Coal Trip Day 2 - Yellow creek 7/18/11

Today we went to yellow creek, the coketon coke ovens and douglass falls on the north fork of the blackwater river. We took environmental readings at the streams to determine stream quality.

At Yellow Creek I found the overall quality score to be 73.9 which equates to the low end of good quality. We found the creek to have no life eventhough oir pH was 6.1. The stream was still slow moving and dead. Also in the area we found a diversity of life even though it had little man made help. Also yhe entire are was basically fill and slag little of the orginal valley remained.

Day 1 coal trip 7/17/2011

Today we spent most of the time traveling to Canaan Valley. On the way we stopped at the Parsons Wind Farm. While there we were asked what the spped of a moving wind turbine was at the tip. Steve Freeman and I measured found that the tip made 14.3 revolutions in one minute. The amounted to a speed of about 117 miles per hour. Picture posted below of the wind farm.
Later we visited Thomas and learned some interesting history of the town. One thing I found interesting was that the northern coal  fields had little to no violence.

End of another day in paradise

Survey marker

Survey marker outside my room at the beach

Elkhorn, WV

I chose Elkhorn, WV because my Dad and his family grew up there and His sister still lives there.

Elkhorn, WV is located in McDowell County along US 52 between Bluefield and Northfork. It was home to the Crozer Coal and Coke Company. The mine was opened in 1888 and closed in the 1950's. The coal was mined from 6 seems of the Flat Top-Pocahontas Coalfield. Currently there are 160 residents. 

The center piece of the community is the John L. Lincoln house. The house pictured above was built in 1899 for John L Lincoln who was the general manager not only the Crozer mine but also the Upland and Page Coal and Coke Companies. This house is current owned by Bob and Tish (St Clair) Beasley and has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The home has been owned by the Beasleys since 1962. Contained on the property are a private school house for the Lincoln's children and other mine bosses children. The house remains relatively unchanged with some of the original furniture.

The area had its own high school, opened in 1923 and closed in 1953. (My fathers graduating year). There was a hotel/boarding house, post office (1889), several churches including eastern orthodox along with elementary and Junior High schools. The camp was named Elkhorn after the creek that ran through the area.

The Pictures to above and below are of the post office. In the right of the above picture is Elkhorn creek. To the left not seen in the John Lincoln house. In the picture to the left, on the right hand side of the photograph is my grandparents house which is currently owned by my cousin. Also my Grandmother, Aunt and cousin have worked as Post Mistress of the Elkhorn Post Office

I remember spending summers in Elkhorn. Even though the mine had been closed more than 10 years before my birth the coal trains still ran through every evening. We would go to sleep hearing the click clack of the train as it passed by. Going to my cousin's football game in nearby Northfork or just playing in the big yard. The little community continues to survive unlike so many of these coal camps. On a recent visit, I was surprised to see some of the houses along "bosses row" had been painted a different color than the traditional white with green shutters.

More to be posted

Class 1

I enjoyed reviewing the chemistry of coal. Also, The pictures of the coal camps reminded me of places where my dad's family lived. There was on camp that a section of road was called brick row because the bosses houses were made out of brick. When Steve was telling about Henry Ford owning coal mines I remembered that my dad worked in two different mines owned by US Steel. Overall I look forward to learning more information to pass on to my students. On Monday they are going to get to balance the conversion of carbon dioxide to glucose reaction and probably do a stoichiometry problem based on the reaction. .