--Kentucky--Clay County   Coal mines and mining--Kentucky--Floyd County   Coal mines and mining--Kentucky--Harlan County   Coal mines and mining--Kentucky--Jenkins   Coal mines and mining--Kentucky--Johnson County   Coal mines and mining--Kentucky--Knox County   Coal mines and mining--Kentucky--Leslie County   Coal mines and mining--Kentucky--Letcher County   Coal mines and mining--Kentucky--Martin County   Coal mines and mining--Kentucky--Perry County   Coal mines and mining--Kentucky--Pike County   Coal mines and mining--Kentucky--Pulaski County   Coal mines and mining--Kentucky--Van Lear   Coal mines and mining--Kentucky--Wheelwright   Coal mines and mining--Law and legislation   Coal mines and mining--Law and legislation--Appalachian Region   Coal mines and mining--Management   Coal mines and mining--Safety measures   Coal mines and mining--Safety regulations   Coal mines and mining--Technological innovations   Coal mines and mining--Tennessee--Jellico   Coal trade   Company towns   Consolidated Coal Company   Floyd County (Ky.)   Harlan County (Ky.)   Immigrants   Inland Steel Company   Jellico (Tn.)   Jenkins (Ky.)   Johnson County (Ky.)   Kentucky and Virginia resolutions of 1798   Kentucky River Coal Company   Kentucky. Dept. of Mines and Minerals   Knox County (Ky.)   Leslie County (Ky.)   Letcher County (Ky.)   Lewis, John L. (John Llewellyn), 1880-1969.   Martin County (Ky.)   Mine safety   Perry County (Ky.)   Pike County (Ky.)   Pulaski County (Ky.)   Reclamation of land   Strip mining   Strip mining--Law and legislation--Appalachian Region   Tennessee Valley Authority   Trials (Conspiracy)   United Mine Workers of America   United States Steel Corporation   Van Lear (Ky.)   Wheelwright (Ky.)


Interviews in this Project (46 Total):

Interview Accession Number: 1988oh227_app191
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1988oh229_app193
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1988oh248_app197
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1988oh249_app198
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1988oh250_app199
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1989oh001_app207
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1989oh035_app219
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1989oh104_app220
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1989oh105_app221
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1989oh106_app222
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1989oh107_app223
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1989oh108_app224
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1989oh109_app225
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1989oh110_app226
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1989oh111_app227
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1989oh112_app228
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1989oh113_app229
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1989oh114_app230
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1989oh115_app231
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1989oh116_app232
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1989oh150_app233
Interviewer: Nyoka Hawkins
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1989oh193_app234
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1989oh194_app235
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1989oh195_app236
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1989oh196_app237
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1989oh197_app238
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1989oh198_app239
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1989oh199_app240
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1989oh200_app241
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1989oh201_app242
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1989oh202_app243
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1989oh203_app244
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1989oh204_app245
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1989oh205_app246
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1989oh206_app247
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1989oh207_app248
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1989oh208_app249
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1989oh209_app250
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1989oh210_app251
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1989oh276_app252
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1989oh277_app253
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1989oh300_app254
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1989oh301_app255
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1989oh302_app256
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1989oh303_app257
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access:

Interview Accession Number: 1989oh304_app258
Interviewer: Henry C. Mayer
Restrictions: No Restrictions
Access: