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Early Coal Pits

Timeline: 1701 to 1811
From "Historically Significant Sites on the Mid-Lothian Coal Mining Co. Tract In Chesterfield County, Virginia," a collection of articles and excerpts compiled by Thomas F. Garner, Jr. and located in the Midlothian Branch Library, and libraries of the Virginia Historical Society and Chesterfield Historical Society.
Mid-Lothian Early Coal Pits Chronology

5/10/1701
William Byrd wrote to the Colonial Council of Virginia of coal discovered at Manaken Town. (The First Century and a Quarter of American Coal Industry by Howard N. Eavenson, page 29. Pittsburgh: 1942)

5/18/1709
William Byrd records in diary of "very good" coal mine, probably Midlothian.

1730 - 1770
Allusions to coal mining in Midlothian area. (The First Century and a Quarter of American Coal Industry by Howard N. Eavenson, pages 30- 31. Pittsburgh: 1942; The Story of the Richmond, Virginia, Coal Field and its Development 1700 - 1934 by F. R. Wadleigh. Washington, D.C: November, 1934)

1762
John Cobbs paid 17 lbs. for building bridge across Falling Creek on Buckingham Road.

?
"The first mines discovered in this vicinity, were the old Black Heath pits, Buck & Cunliffe's, Ross & Curry's, Wooldridge's, Railey's, and the Green Hole..." (Paper dated September 1, 1841 in American Journal of Science by Abraham S. Wooldridge, Volume 43, No. 1, April, June, 1842, pp. 1-14. See The First Century and a Quarter of American Coal Industry by Howard N. Eavenson, pages 106 –113. Pittsburgh: 1942.)

1750 - 1769
Shipping records of coal from James River, Virginia to all the colonies. (The First Century and a Quarter of American Coal Industry by Howard N. Eavenson, page 32. Pittsburgh: 1942.)

1778
Samuel Duval, Sr. paid William Ammonett 3,000 lbs. for 100 acre tract on Falling Creek with all coal pits, minerals, mines, houses, orchards and gardens.

1790
Wooldridge's pits, Railey's pits and Nicholas Mills' Nicholson & Heth pits, Creek pits and Union pits are first mentioned. (The First Century and a Quarter of American Coal Industry by Howard N. Eavenson, page 37. Pittsburgh: 1942.)

1794
Tench Coxe, a Pennsylvanian and Assistant Secretary of the U. S. Treasury Department, alluded to importance of James River Mines in View of the United States. (The First Century and a Quarter of American Coal Industry by Howard N. Eavenson, page 42. Pittsburgh: 1942.)

1795
Canal from Westham through Falls to tidewater operational. (The First Century and a Quarter of American Coal Industry by Howard N. Eavenson, page 37. Pittsburgh: 1942.)

1/20/1802
Manchester Turnpike chartered to construct a turnpike between Manchester and Falling Creek (The First Century and a Quarter of American Coal Industry by Howard N. Eavenson, page 63. Pittsburgh: 1942.)
a. Charter group: Benjamin Hatcher, Henry L. Biscoe, Harry Heth, Andrew Nicholson, William Robertson & John Cunliffe.
b. Capitalization: $40,000.
c. 2 toll gates authorized
d. farm wagons loaded one way could return empty free.
e. Coal vehicles assessed 1/2 toll on empty return.
f. Road to be not less than 30 feet in width.

1804
Article in "Literary Magazine" suggested that a regular coal trade be established with Virginia due to growing scarcity of wood in eastern states. (The First Century and a Quarter of American Coal Industry by Howard N. Eavenson, page 64. Pittsburgh: 1942.)

1802 - 1808
Railey's pits worked:
a. 1802, Elizabeth Railey receives $8/m. bushel on coal raised. (The First Century and a Quarter of American Coal Industry by Howard N. Eavenson, page 66. Pittsburgh: 1942.)
b. 1803, Martin Railey states value of land as rents on 1/2 to 3/4 acre are $3,000/year. (The First Century and a Quarter of American Coal Industry by Howard N. Eavenson, page 63. Pittsburgh: 1942.)
c. 1803 - 1808, Elizabeth Railey receives higher royalty of $.01/bushel or $.25/net ton. (The First Century and a Quarter of American Coal Industry by Howard N. Eavenson, page 66. Pittsburgh: 1942.)

1807
Manchester Turnpike Company competes 13 mile turnpike. (Forerunner of Virginia's First Railway, by Elizabeth Dabney Coleman in Virginia Cavalcade, Volume IV, Number 3, pp. 4-7. Virginia State Library: Winter, 1954.)

5/06/1811
Raileys make lease to Harry Heth of 103 acre "Railey's Coalpits" for 5 years from 1/1/1814 when previous agreement to Nicholson & Heth would expire (The First Century and a Quarter of American Coal Industry by Howard N. Eavenson, page 69. Pittsburgh: 1942.):
a. Royalty: $.02/bushel, $.50/net ton
b. Heth must keep books of account of coal shipped.
c. Work 25-30 able bodied laborers, exclusive of machine boys and mechanics.
d. Never employ more than 80 laborers.
e. Could search for new bodies of coal and sink shafts for them.

Mid-Lothian
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Midlothian, Virginia
Mid-Lothian Mines Park is located at 13301 N. Woolridge Rd., Midlothian, Va. 23114 USA
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