Hi. I'm Adam. I'm a historical researcher, amateur archaeologist, and am one of those "metal detector guys" and live in northern Alabama.

I've been working on a local history project and would like to know if anyone on this forum could help me with research links.

I'm looking to find info specifically related to iron and coal mining in Etowah county near the towns of Attalla, Gadsden, Gallant, Altoona and surrounding areas. Basically it's like this, there are old mines in the area, there are tales of old mines in the area, there are articles and stories and books with anecdotes about the local mines.

But getting anything substantial is like catching jello cubes with a tennis racket.

There is a ton of info on the Birmingham area coal and iron mines and the industry. But anything about mining out here has largely been forgotten. That's where my friends and I are trying to tell the story about the mining history of this area. I'm working with the local historical society and am working on putting together an exhibit when I'm done.

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viewtopic.php?f=20&t=22552

This was a thread i started awhile back. I know a lot about the area. I am in northwest Georgia at the foot of Lookout Mountain. What do you want to know?

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Welcome to the forums. I shall follow this thread with interest, as I plan to model an iron mine owned by a steel mill. (Pit on one section, mill on the other kind of thing)

ngunderground...That actually looks like a small mine I've been in. Hinds Rd?

We were discussing the Hammond mine explosion the other day. http://www3.gendisasters.com/alabama/8258/gadsden-al-hammond-mining-co-explosion-oct-1908

A friend produced another article stating that the mine and the explosives bunker itself was 7 blocks from the center of town. Which direction though, is highly debated.

Which is where I am now, I know that there were at least 30 mines in this part of the county, yet only know of the approximate location of 2 of them, but that's part of the hunt.

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Nope, not on Hinds, I would like to see that mine though. That mine I posted and another that I don't have pictures of are in the Tabor community, right on Black creek. PM me your contact info and maybe we can get together and do some exploring.

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https://books.google.com/books?id=5kUPA ... ma&f=false
This link has a picture from the Hammond mine. There was also a couple other pictures that might interest you. I'll dig through my archives later and see what else I can come up with.

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Ok I talked to a friend who know a guy that supposedly knows where the Hammond mine is located. I'm trying to get in touch with him. My friend talked to him yesterday and he said one entrance is still open and one is not.

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That's awesome, thanks. And that photo is like a lot that I've seen on southern mines, mule drawn carts and just a plain entrance. Although I've seen a few well built entrances in old photos of Attalla, Keener & Altoona.

The small mine on Hinds Rd is 60-70 yards from the old mill pond going up Towards Tabor Rd. We didn't go more than 20 feet or so as we didn't know how stable it was or if there were any rattlers denning in there.

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I was talking to an old timer the other day about that mine. He said that's one of about 10 or 12 in just that area near the falls.

But he couldn't answer my other question though, which was....

Back in the 1800's and early 1900's, how far from the entrance were any structures like powder houses, workers quarters, commissary, etc?

I have heard different answers for different reasons, but the main ones I'm told were that at least 100 yards because of firedamp danger?

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Black damp is air that does not contain enough oxygen to support life. It is found in mines without proper ventilation. Fire damp is methane and is explosive. It is usually found at the face of the mine as it is released as coal is mined. The only way I could see fire damp being a threat to outside structures would be if they were worried about an ignition source near the exhaust for the ventilation system. Most small mines in our part of the world didn't have elaborate vent systems and relied on natural ventilation. Also fire damp is not a problem in metal mines.
As far as location of buildings there is really no set standard for placement. The powder shack would have been far enough away to minimize damage should it go off. Not all mining companies/mines had commissaries and they would've been fairly far away from the mine so wives/children wouldn't be interfering with the mining operation. It would be the same with company housing.

Awesome pictures. I'd love to get together and have a look at the mines you know about on the mountain and I can take you to the ones I have found. It is interesting that they took as much bottom rock as they did working that small of a seam.

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Ok, makes sense about the methane.

The mine in the picture also has a small cave which is kinda weird, but I'm told by a county historian that it was used by at least a dozen families during the depression for free fuel or stoves etc.

I met an old lady who's uncle worked in another bigger coal mine nearby that gave a good description of it's location and layout. Apparently it was a man camp that had bunk houses and other structures as well as a railroad spur. The trees growing between the ties are huge.

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During the depression poor people would come to the mountain and walk up black creek until they found an outcrop or abandoned mine. Then they would dig enough coal to fill a couple of toe sacks which they would sell in town. I'm sure folks that actually lived on the mountain did the same thing but probably more for their own use like you were saying.

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I'm going to walk up black creek walking trail this weekend and try to mark on a map any old diggings I can locate.

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Does the trail start at the falls?

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May all those who have gone before us have a carbide lamp with an eternal flame.

Kinda.

The trail goes from the falls all the way down the gorge to Tuscaloosa ave. I'll actually be starting from there.

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