MINDEN

Coal baron Paddy Rend opened the mine and mining town at Minden in 1899. The town was named Rend at that time. The mines were supposed to be in the Fire Creek seam of coal. Later Berwind interests purchased the Minden operations, mining coal under the name New River & Pocahontas Consolidated Coal Co. At this time the No. 2, 3, and 4 mines in the Sewell seam at Minden were some of the most productive in the New River Field. According to the NPS rangers at the Canyon Rim Visitor Center, the Minden mines closed in the 1950s.

These coal camp houses are still inhabited at Minden.

A good example of the vertical plank construction of the company-built homes at Minden.

Many of the houses are now abandoned.

This one is almost completely overgrown.

The ruins of the Minden powerhouse

This cut stone structure was also part of the Minden coal processing facility.

My guess is that this was an air shaft and the fan has been removed.

I don't remember where I got this vintage photo of the Minden company store.

Paul writes, "I can fill in a piece of information for you about the Minden mine. Your webpage about Minden says that the mine closed 'in the 1950's.' I can narrow it down a little more than that. My grandfather lost his job there in 1955 because the mine was shutting down. My mother believes it stayed open perhaps a couple of years longer than that, but that no coal was actually being mined - they were just cleaning out whatever equipment could be used in/sold to other mines."

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