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Satellite)
Micah Turner
posted a history and several photos.
"At one point in time, Cumberland, Behnam, and Lynch’s population exceeded that of modern day Chicago."
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Jeff Jabo Miles posted
Part of the old US Steel complex in Lynch Ky. The people of Lynch and Benham are very proud of their rich coal history. This is a great place to visit. They still have many of the old structures still standing.
James Torgeson shared
A silo at the former USS coal mining operation in Lynch, KY.
As information, the town of Benham, KY mentioned in the text of the original photo was home a large International Harvester (Wisconsin Steel) mining operation. |
I remember a TV segment on the Science Channel that explained that US Steel built this town and the world's largest tipple. The L&N Poorfork Branch ended in Lynch. In 1993, the mines in both Lynch and Behnams closed.
"In the 1920s U.S. Coal & Coke owned the world's largest coal tipple with a capacity of 15,000 tons. On February 12, 1923 the world's record for coal production in a single 9 hour shift was achieved when miners operating 40 shortwall cutting machines produced 12,820 tons of coal, filling 256 railcars." US Steel and other coal producers in the area "did everything in their power to prevent unionization. This action by the coal companies and the actions of the miners earned Harlan County the name of 'Bloody Harlan'." [
portal31.org]
The rerouted creek with its sandstone walls.
The Appalachian Project posted three photos with the comment:
In its time, Lynch, Kentucky, was designed as the finest coal camp/town in the US. Built by U.S. Coal & Coke (a subsidiary of U.S. Steel), it was made to last and is still extremely well-preserved and heavily populated relative to other coal towns. At its peak, Lynch boasted a population of over 10,000 people in the 1940s. These days, the town in Harlan County has less than 750 residents.
Lynch, Kentucky was the top of the food chain in amenities when the town was built and it is said to have been the largest coal camp in the world at the time.
A massive coal producer in Harlan County, Lynch once employed over 4,000 coal miners. It was built to last and most of the structures still stand tall even now, 100 years after they were built.
You often hear older generations say "they don't make 'em like they used to" about all manner of products. Well, they don't make towns like Lynch anymore either...heck, they didn't make 'em like Lynch then either - it was the mother of all coal camps.
I would HIGHLY recommend checking out the full YouTube version for this one as this one minute clip doesn't come close to doing it justice. You can just click on this link for the full YouTube version:
The Largest Coal Camp in the World - Lynch, Kentucky Was a Massive Coal Producer in Harlan County
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Bob Redd commented on the above post
US Steel had another great coal town, Gary, West Virginia, the first Gary. Gary, Indiana came three years later. Not much left of Gary, W VA. But up until the 1980s it was great! |
The conveyor, and probably the silo, were adding when they reopened the mine in 1968.
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DailyMail
[This article looks at the people and the town as well as at the mine. It has several then&now slider photos. |
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CoalCampUSA
Ruins of the U.S. Coal and Coke Co. coal preparation facility in Lynch, KY. U.S. Coal and Coke was a subsidiary of U.S. Steel. All of the coal mined in Lynch by that company went to U.S. Steel's coke ovens in Gary, Indiana, a city on the edge of the Chicago metro area. On the left of this photo is what is probably the blending bins, in the center is what's left of the prep plant, and on the right was the power house and silo. (Jan. 2007 image by author) |
Kentucky Travels
posted eight photos with the comment:
“Sealed in Time” .Portal #31 Underground Mine. Lynch, Kentucky. Mine #31 was the most productive mine in Lynch. The center of all activity was around the mine.
The U.S. Steel company town was the largest coal loading plant in the United States.
The complex supported over 5000 miners and included a tipple that could load 25 tons of coal a minute. (700 railroad cars a day). In its time, Lynch, Kentucky, was designed as the finest coal camp/town in the US. Built by U.S. Coal & Coke (a subsidiary of U.S. Steel), it was made to last and is still extremely well-preserved and heavily populated relative to other coal towns. At its peak, Lynch boasted a population of over 10,000 people in the 1940s. These days, the town in Harlan County has less than 750 residents.
Tours/Cost/Information in link
Bill Lacy: How many men died there?
Kentucky Travels: I researched it and it said 150 miners died in that portal
But it doesn’t give the years
It was opened in 1917 and closed in 1963
Hope that helps
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